Belong to Me
by Marisa de los Santos
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Book Reviews of Belong to Me
Book Review: Almost as memorable as Love Walked In
Summary: 4 Stars
Cornelia Brown has done something she thought she'd never do: she's traded her native Philly and job at a café in favor of life in suburbia. Suburban life has never appealed to her, but it somehow seems the right thing to do, especially after losing twelve-year-old Clare (Love Walked In) to her mother, who now appears to have controlled her bipolar tendencies. Unable to have children of her own, Cornelia and her husband Teo decide to take things easy instead. In her new surroundings, she meets some rather interesting people, which include:
Her new neighbor, Piper. Piper is the proverbial suburban wife -- blonde, blue-eyed, poised and ever so slightly snobbish. She is also kind of a control freak (or at least she seemed that way to me), telling people what to do and how things should be done. She, her husband and her two children seem perfect. But there is a sore spot in Piper's life: her best friend Elizabeth is dying of cancer. She does everything in her power to convince Elizabeth and herself that something can be done. As long as there is life there's hope, right? Instead of trying to convince Elizabeth to get treatments that will get her nowhere, she decides to do something more profound for her friend -- she decides to listen, really listen to her.
Cornelia meets two other very interesting people: Lake and her son Dev. Dev is a thirteen-year-old genius. Boys his age are concerned about things like the latest pair of Nikes and the hottest video games. But Dev has other hobbies. He loves to ponder the concept of evolution and enjoys discussing his favorite sonnets. Cornelia -- a lover of literature and classic films -- feels she's met someone special in Dev. But then it becomes clear that Lake, a fascinating person herself, is avoiding her and hiding something. But will Lake be able to avoid Cornelia after Dev meets Clare?
There is more to this wonderful story, of course, but I don't want to get into too many details. I loved Love Walked In, so I was happy to get reacquainted with such memorable characters. The novel is just as beautifully written as the first one, and Cornelia's narrative is just as engaging. I'm a little confused as to why she's the only first-person narrator in the novel though, but the other POVs are well constructed as well, just not as fun as Cornelia's voice. I give Belong to Me four stars instead of five because, while I loved it, it simply wasn't as engaging to me as Love Walked In. However, I recommend it most highly. This could be a standalone novel, but I recommend reading Love Walked In first anyway. Marisa de los Santos is a new talent in literature and I will definitely read her future installments.
Book Review: Another Wonderful Read from de los Santos
Summary: 4 Stars
When I read LOVE WALKED IN, I claimed it was one of the Year's Best Novels. While I don't think BELONG TO ME is one of the year's best, it was very, very good and I really enjoyed it.
The story follows the main character from LOVE WALKED IN Cornelia, when she & her husband Teo move from the city to the suburbs. There we meet Del, a precocious 13 year old (who becomes fast friends with Claire, also from LOVE WALKED IN) and Piper, Cornelia's well-to-do, slightly snobbish neighbor. The story alternates between the three, while their stories slowly intertwine.
I'd say for the about the first third or so of the book, I almost felt that instead of this being a novel about all three characters, it was like reading three separate stories. While the characters did cross paths in the beginning, their stories didn't really begin to mix until about half way through the book.
It was a little slow going for a while, but a little more than halfway through, it started to get more interesting. The characters are very well defined and you can see their growth as the story moves forward. Some of it may be a little predictable, but its never boring while your reading through getting to the story's focus.
I love the way that de los Santos writes. Before she began writing novels, she wrote poetry and it shows in writing style. Her descriptions and the way she moves the story forward is written in a way that is very unlike most other authors. She has a way of pulling you in, and holding your attention. The paragraphs and chapters flow nicely from one to the next.
I for one, wouldn't mind a continuation of the stories started here. While there is conclusion to the book's plot lines, there isn't a definitive ending. Readers can be satisfied with how it ends, but if she chose to continue telling the stories in a third novel, it would be a welcome continuation.
If you enjoyed LOVE WALKED IN, you will almost certainly enjoy BELONG TO ME. While it is a continuation of Cornelia's story (from LOVE WALKED IN), as well as a few other characters, you don't have to have read LOVE WALKED IN to understand the characters here and their actions. It is written for both returning and new readers. Hopefully her next novel will be out sooner than two years from now! I cannot wait and will be anxiously watching!
