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suvata's review against another edition
4.0
ModernMrsDarcy.com 2020 Summer Reading Guide
• 5 high school friends
• 1 star quarterback with a secret
• 1 tragic fire
• 20 years of resentment and guilt
• 1 truth that brings clarity to all
Wow! Marisa de los Santos can write a heart-wrenching tale that sucks you in on page 1.
• 5 high school friends
• 1 star quarterback with a secret
• 1 tragic fire
• 20 years of resentment and guilt
• 1 truth that brings clarity to all
Wow! Marisa de los Santos can write a heart-wrenching tale that sucks you in on page 1.
jmbatty's review against another edition
4.0
NOTE: Goodreads has this listed as part of the Love Walked In series, but it is NOT part of that series. The author has said on Facebook that she and her publisher have asked Goodreads to fix the error, but they have not fixed it. So if you are expecting familiar characters, you will be disappointed.
I enjoyed the characters, but felt this one did not go nearly as deep as the author’s other books in terms of letting us see the character development, so it lacked some of the emotional depth of her other books.
Still, it was a good read, and I would recommend.
I enjoyed the characters, but felt this one did not go nearly as deep as the author’s other books in terms of letting us see the character development, so it lacked some of the emotional depth of her other books.
Still, it was a good read, and I would recommend.
bookstackreviews's review against another edition
4.0
I read the first book in the Love Walked In series nearly 12 years ago and I remember being captivated by the way de los Santos could capture a complex feeling with a couple poetic sentences. The poetic writing of I'd Give anything starts off at a canter not a trot. It took me a minute to get used to the rhythm of the writing but once I fell into step, I was surrounded by the magic of the sentences. Reading any de los Santos book is always an experience, and I'd Give Anything was exactly as lovely as I would have hoped.
At Almost 40 Ginny's quiet, steady husband finds himself in the middle of a work scandal that changes everything for Ginny and her daughter Avery. In the midst of the complex emotions she has surrounding her husband's error in judgement, Ginny is faced with the toll a family secret has taken on her and the the friendships this secret has cost her over the course of her life.
For such a short little book, the narrative sure covers a lot of ground! The story perspectives switch between Zinny, a wild hearted teenager who found wonder in everything, and Ginny the mother who after all these years is attempting to reconcile who she was as a teenager with who she has become. I felt that both narratives were equally as engaging and I wasn't bidding my time in one chapter to get to the story I found 'more interesting'. Both held their water separately thanks to the vibrancy of the characters. The most successful part of the character's journey was the deep dive look at the familiar gray areas we find ourselves a part of. The exploration of both the blurred lines we fall between, and the ones we place ourselves in without knowing the cost, brought up so many interesting issues to examine. I found these issues both relatable and satisfying to think on long after the book had ended.
The only part of this novel that did not work for me was the way the two narratives intersected. I felt that the convergence was a little clunky, and the ending felt slightly rushed. The stories took their time and were unfolded so carefully I had assumed the ending would follow this lead and I didn't feel like that was the case. It was a little bit disappointing, but that tiny disappointment only docked one star from what would have been an easy star read! I would still recommend this to a lot of people (In fact, I just told my sister to go put it on hold). This would make for a lovely summer read selection! It is worth noting that even though this is the fourth installment in the Love Walked In Series, each of the books easily read as a stand alone, so find the book in the series that interests you the most and let the lovely prose wash over you.
At Almost 40 Ginny's quiet, steady husband finds himself in the middle of a work scandal that changes everything for Ginny and her daughter Avery. In the midst of the complex emotions she has surrounding her husband's error in judgement, Ginny is faced with the toll a family secret has taken on her and the the friendships this secret has cost her over the course of her life.
