Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. What a creative story with interesting characters. This is a great book about how a family finds themselves again. Readers will fall in love with Olivetti!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced ebook of Olivetti. This lovely book reminded me of the family in the Vanderbeekers and how you can't help but fall in love with them from the beginning. Olivetti, the typewriter, is such a unique perspective and his chapters are pure magic. This book breathes life back into an almost forgotten machine in a way that is all its own. Readers will connect to this family and root for them all along the way. Even through the difficult parts, Millington delivers a story that remains accessible and enjoyable to read. I would recommend this to middle grade readers who enjoy realistic fiction. Great addition to any library.

"The things we are told, we hold within our steel frames. We keep them safe. We keep them in...remembering is the very language we speak. I am a patchwork of pasts stitched together with stories. A tapestry of tales."

This delightful, heartwarming story was a heart-hug I didn't know I needed. No disrespect for Ernest, but Olivetti stole the show with every chapter of his point of view. I could feel the ache and longing and even desperation this poor typewriter conveyed when he was forgotten and dismissed, and I never knew I'd have those kinds of feelings and feel so defensive and protective over something like an old typewriter.

But I did feel those things, and that character will stay with me forever, as I am sure he will with many readers.

The world needs this story the same way so many children and teens need a good diary: to help heal. I have been a writer for most of my life, and I now look at words, their power, their purpose, differently since reading this story. Millington crafted a flawless story (which often read like poetry) and tackled the difficult subjects we often face and even avoid within our own families, and I'm so glad she did. A book, just like a typewriter, or maybe a paper journal, are often the only ways children (and adults) can find that sense of purpose or safe place after unexpected darkness or sadness.

I look forward to more titles by this author. If you need me, I'll be chatting with my own typewriter for the indefinite future.

Thanks to @netgalley and @mackidsbooks for a free review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Every once in a while you read a middle grade book that is so unique and creative that you know it is something magical. This is that book for me. ✨

This book has:
📖 magical realism (Olivetti, the typewriter, is one of the POVs of this story)
📖 a family member’s mysterious disappearance (and we know it is not a crime story)
📖 friendship and family relationships
📖 discussions of what we do when hard things happen and how we get through them

The plot clips along at a great pace, and yet it is so full of heart I felt as though I got to know the characters so deeply throughout the book. This is one that I will be thinking of for a long time.

P.S. This is a great fit for fans of Rebecca Stead or adult readers who enjoyed Remarkably Bright Creatures!

Thank you to the publisher and the author for providing me a copy through Netgalley!

I don't know what I expected when I originally began this beautiful story, but reading it was better than I could have hoped for. "Olivetti" explores the themes of the power of family, love, grief, and healing, written perfectly for the middle grade audience to enjoy. Books like "Olivetti", with these themes, are pivotal for young readers, because unfortunately, experiencing grief and trauma has no age limit, and is diverse and vast in the experiences that can happen to one compared to another. Stories like this one can show readers of all ages, like Ernest's fear, that they are not alone. I am so happy that this story was my first ever ARC to read through NetGalley, and I cannot wait until it is published so I can add it to my Reader's Advisory for my patrons.

This was such a sweet read!! It dealt with a lot of heavy topics but was not too hard to read because there was also a lot of humor and love woven into the story. I thought Olivetti had such a funny voice, and I thought his rivalry with books was such a silly, charming element to his character. (Side note that I'm just now thinking of--gendering this typewriter with he/him pronouns is kind of a funny thought....) I always like books with multiple POVs, so I definitely appreciated that element of this book. Overall I will definitely recommend this to readers!

What a sweet book!

The concept was great so I decided to read this aloud with me son. He is ten and well, was not really into it. The story line jumping POV was not initially on us as we read aloud through the ebook.

Overall 3/5

4 1/2 stars, highly recommended for middle-grade students, hopefully promoted by teachers and librarians

“Memories are like heartbeats. They keep things alive. They make us who we are.”

