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A review by tanni_12
More Than Words by Jill Santopolo
4.0
More than words is a story based in New York about Nina, a woman in her early thirties, who has always followed the wishes of her father, a rich business owner. She silenced her own dreams so she could live up to his high expectations. Instead of pursuing her passions, which involves working as a speech writer for Rafael, a Cuban-Irish lawyer in the running for becoming New York's mayor, she has to give it up to fulfill her father's dream, which is to get into the family business and maintain the legacy. Being torn between her dreams and the expectations of her father is the main theme throughout the book. It's about how Nina, as she learns about her father and his past, is able to break free and come into her own as a person.
One of the elements that is important in a book is the main character and their development throughout the book. I think the author did a good job with Nina, since we can see how she grows throughout the story and become more self-assured. She is soft and kind, and becomes a strong woman as the story progresses, which I appreciate because I think it's important to have such characters in books. She is a very layered character, which is very relatable.
I loved the relationships portrayed in this novel and how complex they are. I think everybody can relate to Nina and the struggle she goes through; that of sometimes forgetting or hiding who we are so we can meet other people's expectations, especially our parents'. The relationship she shares with her father is realistic and flawed, but you still relate to the mixture of feelings of love, confusion and hurt she feels towards him. I also loved her chemistry with Rafael. It wasn't just about something physical, but also emotional and intellectual. They have a lot in common and she finds in him something that she doesn't find in her other relationships, which justifies the feelings she develops for him. It doesn't feel like it's coming out of nowhere.
I also loved the author's writing. She was able to bring to life the characters and their complexity beautifully. It didn't feel like they were unidimensional. They all had flaws and qualities that made the reader have sometimes mixed feelings about them, but I think that's what makes it realistic and relatable.
The only reason I didn't give this book five stars, even though the story touched me and was beautifully written, is that sometimes it was a bit slow-paced, which I feel is very characteristic of this author's works. She delves into the psyche of the characters which unfortunately slows down the story at times. Apart from that, it's a story that touched me and even made me tear-up in some parts, which is a winner for me.
One of the elements that is important in a book is the main character and their development throughout the book. I think the author did a good job with Nina, since we can see how she grows throughout the story and become more self-assured. She is soft and kind, and becomes a strong woman as the story progresses, which I appreciate because I think it's important to have such characters in books. She is a very layered character, which is very relatable.
I loved the relationships portrayed in this novel and how complex they are. I think everybody can relate to Nina and the struggle she goes through; that of sometimes forgetting or hiding who we are so we can meet other people's expectations, especially our parents'. The relationship she shares with her father is realistic and flawed, but you still relate to the mixture of feelings of love, confusion and hurt she feels towards him. I also loved her chemistry with Rafael. It wasn't just about something physical, but also emotional and intellectual. They have a lot in common and she finds in him something that she doesn't find in her other relationships, which justifies the feelings she develops for him. It doesn't feel like it's coming out of nowhere.
I also loved the author's writing. She was able to bring to life the characters and their complexity beautifully. It didn't feel like they were unidimensional. They all had flaws and qualities that made the reader have sometimes mixed feelings about them, but I think that's what makes it realistic and relatable.
The only reason I didn't give this book five stars, even though the story touched me and was beautifully written, is that sometimes it was a bit slow-paced, which I feel is very characteristic of this author's works. She delves into the psyche of the characters which unfortunately slows down the story at times. Apart from that, it's a story that touched me and even made me tear-up in some parts, which is a winner for me.