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Olivia Twist
Olivia Brownlow is no damsel in distress. Born in a workhouse and raised as a boy among thieving London street gangs, she is as tough and cunning as they come. When she is taken in by her uncle after a caper gone wrong, her life goes from fighting and stealing on the streets to lavish dinners and soirees as a debutante in high society. But she can’t seem to escape her past … or forget the teeming slums where children just like her still scrabble to survive.
Jack MacCarron rose from his place in London’s East End to become the adopted “nephew” of a society matron. Little does society know that MacCarron is a false name for a boy once known among London gangs as the Artful Dodger, and that he and his “aunt” are robbing them blind every chance they get. When Jack encounters Olivia Brownlow in places he least expects, his curiosity is piqued. Why is a society girl helping a bunch of homeless orphan thieves? Even more intriguing, why does she remind him so much of someone he once knew? Jack finds himself wondering if going legit and risking it all might be worth it for love.
Olivia Twist is an innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale Oliver Twist, in which Olivia was forced to live as a boy for her own safety until she was rescued from the streets. Now eighteen, Olivia finds herself at a crossroads: revealed secrets threaten to destroy the “proper” life she has built for her herself, while newfound feelings for an arrogant young man she shouldn’t like could derail her carefully laid plans for the future.
Jack MacCarron rose from his place in London’s East End to become the adopted “nephew” of a society matron. Little does society know that MacCarron is a false name for a boy once known among London gangs as the Artful Dodger, and that he and his “aunt” are robbing them blind every chance they get. When Jack encounters Olivia Brownlow in places he least expects, his curiosity is piqued. Why is a society girl helping a bunch of homeless orphan thieves? Even more intriguing, why does she remind him so much of someone he once knew? Jack finds himself wondering if going legit and risking it all might be worth it for love.
Olivia Twist is an innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale Oliver Twist, in which Olivia was forced to live as a boy for her own safety until she was rescued from the streets. Now eighteen, Olivia finds herself at a crossroads: revealed secrets threaten to destroy the “proper” life she has built for her herself, while newfound feelings for an arrogant young man she shouldn’t like could derail her carefully laid plans for the future.
331 pages, Hardcover
First published March 6, 2018
231 people are currently reading
10492 people want to read
About the author
Lorie Langdon
18 books574 followersLorie Langdon is an Amazon best-selling author of YA novels such as: the Doon Series, Gilt Hollow, and Olivia Twist, which has received a starred review from Booklist Magazine and was picked up by Target Stores across the nation. In 2018, Chapters Interactive Stories developed her Doon series into a ‘choose your own ending’ mobile video game. Olivia Twist has been contracted for film development by Lonetree Entertainment.
In 2020, Lorie was selected by DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE to write a three-book young adult villain series. Each darkly romantic story will feature a different infamous villain years before their big-screen debuts, and will tell their heartbreaking journeys of first love. The series will release internationally under the Disney publishing imprint.
Lorie’s upcoming co-authored novel, Catch the Light, a YA contemporary fantasy, is releasing Spring 2021.
*Please note that I don't regularly monitor this account. But I love to hear from readers so come find me at www.LorieLangdon.com
In 2020, Lorie was selected by DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE to write a three-book young adult villain series. Each darkly romantic story will feature a different infamous villain years before their big-screen debuts, and will tell their heartbreaking journeys of first love. The series will release internationally under the Disney publishing imprint.
Lorie’s upcoming co-authored novel, Catch the Light, a YA contemporary fantasy, is releasing Spring 2021.
*Please note that I don't regularly monitor this account. But I love to hear from readers so come find me at www.LorieLangdon.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 803 reviews
December 18, 2018
This is the fastest book I have gotten through in a while. The story is so captivating and well paced I couldn’t stop, I’m serious I finished this is one sitting with no breaks. The story is very well written and it reached all my expectations. I’ve read so many amazing books this year and this is one of them, it is possibly one of my favorite retellings. I read the original Oliver Twist a long time ago and I am sad to say I don’t remember too much of it, but I undoubtedly love Lorie Langdon’s version.
The story follows two people who made their living in hell and still grew up to be amazing people who are willing to help the children stuck in the same violent, depraved conditions they faced in their childhood. Olivia spent her childhood in the poor streets, in a life filled with thievery and deception. One day a job went out of hand, but through the failure her uncle finds her and raises her to be a ‘proper’ lady but she never truly let go of her tumultuous past and chooses to steal from the wealthy sections of society in order to help orphan thieves stuck in a situation similar to her own childhood.
Jack, formerly known as the Street Lord Artful Dodger, is now a gentleman of the wealthier section in society. In truth, he assumed this identity to steal from the wealthy to survive and maintain his false identity with the help of a society matron who needs Jack to steal for her because she’s going broke. He knew Olivia from his days on the streets, but not as Olivia but Oliver Twist as she maintained the guise of being a boy in her childhood, now as he sees her he senses something familiar about the ferocity in her eyes but he is yet to guess that she is, in reality, his childhood partner in crime.
They’re both robbing the rich blind!
Both these people are wonderful characters with the best intentions at heart. They have both been through a lot because of their time living on the streets, more so for Jack, but because of this they understand and willing to do anything to protect any other kids from going through the same thing. I loved watching Olivia take care of those orphans no matter how dire her own situation gets. They live by a code of loyalty and love that is absolutely endearing. Watching Olivia stand her ground and make her own and face of so many harrowing circumstances is wonderful. Watching them realise that they have always loved each other, in one way or the other is an ecstatic moment filled with joy.
The story moves forward wonderfully and I wouldn’t change anything about it. This book was one of my more anticipated releases of the year and it did not let me down. Right now it only has 261 ratings which I am very shocked about, to anyone who is thinking about reading this book I urge you to try it out the book is very entertaining and it doesn’t take a lot of time to get into.
They story of Olivia Twist is an amazing re-imagination of the original classic. I was swept up in this exciting historical fiction novel and I encourage you to read it if you haven’t already.
The story follows two people who made their living in hell and still grew up to be amazing people who are willing to help the children stuck in the same violent, depraved conditions they faced in their childhood. Olivia spent her childhood in the poor streets, in a life filled with thievery and deception. One day a job went out of hand, but through the failure her uncle finds her and raises her to be a ‘proper’ lady but she never truly let go of her tumultuous past and chooses to steal from the wealthy sections of society in order to help orphan thieves stuck in a situation similar to her own childhood.
Jack, formerly known as the Street Lord Artful Dodger, is now a gentleman of the wealthier section in society. In truth, he assumed this identity to steal from the wealthy to survive and maintain his false identity with the help of a society matron who needs Jack to steal for her because she’s going broke. He knew Olivia from his days on the streets, but not as Olivia but Oliver Twist as she maintained the guise of being a boy in her childhood, now as he sees her he senses something familiar about the ferocity in her eyes but he is yet to guess that she is, in reality, his childhood partner in crime.
They’re both robbing the rich blind!
Both these people are wonderful characters with the best intentions at heart. They have both been through a lot because of their time living on the streets, more so for Jack, but because of this they understand and willing to do anything to protect any other kids from going through the same thing. I loved watching Olivia take care of those orphans no matter how dire her own situation gets. They live by a code of loyalty and love that is absolutely endearing. Watching Olivia stand her ground and make her own and face of so many harrowing circumstances is wonderful. Watching them realise that they have always loved each other, in one way or the other is an ecstatic moment filled with joy.
The story moves forward wonderfully and I wouldn’t change anything about it. This book was one of my more anticipated releases of the year and it did not let me down. Right now it only has 261 ratings which I am very shocked about, to anyone who is thinking about reading this book I urge you to try it out the book is very entertaining and it doesn’t take a lot of time to get into.
They story of Olivia Twist is an amazing re-imagination of the original classic. I was swept up in this exciting historical fiction novel and I encourage you to read it if you haven’t already.
June 6, 2018
How disappointing.
I've never actually read Oliver Twist (I know, I call myself a theater nerd and a lover of the classics, but I still have not read that one. Oh well) but I know the story vaguely and was eager to pick this one up when I saw it at the library. I loved The Lost Girl of Astor Street, another book by this same publisher--Blink--and I knew that they had a reputation for publishing clean reads. That's their trademark, actually. I figured there was nothing to worry about.
That reputation is why I'm judging this book so harshly.
As a historical novel, this one was excellent. It was a fast-paced, well-plotted novel that provided atmosphere, strong characters, and a fun, exciting ride through the London streets. I really enjoyed that aspect of it, and I wish I had more positive to outweigh the negatives. But negatives, I'm afraid, are a way of life...and so I'll have to provide some of those too.
There will be some spoilers in this review, although I'll try not to spoil the major plot points for the sake of those who might still want to read this book.