For such a short little book, the narrative sure covers a lot of ground! The story perspectives switch between Zinny, a wild hearted teenager who found wonder in everything, and Ginny the mother who after all these years is attempting to reconcile who she was as a teenager with who she has become. I felt that both narratives were equally as engaging and I wasn't bidding my time in one chapter to get to the story I found 'more interesting'. Both held their water separately thanks to the vibrancy of the characters. The most successful part of the character's journey was the deep dive look at the familiar gray areas we find ourselves a part of. The exploration of both the blurred lines we fall between, and the ones we place ourselves in without knowing the cost, brought up so many interesting issues to examine. I found these issues both relatable and satisfying to think on long after the book had ended.
The only part of this novel that did not work for me was the way the two narratives intersected. I felt that the convergence was a little clunky, and the ending felt slightly rushed. The stories took their time and were unfolded so carefully I had assumed the ending would follow this lead and I didn't feel like that was the case. It was a little bit disappointing, but that tiny disappointment only docked one star from what would have been an easy star read! I would still recommend this to a lot of people (In fact, I just told my sister to go put it on hold). This would make for a lovely summer read selection! It is worth noting that even though this is the fourth installment in the Love Walked In Series, each of the books easily read as a stand alone, so find the book in the series that interests you the most and let the lovely prose wash over you.
ramonamead's review
3.0
Three and a half stars. This is the first of the author's novels that I didn't LOVE. This one wasn't as solid as her others. The story flashing from past to present was nice and gave a beautiful backstory, but it felt disjointed at times. All of the side stories didn't blend together seamlessly as her novels usually do. I felt there were unnecessary threads and side characters that didn't add to the story and left me confused. Particularly in regard to Ginny's husband's story. However as always, this author left me feeling satisfied and hopeful. She's so great at wrapping things up with hope, yet not making it unrealistic. The characters here are well developed and utterly human - another thing she excels at. Ultimately this is a novel about trust, secrets, forgiveness, and love of all kinds - family, romantic, and friendships - and how those relationships are affected by the decisions we make.
And while I didn't enjoy this as well as her other novels, I still liked it a great deal and highly recommend it for her fans, as well as readers of literary fiction and family dramas.Many thanks to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
And while I didn't enjoy this as well as her other novels, I still liked it a great deal and highly recommend it for her fans, as well as readers of literary fiction and family dramas.Many thanks to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
marvelousmaggie's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Not my favorite from Marisa de los Santos. The story was a little too complicated, a little too unrealistic, and I think that made me care a little less about the characters overall.
aabn2424's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
annacwick's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this story about 4 high school friends - 20 years later - and the lies that pulled them apart from each other. Good character development and an interesting story that kept me wondering.
jesm98's review
4.0
I listened to the audio version of this book via the Libby app.
I keep commenting that I do not really enjoy family dramas, yet every story by Marisa de los Santos has kept me engaged and completely interested in the story. The use of flashback enhances the story to the point where I don't want to leave the one story for the other one, a sign of well-written plot lines to me. I will continue to read books written by this author.
I keep commenting that I do not really enjoy family dramas, yet every story by Marisa de los Santos has kept me engaged and completely interested in the story. The use of flashback enhances the story to the point where I don't want to leave the one story for the other one, a sign of well-written plot lines to me. I will continue to read books written by this author.
anitaob30's review
4.0
Loved it! It moved back and forth a bit between past and present which is not my favorite way of storytelling but the book was well written and by the second half, I could not put the book down. The end was perfect.
jesabesblog's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I finally read a Marisa de los Santos! Despite the heavy themes, it felt weirdly light. I didn't *want* the book to make feel feel sad and heavy, but the lightness of hand didn't seem to match the subject.
Maybe what I'm looking for is "self-contained." The world did not intrude on the characters; they intruded on it. Everything that happened was a choice (sometimes a bad one).
I finally read a Marisa de los Santos! Despite the heavy themes, it felt weirdly light. I didn't *want* the book to make feel feel sad and heavy, but the lightness of hand didn't seem to match the subject.
Maybe what I'm looking for is "self-contained." The world did not intrude on the characters; they intruded on it. Everything that happened was a choice (sometimes a bad one).