Thanks to Regal House Publishing for the ARC.
Just Emilia executes an interesting and creative take on the classic "what if I could talk to my younger self" idea but both character dynamics work together naturally only sometimes, and the present-day timeline—where the story starts lacks cohesion. The plot stabilizes a bit by the end, but still has moments that feel a bit underdeveloped. 3.25/5

3.5 ⭐️
this book was almost optimistic of the future but also teaching to be grateful and cherish your life in the moment. this book had an interesting and unique plot but I found it to be a little slow in the beginning/middle but once I started to really get to know the 3 version of Emilia it was really captivating and It made me reflect on my past and look towards my future with more grace. Interesting read, I think I might have enjoyed it more If I was a little older though

To come face to face with both your younger self and the you-of-the-future, how wildly imaginative, fun, and engrossing. The story pulled me in right from the start and did not let go until I turned the last page. I felt the characters were all constructed really well and I at different points through the story, I would find me siding with, rooting for, or commiserating with one over the others. I really enjoyed this book! Highly recommend.

Who has not wanted to interact with their past and future selves - to think about where you are going and where you came from? In Just Emilia, Jennifer Oko gives this to the readers and does it in an emotional, sad, endearing, and sometimes humorous way. The three Emilias are trapped in an elevator on a day that is auspicious for all of them - I don't want to give away what that is - but they all have a lot to deal with in their lives with the relationship with their father and mother, and this day is a day of reckoning in some ways. The three of them - who are all the same person at different stages in their lives connect and in many ways heal and in this way, the youngest of them will be able to go forward in her life and perhaps find more peace as she gets older. I loved this book! I recommend it highly!

Thank you NetGalley & Regal House Publishing for the ARC!

A quick and cute read! I do personally think the "If you could talk to your younger self, what would you say" trope is a little tired, although it was executed beautifully here. With the addition of Millie, the plot felt rounded out in a way that made the story feel succinct, even without a super loud ending. While something like this isn't typically my style, I did enjoy Jennifer Oko's writing style, and would recommend this to friends who enjoy this more hopeful and "lighthearted" subgenre.

this was a thought-provoking journey of identity and healing. trapped in a DC Metro elevator, Emilia comes face-to-face with her past and future selves, forcing her to confront long-buried trauma. this was a witty, emotional, and deeply moving read and i wish i could get to meet my past and future selves too :’)

I ate this book up. Until there was a scene that put me off for a bit. I’m not sure what it had to do with the story and it took me a bit to pick it back up after that. After that though it picked up momentum again and I was able to finish it.

I loved the premise and I loved how all versions of her were there to tell a story. Also, when I was reading this book I got stuck in an elevator and the irony was not lost on me. I knew this book was meant for me to read!

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

I really enjoyed this book! The timing was great in peeling back the layers of each of the three trapped in the elevator. It was more thought-provoking than I anticipated. Makes you pause and think if you could truly spend time with your younger and older self and if so could you tolerate it for an extended amount of time. Excellent premise and well executed. I think there could easily be a sequel.

Thank you to Regal House Publishing and Jennifer Oko for allowing me the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

Emilia can't get over her mother's death, fully believing she has a hand to play in the cause. What's a better way to get over her grief than getting stuck in the elevator with the person she hates the most and having to share it with them? Thats right, herself.

I loved the idea of Emilia being stuck in the elevator with her past and future selves on her mother's death anniversary — each of them at different stages of their lives and talking through their grief and things that held them back. I loved the whole implication of being stuck in the elevator, in the small confined metal space, to being 'stuck with yourself' as she navigated where her life went wrong and what part she played in it. I loved reading about the whole mother-daughter relationships of all the versions of Emilia and it just makes you think about it, i guess.

I would say this could have been more developed considering the premise was so good but personally, I enjoyed reading this alot!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The concept of “Just Emilia” is very intriguing. Emilia gets stuck in an elevator with both a younger and an older version of herself on the anniversary of her mother’s death. They need to figure why this is happening and how to get out. The story felt contrived and predictable, and leaned a bit too heavily on predicting the future. The three versions of Emilia (Em, Emilia, and Millie) fall flat as characters and their arcs are disappointing. The “reveal” towards the end, when the young Em remembers something that she had been repressing doesn’t make up for the slow pace and predictability of this book.

Just Emilia, when you get down to the bare bones of it is about the present Emilia trying to re-wire the memories of her past to save her present and her future. The premise of the novel is enthralling — stuck in an elevator, a woman with a torrid secret from her past, realises that the two women she is trapped in the narrow elevator are none other than her past teenage self, and her future geriatric self. Together, as they try to battle the increasing claustrophobia, not to mention the smells and sounds of three human bodies in a space devoid of air, present Emilia along with her past and future must come to terms with their harrowing past, if they want to escape their present confinement.

With a posit like this, you expect the prose to be packed with high emotional quotient. The balance of debate between the three to be punctuated with intensity of denials, shouts of anger, sentiments of acceptance, vehemence of blame, and maybe the fieriness of actually fighting out an acceptance.

Instead, the exhumation and examination of the incident — Emilia’s mum tragically passed away in car accident and Emilia blames herself for it, you get what can be described as cold leftovers.