Characters: 9 (out of 10)
Twelve-year-old Ernest is stuck, unable to move forward in the present unless he can process the past. Enter Olivetti, a typewriter who serves as memory-keeper of Ernest’s family, but whose value has been overlooked until tragedy strikes and the mystery begins. Each Brindle family member’s personality is depicted with compassion in spite of flaws: dad Felix’s desire for meetings, older brother Ezra’s constant workouts, sister Adalyn’s phone addiction, younger brother Arlo’s frogs, Ernest’s dictionary-dictated life, and mother Beatrice’s failing attempts to unite them before her disappearance. But it wasn’t always this way, a realization recalled with the help of self-appointed friend Quinn, skilled with people and dumpster-diving. Add a well-meaning maintenance man and local librarian to create a sense of community.

Atmosphere/Settings: 9
From the rooftop and bookshelves of Valley View Apartments to the once needed but now forgotten items of Heartland Pawn shop, the settings provide purposeful details.

Writing Style: 9
The point of view bounces between the narration of middle-schooler Ernest and Olivetti. For the most part, it works. Though Olivetti possesses the limitations of being a typewriter, his objective and observant insights provide a counter-balance to Ernest’s emotional and social struggles.

The fluent dialogue, especially of quick-witted Quinn and introverted Ernest, effectively created humor to keep me smiling.

Family flashbacks of the Brindles sharing stories on the rooftop, constructing Narnia in their apartment, and operating on Olivetti are heartfelt and inspirational, leading readers to appreciate any such moments in their own family scrapbooks.

Plot: 9
“Everything that happened” in the past is gradually revealed at an appropriate pace. The setbacks to build the conflict are serious and a surprising antagonist arises in the form of an alleged artist, but the optimistic outcome is still expected.

Intrigue: 8
More than enough “I wonder what will happen next” questioning to keep me reading, but the use of a typewriter as a narrator has its advantages and disadvantages, occasionally slowing the pace with reflections.

Logic: 7
The author paid remarkable attention to Olivetti’s structured nature as a typewriter, avoiding most problems that could arise if he knew too much outside of human interactions, primarily revealed through the typed memories of Beatrice.

A few unaddressed items:
1. If Olivetti and Remi can communicate as typewriters, why can’t other inanimate objects communicate, particularly those filled with language and human interaction, such as books or computers? Or other items on the shelves of the pawn shop? Or the toolbox referred to as a friend by Olivetti?
2. Why is Olivetti possess such a strong dislike of books when they are a compilation of typed words, similar to the stories typed into Olivetti by Beatrice? Targeting his frustration toward computers as his replacement makes more sense.
3. As likable a character as Quinn is, her dumpster diving would result in a stinky situation. Though the possibility is mentioned, the practical effects are ignored when in close proximity to others. If she washes/cleans her common outfit where she stores her discoveries, it isn’t known.

Enjoyment and Meaning: 9

My expectations were met and surpassed with many smiles and meaningful moments.

Themes…

Family and friends can choose to help at all times. Apparent throughout the story, but synthesized when Ernest finds the five words to tell Quinn, “You remind me of her.”

Memories bind us. “It’s almost funny, me wanting to forget the Everything That Happened, when that was exactly where I was still stuck. Maybe the only way to get unstuck was to remember.”

Appreciate the undervalued that surround us.

The language (no swearing) and content are family-friendly.

The topics of grief and parental abandonment are dealt with in a sensitive manner.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the ARC. Opinions expressed are my own.

