Dear Emmie Blue

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Author: Lia Louis

Rating: 4.0

Recommend: This book plays on a lot of themes including the usual romantic-comedy falling in love with your best friend trope, as well some darker topics like assault. The main focus however is resilience and how you can overcome even the blackest moments in your life and emerge stronger than before. A recommended read especially for women of all ages.

Emmie Blue is officially 30. She is living in a small, overheated flat with her aging landlady who doesn't speak to her very much. Her job is waitressing at a local hotel with okay pay. And the love of her life? He has just announced to her that he is getting married. With Emmie Blue - his best friend of 14 years - as best woman.

I mean, really? Reallyyy? Sigh.

This beautiful looking book begins with Emmie trying to come to terms with the shocking news. As the chapters progress, the author gradually reveals the other segments of Emmie's life - from the dysfunctional relationship she has with her mum, to the devastating events that led Emmie towards Lucas (the newly engaged best friend) in the first place.

This is one of my favorite quotes <3


I absolutely love the themes that Lia Louis has so boldly brought up in her book. Time and again she conveys that no matter how perfect people appear on the outside, no one is living the perfect, dream life behind the closed doors. In the novel, everyone around Emmie is either meeting someone, getting married, or achieving their dream job - at 30 years old, Emmie is nowhere near close to any of those things. And this is completely okay.

Another big theme was the feeling of loneliness; something that the majority of people are already familiar with. When I read the way Emmie tackles it, taking hit after devastating hit from the people and events in her life, and then rising up again stronger than ever... it felt like she transferred some of her endless resilience to me.  



This novel will make you feel. It will genuinely pull at your heartstrings, until you find yourself rooting for Emmie with all your heart as she slowly begins to overcome the trauma in her life. There are endearing illustrations too, from balloons at the beginning of every chapter (I won't tell you why haha), to funny screenshots from Whatsapp chat boxes and emails. They make the book refreshing and far more enjoyable to read. 

If there's one thing I would have changed about the novel, it would be adding an encounter between Emmie and her former childhood friend Georgia. It's been 14 years since the event happened that completely changed both of these girls' lives... does Emmie ever get closure? It would have felt complete to see if she did. 

All in all? A stellar 4 star novel!

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