I really enjoyed Jennifer Oko's first novel, Head Case, and I was very excited to read her latest, Just Emilia. I thought this book had a very interesting premise and was very well executed.

Emilia is a middle-aged woman with a fraught relationship with her husband and who adores her pre-teen daughter. It's the anniversary of her mother's death, but Emilia has no way to get to the location where she feels closest to her mom. Instead, she goes shopping, and on her way home, she gets into an elevator at the subway station and ultimately gets trapped inside with a teenage girl and an older woman. As the three women begin to share details about themselves, they come to realize that they are, in fact, different versions of each other: Em, the teen; Emilia, the middle-aged mother; and Millie, the elderly grandmother.

It's a fascinating premise that I have not seen in any other book I have read, and the author does a very good job of tying everything together and making this unique concept come to life. Seeing three different versions of the same person interact with each other is quite enjoyable. It's a quick and fun read that is sure to satisfy readers who like unusual stories.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a review copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I didn’t read a full blurb for this book as I didn’t want to spoil too much and for the first 15% I was a little dubious about whether or not I would enjoy this book. After cottoning on to the fact that it was three versions of the same person, the story really started to pick up and I really enjoyed reading it.

I will say, this plot had a lot of potential that I didn’t feel was fully explored, which was a shame as I loved the idea and have not read this sort of thing anywhere else! I think my main issue was that I didn’t really like Emilia. The book explores her faults so I know she wouldn’t have been a perfect character but she could’ve at least been a little more likeable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Regal House Publishing and Jennifer Oko for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What a concept - meeting yourself at different stages in life.

This will hit home with a lot of people. How amazing would it be - to be able ot speak to yourself as a teenager? As an elderly person? To remind yourself of what you wanted once, and find out where you might be going?

While that sounds a little 'wish fulfilment', this novel touches on that but this isn't the heart of what Emilia's out-of-time story is about. Today is the anniversary of Emilia's mum's death, following a car accident when she was 16, her mother a TV news personality. Still living in her family's home, her husband is unable to get her to change anything, and Emilia hints she needs to tell him and their daughter something about the accident.

Before this happens though, Emilia gets stuck in a Metro lift with two other women, Em at 17 seems very familiar to her. Millie is 77. In their many hours trapped together, they talk and open up about their lives and discover they are one and the same person, at different stages in the same life. Em's mother has been dead one year, and while Millie's mother died many decades ago, it seems this event has had lifelong ramifications on her and her relationships.

Sharing memories, life learnings and remembering each other's positions, the women can't escape each other or the lift. Maybe getting to the cause of their guilt and inability to move forward will help them escape their confinement, in more way than one...

Original and really well put-together, it moves between the three women seamlessly and easily, and fills in gaps for the reader as we go along. Nobody will fail to see the relevance of this story, and that need to talk to Future You, the desire to warn Past You about what you know.

I really liked the setting that allowed present Emilia and future Millie to share their historical contexts with Em, still in the 1980s, with lots of familiar references points and even a few hints about a possible society 30 years from now.

Philosophically interesting if scientifically impossible, it's a thought experiment done as a novel. Really loved it, it was quite moving and made me yearn for a similar opportunity to talk to Me at different points in my life.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

JUST EMILIA has an interesting premise—a woman who experienced trauma as a teen and who is in the midst of turmoil as a middle-aged woman meets different versions of herself in a stuck elevator. The concept of working through past problems with your selves is a powerful one, and the plot did follow through with a satisfying ending. However, I found myself wanting a little more—I wanted more detail about the marriage in particular, which seems to have been intentionally left open-ended. The story was a bit sparse, which I’m sure will appeal to some readers but which left me slightly unsatisfied. Still, it’s an interesting concept with an inspiring message.

When Emilia Fletcher gets stuck in a Washington, DC Metro elevator, escaping is the least of her worries. Trapped with her are Em, a sharp-edged teenager battling suicidal thoughts, and Millie, an elderly woman desperate to fix things with her estranged daughter… but they’re all her. As the hours slip by, hunger, panic, and exhaustion peel back the truth, forcing Emilia to confront the shame and grief she’s carried her whole life.

I love books where self-acceptance sits at the heart of the story, and this strange, almost surreal situation that brings these characters together had me hooked from the start. I loved how the story used that claustrophobic, suspended space to explore identity, regret, and change. It really leans into the questions: is it ever too late to change who you are? Have you accepted all that you are?

