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I'd Give Anything
From the New York Times bestselling author of Love Walked In and Belong to Me comes a profound and heart-rending story about a horrific tragedy that marks one woman and her hometown and about the explosive secrets that come to light twenty years later.
Ginny Beale is eighteen, irreverent, funny, and brave, with a brother she adores and a circle of friends for whom she would do anything. Because of one terrible night, she loses them all—and her adventurous spirit—seemingly forever. While the town cheers on the high school football team, someone sets the school’s auditorium ablaze. Ginny’s best friend Gray Marsden’s father, a fire fighter, dies in the blaze.
While many in the town believe Daniel York, a notoriously troubled local teen, set the fire, Ginny makes a shattering discovery that casts blame on the person she trusts most in the world. Ginny tells no one, but the secret isolates her, looming between her and her friends and ruining their friendship.
Over the next two decades, Ginny puts aside her wanderlust and her dreams. Moving back to her hometown, she distances herself from the past and from nearly everyone in it. She marries a quiet man, raises their daughter, Avery, and cares for her tyrannical, ailing mother, Adela. But when Ginny’s husband, Harris, becomes embroiled in a scandal, Ginny’s carefully controlled life crumbles, and, just when she believes she is regaining her bearings, the secret she’s kept for twenty years emerges and threatens to destroy her hopes for the future.
With the help of fifteen-year-old Avery and of friends both old and new, Ginny must summon the courage to confront old lies and hard truths and to free herself and the people she loves from the mistakes and regrets that have burdened them for so long.
Ginny Beale is eighteen, irreverent, funny, and brave, with a brother she adores and a circle of friends for whom she would do anything. Because of one terrible night, she loses them all—and her adventurous spirit—seemingly forever. While the town cheers on the high school football team, someone sets the school’s auditorium ablaze. Ginny’s best friend Gray Marsden’s father, a fire fighter, dies in the blaze.
While many in the town believe Daniel York, a notoriously troubled local teen, set the fire, Ginny makes a shattering discovery that casts blame on the person she trusts most in the world. Ginny tells no one, but the secret isolates her, looming between her and her friends and ruining their friendship.
Over the next two decades, Ginny puts aside her wanderlust and her dreams. Moving back to her hometown, she distances herself from the past and from nearly everyone in it. She marries a quiet man, raises their daughter, Avery, and cares for her tyrannical, ailing mother, Adela. But when Ginny’s husband, Harris, becomes embroiled in a scandal, Ginny’s carefully controlled life crumbles, and, just when she believes she is regaining her bearings, the secret she’s kept for twenty years emerges and threatens to destroy her hopes for the future.
With the help of fifteen-year-old Avery and of friends both old and new, Ginny must summon the courage to confront old lies and hard truths and to free herself and the people she loves from the mistakes and regrets that have burdened them for so long.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2020
547 people are currently reading
16285 people want to read
About the author
Marisa de los Santos
15 books3,121 followersMarisa de los Santos is the New York Times bestselling author of LOVE WALKED IN, BELONG TO ME, FALLING TOGETHER, THE PRECIOUS ONE, and her newest novel, which continues with characters from the first two, I'LL BE YOUR BLUE SKY.
Marisa has also co-authored, with her husband David Teague, two novels for middle grade readers: SAVING LUCAS BIGGS and CONNECT THE STARS.
Marisa and David live in Wilmington, Delaware with their two children, Charles and Annabel, and their Yorkies, Finny and Huxley. Marisa is currently at work on her sixth novel for adults, I'D GIVE ANYTHING.
Marisa has also co-authored, with her husband David Teague, two novels for middle grade readers: SAVING LUCAS BIGGS and CONNECT THE STARS.
Marisa and David live in Wilmington, Delaware with their two children, Charles and Annabel, and their Yorkies, Finny and Huxley. Marisa is currently at work on her sixth novel for adults, I'D GIVE ANYTHING.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 802 reviews
October 8, 2020
If you enjoy a particular author's work yet you haven't read anything by them in a long while, when you finally pick up another one of their books, it feels like coming home. That's the way I felt when I read Marisa de los Santos' new book,
I'd Give Anything
. Her first few books—
Love Walked In
and
Belong to Me
—really blew me away, and I still consider them among my favorites, yet for some reason I lost track of her over the last several years.
When I saw I'd Give Anything on a friend's Bookstagram feed, I knew I had to read it. And once again, I was reminded why I love de los Santos' storytelling so much. She writes of love and friendship and how one often complicates the other, she writes of family, secrets, desire, guilt, all real human emotions, and does it so well.
