Layover by Amy Andelson, Emily Meyer Pages: 272
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on February 6th 2018
Genres: Young Adult, contemporary
Source: Paperback ARC from Publisher
Flynn: At first we were almost strangers. But ever since I moved to New York, Amos was the one person I could count on. And together we were there for Poppy. (I mean, what kind of parents leave their kid to be raised by a nanny?) I just didn’t expect to fall for him—and I never expected him to leave us.
Amos: I thought I was the only one who felt it. I told myself it was because we were spending so much time together—taking care of Poppy and all. But that night, I could tell she felt it, too. And I freaked out—you’re not supposed to fall for your stepsister. So I ran away to boarding school. I should have told her why I was leaving, but every time I tried, it felt like a lie.
One missed flight was about to change their lives forever….
Layover is a young adult contemporary novel by authors Amy Andelson & Emily Meyer. I love a great sibling story, which is exactly what I got with Layover. Layover follows three step-siblings- Amos, Flynn & Poppy. Layover felt refreshing and delightfully “not canned”. I really enjoyed the emotional themes explored as well as the dynamic between the characters. There is a romance as well, but it didn’t take over the story and best of all, it didn’t take anything away for our three main characters and the other things they are going through.
Layover is told in the point of views of Poppy, Amos and Flynn. I really liked this multiple perspective format. It was great to see the rotating chapters because we got to delve deeper into what each of the siblings were going through. Let’s start with Flynn. Flynn’s mom has just passed away, so she goes to live with her father and step-mom, which is Amos and Poppy’s mother. Then we have Amos, who escaped to boarding school to run away from his budding feelings for Flynn. Amos definetly had a certain brooding quality about him, so if you are a fan of that, Amos will be your guy! I actually really liked Amos. And finally, we have little Poppy, who is the youngest, and who suffers from severe anxiety. It is Poppy who finds out what her parents plan to tell the three of them in Bora Bora.
The story picks up with the siblings missing their flight, because they know bad news is waiting for them when they get to their parents. Instead they decide to go off on an adventure of sorts, just the three of them. I think I loved Poppy most of all. I thought her issues at school made her seem very relateable and I loved that her voice felt very age appropriate. I enjoyed Flynn and Amos’ chapters as well, but there were times that Flynn got on my nerves a bit. Nothing big though.
For me the shining part of the book was just watching the three characters interact and be there for one another. I loved how both Flynn and Amos were there for Poppy. You can tell the three of them genuinely care about one another. Plus, the ending was excellent. I thought it was wrapped up perfectly. Totally satisfying. If you like books that are heavily character driven and focus on the relationships between the characters, Layover is a book I think you should check out. I liked this one. It was good quick read for me. Also, isn’t the cover just fabulous?! I am completely in love with it.
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