The thing I didn't understand was why Jack and Olivia fell in love in the first place. Olivia is the titular Oliver Twist, and this book serves as something of a sequel to Oliver Twist, just imagining that Oliver was a girl in disguise the whole time. Jack is the new name of the Artful Dodger, a street boy who took care of Ollie when "he" was a street boy. Both of them now live in upper-society London now, and are content with robbing people randomly--Jack because his new "aunt" requires him to in order for them to survive, Olivia because she and her uncle are losing money quickly and she desperately wants to provide for a little band of orphan boys out on the streets. They meet at a party where they catch each other stealing from the house, and Olivia runs away quickly--but not before noting his "broad shoulders" and him noting her "autumn-wheat hair" and "tawny eyes." They both claim to be furious at the other for getting in the way, but at the same time...they don't seem too mad about it.
Then the SECOND TIME THEY MEET (second time!) Jack saves Olivia from some guys trying to assault her (okay, good job, Jack, I can applaud you for this) and then she flirts heavily with him in order to get away without answering as to why she stole HIS money. He's angry about the money being stolen, obviously...but more angry about the fact that it turned him on when she acted like she was going to kiss him.
And of course on their next meeting, they do kiss. Very eagerly. They know nothing about each other--just that they're both two very attractive young people and get a rush when they look at each other. They flirt back and forth for a while, and in the midst of this Olivia gets engaged to a faithful childhood friend who genuinely cares about her and who she seems to like--although of course "not in that way." My goodness, could we maybe have a romance someday where the girl DOES realize that her faithful, loyal childhood friend does love her and she can love him back?
The scene that gave me the most trouble with this book, however, comes about halfway through. Olivia is changing into a boy costume in order to go out and see her orphans when Jack sneaks into her house, somehow, and enters her room in the middle of the night. They very passionately make out until Olivia can't breathe, and she unbuttons her shirt and then part of her chest bindings to be able to do it again. At this point Jack pushes her up against a bed and it's implied that they'd both like to go further. Note: Olivia is in fact ENGAGED at this point. Then this dialogue happens:
This doesn't exactly...sound romantic to me. It's like, Jack, honey, SHE'S ENGAGED TO SOMEONE ELSE, OKAY? And that's okay! She's known this guy her whole life...it's not like she's cheating on you. In fact, you're making her cheat on HIM with you! And it's up to her if she wants to "save herself for him," actually. This whole scene left a very bad taste in my mouth.
Of course, her fiancé ends up being a villain (not through any fault of his own, the poor dear...he's just ignorant) and she storms out on him. Someone dies, although the fact that everyone is literally ONLY concerned about this because of what happens to our hero and heroine in the wake of it makes me feel really bad for the victim...
Besides this rather unhealthy romance (the two acknowledge almost constantly that what they're feeling is dangerous and should be restrained, but never do anything to try to stop it) there's a lot of language for what's supposed to be a clean book. Several h-words, a number of d-words, and a whole host of "bloody"s join more mild words like "blast", "blight," and "dolt." If this were a mainstream book this level of language would not affect me in the least, if I'm being quite honest...but for a publishing company explicitly advertised as CLEAN it was rather surprising.
This is not a book I can recommend. I'm thankful I didn't buy it, and I'm disappointed--both in the author and in Blink. Because this could have been an epic story had the romance been a bit less physical (both in attraction and in execution) and had the side characters not been so utterly swept under the rug to make room FOR the romance. I'm giving it 2.5 stars, because the historical part really was executed well, and I liked the little band of orphans...but otherwise, no.
I've never actually read Oliver Twist (I know, I call myself a theater nerd and a lover of the classics, but I still have not read that one. Oh well) but I know the story vaguely and was eager to pick this one up when I saw it at the library. I loved The Lost Girl of Astor Street, another book by this same publisher--Blink--and I knew that they had a reputation for publishing clean reads. That's their trademark, actually. I figured there was nothing to worry about.
That reputation is why I'm judging this book so harshly.
As a historical novel, this one was excellent. It was a fast-paced, well-plotted novel that provided atmosphere, strong characters, and a fun, exciting ride through the London streets. I really enjoyed that aspect of it, and I wish I had more positive to outweigh the negatives. But negatives, I'm afraid, are a way of life...and so I'll have to provide some of those too.
There will be some spoilers in this review, although I'll try not to spoil the major plot points for the sake of those who might still want to read this book.
The thing I didn't understand was why Jack and Olivia fell in love in the first place. Olivia is the titular Oliver Twist, and this book serves as something of a sequel to Oliver Twist, just imagining that Oliver was a girl in disguise the whole time. Jack is the new name of the Artful Dodger, a street boy who took care of Ollie when "he" was a street boy. Both of them now live in upper-society London now, and are content with robbing people randomly--Jack because his new "aunt" requires him to in order for them to survive, Olivia because she and her uncle are losing money quickly and she desperately wants to provide for a little band of orphan boys out on the streets. They meet at a party where they catch each other stealing from the house, and Olivia runs away quickly--but not before noting his "broad shoulders" and him noting her "autumn-wheat hair" and "tawny eyes." They both claim to be furious at the other for getting in the way, but at the same time...they don't seem too mad about it.
Then the SECOND TIME THEY MEET (second time!) Jack saves Olivia from some guys trying to assault her (okay, good job, Jack, I can applaud you for this) and then she flirts heavily with him in order to get away without answering as to why she stole HIS money. He's angry about the money being stolen, obviously...but more angry about the fact that it turned him on when she acted like she was going to kiss him.
And of course on their next meeting, they do kiss. Very eagerly. They know nothing about each other--just that they're both two very attractive young people and get a rush when they look at each other. They flirt back and forth for a while, and in the midst of this Olivia gets engaged to a faithful childhood friend who genuinely cares about her and who she seems to like--although of course "not in that way." My goodness, could we maybe have a romance someday where the girl DOES realize that her faithful, loyal childhood friend does love her and she can love him back?
The scene that gave me the most trouble with this book, however, comes about halfway through. Olivia is changing into a boy costume in order to go out and see her orphans when Jack sneaks into her house, somehow, and enters her room in the middle of the night. They very passionately make out until Olivia can't breathe, and she unbuttons her shirt and then part of her chest bindings to be able to do it again. At this point Jack pushes her up against a bed and it's implied that they'd both like to go further. Note: Olivia is in fact ENGAGED at this point. Then this dialogue happens:
"He cut her off. 'It's Grimwig, isn't it?' He shoved off the bed. 'You're saving yourself for that idiotic dolt!'"
…
[They argue about the fact that Jack went to the theater with Olivia's cousin, to whom he is NOT engaged]
"A predatory light sparked in his eyes, reminiscent of a lion with its tail twitching in the air as he stalked toward her. He backed her across the room and spoke with slow deliberation. 'Would it kill you to have a little faith in me? Just for once? To give me the benefit of the bloody doubt?'
"Olivia stopped when her back hit the dresser. 'I--'
"he leaned in and raced a hand on either side of her, trapping her between his arms. Her pulse accelerated in time with the warning vein pulsing in her throat.
"'Does Grimwig kiss you until you can't stand?' He demanded.
"Olivia didn't move, words failing her.
"'Can he make you lose your breath?' Jack's tone softened. 'Can he?'
"When she shook her head, all the tension left her arms and he took her chin between his fingers..."
This doesn't exactly...sound romantic to me. It's like, Jack, honey, SHE'S ENGAGED TO SOMEONE ELSE, OKAY? And that's okay! She's known this guy her whole life...it's not like she's cheating on you. In fact, you're making her cheat on HIM with you! And it's up to her if she wants to "save herself for him," actually. This whole scene left a very bad taste in my mouth.
Of course, her fiancé ends up being a villain (not through any fault of his own, the poor dear...he's just ignorant) and she storms out on him. Someone dies, although the fact that everyone is literally ONLY concerned about this because of what happens to our hero and heroine in the wake of it makes me feel really bad for the victim...
Besides this rather unhealthy romance (the two acknowledge almost constantly that what they're feeling is dangerous and should be restrained, but never do anything to try to stop it) there's a lot of language for what's supposed to be a clean book. Several h-words, a number of d-words, and a whole host of "bloody"s join more mild words like "blast", "blight," and "dolt." If this were a mainstream book this level of language would not affect me in the least, if I'm being quite honest...but for a publishing company explicitly advertised as CLEAN it was rather surprising.
This is not a book I can recommend. I'm thankful I didn't buy it, and I'm disappointed--both in the author and in Blink. Because this could have been an epic story had the romance been a bit less physical (both in attraction and in execution) and had the side characters not been so utterly swept under the rug to make room FOR the romance. I'm giving it 2.5 stars, because the historical part really was executed well, and I liked the little band of orphans...but otherwise, no.
January 10, 2018
There are a million and one reasons why OLIVIA TWIST is everything I hang my bookish hat on.
“That small inner voice that most women ignore because they’re too concerned with living the life others expect."
“With Jack’s presence, the room brightened as if several more candelabras followed him into that room. A smile that seemed to originate deep in Olivia’s chest stretched her lips without her consent.”
