Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen reconnects with dad in sweet but long coming-of-ager.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
LOVE & OLIVES tells the story of how, during the summer between her junior and senior year of high school, Liv gets an unexpected opportunity to visit the father who abandoned her when she was eight. Her father has returned to the Greek island of Santorini where he grew up, and says he has a project that he really needs Liv's help with. Liv arrives on Santorini still holding onto a lot of pain and anger, and no desire whatever to let go of any of it. Fortunately there's also Theo, her dad's incredibly handsome and charming assistant who makes a great buffer between father and daughter, so a lot of awkwardness is avoided while Liv continues to ignore her feelings. As the project progresses, Liv uncovers truths about her father and their life together before he left. These truths help her see herself, her family, and her future in a whole new light.
Is It Any Good?
Author Jenna Evans Welch's talent for vivid descriptions of gorgeous locations steals the show in this otherwise sweet but predictable, and a bit too long, coming-of-age romance. The tone in Love & Olives is fairly light and breezy, which helps keep things going despite some flaws in the plot and characters, but also makes the ending never in doubt. Liv is a frustrating character for much of the story. She's pretty self absorbed and too sure she's right about everything, and at times it feels like it's just taking too long for her to start learning and changing.
That being said, the budding romance with Theo is pretty sigh worthy, and the box of mementos adds interest and dimension to passages where Liv revisits the past. Romance fans will enjoy it, and the ending satisfies. There's very little content of concern, but at over 500 pages it's best for strongly independent readers who can handle the theme of parental abandonment. And don't be surprised if Santorini gets added to your list of dream vacation destinations.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Love & Olives addresses mental illness and the stigma attached to it. Do you or anyone you know deal with mental illness? Do you agree with Liv's mom, that it has "nothing to do with what kind of person you are?"
Do you think going back and forth in time -- a frequently used plot device in modern novels -- adds tension or interest to the story? Does it play on how well you think you know characters when they're revealed in bits and pieces?
Romantic books, movies, TV, etc. are always popular. What do we love about them? Do they affect your expectations for romance in real life? What are some of your favorites?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Adventures , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : November 10, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 512
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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