In 1997, Ginny, Gray, Kirsten, and CJ are inseparable best friends in high school. Her friends, even a burgeoning relationship with Gray, are her haven from a mercurial, brittle mother most interested in her family's reputation and the battles her mother has with her older brother, Trevor, her ally and compatriot. The four friends have that typical teenage certainty that they'll be part of each other's lives forever.
One night, tragedy strikes, and it changes all four of their lives. Shortly afterward, Ginny overhears a declaration that rocks her to her core, spoken by the one person she trusts more than any other. She cannot believe what she heard, but she knows she must keep it a secret. Her subsequent silence and depression causes her to lose the people she cares about most—her best friends. But it's a sacrifice she knows she must live with.
Twenty years later, Ginny is living in her hometown, in a safe marriage, and is the mother of a 15-year-old daughter, Avery. Their seemingly placid, "normal" life falls apart one day when her husband is embroiled in a scandal that causes him to lose his job. At that point, Ginny realizes she's spent so much of her life doing what is safe, what is right, instead of what makes her happy, and it's time that stops.
Although she did reconcile with Kirsten when they were in college, she hasn't spoken to Gray or CJ since high school. When they are all brought together one night, she must confront the secret she has carried alone for all these years. But one secret is tied to so many others, and she has to make a decision whether to take the safe route once again or follow her heart, and finally unburden herself of the guilt and sorrow she has carried for so long. Hopefully she can help her old friends to do the same.
The story shifts back and forth between 1997 and 2017 for a while, and then stays in 2017, and is narrated by Ginny and Avery. Make no mistake, there is a lot of drama happening here, but I was so hooked on these characters and their story that it didn't matter to me. (Plus, I love melodrama.) There were a lot of times where I wondered how I would react if placed in a similar situation, and that endeared me to the book even more.
Friendships are intense relationships, sometimes even more so than romantic ones. Even though the characters aren't always sympathetic, I loved their story and, of course, loved the way de los Santos told it. And I'll definitely be picking up the books of hers I missed, too!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
When I saw I'd Give Anything on a friend's Bookstagram feed, I knew I had to read it. And once again, I was reminded why I love de los Santos' storytelling so much. She writes of love and friendship and how one often complicates the other, she writes of family, secrets, desire, guilt, all real human emotions, and does it so well.
In 1997, Ginny, Gray, Kirsten, and CJ are inseparable best friends in high school. Her friends, even a burgeoning relationship with Gray, are her haven from a mercurial, brittle mother most interested in her family's reputation and the battles her mother has with her older brother, Trevor, her ally and compatriot. The four friends have that typical teenage certainty that they'll be part of each other's lives forever.
One night, tragedy strikes, and it changes all four of their lives. Shortly afterward, Ginny overhears a declaration that rocks her to her core, spoken by the one person she trusts more than any other. She cannot believe what she heard, but she knows she must keep it a secret. Her subsequent silence and depression causes her to lose the people she cares about most—her best friends. But it's a sacrifice she knows she must live with.
Twenty years later, Ginny is living in her hometown, in a safe marriage, and is the mother of a 15-year-old daughter, Avery. Their seemingly placid, "normal" life falls apart one day when her husband is embroiled in a scandal that causes him to lose his job. At that point, Ginny realizes she's spent so much of her life doing what is safe, what is right, instead of what makes her happy, and it's time that stops.
Although she did reconcile with Kirsten when they were in college, she hasn't spoken to Gray or CJ since high school. When they are all brought together one night, she must confront the secret she has carried alone for all these years. But one secret is tied to so many others, and she has to make a decision whether to take the safe route once again or follow her heart, and finally unburden herself of the guilt and sorrow she has carried for so long. Hopefully she can help her old friends to do the same.
The story shifts back and forth between 1997 and 2017 for a while, and then stays in 2017, and is narrated by Ginny and Avery. Make no mistake, there is a lot of drama happening here, but I was so hooked on these characters and their story that it didn't matter to me. (Plus, I love melodrama.) There were a lot of times where I wondered how I would react if placed in a similar situation, and that endeared me to the book even more.
Friendships are intense relationships, sometimes even more so than romantic ones. Even though the characters aren't always sympathetic, I loved their story and, of course, loved the way de los Santos told it. And I'll definitely be picking up the books of hers I missed, too!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
June 9, 2020
A nice easy read. When they were 18, Zinny as she was called then, and her three friends were torn apart by a tragedy and then a secret. Twenty years later, now called Ginny, she finds again her life being turn apart by scandal. Her concern is for her sixteen years old daughter, Avery. When the four friends reunite the secrets are revealed.
