Customer Reviews

April & Oliver: A Novel

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This debut novel is about a lot of things... grief, family, the ebb and flow of friendship (especially those you once thought will last a lifetime), and love (some of it unrequited). I could appreciate the delicateness of a friendship with someone of the opposite sex, and how easy it is to let friendship fade away once life starts to take you in different directions. April and Oliver are unceremoniously thrown back into each others lives following the death of her brother, and everyone seems to expect them to be able to pick up right where they left off. Unfortunately, they're not the same people they used to be. There is a tug of war between the two of them as April tries to keep her distance, ashamed of who she has turned out to be but clueless as to how to change and as Oliver looks to her for answers to his own questions. I thought it was incredibly sad that the family decided to keep Buddy's death from Nana - doesn't she deserve to grieve too? - but it did add another layer to the story. The ending here falls short of happy (which I think would have felt contrived), but it is nicely hopeful.

APRIL & OLIVER by Tess Callahan is just a marvelous book written by a very gifted writer. It is basically the story of April and Oliver who meet up after many years after the sudden death of April's younger brother. As children, April and Oliver were extremely close and knew each other better than anyone; however, during their separation, they didn't stay in touch and eventually grew apart. This book is, without a doubt, a character-driven novel; and I found all of the characters to be very real as well as very complicated. The reader can't help but be touched by the pain that both April and Oliver have in their lives.

Because this novel was so beautiful, I found myself reading it slowly and appreciating each and every page. I think another reason that I wasn't able to breeze through this book was because I found the story to be just gut-wrenching. I loved both April and Oliver (even when I wanted to just shake some sense into them) but they were both so unhappy and even self-destruction in so many ways. I had a difficult time with many of their actions (especially April's); and yet, I still became caught up in their lives and kept holding out hope that they would find some happiness.

The book is just incredibly well written; and it's very hard to believe that it is Ms. Callahan's debut novel. I was a little disappointed to find this out because I wanted to go back and read her prior books and now I just have to wait for her next one. Her prose is just exquisite and her dialogue is spot on. I can't get over how well she developed the characters in this book. They were all flawed and their interactions were complicated, but I felt as if I knew them by the end of this book.

One thing about this book that made it so very special to me was the ending -- I thought it was just perfect. I don't want to give anything away, but the ending did cause me to think a great deal about April and Oliver and what potentially happened to each of them. On the BlogTalk Radio show, I actually asked the author what she thought happened after the book ended; and I absolutely loved her answer. I'm paraphrasing, but here's the gist: "I have no idea and didn't really think about it. The characters were done telling their story to me." As a non-writer, I am just amazed by that answer, but I think it's so telling about the type of writer Ms. Callahan is.

I highly recommend APRIL & OLIVER as a book club pick. As I mentioned earlier, this book is very character driven so there is naturally a great deal to discuss about April and Oliver as well as their relationships. I was so excited to find this reading guide with 25 excellent discussion questions. In addition, there is also a reading guide for APRIL & OLIVER and THE POWER OF KNOW by Eckart Tolle that has ten more questions. A lot of the questions posed allow you to discuss the characters in this novel, but you can also touch upon the themes of loss, guilt, and forgiveness. It truly is a wonderful discussion book!

The very first chapter hooked me and never let go. The writing is beautiful and the characters are so well-developed you don't want to stop reading yet you don't want to read it too fast either. When April's brother dies and her childhood best friend Oliver returns with his fiance, their unrequited sexual tension is palpable. However, April's made some bad choices in men and she even though she knows it she doesn't feel she deserves better because of her history of abuse at the hands of a family friend. Oliver tries to help her but he has secrets of his own that keep him stuck in the past and his fiance Bernadette is sandwiched in the middle of these two starcrossed, uncomsummated lovers.
The ending, though satisfying, leaves me thinking about April & Oliver and what they are doing now. Unforgettable characters that will stay with me for awhile.

I recommend April & Oliver to anyone who likes to get pulled into a story; this book has it all. There is some violence and sexual abuse, but ultimately it is a story of love, loss and relationships.

I stayed up late last night reading this novel. I read it for most of the day and made myself stop from time to time just so I could stretch it out. I loved it totally - the beautiful story, the amazing writing, the satisfying ending. April, Oliver and the other characters were real and believably sympathetic. The story was grabbing and compelling - not in the least bit boring. I haven't felt this way about a book for so long. Yes!

If you are the light to another's dark, the pull to another push or the root of the problem do you help one another by being together or are you the enabling the issues. With April Simone and Oliver Night the lines are so blurred with history and confusion that it is impossible for them to see if they are a help or hindrance to one another as they have as much difficulty being together as they do apart. They have grown up together and spent so much of their lives trying to help one another by burying the secrets as much as revealing them.

But when April's brother dies unexpectedly her entire world is thrown into a new type of chaos that sees no way out of. She has dealt with abuse, neglect and total abandonment from every man she has even known and while she tries to do better it seems she may be destined to live the life that was destined to her by the past. But when Oliver had left to start a new life was he moving away from her to save himself or April.