There is a swell of emotions that comes in the narrative. All the three Emilia’s tense up before laying bear their emotional scars and how it affects their present and future. From the three Emilia’s we get to hear the most from the present, perhaps to provide the reader with a touchstone. The past Emilia, her teenage self, nearer to the age when the accident happened, I feel was an error in judgement. She doesn’t plug in the holes as to why there is an emotional breakdown in present Emilia’s marriage and motherhood. If past Emilia was presented as a college student, when she met her husband, there could have been an exploration of emotional connect— nearer to age as well.
When you contrast this with the treatment of future Emilia, who uses this very opportunity to advice present Emilia to not continue on the path she is on, to avoid their lonely future, you realise that past Emilia was a missed opportunity. Teenage self- recriminations get annoying after awhile, losing whatever emotional swell Oko had worked into the passages of self-reflection and deflection.

After the examination of their buried emotions are resolved, the three Emilia’s promise to make amends. But do they? The ending is open, with each Emilia finding herself free from the confines of the elevator, walking back to their time. Perhaps an open ending is what the author wanted, to give an optimistic tinge to an otherwise cryptically emotionally story.

'Just Emilia' by Jennifer Oko follows the story of Emilia, Em, and Millie - three versions of the same person at different stages in life - who find themselves stuck together in an elevator on the anniversary of their mother's death.

I was immediately drawn in by the premise of this book. The idea of being confronted by your past and future selves in such a confined space was very intriguing to me. The elevator (at least that's how I have interpreted it) serves as a powerful metaphor for being "stuck with yourself" and being forced to face your own trauma, regrets, and hopes for the future.

Even though i thoroughly enjoyed the storyline, I found myself wanting to learn more about Em and Millie at their respective ages. I also really liked the open ending.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Emilia's TV presenter mother died when she was a teenager- and it's her fault. At least that's what she's been convinced of for years. During an already bad enough day, she gets stuck in an elevator: with 17 year old Em, her teenage self who one just lost her mom a year ago and Millie, the 77 year old she'll grow up to be. The three women embark on a journey (not literally, they're stuck for hours) on grief, self-reflection, (survivors) guilt and family problems. It was fascinating to read about the different perspectives o events they technically all went through but the repetition of "you, or no, we" got a bit much. I would have loved to see all characters a bit more fleshed out, I thought the elevator itself would have a bit more emotional significance so the ending felt a bit abrupt (to me). All in all it was a quick and easy read though, one I'd definitely recommend if you're looking for a story about growth and family dynamics and dealing with loss.

Thank you NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

And I do need to be honest. 'Just Emilia' by Jennifer Oko seemed an interesting story in which Emilia needs to make peace with herself and her troubled past (the past being her mother's untimely death). Emilia gets stuck in an elevator with a younger and older version of herself. They fill each other in on their lives, give advice, and try to work out why they are there with each other. And, of course, how to get out.

Interesting, definitely, when you get to talk to your younger and older self. But for me, the story lacked depth in a lot of places.

I could not properly connect to Emilia, to none of the three versions of her. The characters felt flat, even when they articulated their emotions and feelings. To be really frank, I just didn't like Emilia.
Consequently, the story felt like it dragged on and on, although the book is not that long. Perhaps this is a personal thing, but I was not a fan of the story playing out in 24 hours. In contrast, the ending felt very rushed and I was left feeling confused.

All in all, 'Just Emilia' had a lot of potential. The story could have been deeper, but it was not horrible. I think many people will enjoy this. It just wasn't for me.

I greatly enjoyed the premise of this novel, though I wish we were able to see a little bit more of the older and the younger timeline. My only real issue was with the ending, white I understand the challenges faced in reterning to the present I wish it would have been done differently.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. This was an interesting premise. I enjoyed the alternating narrators and the general story kine. I was let down by the ending. And wish we could see what happens after.

This was such a perfect read!
Emelia is an almost middle age woman who finds herself getting locked in an elevator with an elderly woman and a moody teenager. As time passes the three women finds themselves in a difficult situation from hunger to need to pee and wierdly bond. However Emilia has always been haunted by her past and somehow being stuck in an elevator with herself seems like the perfect chance to set yourself free.
I absolutely loved every character in the story. From the gingo tree to Em, every character had such a distinct personality and character. I loved the slow conversation that happened in the elevator and how we got introduced to everything at a slow paced setting. There are stories that needs drama and action but this one was perfect at its pace and dialogues. I really enjoyed the prejudices and judgement each emilia had yet they longed for something more. I really appreciate the themes and topics discussed in this short novel and how some truths can be so hard to overcome especially as we focus more on others opinion.
My only criticism is that Emilia and milia would be very keen to be lecture-some and condescending especially on her being all doom and gloom. I wish they did it a bit less. Sure they grew out of that phase but that is a power of time- things don't feel so daunting later as they are now. Also I am conflicted whether the brief gives too much away as I got really gripped by that summary but I do enjoy not knowing and later finding out that all of them are one person. But I think either way this is an absolutely fantastic story and I cannot wait to see it in stores.
Thankyou #NetGalley and #RegalHousePublishing for the ARC. Good Luck #Jenifer!

This was a really interesting concept and a thought-provoking book but I found myself struggling to get into it because of the pacing. I think the themes that were brought up were really deep and insightful I enjoyed reading it, I just struggled with the pacing at times

Em, Emilia, and Millie have one thing in common: they are the same person. So I guess they actually have everything in common. They meet up in some out-of-this world way and work through the trauma of how their mom died and their part in it.

While the premise is fascinating, it felt drawn out and like the same points were being rehashed. A lot more could have happened. So, I am torn between 2.5 and 3 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley & Regal House Publishing, for the ARC read in exchange for my honest review.

Captivating premise, but the execution was as hooking as I hoped. The pacing and writing style didn't really align with my personal preferences as the story felt a bit scattered and repetitive. I appreciated what the author had to say when it came to Emilia's journey with her unresolved traumas. I just wish I had felt more emotionally connected to Emilia and the story.