So much is going on here. When the four friends reunite they still seem and sound as if they are 18. Avery, at her young age seems the grown-up. Just didn't sit right with me. All the problems, secrets, a bit soap operish, though they touch on important issues.
The ending though I have to admit was perfect.
So much is going on here. When the four friends reunite they still seem and sound as if they are 18. Avery, at her young age seems the grown-up. Just didn't sit right with me. All the problems, secrets, a bit soap operish, though they touch on important issues.
The ending though I have to admit was perfect.
January 10, 2021
3.75 Coming Home Stars
This is an easy-to-read story that is populated with characters that seem very realistic. The present-day story alternates with entries from Zinny’s journal from high school, 20 years ago. Both stories are full of drama!
The present-day story has Ginny struggling with a scandal involving her husband and being the best parent she can be to daughter Avery. Ginny’s mother is a tough-as-nails woman who has been a force in her life, not always for the good.
Ginny’s high school years were filled with a tight circle of friends, but it all fell apart her senior year and she’s been estranged from most of them for 20 years.
This story shows that sometimes the truth has to wait, but it’s always better when the full truth comes to light. I enjoyed how Ginny and her daughter helped each other and they have a great relationship. I also thought it was great to reconcile and reunite with old friends.
I’ve read 5 other books by this author and I really like her writing style. I met her once at a library event and really enjoyed what she had to say.
Thank you to William Morrow and Goodreads for the contest copy of this one.
This is an easy-to-read story that is populated with characters that seem very realistic. The present-day story alternates with entries from Zinny’s journal from high school, 20 years ago. Both stories are full of drama!
The present-day story has Ginny struggling with a scandal involving her husband and being the best parent she can be to daughter Avery. Ginny’s mother is a tough-as-nails woman who has been a force in her life, not always for the good.
Ginny’s high school years were filled with a tight circle of friends, but it all fell apart her senior year and she’s been estranged from most of them for 20 years.
This story shows that sometimes the truth has to wait, but it’s always better when the full truth comes to light. I enjoyed how Ginny and her daughter helped each other and they have a great relationship. I also thought it was great to reconcile and reunite with old friends.
I’ve read 5 other books by this author and I really like her writing style. I met her once at a library event and really enjoyed what she had to say.
Thank you to William Morrow and Goodreads for the contest copy of this one.
May 4, 2020
From the beginning of the year until now, I’ve read 21 books and so far, not a single one of them had reached 5 star level for me. Don’t get me wrong — there were plenty of excellent books in that mix and quite a few that, regardless of whether I rated them 4 or 4.5 stars, I still enjoyed greatly and even loved, but instinctually, somehow, they just didn’t feel like 5 star reads. Well, with
I’d Give Anything
, the newest novel by renowned author Marisa de los Santos, it looks like I have finally found my first 5 star read of the year!
In this beautifully written, heartfelt story, the close friendship between 4 high school seniors — Ginny, Kirsten, Gray, and CJ — is forever changed one night when a fire breaks out during a football game at their school. Gray’s father, a fire fighter, perishes in the fire and immediately, Gray’s 3 best friends are there for him, ready to support him through the tragedy. But then Ginny makes a devastating discovery about the fire, which she decides to keep from her 3 friends — this secret not only shatters Ginny’s world, it also ends up destroying their friendship. Over the next twenty years, Ginny gradually puts the past behind her, and after moving back to her hometown upon graduating from college, she builds a quiet life with her husband Harris and their teenage daughter Avery. When her husband becomes embroiled in a scandal at work, Ginny experiences turbulence in her carefully constructed life once again and as she tries to deal with the fallout from that scandal, she ends up coming face-to-face with the 20-year-old secret that she thought had been buried long ago.
For me, the best character-driven stories are the ones where nearly all of the characters (whether main or supporting) are realistically drawn in ways that make them relatable and easy to connect with — pretty much to the point that the characters feel like old friends whom I don’t want to part with even when the story is over. Ginny and Avery were characters I adored from the getgo and rooted for throughout the story — both were written in a way that felt so raw and real. It’s refreshing to read about characters whose experiences hew so closely to what many of us may encounter at different points in our lives — as I watched Ginny work through the various challenges she faced, not only with her family, but also with her friends, I recognized some of her struggles and was able to resonate on an emotional level. All the other characters, regardless of whether they only appeared for a few pages or were a constant throughout the entire story, were also well-developed and memorable. I also loved the way the various relationships were depicted in this story. We all know that, in real life, the complexities when it comes to relationships are endless – whether it’s family relationships, friendships, work relationships, or mere acquaintances -- there are so many nuances that are difficult to capture accurately in a fictional story. Yet this book does it -- and does it well!