As the story unfolds you discover that April has let everyone see her as flawed and imperfect and she is neither of these anymore than Oliver is the perfect, unflawed one - those blurry lines again. April questions her mere existence and Oliver questions everyone around him looking for a reason or cause that made him abandon his musical career and follow a path he doesn't feel passion for. They are both seeking answers and cannot decide where the answers lie or if they even exist.

But with Oliver feeling conflicted about law school and questioning his upcoming marriage once he is reunited with April the grief they feel separately is intensified together as well as all the long buried feelings. As they relive the experiences that have kept them both together and apart their entire life more secrets are revealed and emotions are stirred than cannot be handled by either of them.

But the draw to one another is so strong that this latest act in their lives with no doubt will create a scenario where they are united as one or separated into two pieces forever - there is nothing in between for them.

This book is not an easy read because it is so emotionally charged but it is a great read. You analyze the characters as much for the strengths as their flaws and as each chapter unfolds you realize that it is that blurred line that makes the most sense. Imperfection is what is expected of us and when we try to live a perfect life it often comes back to haunt you.

Review by Mary Gramlich "The Reading Reviewer" [...]

How a mother of twins had time to write this novel is BEYOND ME! This book came recommended based upon my reaction to Follow Me. This novel is similar in the way that there is a sadness that shadows its main characters and you realize that it is only within their grasp for them to move out of the shadows and into the light. Both April and Oliver need a transformation. They need to accept their truths. But, sometimes the "broken" take a much longer road to finding self-acceptance or self-love. April and Oliver cannot deny the truths within them just as they cannot deny the air they breathe. Everybody can see them, but they just can't see to see themselves.

I found myself completely engrossed in this read. The character development was excellent and the storyline kept me engaged the entire time. I can relate to characters like April and Oliver. The way they think makes sense to me and I can feel for them in such a way that their hardship is part of their beauty. Callahan did a fantastic job with the surrounding characters Al, Nana, Bernadette, and T.J. Each of them I see in my mind's eye as clear as day.

On Sher's "Out of Ten Scale:"

I've learned a lot lately about how absolutely subjective reading is. Two people will read this book and not walk away with the same impression of it. Words of a well written book truly are art. When an author is able to tell a story in such a way that you feel connected to the characters and you find yourself caring about their outcome, then the author has done his/her job. Callahan did her job well with April & Oliver. For me, a GREAT LOVER OF FICTION, there is nothing greater for me than a story that sweeps me away into another world. April & Oliver has done that for me.

In my opinion, Tess Callahan wrote a poignant, heartbreaking tale of redemption that I will rate, in the genre: Fiction, a 10 OUT OF 10. I highly recommend this novel to book clubs as it will promote A GREAT BOOK CLUB discussion.

Wow. Two words: sexual tension. It propels the novel forward and just never releases you. I never found a point in the book where I could put it down and take a breather. This book is heartbreaking and humane. Self sacrifice is a big theme. You are constanty wondering if their love is going to lead to damnation or redemption for April and Oliver. I loved these two characters and thought about them long after the book ended. I know the ending didn't appeal to everyone, but it is realistic and beautiful in its simplicity.

I loved this book. Loved. LOVED. I was so sad when it ended. It was filled with remorse, joy, love, sadness, and etc. The characters felt so real. The sexual tension between the two main characters was written perfectly and was intense without being in your face. Each of the character's personal issues felt so realistic and true -- and I also love how the author chose to end the book. Would it be too much to ask for a sequel?

"April and Oliver" is a lovely, elegant novel, with raw moments tempered by some beautifully rendered prose and characters that could easily have been cliches, but emerge as complex, fascinating human beings.

The plot here is perhaps nothing new to avid readers of this type of character-driven fiction. April and Oliver may be in love and destined to be together or they may be each other's foils and therefore only necessary to each other in their individual process of achieving self actualization. Just when the novel suggests these two need each other to heal themselves, it will veer into a different direction that makes it seem as if April and Oliver both need to break ties permanently if they are to be happy in their skin.

The end result is that it's almost impossible to know if we should root for these two to end up together or hope they break free of each other forever.

And therein lies the key to enjoying this novel. It's best not to approach it with the desire to be given a clear-cut, uncomplicated, and romantic ending. While I do personally think the author dropped enough clues throughout the novel to suggest that the characters would ultimately end up together, the story is really about self-discovery. Traditional romantics drawn to this novel because of the emphasis on love and yearning in the description might therefore find this a frustrating read.

All others, I think, will enjoy Tess Callahan's ability to give all her characters--including the supporting ones like T.J., Al, and Quincy--a fully fleshed out existance that makes you appreciate shades of gray.

I admit it...I picked this book up because I loved the cover. I know "they" say never to judge a book by the cover, but this one didn't disappoint. I saw this as a frustrating love story -- April and Oliver seemed destined to be together and everyone could see it except for the two of them. So many times I sat there squirming, wanting to shout "Just kiss her already!" Overall, I thought this was a great story with well-developed characters and a wonderful view of the way relationships can ebb and flow over time. I can't wait to see more from Ms. Callahan in the future.