A Book Review of Jenna Evans Welch’s ‘Love and Olives’

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I’m still so teary from this book as I write this review!!! I finished it like… 1 minute ago so… hehe.

Anyway, welcome back to my blog!!!! Isabelle Knight here again with a glowing review (yes, it’s gonna be glowing) of Jenna Evans Welch’s ‘Love and Olives’. I saw this book on Amazon Kids+ and I was pretty much desperate for a new read so of course, I got it!

I have to admit, I was pretty reluctant to read it because the cover just sorta reminded me of the usual teen’s book with a teenage, female MC about high school, boys, and all that (I’m sorry, I mean no offense to the cover designer!!! I mean, after reading the book, it actually suits it). Oh. My. Stars. I was so wrong.

I mean, yes it does follow a seventeen-year-old girl who’s in high school and it does have all the classic tropes in books about boys and such. But at the same time, it’s so vastly different, and the tropes are used in a really different way – It enhances the plot and gives us a deeper insight into who the MC really is!

And now that that’s outta the way, maybe I should tell you what the book is about. This book follows seventeen-year-old Liv whose father abandoned her and her family when she was eight years old. She… pretty much hates that, and times were just really hard for her. In the past few years, she has tried so hard to move on, forget about him, and just build herself a new life. She even gave herself a new name that didn’t remind her of her father – Liv. And she’s torn up every single postcard from her father that comes her way. Until one day, a postcard from him comes, saying that National Geographic wants him to make a documentary of his theories of Atlantis (he was always obsessed about it. He and Liv would spend so long just talking about what would happen if they found the lost city) and that he wants Liv to come help and visit him in Santorini. She accepts (though not without a whole lot of tears, shocks, and anger). But when she arrives, things are awkward. There are just so many questions… including the one thing she’s been wondering. Why did her father abandon her for Atlantis?

And along the way, you really get to see more about Liv and her struggles and how she learns and grows throughout the book. This is a very character-driven novel, and by the end of the story, it’s just so clear that it’s not about making the documentary for National Geographic and finding Atlantis. It’s about how Liv grows and changes and finds herself and learns the truth about what really happened all those years ago.

I would say, overall, that this is just such a beautiful book! As the story progresses, Liv’s struggles just become more and more and more apparent, and I just love her character arc. It’s not sudden or too fast – it’s perfect. And all the struggles and fears she has, including the fears on abandonment and how she thinks you can’t really trust people, are just so real! And that makes the book even more beautiful! The character development here is even better than in Enchantria! And when I say that, you know I mean it. I mean, hello? I love Enchantria so much!!!! I SPENT A WHOLE YEAR WITH IT.

I don’t admit things like that easily. XD

Anyway, my favorite character in this book has got to be Liv!!! She’s so relatable, flawed, with so many struggles. And at the end of the book, she’s still not perfect. But she’s grown and she’s learned and changed which is just so beautiful! I was trying hard not to tear up but…

Overall, this is an AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, WONDROUS book!!! I’d give it a thousand stars if I could. But if I MUST stick to max five stars… then I give it five stars!!! (though in reality, it’s actually a thousand). This book has made its way into my heart and is officially, truly, one of my favorite books. EVER. I highly recommend this book to older tweens and teens, especially those struggling with family issues or anything, really. Whether it’s school, friendships, or just life in general, this is the book for you.

I feel like this might be Book of the Year… Oh, did I not mention that? Yeah, I’ve decided, that for my blog, I will be doing a very unofficial, BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!!!! The best book I read during the year of 2024. How awesome is that? Now it’s also possible things may change but… maybe, just maybe, this would be my pick. I guess we’ll see. ;D

And yeah! I think that wraps up this book review of this beautiful book! It’s definitely a must-read for anyone. And there’s some romance/talk of boys, but it’s not super over the top like some other books I’ve read. The best word I can think of to describe it is… quiet.

Anyway, thank you guys so much for coming!!! I hope you enjoyed this book review (and will get the book), and I shall see you again in the next post!!!!

Isabelle