This was a profound read that left me with much food-for-thought, not just as it pertains to relationships, but also life and its intricacies. It covers a lot of ground in its exploration of themes such as family, love, friendship, truth, regret, forgiveness, and so much more. One of the insights that stood out the most to me pertained to love and forgiveness, that both are not mutually exclusive of each other insofar as the inability to forgive someone for their actions does not preclude the ability to still love them and care deeply about them. The ending brought me close to tears, as did several other parts of the story.
I like the way Marisa de los Santos writes as well as the way she is able to tell such an emotionally nuanced story so effortlessly. I read this book in 2 sittings over the weekend, putting it down only once to tend to the necessities of life and then when I picked it up again, I didn’t want it to end. If there is anything to complain about with this book, it’s that I wish it had been longer (the ARC was less than 300 pages) so that I could spend more time with these characters. I’ve actually had several of this author’s works on my TBR for quite some time, but didn’t have a chance to get to any of them previously — well, now I will definitely be exploring her backlist while I wait patiently for her next book, whenever that may be.
Received ARC from William Morrow (HarperCollins) via Edelweiss.
In this beautifully written, heartfelt story, the close friendship between 4 high school seniors — Ginny, Kirsten, Gray, and CJ — is forever changed one night when a fire breaks out during a football game at their school. Gray’s father, a fire fighter, perishes in the fire and immediately, Gray’s 3 best friends are there for him, ready to support him through the tragedy. But then Ginny makes a devastating discovery about the fire, which she decides to keep from her 3 friends — this secret not only shatters Ginny’s world, it also ends up destroying their friendship. Over the next twenty years, Ginny gradually puts the past behind her, and after moving back to her hometown upon graduating from college, she builds a quiet life with her husband Harris and their teenage daughter Avery. When her husband becomes embroiled in a scandal at work, Ginny experiences turbulence in her carefully constructed life once again and as she tries to deal with the fallout from that scandal, she ends up coming face-to-face with the 20-year-old secret that she thought had been buried long ago.
For me, the best character-driven stories are the ones where nearly all of the characters (whether main or supporting) are realistically drawn in ways that make them relatable and easy to connect with — pretty much to the point that the characters feel like old friends whom I don’t want to part with even when the story is over. Ginny and Avery were characters I adored from the getgo and rooted for throughout the story — both were written in a way that felt so raw and real. It’s refreshing to read about characters whose experiences hew so closely to what many of us may encounter at different points in our lives — as I watched Ginny work through the various challenges she faced, not only with her family, but also with her friends, I recognized some of her struggles and was able to resonate on an emotional level. All the other characters, regardless of whether they only appeared for a few pages or were a constant throughout the entire story, were also well-developed and memorable. I also loved the way the various relationships were depicted in this story. We all know that, in real life, the complexities when it comes to relationships are endless – whether it’s family relationships, friendships, work relationships, or mere acquaintances -- there are so many nuances that are difficult to capture accurately in a fictional story. Yet this book does it -- and does it well!
This was a profound read that left me with much food-for-thought, not just as it pertains to relationships, but also life and its intricacies. It covers a lot of ground in its exploration of themes such as family, love, friendship, truth, regret, forgiveness, and so much more. One of the insights that stood out the most to me pertained to love and forgiveness, that both are not mutually exclusive of each other insofar as the inability to forgive someone for their actions does not preclude the ability to still love them and care deeply about them. The ending brought me close to tears, as did several other parts of the story.
I like the way Marisa de los Santos writes as well as the way she is able to tell such an emotionally nuanced story so effortlessly. I read this book in 2 sittings over the weekend, putting it down only once to tend to the necessities of life and then when I picked it up again, I didn’t want it to end. If there is anything to complain about with this book, it’s that I wish it had been longer (the ARC was less than 300 pages) so that I could spend more time with these characters. I’ve actually had several of this author’s works on my TBR for quite some time, but didn’t have a chance to get to any of them previously — well, now I will definitely be exploring her backlist while I wait patiently for her next book, whenever that may be.