Bonus point for beautiful cover and inclusion of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Total: 60, average of 8.57 (4 1/2 stars)

Absolutely my favorite middle grade read of 2023 and believe it'll be on so many favorite lists when it's officially out in the world in 2024! Debut storyteller Allie Millington clearly knows what makes middle grade memorable and impactful: emotional stakes that just keep rising. With dual POV and quick pacing, the author writes for the intended audience to keep their attention, but also manages to make this a more quiet and interior story -- one that introspective middle schoolers will particularly love. Being the kid who was described often as having "an overactive imagination," I would have been smitten with a book at this age about a typewriter who can pass along stories and words that he's stored up. While reading Olivetti, I was pulled towards the feeling that something more was simmering beneath the surface and readers will feel equally satisfied between some expectations met, against welcome twists challenge. Heard she's working with the editor of Katherine Applegate's books, which makes so much sense because Olivetti deserves a spot on shelves near Wishtree and Crenshaw. Very much looking forward to more Middle Grade by Allie Millington!

The Brindles are a close knit family, with busy lives; Athletic Ezra; theater-loving Adalyn; anxious, dictionary fan Ezra; and young Arlo, who has pet frogs. Watching over all of them is the sentient typewriter Olivetti. When Beatrice Brindle, the mother, drops off Olivetti at the local pawn shop and asks for exactly $126 in exchange, Olivetti (who remembers everything ever typed on his keys) feels betrayed. When Beatrice then goes missing, the Brindles are understandably worried and set out to look for her. The police tell them that all indications point to the mother running away on her own, and don't necessarily feel that she is in danger. When the family is in the pawn shop hanging up missing person signs, Ezra sees the typewriter and knows that something is wrong. He talks to the daughter of the owner, Quinn, who later leaves the shop door open so that Ernest can retrieve the typewriter. He quickly finds out that Olivetti can talk to him, and he pours out his own sadness onto the keys in the same way his mother did. Ernest feels that his mother's leaving is his fault; he was supposed to go to a new therapist to talk about why he is anxious and finds it hard to talk to people, preferring to read the dictionary instead of making friends. We also hear from Olivetti, as he is left on the roof of the San Francisco apartment building where the family lives, and is descrated by pigeons. Quinn becomes involved, and she and Ernest take to the library to try to find clues. They realize that the mother made friends with the building handyman, Thiago, and also learn from the librarian, Mrs. Vivien, that the last book the mother checked out was The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In addition to finding clues about Beatrice's whereabouts, there are lots of conversations with Olivetti, and hundreds of pages of Beatrice's thoughts are typed out by Olivetti. When Quinn takes the typewriter back to the shop, he is bought by an evil artist who uses typewriter parts to make sculptures, and Olivetti narrowly escapes being completely destroyed. Ernest gets in trouble for the time he spends skipping school to hunt for his mother, and when he comes clean to his father, Felix, about the talking typewriter, the entire family gets involved in the investigation. The reason for the mother's disappearance becomes clear (I don't want to spoil it), and she is eventually tracked down. The family must deal with very serious issues in order to go forward, but are able to do so with Olivetti's help. Olivetti's talking abilities do help to save the library, which was going to be forced to close.
Strengths: This is the most lovely cover I have seen in a while, and I am a HUGE fan of typewriters, although prefer Smith-Coronas to Olivettis or Remingtons, one of which makes an appearance at the pawn shop. (I own six or seven that I picked up at thrift stores before they became expensive.) This is an innovative way to include a magical element, and the mystery is solved in a believable way, using clues wisely. The Brindle family is quirky but interesting, and the family secret is sad but doesn't have to deal with the mother having an affair or something not in keeping with middle grade themes, which I feared for a bit. Quinn is an interesting character, and a horrific element is introduced with the typewriter cannibal artist. Olivetti has a very distinctive personality that seems right in line with how I would imagine a typewriter personality to be. Certainly, this is a completely fresh idea for a middle grade novel.
Weaknesses: Olivetti talks a lot about snot and bodily fluids, which seems an odd thing for a typewriter to be interested in. It also seemed off that typewriters do not like books. Typewriters can be involved in the writing process, so I thought that this level of hatred would be saved for computers. The introspective tone of the book seemed more in keeping with books for adults with a children as protagonists.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like books that try to soften sadness with magical elements, like Haydu's Eventown or Bushby's A Pocketfull of Stars. It also reminded me strongly of Broach's 2008 Masterpiece.