It is everything a book experience SHOULD BE. It is everything LIFE should be. It is a gaslit Victorian carousel of pickpockets and villains, rickety pubs, railing danger and clandestine meetings with handbrushes that send tingles to your toes and harrowing meetings on London Bridge. Olivia Twist marries a well known trope while finding footing in a dazzling new world. Though not fantastical as it is rooted deep in perfectly-researched Victorian London, the heart-pounding feeling you get as the curtain is pulled back on its colourful universe makes you feel you are stepping into another world. It is my favourite type of read.
Image result for olivia twistIt takes you into a place of nostalgia while offering a unique tug into a world at once familiar and surprising. It elicits all manner of giggles and gasps and blanket-gripping tension as you think you know how it will end, but you are not quite sure. It reminds you why you love reading in the first place.
Olivia Twist finds a brilliant balance between source material novel and famous adaptation and adds another layer to this delicious cake. Cameos from the book like Monks and Fagin are paired with the sheer heart behind the musical that introduced many of us to Dickens (the musical, it should be said, is a gateway drug). And while the book is gifted with subtle lovely nods to red roses and mornings whose sunshine you want to buy and bottle, it springboards into its own realm of adventure.
Basically, if you love Oliver Twist—in any form---you have come to the right party. If you love Dickens, you have come to the right party. If you love cross-dressing female heroines, you have come to the right party.
If you love ROMANCE that will strangle you breath and pulse your heart into a gallop from the first unexpected meeting between two people who used to know each other ( one knowing a little more about one than the other), then you have found a virtual literary rager.
A heroine of agency and heart who reminded me a lot of Wonder Woman for some reason ( weird contemporary link, I know ); but like WW, Olivia has a kind heart, even if you never want to run into a bout of fisticuffs with her. Like WW, Olivia would see a baby and melt, taste ice cream and melt, care of her elderly guardian by day playing the winsome socialite while sneaking out be-wigged to help a band of orphans at night.
It is this perfect balance of scrappy and sophisticated that pairs a wonderful example of the complexity of women. To be strong, Langdon asserts, does not mean shrugging out of femininity. Likewise, to enjoy finesse and have a caring maternal view does not undermine strength.
“She blinked up at him and he was Dodger again. The rough-and-tumble street kid with the heart of gold.”
Then there’s Dodger who is at once sweet cinnamon roll of vulnerability and savvy, scrappy pickpocket late of Fagin’s influence. He is our guide to the underworld while, like Olivia, balancing a life of high social standing and finding it a bit like a sweater with sleeves too long for him.
While I was delightfully on the edge of my seat to reacquaint myself with well known characters against a well known canvas in a new backdrop, I think the most surprising aspect of the novel for me was its amazing portrayal of sacrifice: something I was not expecting. It is here that the subtle and deft touch of faith is interwoven within a compelling world at large. If your soul is not strangled in breath-gulps by the end ---by either the beautiful writing or the sob inducing choice one is willing to make in the spirit of true love—then go sit in a corner with a lump of black coal.
Oh! And the writing? See, the writing. Friends, sometimes a book springboards to life because its sizzles and sparks with the author’s heart. You can feel the author’s passion through the page. This is one of those books. Reading this I felt I had found new fictional friends, yes, but also a kindred spirit in the pen behind the page. In OLIVIA TWIST, Langdon’s obvious love for this world of story plays fast and loose to win us completely. It’s her gift. It’s an act of sharing. This passion is a portal for gorgeously lyrical writing that at turns grips and surprises.
“Haze draped the skyline of the city like the oozing, yellow center of a stale egg” (I mean, come on! It whiffs of Dickens but with an originality of its own)
“Peels of fog slithered and curled over the cobbles.” ( COME ON!)
“Their skirts sweeping against the cobblestones like a thousand whispers” (because consonance is the spice of life. Like Dickens before her, Langdon’s prose begs to be read aloud)
With all the thanks to Blink YA for the review copy of an anticipated book that shattered my expectations and winnowed its way to my FOREVER READ SHELF
“That small inner voice that most women ignore because they’re too concerned with living the life others expect."
“With Jack’s presence, the room brightened as if several more candelabras followed him into that room. A smile that seemed to originate deep in Olivia’s chest stretched her lips without her consent.”
It is everything a book experience SHOULD BE. It is everything LIFE should be. It is a gaslit Victorian carousel of pickpockets and villains, rickety pubs, railing danger and clandestine meetings with handbrushes that send tingles to your toes and harrowing meetings on London Bridge. Olivia Twist marries a well known trope while finding footing in a dazzling new world. Though not fantastical as it is rooted deep in perfectly-researched Victorian London, the heart-pounding feeling you get as the curtain is pulled back on its colourful universe makes you feel you are stepping into another world. It is my favourite type of read.
Image result for olivia twistIt takes you into a place of nostalgia while offering a unique tug into a world at once familiar and surprising. It elicits all manner of giggles and gasps and blanket-gripping tension as you think you know how it will end, but you are not quite sure. It reminds you why you love reading in the first place.
Olivia Twist finds a brilliant balance between source material novel and famous adaptation and adds another layer to this delicious cake. Cameos from the book like Monks and Fagin are paired with the sheer heart behind the musical that introduced many of us to Dickens (the musical, it should be said, is a gateway drug). And while the book is gifted with subtle lovely nods to red roses and mornings whose sunshine you want to buy and bottle, it springboards into its own realm of adventure.
Basically, if you love Oliver Twist—in any form---you have come to the right party. If you love Dickens, you have come to the right party. If you love cross-dressing female heroines, you have come to the right party.
If you love ROMANCE that will strangle you breath and pulse your heart into a gallop from the first unexpected meeting between two people who used to know each other ( one knowing a little more about one than the other), then you have found a virtual literary rager.
A heroine of agency and heart who reminded me a lot of Wonder Woman for some reason ( weird contemporary link, I know ); but like WW, Olivia has a kind heart, even if you never want to run into a bout of fisticuffs with her. Like WW, Olivia would see a baby and melt, taste ice cream and melt, care of her elderly guardian by day playing the winsome socialite while sneaking out be-wigged to help a band of orphans at night.
It is this perfect balance of scrappy and sophisticated that pairs a wonderful example of the complexity of women. To be strong, Langdon asserts, does not mean shrugging out of femininity. Likewise, to enjoy finesse and have a caring maternal view does not undermine strength.
“She blinked up at him and he was Dodger again. The rough-and-tumble street kid with the heart of gold.”
Then there’s Dodger who is at once sweet cinnamon roll of vulnerability and savvy, scrappy pickpocket late of Fagin’s influence. He is our guide to the underworld while, like Olivia, balancing a life of high social standing and finding it a bit like a sweater with sleeves too long for him.
While I was delightfully on the edge of my seat to reacquaint myself with well known characters against a well known canvas in a new backdrop, I think the most surprising aspect of the novel for me was its amazing portrayal of sacrifice: something I was not expecting. It is here that the subtle and deft touch of faith is interwoven within a compelling world at large. If your soul is not strangled in breath-gulps by the end ---by either the beautiful writing or the sob inducing choice one is willing to make in the spirit of true love—then go sit in a corner with a lump of black coal.
Oh! And the writing? See, the writing. Friends, sometimes a book springboards to life because its sizzles and sparks with the author’s heart. You can feel the author’s passion through the page. This is one of those books. Reading this I felt I had found new fictional friends, yes, but also a kindred spirit in the pen behind the page. In OLIVIA TWIST, Langdon’s obvious love for this world of story plays fast and loose to win us completely. It’s her gift. It’s an act of sharing. This passion is a portal for gorgeously lyrical writing that at turns grips and surprises.
“Haze draped the skyline of the city like the oozing, yellow center of a stale egg” (I mean, come on! It whiffs of Dickens but with an originality of its own)
“Peels of fog slithered and curled over the cobbles.” ( COME ON!)
“Their skirts sweeping against the cobblestones like a thousand whispers” (because consonance is the spice of life. Like Dickens before her, Langdon’s prose begs to be read aloud)
With all the thanks to Blink YA for the review copy of an anticipated book that shattered my expectations and winnowed its way to my FOREVER READ SHELF
April 9, 2017
As Lorie's critique partner, I get to read everything first and Olivia Twist is awesome!!!! I hope you guys love it as much as I do!
May 2, 2018
✨4 stars✨
A female Oliver Twist falling in love with the Artful Dodger? I’m so here for it. I adored this book, the entire premise of it being a retelling of Oliver is right up my street, I have such a thing for books about thieves and heists that I knew I would love it. I had a few little issues with some aspects of the story, but overall it was ridiculously fun to read and I devoured it in only a few hours.