Received ARC from William Morrow (HarperCollins) via Edelweiss.
November 27, 2021
I’d Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos is a 2020 William Morrow publication.
Uneven- but quick and engrossing read-
The story begins with teenage Ginny- nicknamed- ‘Zinny’ writing out her thoughts in her journal. She is a teenager full of confidence and energy. She’s in love, has close friends, and lives her life with gusto. Her home life, though, is troubled. Her mother is not a warm person by any stretch of the imagination and Ginny’s brother, Trevor, is constantly at odds with her.
Fast forward to present day- and we find Ginny married- not to the great love of her life- but to a safe, rather boring man. The bright spot in her life is her teenage daughter, Avery.
Her stable existence is shaken up when her dependable husband goes off the rails by having an emotional affair with an eighteen- year- old and loses his job as a result.
On top of that, an old secret that Ginny has held close all these years, is threatening to resurface.
Thankfully, Ginny has her friends at the dog park to confide in...
I can’t explain why I found myself so caught up in this drama. I read it one sitting despite the over used themes and the flat characterizations.
Avery was the best character as she seemed to have no patience with half-truths or secrets. She was braver than most of the adults in the story, who still held grudges dating back to high school!
The conclusion was a little too pat, but I was happy that everything was wrapped up in such a way that the characters can now move forward knowing the truth, hopefully finding peace, while also grabbing some emotional maturity and learning from past mistakes.
Overall, the writing started out lush, only to become uneven and uninspired. The dialogue is often immature, and the topics are hardly original-oversaturated even at the moment- but I still found myself needing to discover all the secrets and find out how it would work out in the end.
Therefore, because the book held my attention despite its flaws, I’m giving it three stars.
Uneven- but quick and engrossing read-
The story begins with teenage Ginny- nicknamed- ‘Zinny’ writing out her thoughts in her journal. She is a teenager full of confidence and energy. She’s in love, has close friends, and lives her life with gusto. Her home life, though, is troubled. Her mother is not a warm person by any stretch of the imagination and Ginny’s brother, Trevor, is constantly at odds with her.
Fast forward to present day- and we find Ginny married- not to the great love of her life- but to a safe, rather boring man. The bright spot in her life is her teenage daughter, Avery.
Her stable existence is shaken up when her dependable husband goes off the rails by having an emotional affair with an eighteen- year- old and loses his job as a result.
On top of that, an old secret that Ginny has held close all these years, is threatening to resurface.
Thankfully, Ginny has her friends at the dog park to confide in...
I can’t explain why I found myself so caught up in this drama. I read it one sitting despite the over used themes and the flat characterizations.
Avery was the best character as she seemed to have no patience with half-truths or secrets. She was braver than most of the adults in the story, who still held grudges dating back to high school!
The conclusion was a little too pat, but I was happy that everything was wrapped up in such a way that the characters can now move forward knowing the truth, hopefully finding peace, while also grabbing some emotional maturity and learning from past mistakes.
Overall, the writing started out lush, only to become uneven and uninspired. The dialogue is often immature, and the topics are hardly original-oversaturated even at the moment- but I still found myself needing to discover all the secrets and find out how it would work out in the end.
Therefore, because the book held my attention despite its flaws, I’m giving it three stars.
August 28, 2020
A perfect lighter read to fit my changing moods. I have read 4 books now by this author and all were 4 stars as far as I'm concerned. This one involved four high school friends, twenty years later with much water under the bridge. And fire. I can't recall if I still had such clear memories of and yearnings for those days when I was 38.... Very doubtful. But this writer is great with dialog and getting the emotions right. Also had a very mature 16 year old daughter who taught them all a thing or two. Loved it.
I'd give anything for more books like this.
I'd give anything for more books like this.
May 13, 2020
My First book by Santos. But not my last. I loved this story.
Such an emotional read for me. It turns out in such a way you won't believe it. I don't want to give anything away. I want to you to read it and enjoy it like I did.
4 star read I recommend.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
Such an emotional read for me. It turns out in such a way you won't believe it. I don't want to give anything away. I want to you to read it and enjoy it like I did.
4 star read I recommend.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
May 11, 2020
Beautifully written and brilliantly plotted.
SUMMARY
Ginny Beale is eighteen, a high school senior. She’s full of life and has a circle of three special friends for whom she would do anything. Because of one terrible night, she loses them all—seemingly forever. She is keeping a terrible secret about that night, a night when one of her best friend’s lost their father in a fire.
