Olive Juice

The beginning lines of this story was absolutely beautiful and captivating. Olive Juice is a story of loss, dealing with loss, love. It is poignant and an ugly cry. I cried with David. I felt his hurt. The story wasn't what I thought it would be but it was a beautiful story nonetheless.

I will say that I think the narration by Derrick McClain really brought out that emotion.

Oh my goodness, it wrecked me and took me a couple of days to write a review. What a great story. It was such a beautiful story. It was fast-paced but also very detailed. Both MCs were so likable and the story was written so well, I can’t recommend this enough.

So many things I want to say about this story, and it’s hard without spoilers, so I shall content myself with the following:

It’s a roller-coaster ride of emotion, with a twist that’s unexpected. It’s heart-wrenching, honest, eye-opening, harsh, brutal – and most importantly of all; beautiful. It’s not the story you expect, it’s not the ending you want, but that’s what makes it honest. That’s what makes it real.

Expertly crafted, and just… Just beautiful in its execution and rawness.

Thank you Tj. Thank you many times over.

I found the subtle, non-informative style of this novella’s blurb to be captivating. Since the author has been known to throw more than one curve ball in his writing career, I went blind into the reading of 'Olive Juice' having zero idea of what was in store for me.

"He breathed.
He ached.
He lived.
He died a little too, sometimes. These little deaths."

This might conceivably be the absolute shortest review of a TJ Klune work that I have ever done. Mainly because of spoilers. I don't want any in my review and because of the lack of detail in the description, there are so many things I can't share. I can talk about the pain David and Phillip share, a little different in some ways, but still a deep down well of grief that, at times, is all-encompassing. These two men have been in each other's lives for twenty plus years and yet, there are some things that are still difficult to talk about, to apologize for, and to make amends. The giant hole that has existed in their life for the past six years is never going away and never coming back, either.

This story, this sad, amazing, heartbreaking, devastating story, is, unfortunately, not unique to just Phillip and David. It happens to thousands of people every year, hundreds of thousands of people, gripped in the same hopeless, lost, angry, frustrating, and wholly debilitating life, if it can even be called that. The author honored these people and their loss in a way that touched me to my very core.

NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review at Rainbow Book Reviews

Reviewed by Erin for Diverse Reader

As an avid reader who averages reading about 5 books a week across all genres, I have a lot of authors I love, but I only a few are immediate auto-buys that don't even require a blurb, a cover, or hell even a title. TJ Klune is one such author for me. Regardless of genre or subject matter, the man NEVER fails to deliver a story that is brilliantly written, imaginative, emotional, and guaranteed to stick with you long after you finish the last page. His new release, Olive Juice, is all of that. And more.

If you follow TJ at all on social media or if you're one of those that scrolls through your Goodreads feed you've no doubt seen it mentioned MANY times that Olive Juice is best read without ANY spoilers of any kind. I can't agree with this more strongly ... you absolutely need to read this book without knowing anything about it. Remember what I said up there about not even needing a blurb for TJ's books? I started this book without even an inkling as to what it was going to be about and I can't begin to tell you how much better my experience was for it. Another thing I'd recommend, don't try to figure out where TJ is going while you read or try to guess what comes next. Just sit back and experience what's going on as it happens. Trust me.

It is impossible to say much at all about Olive Juice (which has one of the most meaningful and compelling titles ever) without giving anything away. I can tell you that in true TJ Klune style, this book will completely enthrall you from the first sentence and keep you hooked until you reach the end. I recently read a blog post of TJ's where he recommends reading the book in one sitting ... DO THIS! It's meant to be read that way and the impact you'll feel at the end will be all the more powerful if you're able to do this. But believe me when I say, once you start you won't want to stop.

As with any TJ book, the writing is beyond fantastic. There is love and hope and despair and so much pain that it's almost unbearable. There are flawed characters that are so real you'll swear you know someone just like them. Be prepared for an emotional onslaught while reading Olive Juice. Expect for your heart to break and for there to be tears. Expect to be angry and sad. Expect for there to be hope. Most of all, expect that this might be one of TJ Klune's best books yet.