There is literally no end to my love for characters like Jack, I’ll never get bored of them, and if that makes me predictable then so be it😂. He’s mischievous and wickedly inappropriate but beneath that he’s also beautifully complex, constantly fighting to separate himself from the boy he used to be- the Artful Dodger- whilst battling both his feelings for Olivia and his doubts that she could ever love him back. The constant mentions of his ‘wicked smirk, raven hair and burning blue eyes’ were ever so slightly overkill as it got quite repetitive after a while, but I loved every new detail we got about him, he was so fleshed out and real. The book opens with Olivia embracing her life at fancy parties and soirées to steal from the hosts in order to look after orphans, and it really sets the tone for her brilliant character. Both she and Jack grew up as orphans on the street, picking pockets and living through hell trying to get by, and so much of her strength comes from her determination to ensure that she uses her new life to help others in the same situation that she used to be in. I really adore how three dimensional and multifaceted her personality is, she isn’t just a reflection of the first half of her life living as a boy simply to survive, she’s so much more. Her love for her uncle, the orphan boys, and then for Jack, knows no bounds and she truly would do anything for the people she loves. She’s strong willed as hell and she doesn’t back down without a fight, especially if it’s about fitting into societal norms and filling the role that society expects her to.
I couldn’t abide Maxwell at all, he was so boring, he lacked personality, and whilst this was most likely intentional, I still detested every single mention of him. His pompous, high horse attitude was endlessly irritating, and everything he came out with, from his snotty view of orphans being ‘street rats’ to him forbidding Olivia to do things, made me want to punch him in his posh face. I just really adored Jack, his and Olivia’s intense connection and feelings for each other were so prominent that it would have killed me if she’d picked a life of boringness with Max over adventure and love with Jack.
The plot was so engaging, I was hooked from the get go and was shocked at each and every plot twist, although some were slightly more plausible than others. Some aspects weren’t developed as much as I would have liked. I thought that Monks’ motivations could have been delved into a bit more, as it felt a little bit tenuous and vague as to why he would be quite so ruthless in trying to get to Olivia. There was enough for it to make sense, I just think there needed to be a little bit more to fully cement it. The ending was a little bit too all-tied-up-nicely-with-a-bow for me, the jump from the end of the story to the glimpse into their lives 2 years later felt very rushed, they suddenly had this happily ever after dream life and it felt too much like a forced happy ending than an overly believable one. Despite this, I absolutely adored this book, and now I really want to find more books like it as I found the retelling aspect truly captivating. I really appreciated the references and little nods to the original, things like Fagin’s little cameo, as he’s not overly talked about in this book but because he’s already a well known character it holds weight without having to be explained as much. It was executed so well, I came to really love the characters, and I just thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
A female Oliver Twist falling in love with the Artful Dodger? I’m so here for it. I adored this book, the entire premise of it being a retelling of Oliver is right up my street, I have such a thing for books about thieves and heists that I knew I would love it. I had a few little issues with some aspects of the story, but overall it was ridiculously fun to read and I devoured it in only a few hours.
There is literally no end to my love for characters like Jack, I’ll never get bored of them, and if that makes me predictable then so be it😂. He’s mischievous and wickedly inappropriate but beneath that he’s also beautifully complex, constantly fighting to separate himself from the boy he used to be- the Artful Dodger- whilst battling both his feelings for Olivia and his doubts that she could ever love him back. The constant mentions of his ‘wicked smirk, raven hair and burning blue eyes’ were ever so slightly overkill as it got quite repetitive after a while, but I loved every new detail we got about him, he was so fleshed out and real. The book opens with Olivia embracing her life at fancy parties and soirées to steal from the hosts in order to look after orphans, and it really sets the tone for her brilliant character. Both she and Jack grew up as orphans on the street, picking pockets and living through hell trying to get by, and so much of her strength comes from her determination to ensure that she uses her new life to help others in the same situation that she used to be in. I really adore how three dimensional and multifaceted her personality is, she isn’t just a reflection of the first half of her life living as a boy simply to survive, she’s so much more. Her love for her uncle, the orphan boys, and then for Jack, knows no bounds and she truly would do anything for the people she loves. She’s strong willed as hell and she doesn’t back down without a fight, especially if it’s about fitting into societal norms and filling the role that society expects her to.
I couldn’t abide Maxwell at all, he was so boring, he lacked personality, and whilst this was most likely intentional, I still detested every single mention of him. His pompous, high horse attitude was endlessly irritating, and everything he came out with, from his snotty view of orphans being ‘street rats’ to him forbidding Olivia to do things, made me want to punch him in his posh face. I just really adored Jack, his and Olivia’s intense connection and feelings for each other were so prominent that it would have killed me if she’d picked a life of boringness with Max over adventure and love with Jack.
The plot was so engaging, I was hooked from the get go and was shocked at each and every plot twist, although some were slightly more plausible than others. Some aspects weren’t developed as much as I would have liked. I thought that Monks’ motivations could have been delved into a bit more, as it felt a little bit tenuous and vague as to why he would be quite so ruthless in trying to get to Olivia. There was enough for it to make sense, I just think there needed to be a little bit more to fully cement it. The ending was a little bit too all-tied-up-nicely-with-a-bow for me, the jump from the end of the story to the glimpse into their lives 2 years later felt very rushed, they suddenly had this happily ever after dream life and it felt too much like a forced happy ending than an overly believable one. Despite this, I absolutely adored this book, and now I really want to find more books like it as I found the retelling aspect truly captivating. I really appreciated the references and little nods to the original, things like Fagin’s little cameo, as he’s not overly talked about in this book but because he’s already a well known character it holds weight without having to be explained as much. It was executed so well, I came to really love the characters, and I just thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
January 4, 2018
Lovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelove!
At some point I will hopefully be capable of writing a coherent, albeit gushing, review. Right now, all I can say is I adore every little thing about this book and just picture that emoji with the heart eyes...that's me right now.
At some point I will hopefully be capable of writing a coherent, albeit gushing, review. Right now, all I can say is I adore every little thing about this book and just picture that emoji with the heart eyes...that's me right now.
Want to read
April 28, 201899c Kindle sale, April 28, 2018, for this gender-bent retelling of Oliver Twist. Lots of enthusiastic GR reviews so I might bite.
Read
July 27, 2022Okay, so I have a heavy secret.... I don't like Charles Dickens books. Don't come for me fellow books nerds, I just, well, I read Dickens mostly through coercion and school requirements. *Phew* it was quasi-therapeutic to get that off my chest.
Olivia Twist, the gender swapped retelling of Oliver Twist, has good pacing. The change in dynamic with the relationship with the Artful Dodger added romance and interest. Engaging motifs and familiar faces make it a great read along for students reading or *cough* suffering through *cough* the original. Readers may also enjoy "One for All" a Musketeer gender-swap by Lillie Lainoff, "A Study in Charlotte" Sherlock Holmes and Watson as contemporary college girls, "Travelers Along the Way" by Aminah Safi which is a gender swap of Robin Hood as a Muslim woman during the 3rd crusade, or "Once and Future" which is a gender swap of King Arthur by Amy Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Happy Reading! -- Alexis S.
Olivia Twist, the gender swapped retelling of Oliver Twist, has good pacing. The change in dynamic with the relationship with the Artful Dodger added romance and interest. Engaging motifs and familiar faces make it a great read along for students reading or *cough* suffering through *cough* the original. Readers may also enjoy "One for All" a Musketeer gender-swap by Lillie Lainoff, "A Study in Charlotte" Sherlock Holmes and Watson as contemporary college girls, "Travelers Along the Way" by Aminah Safi which is a gender swap of Robin Hood as a Muslim woman during the 3rd crusade, or "Once and Future" which is a gender swap of King Arthur by Amy Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Happy Reading! -- Alexis S.
December 14, 2024
4.5 ⭐
I have lost count how many times I've read this one, and each time is just as good as the last 🥹 It's one of my comfort books, one that I read if I want something to pull me out of a slump, or something that will keep my interest even if I'm desperately bored :) At first glance, the characters might seem a little cliche, but once you go further in, they really become their own person! And the romance is to literally dieeeee for *swoon*
Could it be considered juvenile? It could.
Could it be a little too "ya"? Sure.
But it's still an amazing read!!!
I have lost count how many times I've read this one, and each time is just as good as the last 🥹 It's one of my comfort books, one that I read if I want something to pull me out of a slump, or something that will keep my interest even if I'm desperately bored :) At first glance, the characters might seem a little cliche, but once you go further in, they really become their own person! And the romance is to literally dieeeee for *swoon*
Could it be considered juvenile? It could.
Could it be a little too "ya"? Sure.
But it's still an amazing read!!!
September 19, 2023
*2.5 stars*
I should probably begin this review by saying that I haven’t read Oliver Twist and know very little about it. So fans of the original classic tale that Olivia Twist is based on might have enjoyed this book more than me. They might've noticed references or nods to the classic book and have gotten more excited with characters and plot twists than I did, though I will admit that, even though Olivia Twist was sadly a miss for me, it does make me want to read the novel by Charles Dickens one day.
For the most part, I figured I would round Olivia Twist down to a two-star rating until close to the very end. The scene with Jack in the church really touched me and that is why I rounded up to three stars. All that to say, however, I didn’t hate this book and can see why others might enjoy it. But while there were certain parts I did like, it ultimately was not enough to salvage the parts I didn’t.