Book Review: Read "Love Walked In" first or you won't "Belong to Me"
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm a great lover of women bonding books. Two of my favorites over the years have been The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney and Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. The description of Belong To Me brought to mind these two favorites so I was eager to get started with it. What I didn't realize, however, was that there was a prequel to this book, Love Walked In. Had I known that, I definitely would have read them in order and most assuredly would already have had a connection with the main character Cornelia Brown. It sounds to me that Love Walked In was a good book and introduced the reader not only to Cornelia but to her "almost" daughter Clare and to her "definitely" gorgeous husband Teo. There's a lot to be said for reading books in order and I think this is a perfect example.
When I started Belong to Me, I was sitting on a plane headed for Vegas. I immediately loved it and thought it was going to be right up there with my favorites. Somewhere along the way, I stopped loving it and can't really put my finger on the reason. It might be the disconnect between the two books and the author assuming that the reader already loves Cornelia and her family having previously read Love Walked In. She has Cornelia leaving her big city life and landing in suburbia which leads to all the women "clique" issues and the loneliness that can follow.
The surrounding characters just aren't that likeable. We have Piper, caring for her cancer stricken friend Elizabeth. She's great with Elizabeth but a bear to everyone else. Lake, who has just moved there with her teenage son Dev, whose life is chock full of mysteries. I can't really say a bond is formed between these women but they seem to be working towards it. Then the author went on an unpredictable tangent and began to lose me.
So the first 100 pages I was giving it five stars. By the end, it had dropped to 3.5 to 4. I'm going to be generous with my rating and round it out to a four because, had I read the prequel, I'm sure I would have felt differently about this book and I'd hate to fault the author for my obvious faux pas. A sure lesson to be learned here.....don't read out of order!!
Book Review: Heartwarming and True
Summary: 5 Stars
City dweller Cornelia Brown moves to the burbs with her oncologist husband Teo. They've got a place in what looks like the perfect neighborhood, nice homes with nicely manicured lawns. They can be happy here. However the women who live in suburbia are a bit slow to accept Cornelia. Right from the get go it looks like she might not be one of them when she wears a skimpy black dress to a party of pastel wearing housewives.
The self-anointed, self-appointed Queen-bee Piper at first seems bent on making Cornelia's new life difficult, criticizing her constantly. Piper seems to be a blue-eyed, blonde snob, but we see another side to her when she cares for her terminally ill friend Elizabeth. Things, and people, are not always what they seem at first.
Cornelia also makes friends with Veronica "Lake" Tremain and her exceptional thirteen-year-old son Dev. Dev meets Claire, who I came to know in love in Ms. de los Santo's first book Love Walked In and the relationship that develops is pure poetry as is this whole story. At first Cornelia is excited about the change her life is taking, then it looks like it isn't going to turn out to be everything she thought it was cracked up to be and finally it all turns out better than she ever could have imagined.
I came to this book straight from Love Walked In, but you don't have to. Some how Marisa de los Santos has written a sequel that reads like a stand alone. That's talent, not to meantion the beautifully written heart-warming story that will leaving you hugging yourself and loving these people. I can't recommend this one highly enough.
Reviewed by Vesta Irene
Book Review: I Am in Love
Summary: 5 Stars
The writing in this book spoke to my heart. I love the author's writing style--it is warm, personal and poetic. I have always believed that writing is like painting with words and Marisa de los Santos does just that. Her descriptions are so vivid, whether she is writing about the love between a parent and a child or describing the picturesque suburban neighborhood she moves to. When I was immersed in this book, I felt transported to somewhere else. The author made me believe that the characters and the story were real and authentic. Nothing seemed contrived to me, and I grew to love all the characters, even Piper, who at first seems very shallow and superficial. The best part about the book is the way Marisa de los Santos weaves the lives of the characters together like a quilt, and gives you so much insight into their lives that you find yourself rooting for them as they grow and change, and deepen their love for their families and for each other. Cornelia is a fabulous character--very strong, warm, wise and witty--just the kind of person I would like to befriend in real life. The message of this book is fabulous--true love conquers all and connects us to each other. It explores the love between parents and children, siblings, neighbors, and friends who are so close they feel like family. My favorite story line is about Dev, a young teenage boy who is wise beyond his years and incredibly sweet. He is searching for his father who he has never met and who he believes left his mother before he was born. He befriends Cornelia and her "child of heart" Clare, and their lives intertwine and become richer because of the connections they form. I won't give away the surprise, but he finds more than what he is looking for and his heart grows as a result. My heart was touched by the beautiful story and I hope yours will be too.