Where do I even begin? Oh, right. Thank you NetGalley for providing the opportunity to read and review You've Found Oliver.
I will say that I did go into this with an expectation from reading the author’s previous books. I was somewhat afraid that this was going to be a weird, cookie-cutter book that would ride the coattail of its predecessor. That quickly changed a few pages into the book.
It was very nostalgic to read about some of the characters from You’ve Reached Sam; however, the previous MC of the book had space and never fought the new MC, Oliver, for any of the spotlight. I enjoyed their contribution to the storyline, but even more that they did not overshadow the new main character. It brought fresh air to the storyline with a hint of history to bring the characters even more alive.
The pacing of the book was overall normal with its moments of speeding up. The world-building was enough to where you could separate locations without it being overdone and over-explained. That being said, due to the theme of the book, I did have some concerns as to if it would become blended and lost. However, I do believe Dustin Thao did an amazing job at keeping everything moving forward with everything where it should be, and the execution of the theme was grand.
Ben and Oliver had the cutest and most heartwarming adventure together, and you could feel the emotions they felt. Their different personalities complemented each other well without them becoming one. They had their individualism, which helped in being empathetic towards them and making their feelings more realistic than fictional.
Overall, I am giving the book 4.5 out of 5 as it did not leave me with any questions but wanting more of their stories.