Our main heroine is Olivia Brownlow who grew up on the streets of London as an orphan and a thief, pretending to be a boy for safety reasons, before being found by her uncle and introduced into English high society. I never connected to Olivia because she felt like a typical female protagonist in a typical young adult book. I don’t always hate the “tough, fighter, not-like-other-girls” character cliché if the character has other layers to her or gives me a different approach to it (really anything that makes it not feel like I’m reading another cliché), but Olivia didn’t have any of that. She felt shallow, basic, and two-dimensional, and this is ultimately what ruined the book for me. I wasn’t ever a huge fan of Jack MacCarron—the former street lord who went under the name of the Artful Dodger—either, but I enjoyed his chapters more than Olivia’s because he was a flawed, scarred character who I wanted to see find a better place and life for himself.
Most of the other characters in the book felt equally lacking in depth and stereotypical. However, even though I didn’t connect to any of the characters, I did enjoy seeing their interactions with each other, especially Jack and his “cousin” Topher. (Actually, Topher was my favorite character in this book. Ah, he was such a gem!!!) They had a great brotherly bond that developed throughout the book and their scenes made for some great humorous additions! I found myself getting excited anytime Topher came on the scene and usually enjoyed those parts the most. (Can we get a book just about him please?)
Walking into this book, I didn’t know much of what to expect, but I thought it would be more of a historical mystery type of book set in the backdrop of Victorian London’s street gangs. (Maybe this is why I should read book blurbs more?) However, it turned out to be more of a romance book than I expected. Not that I don’t enjoy romance books, because I enjoy some, but I wanted something a little more fast-paced and centered on figuring out who this Monks guy was and what he wanted. (Refer back to earlier statements about knowing very little about Oliver Twist. Apparently, this Monks dude was also in the book. *shrugs*) Instead, I saw most of the plot twists from a mile away, was bored in the beginning with unnecessary “info dumps,” and had to drag my way through the last hundred pages because the romance wasn’t enough to pull me through to the end. It was probably because I already cared very little for the characters so the love triangle trope became more annoying than investing me into Olivia and Jack’s love story. (Though the ending was very sweet, and as I stated at the beginning of my review, that is why I moved the rating up to three stars. I did love how Langdon tied the ending together, and it felt satisfying, even if it did begin with a very rocky start.)
Critics aside, I did love the setting. Victorian England has always been one of my favorite time periods, and I love how the author showed the clash between the high society and their parties and ball gowns and also the slums where orphan children struggled for food and fought to survive on the cruel, unforgiving streets. Langdon did a splendid job of weaving the setting in a way to comes alive for the reader, and that alone is mostly what kept me turning the pages because I enjoyed being in the world, even at times when the plot dragged. It was a lot of fun to read about!
Just as with the characters, the theme also felt lacking in depth. It would’ve been interesting to see Olivia Twist address the age-old question if stealing is still wrong if it’s done for the right reasons (as in, to get food or provide for the orphans as Olivia was doing). Olivia just kind of pushes that part of her life away at the end, even though we do see the transformation with another character (can’t say who because of spoilers ;). The theme of “following your heart” was cheesy at best, but I did like the reminder that love means sacrifice, and that is what saved the theme and overall opinion of the story. It is a part of love we tend to forget in our modern world, that to love means less about what you can take for yourself and more about what you can give for someone else.
While I could’ve done with less romance and more action and most of the characters could’ve used some deeper development, Olivia Twist did have two things going for it: the setting was vivid and fun to be in and the reminder of what love really means was touching. Overall, I’m glad to have read it, but it likely is not a book that I will be returning to.
Content cautions: some brief, mild swearing (d**n, h*ll, da**it) and a lot more kisses, touching, and thoughts of it than I can list. I never felt the romance was “unclean” but it is a big point of the story, so if that’s something you tend to not want to read about, this probably isn’t the book for you.
“He straightened and stared at the altar and the cross, a truth settling deep into his soul—true love meant sacrifice.”
If you enjoyed this book, you might also like: The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill. A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano.
I should probably begin this review by saying that I haven’t read Oliver Twist and know very little about it. So fans of the original classic tale that Olivia Twist is based on might have enjoyed this book more than me. They might've noticed references or nods to the classic book and have gotten more excited with characters and plot twists than I did, though I will admit that, even though Olivia Twist was sadly a miss for me, it does make me want to read the novel by Charles Dickens one day.
For the most part, I figured I would round Olivia Twist down to a two-star rating until close to the very end. The scene with Jack in the church really touched me and that is why I rounded up to three stars. All that to say, however, I didn’t hate this book and can see why others might enjoy it. But while there were certain parts I did like, it ultimately was not enough to salvage the parts I didn’t.
Our main heroine is Olivia Brownlow who grew up on the streets of London as an orphan and a thief, pretending to be a boy for safety reasons, before being found by her uncle and introduced into English high society. I never connected to Olivia because she felt like a typical female protagonist in a typical young adult book. I don’t always hate the “tough, fighter, not-like-other-girls” character cliché if the character has other layers to her or gives me a different approach to it (really anything that makes it not feel like I’m reading another cliché), but Olivia didn’t have any of that. She felt shallow, basic, and two-dimensional, and this is ultimately what ruined the book for me. I wasn’t ever a huge fan of Jack MacCarron—the former street lord who went under the name of the Artful Dodger—either, but I enjoyed his chapters more than Olivia’s because he was a flawed, scarred character who I wanted to see find a better place and life for himself.
Most of the other characters in the book felt equally lacking in depth and stereotypical. However, even though I didn’t connect to any of the characters, I did enjoy seeing their interactions with each other, especially Jack and his “cousin” Topher. (Actually, Topher was my favorite character in this book. Ah, he was such a gem!!!) They had a great brotherly bond that developed throughout the book and their scenes made for some great humorous additions! I found myself getting excited anytime Topher came on the scene and usually enjoyed those parts the most. (Can we get a book just about him please?)
Walking into this book, I didn’t know much of what to expect, but I thought it would be more of a historical mystery type of book set in the backdrop of Victorian London’s street gangs. (Maybe this is why I should read book blurbs more?) However, it turned out to be more of a romance book than I expected. Not that I don’t enjoy romance books, because I enjoy some, but I wanted something a little more fast-paced and centered on figuring out who this Monks guy was and what he wanted. (Refer back to earlier statements about knowing very little about Oliver Twist. Apparently, this Monks dude was also in the book. *shrugs*) Instead, I saw most of the plot twists from a mile away, was bored in the beginning with unnecessary “info dumps,” and had to drag my way through the last hundred pages because the romance wasn’t enough to pull me through to the end. It was probably because I already cared very little for the characters so the love triangle trope became more annoying than investing me into Olivia and Jack’s love story. (Though the ending was very sweet, and as I stated at the beginning of my review, that is why I moved the rating up to three stars. I did love how Langdon tied the ending together, and it felt satisfying, even if it did begin with a very rocky start.)
Critics aside, I did love the setting. Victorian England has always been one of my favorite time periods, and I love how the author showed the clash between the high society and their parties and ball gowns and also the slums where orphan children struggled for food and fought to survive on the cruel, unforgiving streets. Langdon did a splendid job of weaving the setting in a way to comes alive for the reader, and that alone is mostly what kept me turning the pages because I enjoyed being in the world, even at times when the plot dragged. It was a lot of fun to read about!
Just as with the characters, the theme also felt lacking in depth. It would’ve been interesting to see Olivia Twist address the age-old question if stealing is still wrong if it’s done for the right reasons (as in, to get food or provide for the orphans as Olivia was doing). Olivia just kind of pushes that part of her life away at the end, even though we do see the transformation with another character (can’t say who because of spoilers ;). The theme of “following your heart” was cheesy at best, but I did like the reminder that love means sacrifice, and that is what saved the theme and overall opinion of the story. It is a part of love we tend to forget in our modern world, that to love means less about what you can take for yourself and more about what you can give for someone else.
While I could’ve done with less romance and more action and most of the characters could’ve used some deeper development, Olivia Twist did have two things going for it: the setting was vivid and fun to be in and the reminder of what love really means was touching. Overall, I’m glad to have read it, but it likely is not a book that I will be returning to.
Content cautions: some brief, mild swearing (d**n, h*ll, da**it) and a lot more kisses, touching, and thoughts of it than I can list. I never felt the romance was “unclean” but it is a big point of the story, so if that’s something you tend to not want to read about, this probably isn’t the book for you.
“He straightened and stared at the altar and the cross, a truth settling deep into his soul—true love meant sacrifice.”
If you enjoyed this book, you might also like: The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill. A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano.
July 18, 2022
A note preceding the review: I read Oliver Twist about a week before Olivia Twist, so I had the events fresh on my mind. It also prejudiced me against it once I realized how much the author had changed from the original story. This review is long and yes, it is negative. (And it's a rant. I don't rant often, but this book deserves it.) I don't recommend this book. Scroll down to the content warning if you don't want to read the whole review - I don't blame you! It's a long one.