The flashbacks between past, present, and future were done really well, but I think they overpowered the time in the elevator. I found myself wanting more of those close, intimate moments between the three versions of her - more vulnerability, that gut-punch moment of fully seeing, accepting, and forgiving herself. The book touches on it, with some great moments at the end, but I wanted it to go deeper emotionally early on to really let them all unravel. I would have also liked to have focused on the future Emilia a lot more - I feel that was a missed opportunity of digging into regret, something that comes with ageing.

Such an original concept, and it definitely left me thinking. 3/5

Thanks to Regal House Publishing and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This had that fantasy element that I was looking for and was engaged with what was happening. It worked was a fantasy novel and had a great use of time-travel. I enjoyed this as a opening chapter and am excited to read more in this universe. The characters had that overall feel that I was wanting and enjoyed the concept. Jennifer Oko wrote this well and was engaged from the first page.

I really loved the premise of this, and I think had I read it at a different time I might have enjoyed it, but sadly I just couldn’t get into it :( so I’m not able to give a real review but I might give it another try now it’s published!

Thank you to NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.


I really wanted to love this one. The premise immediately drew me in — a woman navigating grief while literally confronting three versions of herself? Such a compelling setup. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite meet the promise for me.

Despite being under 300 pages, “Just Emilia” felt like a tough read at times. The novel does handle themes of grief and mother-daughter relationships with sensitivity, and there are some genuinely thoughtful moments. But Emilia’s ongoing self-blame became increasingly frustrating as the story progressed. Rather than feeling like a journey toward healing, it often read as a refusal to even try.

The scenes between the three versions of Emilia had potential for emotional depth and introspection, but they didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The interactions felt a bit flat, which made it hard for me to fully engage with the character.

That said, I appreciate the ambition behind the story and the attempt to explore identity, regret, and the many selves we carry through life. I was just left wanting a bit more.

I love the cover.

I loved the premise of a woman finding herself stuck in an elevator with her teen self and herself as an old woman.

I enjoyed the writing, I thought the dialogue was good, and there were some parts that were intriguing enough to keep me reading.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book as a whole. The premise was very interesting and, of course, it’s what led me to want to read the book but as I progressed, it fell flat. I started to wonder why they were stuck in the elevator together and if anything would come of it. How many times can the light go off and on, really?! I could not connect with the main character, in all her iterations. She was incredibly difficult to like and to me it didn’t seem like she changed at all by the end of the book- which seemed to be the point.

This book moved me in a way I wasn’t expecting.

Emilia goes on a journey of self-discovery in the most unpredictable way, and it’s a beautiful thing to witness. She can see how she carries her baggage and starts to understand how to lighten her load. With all this pent-up guilt and grief, Emilia forgets to live for so many years. This is her second chance at fixing all those relationships she kept at a distance, living a little less guarded, and finding who she is beyond this traumatic experience.

I would have liked it if the characters had bonded differently, but I still sobbed seeing her get to a better place. While she still has so much more growth left, this is such clear progress, and I love that for her. I wish I could see what her life becomes.

𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘌𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢 by Jennifer Oko comes out June 10, and I can’t wait for you to experience this, too.

I was so excited for this book!! I loved the initial premise and was so excited to get into it.

Unfortunately, at least for me, this one fell flat on its face. Don't get me wrong, it hits the ground running and the first quarter is so exciting and refreshing. The premise of these people all stuck in the lift with the same name felt trippy and the weirdness of it all felt really intriguing. But the momentum just fell flat for me.

It is a remarkably bizarre book so I would recommend it to people who like mind-bending reads with freshness and originality to them but unfortunately it was bitterly slow in the plot and I got so bored at many points throughout.

Just Emilia presents an intriguing and emotional premise: Emilia finds herself trapped in an elevator with both her younger and future self, forcing her to confront the grief and unresolved feelings she’s carried for years. The story powerfully explores the weight of survivor’s guilt and the deep isolation that can come from being misunderstood by those who haven't experienced similar loss.

I really appreciated how the author tackled the difficulty of facing trauma and the way it can shape not only our present but also our future. However, I found the transitions between the three versions of Emilia a bit confusing at times, especially with perspective, which made it hard to stay grounded in the narrative. Perhaps this was meant to reflect Emilia’s emotional state, but for me, it occasionally disrupted the impact.

The ending felt somewhat rushed. I would have liked to see more of Emilia’s journey, rather than such a quick resolution. Still, the story left a lasting impression and a reminder that even the things we think we’ve buried can echo through our lives.

This is a weird book.
The premise is so interesting. 3 versions of the same woman get trapped together in an elevator. will she be able to forgive herself and move past the things she's carried for 1, 31, or 61 years?

