I've read a few kidnapping books in my past and I have to say that this might be one of the better ones. Most of the time we get the story from the one who was kidnapped, so it's interesting that Benway told it from the friend's perspective. With that being said, I loved that she did that because it pushed the reader to understanding that this was more about Emmy and Oliver than about Oliver being kidnapped. The story is about friendship and how amazing and important it is, despite the life you've been dealt. Despite such a dismal premise, Benway turned it into a sweet and touching story that left me feeling pretty good in the end. 
 Emmy and Oliver were so sweet, cute, and innocent together. I loved getting those glimpses into their friendship as kids and it definitely helped to paint a beautiful picture of their relationship and how significant it is. I will admit, I would've loved to have been inside Oliver's head, but they connected really well and Oliver opens up to Emmy quite a bit so I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. Their relationship was tentative and rocky at first, which was understandable, and I liked the slow-build and subtle nature of how they rebuilt their friendship and then turned into lovers. It's hard to understand what goes through the head of a kid like Oliver, so I appreciated Emmy doing whatever she could to salvage and rebuild their friendship as well as getting him to accept his life for what it was and to help him move on. 
 Emmy and her friends will charm you and even though the parents drove me crazy, I totally empathized with them and I liked how Benway handled all kinds of relationships in this book. I totally sympathized with Oliver's mother more than with Emmy's parents, but I got where they were coming from. With such a tragic event, it was interesting to see how it affects everyone surrounding it and not just those personally involved in it. I'd say, If you're looking for a good book about tough and emotional subjects without it being overly depressing, then I'd highly recommend this book. If you love a good book about friendship and sweet teenage romance, then this is also the book for you.