Also, just because I disliked this book doesn't mean you will. As a Christian, I want to read books that help me honor and glorify God, not books that preach an unbiblical message. Also, if you approach this book as completely separate from Oliver Twist you may enjoy it a lot more than I did.
Now that the disclaimers are over, here's my full review!
Everyone knows the command, "Thou shalt not steal." Stealing is not okay and never has been, by worldly and Biblical standards. Stealing anything another human being owns is not right. Yet, in Olivia Twist, thievery drives the entire plot. The main character and her love interest steal from many different people throughout the book. . I wouldn't say it promoted theft, but neither Olivia nor Jack learned their lesson or accepted the consequences of their actions.
If the whole thievery issue wasn't enough, there's more. The book's depiction of Olivia, the main character, is wildly inaccurate based on Oliver Twist. In the original book, Oliver is innocent and guileless. He hated stealing with his whole heart. Yet in Olivia Twist, the author gets away with changing Olivia's motivation entirely. Instead of being innocent and pure, she willingly steals. It may be for a 'good' cause, but as always, the end does not justify the means. Now, this brings me to another strike against Olivia Twist.
In this book, everything is different because she never left Mr. Brownlow. It isn't explained why. I'm guessing it's because she is a girl and would not have been sent into the streets on errands.
If Olivia needed money (which she did, though not technically for herself), she should have been able to ask Mr. Brownlow. Right? Well, no. Because now his fortunes are failing and he's rather poor, actually. And the relationship between Mr. Brownlow and Olivia is more precarious than Oliver and Mr. Brownlow's. He's a lot less involved in her life and not as influential.
In Olivia Twist, Lorie Langdon changed many of the best relationships in Oliver/Olivia's life. Almost every original character is changed or omitted. Mr. Grimwig, Rose, and Harry are all left out, and Lorie Langdon added several new characters. If this book was a standalone not based on any other novel, I would be fine with the characters. But as I was hoping to see those I loved from the original, I was disappointed.
Another thing that disappointed me was the theme. Going into this novel, I had no clue what the theme would be. Naively, I hoped that it would be about thievery and how it's wrong. I kept reading because I wanted to see Olivia and Jack's redemption. But towards the end, the theme became too obvious to ignore.
Several people tell Olivia, "Follow your heart and everything will be alright." (I'm paraphrasing). The novel's theme was like Disney movies' themes! But this statement contradicts Biblical truth. Jesus has a plan for our lives. When we seek him and strive to glorify him in our everyday lives, we will not have lived in vain. Thus, we must make choices that honor him instead of 'following our hearts' and trusting our impulses. As Olivia and Jack prove in this novel, only evil comes when we follow our sinful hearts.
Finally, there were many more small things that are not okay. For example, Olivia has a dream in which she talks to a dead person. I'm not kidding - this actually happens! And it's not explained well, either. I'm trying not to give spoilers just in case you still want to read this book, but it's really weird.
And Jack dreams about the future - one of those super vivid scenes where the dream comes true (or we're led to believe it will). It's also not explained well and comes across as strange.
I haven't even mentioned Jack and Olivia's romance. I won't go into detail, but I'm not a fan. Other reviews have covered that aspect of this book in far greater detail than I can.
As for what I liked, there were a few aspects I appreciated. The book was pretty suspenseful and kept me interested the whole way through. Every plot twist surprised me. And I did enjoy the characters. Olivia Twist brought together many characters from different walks of life. We get to see paupers, wealthy and influential citizens, and some tottering on the brink of ruin. As a history lover, learning about nineteenth-century London was really interesting. (And can I just say that the cover is gorgeous? It's half of the reason I wanted to read this book in the first place!)
Now. To read or not to read?
I would argue that the positive elements don't make this book worth a read. Instead, read other better books. Oliver Twist, for example! But to each their own.
Content warnings: lots. I'm not even going to try and list it all.
If you still would like to read Olivia Twist, I'd recommend it to 14 or 15-year-olds and up. It deals with a lot of heaviness and requires a mature reader, able to keep God's truth in mind.
Also, just because I disliked this book doesn't mean you will. As a Christian, I want to read books that help me honor and glorify God, not books that preach an unbiblical message. Also, if you approach this book as completely separate from Oliver Twist you may enjoy it a lot more than I did.
Now that the disclaimers are over, here's my full review!
Everyone knows the command, "Thou shalt not steal." Stealing is not okay and never has been, by worldly and Biblical standards. Stealing anything another human being owns is not right. Yet, in Olivia Twist, thievery drives the entire plot. The main character and her love interest steal from many different people throughout the book. . I wouldn't say it promoted theft, but neither Olivia nor Jack learned their lesson or accepted the consequences of their actions.
If the whole thievery issue wasn't enough, there's more. The book's depiction of Olivia, the main character, is wildly inaccurate based on Oliver Twist. In the original book, Oliver is innocent and guileless. He hated stealing with his whole heart. Yet in Olivia Twist, the author gets away with changing Olivia's motivation entirely. Instead of being innocent and pure, she willingly steals. It may be for a 'good' cause, but as always, the end does not justify the means. Now, this brings me to another strike against Olivia Twist.
In this book, everything is different because she never left Mr. Brownlow. It isn't explained why. I'm guessing it's because she is a girl and would not have been sent into the streets on errands.
If Olivia needed money (which she did, though not technically for herself), she should have been able to ask Mr. Brownlow. Right? Well, no. Because now his fortunes are failing and he's rather poor, actually. And the relationship between Mr. Brownlow and Olivia is more precarious than Oliver and Mr. Brownlow's. He's a lot less involved in her life and not as influential.
In Olivia Twist, Lorie Langdon changed many of the best relationships in Oliver/Olivia's life. Almost every original character is changed or omitted. Mr. Grimwig, Rose, and Harry are all left out, and Lorie Langdon added several new characters. If this book was a standalone not based on any other novel, I would be fine with the characters. But as I was hoping to see those I loved from the original, I was disappointed.
Another thing that disappointed me was the theme. Going into this novel, I had no clue what the theme would be. Naively, I hoped that it would be about thievery and how it's wrong. I kept reading because I wanted to see Olivia and Jack's redemption. But towards the end, the theme became too obvious to ignore.
Several people tell Olivia, "Follow your heart and everything will be alright." (I'm paraphrasing). The novel's theme was like Disney movies' themes! But this statement contradicts Biblical truth. Jesus has a plan for our lives. When we seek him and strive to glorify him in our everyday lives, we will not have lived in vain. Thus, we must make choices that honor him instead of 'following our hearts' and trusting our impulses. As Olivia and Jack prove in this novel, only evil comes when we follow our sinful hearts.
Finally, there were many more small things that are not okay. For example, Olivia has a dream in which she talks to a dead person. I'm not kidding - this actually happens! And it's not explained well, either. I'm trying not to give spoilers just in case you still want to read this book, but it's really weird.
And Jack dreams about the future - one of those super vivid scenes where the dream comes true (or we're led to believe it will). It's also not explained well and comes across as strange.
I haven't even mentioned Jack and Olivia's romance. I won't go into detail, but I'm not a fan. Other reviews have covered that aspect of this book in far greater detail than I can.
As for what I liked, there were a few aspects I appreciated. The book was pretty suspenseful and kept me interested the whole way through. Every plot twist surprised me. And I did enjoy the characters. Olivia Twist brought together many characters from different walks of life. We get to see paupers, wealthy and influential citizens, and some tottering on the brink of ruin. As a history lover, learning about nineteenth-century London was really interesting. (And can I just say that the cover is gorgeous? It's half of the reason I wanted to read this book in the first place!)
Now. To read or not to read?
I would argue that the positive elements don't make this book worth a read. Instead, read other better books. Oliver Twist, for example! But to each their own.
Content warnings: lots. I'm not even going to try and list it all.
If you still would like to read Olivia Twist, I'd recommend it to 14 or 15-year-olds and up. It deals with a lot of heaviness and requires a mature reader, able to keep God's truth in mind.
November 3, 2017
When I learned Lorie Langdon made a foray into historical romance, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. And she didn’t disappoint. Langdon expertly balances historical detailing and plot, the voice sparkles, and the characters were so endearing, I couldn’t wait to escape into this book each night. Lively and transportive, Olivia Twist is a romantic and clever take on a classic that will leave readers yearning for more from this author.
September 7, 2017
Adorable!
October 4, 2018
THIS IS SUCH A GOOD REIMAGINING OML
May 19, 2018
2.5 stars
Cute retelling of Oliver Twist, but ultimately unremarkable. I absolutely loved the action sequences, but I felt like the romance was too insta-lovey and forced. The major plot twist wasn't that twisty either. Even though I wasn't expecting it, it didn't hit me that hard. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me.