And.... I don't know how I felt about it.
To start off, I really did enjoy Jennifer Oko's writing. I think it's the sort of frank blunt writing that invites reflection and introspection.

However, the character of Emilia just kind of didn't do it for me. I couldn't connect to her grief, I couldn't understand why she was freaking out about being so responsable for everything, and I didn't really care much anymore when the reveals started getting juicy. She was kind of... awful to everyone because she couldn't mature past her almost selfish need to be held accountable for all her percieved mistakes. She ruined her relationship with her father over it. She's currently ruining her marriage over it. and in the future her relationship with her daughter will be ruined because of it.

I thought the premise was so interesting, the writing was solid, I just didn't particularly enjoy being in Emelia's head for the entirety of the book. I think it came really close to being an impactful, heavy story; sadly it was just fine to me.

I was looking forward to reading this story, a story that begins, more or less, with an car accident, which ends up with one less parent alive, and a story that more or less takes place in an elevator, which is apparently stuck for a lengthy time as the person (or persons) in said elevator. wait to be rescued. An interesting glimpse into her past as well as, potentially, her future.


Pub Date: 10 Jun 2025

Many thanks for the opportunity to read Jennifer Oko's story

What do you do when you are confronted with not only your past, but your future as well? If you're Emilia, you get trapped in an elevator with them and are forced to reconcile with the deepest parts of yourself that you would rather stay buried forever. This book is an amazing exploration of the different ways in which grief and emotions are processed at various stages of life. It becomes so easy to look back on our past and wish we could have done something different, and so hard to accept that we must heal to be able to move forward into the future. I loved the cuts between scenes for each character, allowing us to truly immerse ourselves into each version that there can be of a person. I felt this perfectly highlighted how we grow and change to an almost unrecognizable degree due to different life experiences.

I liked the premise of being stuck in a lift with your past and future self and having the time for some in depth self reflection. And this was a short but enjoyable book, it just felt a bit flatter than I expected without as much development or pay off as I anticipated.

It was a novel way of exploring unprocessed grief and how that can hold you and your relationships back.

🛗 Just Emilia by Jennifer Oko 🛗

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️

Emilia finds herself trapped in a DC Metro elevator, along with Em, a troubled teenager, and Millie, an elderly woman trying to mend ties with her estranged daughter. As the hours drag on without being rescued, they realize the truth - they are all the same person. In this time travelling tale, they must confront their memories and unresolved trauma in order to discover who they are and the life they want to live.

I loved the premise of this book when I heard about it and was excited to read it. I love magical realism, so three characters getting stuck in an elevator together and realizing they’re all different versions of the same person was intriguing. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I felt like although it dealt with intense and emotional topics, I didn’t feel emotionally connected to it or the characters. They didn’t seem to have much of a connection, and they all felt kind of flat. Their relationship with each other felt kind of rushed, as did the whole book. I felt like we got into the premise right at the start, and then not a lot happened, and the ending/resolution wasn’t very satisfying. I also didn’t connect to the writing. I do understand why some people love this book, but it wasn’t for me.

Read this if you like:
- magical realism
- complex family dynamic
- intense and emotional topics

Vibes: 🛗🚗💉🛍️👚🔦

Song that matches the vibe: Is What It Is by Judah & The Lion

Full review including content warnings on my StoryGraph.

Just Emilia is out June 10, 2025! Thank you NetGalley, Jennifer Oko, and Regal House Publishing for the eARC. This eARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

this wasn’t for me, unfortunately. the idea of the protagonist getting stuck in an elevator with their past/ future selves could have had potential, but it falls flat as the character(s) lack depth and the writing is a little all over the place at times. the way the selves give each other advice and reflect on their past was felt too on the nose, so i got bored very quickly. this could be a improved a lot by some heavy editing though!

Great premise but poor execution in my opinion. Meeting Emilia at different ages in her life is a cool concept. However, it didn't flow for me the way it should have been. I DNFed around 16%.

This book was compulsively readable. The pacing and style of switching viewpoints and timelines kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen. I also really enjoyed the mini mystery of trying to discover the truth around Emilia's mother's death. The author treats the topic of grief in an interesting manner -- how it affects people at different ages and how some move through it and some stay in it.

However, I did not like the ending. I understand that ultimately the reader is not really supposed to know "the truth" of what happened (just as Emilia may never really know), so the lack of clarity on that level is fine. However, the wrap up and lack of clarity about how the three versions of Emilia exited the elevator did not make sense to me. The ending felt rushed and unbelievable. I wish a bit more time had been spent here exploring the characters' actual/physical resolution (as well as the emotional resolution) and I wish there were more coverage of what is next for Emilia.