Lotus
By Jennifer Hartmann
TheStory
At eight years old, a little boy named Oliver was kidnapped and kept underground for twenty-two years, believing the world to have suffered a nuclear attack with very few survivors. His childhood best friend Sydney has always mourned the loss through the years.
One day, Sydney turns on the news, and Oliver is on it. He escaped. He survived.
Oliver may have survived the past two decades, but he was not privy to anything that happened in the world. Now he is lost. His only tether to this life is Sydney. But it is not only Oliver that is haunted by what happened. Sydney has devised her own coping mechanisms, and they may just be the undoing of their relationship.
TheReview
What a treat. This book was phenomenal in every way.
So…
Oliver was underground for over two decades but during that time, he read all the books he could get his hands on, became an amazing artist, drawing comic book strips, and watched any movies he could to see other humans interacting. So, he is naive about the world, but he’s smart and educated, and has some idea of human emotion even though he has a hard time showing it and interpreting it.
Oliver is one of the most endearing characters I have ever read about. He sort of gives me Archer vibes from Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan. He’s just innocent, but others tend to think he’s still eight years old. But Sydney treats him like a human, and like a man.
Sydney was so perfect for him. Granted, she ripped my heart out of my chest right alongside Oliver’s multiple times throughout the book. I found the book to give good reason for the characters reacting to situations the way they did. There was a heart and a depth to the story that really made me able to understand the characters. So I understood it, but I still wanted to slap her.
Because Oliver is smart and well read but lacking a grasp on human emotions, he always just says exactly what he thinks or asks questions that he is curious about, even if it wouldn’t be considered “socially acceptable.” He just doesn’t have a filter and it made for a funny time reading it. He was endearing.
Last comment about Oliver (because I just LOVE him). He is so sweet and adorable. Okay, the end.
Gabe and Clementine as side characters were amazing. Gabe was a great best friend to Sydney and a great brother to Oliver after his return. Clementine was a fun addition, and she just added a little *oomph* to the story as an additional character.
While the majority of the story was about healing, love, self-discovery, and bonding, the last part was a shocking twist of events. I flipped out. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d get answers to some of the stuff with Oliver, but I got every single one. I even got answers to questions that I had forgotten I was questioning. The best.
The ending wrapped everything up beautifully and added in some intense drama. But it was the last two chapters before the epilogue that were the icing on the cake. Gosh, I’m just in love with these characters.
This book was full of passion and heart, love and beauty, and healing. It was a fantastic read that made my heart so happy. This is potentially my favorite book ever, definitely in my top favorites, and definitely my favorite book of the year.
TheRating
Storyline: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: N/A
Writing: 5/5
Overall: 📘📘📘📘📘
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️