Cute retelling of Oliver Twist, but ultimately unremarkable. I absolutely loved the action sequences, but I felt like the romance was too insta-lovey and forced. The major plot twist wasn't that twisty either. Even though I wasn't expecting it, it didn't hit me that hard. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me.
June 16, 2018
Plot - 5
Writing style - 5
Characters - 4
Romance - 4
In which Olivia was forced to disguised herself as a boy ever since her late mother gave birth to her. Now, at the age of eighteen, with the help of her uncle whom she tried to steal from when she was still a street rat, Olivia is now a fine young lady.
• plot - One thing I am impressed was that the author began the story in the interesting part already. Where Olivia Twist was already adopted by her uncle. Thank the heavens for that because it would absolutely be boring if we began on any unnecessary scenes.
I have to admit, I dived right into Olivia Twist without any knowledge about the original story of it. What? Sorry but I am not a huge fan of classics. Anyway, despite that fact, enjoying Olivia Twist was an easy thing to do.
What I also happened to admire about the novel was that it was action-packed. No dull and unnecessary moments. We wouldn't want to read about how the protagonist prefer this to that, right? That oh, the weather is nice today. That oh, the birds are chirping outside her bedroom window.
The climax was an A+ for me since I really didn't expect that. Though the said twist only lasted for like a couple of paragraphs, no problems though.
The "revelation" was immediately ascertained after 10 chapters or so which was good, by the way. Truth be told, I loathe it when girls who disguised themselves as boys took sooooooo long to spill out their "big revelation"
• Writing style - somehow, the writing style reminds me of The Lady Jane's which personally, I really do love since The Lady Jane is one of my favorite reads of all time.
Fast-paced. Read it in one sitting. The writing style was friendly.
One thing I am not, let's say, satisfied was the dialogue. Don't get me wrong, sometimes, they're hilarous and enough to turn your cheeks as red as a tomato. The thing is, most of the times, they felt a bit bland.
However, I applaud the author for her skills in writing monologues.
• characters - they're adorable and all but not to the point they'll make it up to your favorite fictional characters.
Olivia - she is the type of character that you'll find yourself wanting to be. What a strong independent woman, indeed. She has a heart made of gold. She's like this straight-outta-Disney-movie character.
Jack - husband-material. Hopeless romantic. He resembles Flynn Rider. You know, that hot thief from Tangled.
Most of the times, I do enjoy his monologues. Truth be told, I find his character okay at the very beginning but as I read, I learn to appreciate him.
I would be lying if I say I was not annoyed at one point because he seriously got pissed off when Olivia decided to keep her virginity for her future husband. Uhm, like, what the hell, who are you to complain? Wrong move, man.
It would be really amazing if the author added more scenes with the orphans. I just want to get to know more of them.
• romance - As long as it's not insta-love, I am totally fine with it. Olivia Twist's romance was somewhere between am-I-watching-disney-movie and am-I-reading-an-awful-Victorian-romance?
Anyways, obviously, Olivia and Jack are truly madly in love with each other. Enough to get themselves kill just to save each other's asses.
The ending was too good to be true but hey, I am not complaining since I am a sucker for happy endings.
Writing style - 5
Characters - 4
Romance - 4
In which Olivia was forced to disguised herself as a boy ever since her late mother gave birth to her. Now, at the age of eighteen, with the help of her uncle whom she tried to steal from when she was still a street rat, Olivia is now a fine young lady.
• plot - One thing I am impressed was that the author began the story in the interesting part already. Where Olivia Twist was already adopted by her uncle. Thank the heavens for that because it would absolutely be boring if we began on any unnecessary scenes.
I have to admit, I dived right into Olivia Twist without any knowledge about the original story of it. What? Sorry but I am not a huge fan of classics. Anyway, despite that fact, enjoying Olivia Twist was an easy thing to do.
What I also happened to admire about the novel was that it was action-packed. No dull and unnecessary moments. We wouldn't want to read about how the protagonist prefer this to that, right? That oh, the weather is nice today. That oh, the birds are chirping outside her bedroom window.
The climax was an A+ for me since I really didn't expect that. Though the said twist only lasted for like a couple of paragraphs, no problems though.
The "revelation" was immediately ascertained after 10 chapters or so which was good, by the way. Truth be told, I loathe it when girls who disguised themselves as boys took sooooooo long to spill out their "big revelation"
• Writing style - somehow, the writing style reminds me of The Lady Jane's which personally, I really do love since The Lady Jane is one of my favorite reads of all time.
Fast-paced. Read it in one sitting. The writing style was friendly.
One thing I am not, let's say, satisfied was the dialogue. Don't get me wrong, sometimes, they're hilarous and enough to turn your cheeks as red as a tomato. The thing is, most of the times, they felt a bit bland.
However, I applaud the author for her skills in writing monologues.
• characters - they're adorable and all but not to the point they'll make it up to your favorite fictional characters.
Olivia - she is the type of character that you'll find yourself wanting to be. What a strong independent woman, indeed. She has a heart made of gold. She's like this straight-outta-Disney-movie character.
Jack - husband-material. Hopeless romantic. He resembles Flynn Rider. You know, that hot thief from Tangled.
Most of the times, I do enjoy his monologues. Truth be told, I find his character okay at the very beginning but as I read, I learn to appreciate him.
I would be lying if I say I was not annoyed at one point because he seriously got pissed off when Olivia decided to keep her virginity for her future husband. Uhm, like, what the hell, who are you to complain? Wrong move, man.
It would be really amazing if the author added more scenes with the orphans. I just want to get to know more of them.
• romance - As long as it's not insta-love, I am totally fine with it. Olivia Twist's romance was somewhere between am-I-watching-disney-movie and am-I-reading-an-awful-Victorian-romance?
Anyways, obviously, Olivia and Jack are truly madly in love with each other. Enough to get themselves kill just to save each other's asses.
The ending was too good to be true but hey, I am not complaining since I am a sucker for happy endings.
March 12, 2018
I am such a fan of Oliver Twist in all its incarnations. I loved the book, the film, the play, and I always want some more. I was very interested in seeing Langdon put her spin on this story, and I must say, I was very pleased with the results.
•Pro: I was delighted that Langdon did not try to rewrite the original story, but rather, took us to a point after the end of Oliver Twist. We get small peeks into the past, which will seem familiar to anyone acquainted with the original story, and even get an appearance from a familiar face.
•Pro: Olivia was a great heroine. She was fierce, feisty, and fabulous and had the biggest heart. She was essentially the anti-Victorian woman, and I loved her.
•Pro: Jack was so swoony. He would say these things to Olivia that absolutely made me melt. He was also working so hard to be the best that he could be all for her. He wanted to be worthy of Olivia, and I am a sap for that sort of thing.
•Pro: I absolutely loved being in Victorian London. Langdon did a wonderful job painting the picture of life in that day and age, and it was fun doing the party circuit with Olivia.
•Pro: There was a lot going on this story, yet I never felt like it was too much. Langdon let it unfold in such a way and at a great pace, that it flowed nicely.
•Pro: I loved the orphan boys. I really thought it was fabulous that Olivia had that link to her past, and sort of kept Olivia walking a fine line between her former street life and her posh upbringing.
•Pro: I was a fan of the romance (of course). There was a lot of tension and electricity between these two, and they shared so much in their past, that they had a solid foundation to build upon.
•Pro: Loved the ending! It was quite lovely and made me smile.
Overall: A new take on a old favorite, that kept me flipping the pages with its mystery and suspense, but mostly with its romance.
*ARC provided in exchange for a full review.
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•Pro: I was delighted that Langdon did not try to rewrite the original story, but rather, took us to a point after the end of Oliver Twist. We get small peeks into the past, which will seem familiar to anyone acquainted with the original story, and even get an appearance from a familiar face.
•Pro: Olivia was a great heroine. She was fierce, feisty, and fabulous and had the biggest heart. She was essentially the anti-Victorian woman, and I loved her.
•Pro: Jack was so swoony. He would say these things to Olivia that absolutely made me melt. He was also working so hard to be the best that he could be all for her. He wanted to be worthy of Olivia, and I am a sap for that sort of thing.
•Pro: I absolutely loved being in Victorian London. Langdon did a wonderful job painting the picture of life in that day and age, and it was fun doing the party circuit with Olivia.
•Pro: There was a lot going on this story, yet I never felt like it was too much. Langdon let it unfold in such a way and at a great pace, that it flowed nicely.
•Pro: I loved the orphan boys. I really thought it was fabulous that Olivia had that link to her past, and sort of kept Olivia walking a fine line between her former street life and her posh upbringing.
•Pro: I was a fan of the romance (of course). There was a lot of tension and electricity between these two, and they shared so much in their past, that they had a solid foundation to build upon.
•Pro: Loved the ending! It was quite lovely and made me smile.
Love? The word smashed into his chest like a cannon ball. Who was he kidding? Every street kid knew love was nothing but a myth. But to have her by his side - to know she was his - would be enough.
