The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons // A Book Review

On a whim, I requested The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons on Netgalley. I’d just created my account, so I didn’t have high hopes of getting approved. But, on June 30, 2023, I received an email notifying me that my request had been accepted.

Suffice it to say, I just about lost my damn mind.

I’ve been around long enough to remember when Abbie would reference The Otherworld as “the lighthouse book” and ever since then, I’d anxiously awaited a chance to get my hands on the book.

I won’t dance around the review any longer, so behold: Bree Dawn’s review of The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons.

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The Review

I have a lot of mixed thoughts about this book, so please bare with me as I try to unpack them in a way that isn’t just complete chaos.

The Otherworld is a beautiful book. Abbie’s writing has improved so much since 100 Day of Sunlight. From the lush prose to the effortless worldbuilding and character banter, this book is really just the best, most cozy little book that made me want to sit with Orca inside the lighthouse drinking tea while we watched the rain outside. And, guys, I don’t even like tea, so that should be a pretty good indicator about how much I wanted to crawl inside the pages of this book.

But, even amidst those feelings . . . I have to admit that this book does have some problems. So, let’s get into the details, shall we?

What I Loved

Orca. I know some people have expressed irritation with her, but I actually really liked her. She was a bit immature for an eighteen-year-old, but that didn’t really bother me since it fit with her character and background. I think that her internal conflict and personality were well-written, and I genuinely just wanted to sit down and hang with her for a while.

The BANTER. If there’s one thing that Abbie has always done incredibly well, it’s banter. Orca, Jack, and Adam all had such comedic moments that left me wondering how Abbie comes up with this stuff and MAKES IT SO ORGANIC.

Sibling energy. Adam and Jack’s interactions were incredible, and I will always be jealous of the way that Abbie writes brothers.

The worldbuilding. I already touched on this, but seriously, it’s so good. I cannot emphasize enough how much this made me want to LITERALLY JUMP INTO THE BOOK. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that way about a book, so if worldbuilding is important to you, this book will not disappoint.

What I Didn’t Love

The insta-love. I don’t remember Abbie pitching this as an insta-love, so it caught me really off-guard when characters were confessing their love after only knowing each other for like, three days. For most of the novel, it felt like certain characters were either “in like” or “trauma bonded,” which made the whole romance feel superficial and unrealistic. I did enjoy the romance, but it definitely required a certain level of suspension of disbelief that was, at times, a little annoying.

The predictability of the story. I called the major plot twist at about 30%. I know that this might just be because I understand Abbie’s tendencies and how a lot of plot twists work, but it did take away a little from my ability to be surprised by the latter part of the book.

The age gap romance. I’ve never really read an age gap romance before, but it generally just gives me big “ick” energy. I will say that I think Abbie handled it better than I expected, but it’s still not totally something I liked.

The way every single character seemed to take the Lord’s name in vain every 5 seconds. If this was written by someone else (or most other people), I probably would just roll my eyes and be like “Yeah, of course they did that.” But, I thought Abbie was a Christian . . . and Christians are called to a higher standard. As a writer and a Christian, I cannot condone this kind of swearing because it goes against what we, as Christians, are called to do. Abbie’s other characters in 100 Days of Sunlight did the same thing, but I guess I was hoping that she wouldn’t do it here . . . and unfortunately, I think she did it more in this book.

The ending. Don’t get me wrong: I did enjoy the ending. But . . . it felt rushed. Everything wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly for me. I would have loved an epilogue or something to give things a chance to slow down and really soak in those final moments.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, this was a solid 3.5-3.75 stars for me. It had its moments that made me want to scream at the characters for being idiots and whisper “please, Abbie, don’t.” But, it was also delightful, fun, and ultimately felt like watching a trainwreck that made me giggle with evil reader glee.

So, if you like gorgeous prose/worldbuilding, angsty YA energy, brotherly bonds, dreamer girls, insta-love, and wanderlust, definitely check out The Otherworld.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Content Warnings

Abandonment, alcohol, cursing (strong and frequent, including taking the Lord’s name in vain), grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, medical trauma, and sexual content (there is a lot of kissing, and some of the kisses are a bit more sensual/descriptive).

Favorite Quotes

Perhaps we are all butterflies, and the world is our hurricane.

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For a moment, we are two stars floating in the infinity of the universe.

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Go see those mountains, those deserts. I know you’ll find yourself somewhere along the way.

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Listen to my “I wish I was drinking tea on the lighthouse island with Orca” playlist

My Rating

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About the Book

Orca Monroe wants only one thing for her eighteenth birthday: to experience the Otherworld—the mysterious “mainland” across the sea that her father has forbidden her from visiting.

Growing up in a lighthouse on a remote island, Orca has lived isolated from the world… until one day when she finds a cell phone washed up on the beach. Orca has her first conversation with Jack Stevenson, a young man whose older brother, Adam, has gone missing after crashing his seaplane off the coast. Orca becomes Jack’s lifeline and his reason to hope that Adam is still alive. While her father is away, she scours the island for the missing pilot—determined to help Jack find his brother and prove to her father that she’s strong enough to take on the world.

One stormy night, Orca finds Adam Stevenson collapsed on her doorstep. As she nurses him back to health, she finds herself spellbound by his inquiring mind and rugged good looks. Simultaneously, Adam is captivated by her wild beauty and pure heart. But with a ten-year age gap between them—and her father’s determination to keep Orca protected from outsiders—Adam knows they can never be together.

Resigned to give Orca up, Adam returns to the mainland—but Jack refuses to leave her trapped at the lighthouse. Blind to the fact that his brother is in love with her, Jack offers to show Orca the world she’s always dreamed of. But when she leaves her island for the first time, Orca begins to realize that the mainland may hold more dark secrets than she ever imagined… and the two brothers she helped bring back together may be the very people she tears apart.

The Otherworld releases on September 19, 2023!

About the Author

Let’s Talk!

Did you read an ARC of The Otherworld? Have you preordered your own copy? Are you Team Adam or Team Jack? Let’s talk all things The Otherworld down in the comments!