This book is full of all of things I love in a middle grade book: lush emotion, complicated, realistic familial relationships, a touch of fantasy, and a protaganist who you love and can root for.

This dual POV book follows 12-year-old Ernest, and a sentient typewriter named Olivetti as they search for Ernest's mom. I've never laughed and cried so much in tangent. This book is an instant classic

OLIVETTI is a charming, wry, and heartfelt mystery where a shy boy and a wry typewriter solve the case of a missing mom. A new fave detective duo that I never would have imagined! For decades, Beatrice poured her memories and stories into Olivetti, a typewriter with more personality than most people I’ve met, who has held them with love and care while watching her family grow. When she goes missing, Olivetti risks the typewriters’ sacred code—to never divulge what their humans have told them—so that he can help her son Ernest find Beatrice. Boy and machine piece the clues together and embark on an adventure around the city that shows the true meaning of love, family, and hope in the face of tragedy. Reading this story made me laugh-out-loud and feel like I was wrapped in the coziest blanket ever. Can you beat that? *Recommend checking content notes for parent illness* Highly recommend! Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read early.

When I read the description given for this middle grade, I thought it would promising, as it is a different narrative idea for a story. I started reading and immediately knew it was not going to work. I'm sure the target audience will like it, but the typewriter talking about people using it and the commentary on people in general was not working for me. I do love the cover and if it is somewhere for a reasonable price, I would consider getting it for the library!

This story is told, alternately, through the eyes of anxious, word-obsessed Ernest and a typewriter named Olivetti. Ernest's mother has disappeared and Olivetti, who has received many of Ernest's mother's words over the years, may just have the clues necessary to find her. Millington has created a charming and quirky family and then unraveled them. I'm a sucker for an unlikely narrator, and I'm not sure I've ever read one quite as unlikely as Olivetti. Having said that, it feels like it takes a long time for Ernest (and readers) to begin to solve this mystery. As much as I enjoyed the characters Millington has created and believe certain readers will be caught up in this story, I am afraid I can't see it gaining a lot of traction with my middle school readers.

Olivetti earned an official spot in the list of my favorite books ever. The perspective of a typewriter is delightful for adults and exciting for kids. The story of Ernest finding his way in his family and uncovering his family's heartache while searching for Olivetti is simply beautiful. A must-read for everyone.

Olivetti is an emotional ride that will tear your heart out and stitch it back together. Amid a world of confusion and debilitating heartbreak, Olivetti’s observations and memories help a young boy and his family recapture precious bonds that they thought were lost to find strength and hope. It’s a reminder of the power of human connection, the relationships we build between moments of joy and pain, and the healing potential of unburdening our hearts by sharing our stories.

Olivetti gives life to a typewriter and has them as one of the POV of this entrancing middle grade novel.

I enjoyed the mystery and learning about this family, though some of the kids felt not defined enough.

But the originality of this premise shown, and it was a fun read overall.

Olivetti is a beautiful story told from the perspective of a typewriter. His family is going through a tough time and surprising everyone, he helps them find their way back together.

Ernest isn't like his siblings, he prefers to be alone, not to be touched and reads the dictionary. Quinn is an outgoing, dumpster hunting girl and Olivetti is a typewriter who is breaking all of the typewriter rules. Together it is up to the three of them to solve why Ernest's mother has run away. Olivetti holds all of her stories and needs to share them. Ernest thinks this might be all of his fault and Quinn sets it up so Ernest can commit a little crime at the pawn shop that needed to be done to solve this case.

What a good read! I enjoyed hearing the story through two points of view-- the chapters alternate between the typewriter's voice and one of the family's boys. With a propulsive plot and sympathetic characters, Olivetti addresses the sticky situations that arise when even loving families face hard, important situations.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy for review!