Overall: A new take on a old favorite, that kept me flipping the pages with its mystery and suspense, but mostly with its romance.
*ARC provided in exchange for a full review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
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October 27, 2018DNF - I got 2 chapters in and decided this wasn't for me. I knew going in that it isn't Christian Fiction (my preferred genre), but for some reason I assumed it would be clean. I don't know if that assumption came from this being based on (or a sequel to) a classic, or because it's a YA read, but I've since seen several people imply that the publisher is known for clean reads, and that this book will be enjoyed by Christian readers. SO! Just in case any other clean Christian readers made the same assumptions I did, I thought I'd leave some thoughts on the first 2 chapters and the skim-through I did to see if it was worth finishing.
There's language (and not just euphemisms). A heavy case of physical attraction (which is normal, but I felt like that was all there was to the relationship), which leads to a questionable scene where the "hero" is upset that his girl wants to save herself...for her fiancé. (Um, excuse me? Even if we know she doesn't love the other guy, this isn't hero material. And I get it. They're thieves. They're technically not good guys in the full sense of the word. But readers are rooting for these two, and that's the behavior that we're supposed to side with?) Overall - and this may sound cheesy, but it's true - I had an uneasy feeling about the book as soon I cracked open the binder and started on page 1. As I skimmed through the rest I couldn't shake the feeling and came to the end dissatisfied.
So as far as a full reading... I think I'll pass.
Please understand, I know this book is apparently a lot of readers' "cup of tea", and my goal is not to slam others' reading preferences. I'm simply hoping to bring awareness to those who share similar preferences to mine, that this may not be their cup of tea as the reviews may lead them to believe.
There's language (and not just euphemisms). A heavy case of physical attraction (which is normal, but I felt like that was all there was to the relationship), which leads to a questionable scene where the "hero" is upset that his girl wants to save herself...for her fiancé. (Um, excuse me? Even if we know she doesn't love the other guy, this isn't hero material. And I get it. They're thieves. They're technically not good guys in the full sense of the word. But readers are rooting for these two, and that's the behavior that we're supposed to side with?) Overall - and this may sound cheesy, but it's true - I had an uneasy feeling about the book as soon I cracked open the binder and started on page 1. As I skimmed through the rest I couldn't shake the feeling and came to the end dissatisfied.
So as far as a full reading... I think I'll pass.
Please understand, I know this book is apparently a lot of readers' "cup of tea", and my goal is not to slam others' reading preferences. I'm simply hoping to bring awareness to those who share similar preferences to mine, that this may not be their cup of tea as the reviews may lead them to believe.
April 13, 2018
Heart eyes!! Some delicious kisses inside these pages! Oh, Jack, you handsome rogue. *happy sigh*
October 14, 2020
Wow! Olivia Twist went by so freaking quickly that I almost forgot to add my buddy read comments! Oops? I definitely enjoyed this book a whole lot. In it, you will meet Olivia and Jack. Now these two were all kinds of precious and so easy to fall in love with.
Let's be honest, if you met these two you would fall in love with them as well. They were just so fiercely protective of one another. Especially when it came to Olivia's evil half brother. Again, they were adorable in every way possible. Which made the ending surprisingly cute and a bit predictable. I had a feeling something was coming after all that went down but at least I enjoyed the entire adventure!
Let's be honest, if you met these two you would fall in love with them as well. They were just so fiercely protective of one another. Especially when it came to Olivia's evil half brother. Again, they were adorable in every way possible. Which made the ending surprisingly cute and a bit predictable. I had a feeling something was coming after all that went down but at least I enjoyed the entire adventure!
January 11, 2025
I have yet to read *Oliver Twist* but I enjoyed this retelling overall. It had a steady pacing but the ending felt a bit rushed and flat. All the characters were likable including the antagonist of the story, Monks.
Edward Leeford, Monks, who is Jacks nemesis and Olivia’s half brother was a worthy enemy. The protagonist, Olivia, was fierce, kind, and intelligent. She could match wits with anyone as Ollie or Olivia. Jack was charming, valiant and crafty. I delighted in Jacks discovery of Olivia’s true identity then seeing him fall in love with her. You can feel the tension between them and longing for each other.
I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, drama, romantic-little spice, historical fiction read. I believe this is an underrated book.
Edward Leeford, Monks, who is Jacks nemesis and Olivia’s half brother was a worthy enemy. The protagonist, Olivia, was fierce, kind, and intelligent. She could match wits with anyone as Ollie or Olivia. Jack was charming, valiant and crafty. I delighted in Jacks discovery of Olivia’s true identity then seeing him fall in love with her. You can feel the tension between them and longing for each other.
I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, drama, romantic-little spice, historical fiction read. I believe this is an underrated book.
February 12, 2023
A single fat tear fell and splashed against the baby’s round cheek, startling both woman and babe. Leaning down, she spoke into the pink seashell ear, “I’ll no’ let ye perish this time, my little Oliver Twist.”
Olivia Twist is a quick, delightful read with swoony romance and inspired by one of the greatest classics of all time! ✨🎩
At first glance, our two mcs seem very typical- Olivia Brownlow, who, in fact, is not like other girls, wink wink and Jack ‘Artful Dodger’ MacCarron, a dark-haired moody love interest; both with a shady past to match. But as you get deeper into the story, you will find they are both adorable and unique, despite their cliche first impression. 🥰
I was originally going to rate this 3/5 stars because even though the writing style was addicting, the plot really wasn’t doing it for me. Though it redeemed itself in the end with a much needed plot twist that left me screaming lol 😆
I absolutely loved how the author narrated the book in the British style of English! I couldn’t get enough heheh 🤭🤭🤭
Overall it was a great book! I love a good classic retelling! ☕️📚
Content: 2/5
(detailed kissing/suggestive comments/talk of people getting murdered/blood/talk of young children being abused in workhouses etc.)
Olivia Twist is a quick, delightful read with swoony romance and inspired by one of the greatest classics of all time! ✨🎩
At first glance, our two mcs seem very typical- Olivia Brownlow, who, in fact, is not like other girls, wink wink and Jack ‘Artful Dodger’ MacCarron, a dark-haired moody love interest; both with a shady past to match. But as you get deeper into the story, you will find they are both adorable and unique, despite their cliche first impression. 🥰
I was originally going to rate this 3/5 stars because even though the writing style was addicting, the plot really wasn’t doing it for me. Though it redeemed itself in the end with a much needed plot twist that left me screaming lol 😆
I absolutely loved how the author narrated the book in the British style of English! I couldn’t get enough heheh 🤭🤭🤭
Overall it was a great book! I love a good classic retelling! ☕️📚
Content: 2/5
(detailed kissing/suggestive comments/talk of people getting murdered/blood/talk of young children being abused in workhouses etc.)
March 14, 2020
The word I would use to describe this book is “muddled”. There were too many hastily thrown together conclusions and randomly added plot points. I feel that my opinion would be drastically changed if the book was at least 10 chapters longer, to really go into the plot and embellish the characters’ stories. Also, is it just me or did . Plus, there were a couple of scenes between Jack and Olivia that rubbed me the wrong way.
I liked parts of it and the overall story. But for the reasons above, it gets 2.5 stars from me.
I liked parts of it and the overall story. But for the reasons above, it gets 2.5 stars from me.
April 19, 2019
I DNFed this book, which I RARELY do. It's definitely a kissing book, with a lot of content that felt more like NA or straight up adult romance novel than YA, which I did not expect coming from this publisher and the endorsements from people I trust, buuuuut, alas, here we are.
December 30, 2018
This was so good- I don’t know why I waited so long to read it! A fun plot and lovely characters and tons of swoon!! Read it soon!!
July 14, 2022
Fun Read
I picked up this book because I loved the concept behind the story.
It starts up slow and them finishes very strong.
A very good read
I picked up this book because I loved the concept behind the story.
It starts up slow and them finishes very strong.
A very good read
March 27, 2018
Beautifully written, this gender-bent, Oliver Twist retelling is sure to sweep your heart away. The romance is sweet and sizzling, and the story is full of heart. I loved every moment.
July 7, 2019
This is such a cute, fun book! I mean, it's not cute in the fluffy-kittens-and-chirping birds way, but it's just filled with adorable people who happen to be stuck in some pretty dire situations. The people are cute and adorable, even if everything going on around them is desperate and dangerous. Does that make sense?
If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG-13 for a lot of kissing scenes, some violence, and some innuendo. This is leaning toward the adult side of Young Adult while still hovering on the outward edges of Clean Fiction.
If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG-13 for a lot of kissing scenes, some violence, and some innuendo. This is leaning toward the adult side of Young Adult while still hovering on the outward edges of Clean Fiction.
July 22, 2018
3’5 stars
This was such a fun read! I really liked it, the writing style was not my favorite but it was so good.
This was such a fun read! I really liked it, the writing style was not my favorite but it was so good.
November 30, 2019
An adorable Victorian, Dickens inspired romance with some artful twists and turns that lead to a happily ever after. This was fun.
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