Over the next two decades, Ginny distances herself from the past and from nearly everyone in it. She marries a quiet man, raises their daughter, Avery, and cares for her demanding mother, Adela.
But when Ginny’s husband, Harris, becomes embroiled in a scandal, Ginny’s carefully controlled life falls apart. Just when she believes she is getting back on her feet, that secret that’s she’s kept for twenty years emerges and threatens to destroy her hopes for the future. With the help of fifteen-year-old Avery, Ginny must summon the courage to confront the truth.
REVIEW
She had me when Ginny and her brother, Trevor jumped off the quarry rock cliff at night into the watery depths far below. It reminded me of the times when my brother and I would jump off a bridge into the the dark Wakulla River. But never at night...to many alligators. I’D GIVE ANYTHING is a first rate journey into friendships, parenthood and how secrets can control your life.
The story is beautifully written and brilliantly plotted. Weighted with tragedy, lies and mistakes, Ginny, Avery and friends old and new work together to overcome the burdens of the past
The writing was seamless and soulful. The characters propel the narrative, and the character development was superbly crafted. I particularly appreciated the uniqueness of Ginny’s daughter, Avery, wh is so smart, so brave, and so calm in the face of her parental world falling apart. She handles her dad and the scandal like a pro. CJ, Gray and Kirsten, Ginny’s best friends were also distinctly drawn. My favorite part of I’D GIVE ANYTHING was the dialog. Ginny talking with her mother or daughter or any of her friends was always delightfully, real and revealing. Loved it!
Author Marisa de los Santos is a New York Times best-selling author of Love Walked In, Belong to Me, and Falling Together. She lives in Wilmington, Delaware with her husband and two children. I’D GIVE ANYTHING is her sixth novel.
Thanks to LibraryThing and William Morrow for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher William Morrow
Published May 12, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
SUMMARY
Ginny Beale is eighteen, a high school senior. She’s full of life and has a circle of three special friends for whom she would do anything. Because of one terrible night, she loses them all—seemingly forever. She is keeping a terrible secret about that night, a night when one of her best friend’s lost their father in a fire.
Over the next two decades, Ginny distances herself from the past and from nearly everyone in it. She marries a quiet man, raises their daughter, Avery, and cares for her demanding mother, Adela.
But when Ginny’s husband, Harris, becomes embroiled in a scandal, Ginny’s carefully controlled life falls apart. Just when she believes she is getting back on her feet, that secret that’s she’s kept for twenty years emerges and threatens to destroy her hopes for the future. With the help of fifteen-year-old Avery, Ginny must summon the courage to confront the truth.
REVIEW
She had me when Ginny and her brother, Trevor jumped off the quarry rock cliff at night into the watery depths far below. It reminded me of the times when my brother and I would jump off a bridge into the the dark Wakulla River. But never at night...to many alligators. I’D GIVE ANYTHING is a first rate journey into friendships, parenthood and how secrets can control your life.
The story is beautifully written and brilliantly plotted. Weighted with tragedy, lies and mistakes, Ginny, Avery and friends old and new work together to overcome the burdens of the past
The writing was seamless and soulful. The characters propel the narrative, and the character development was superbly crafted. I particularly appreciated the uniqueness of Ginny’s daughter, Avery, wh is so smart, so brave, and so calm in the face of her parental world falling apart. She handles her dad and the scandal like a pro. CJ, Gray and Kirsten, Ginny’s best friends were also distinctly drawn. My favorite part of I’D GIVE ANYTHING was the dialog. Ginny talking with her mother or daughter or any of her friends was always delightfully, real and revealing. Loved it!
Author Marisa de los Santos is a New York Times best-selling author of Love Walked In, Belong to Me, and Falling Together. She lives in Wilmington, Delaware with her husband and two children. I’D GIVE ANYTHING is her sixth novel.
Thanks to LibraryThing and William Morrow for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher William Morrow
Published May 12, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
May 25, 2020
At eighteen, Ginny "Zinny" Beale is a lighthearted, fun, brave girl with a close group of friends and brother with whom she can unite against their uptight mother. But one night changes all of that. Someone sets the town's high school on fire and in the aftermath, the father of Ginny's best friend, Gray, is dead. The townspeople look for someone to blame--leaving most of it on a troubled teen--but Ginny learns some news that changes her entire world. She tells no one, but the secret alters her life and leaves her an outcast among her friends and family. Over the next twenty years, Ginny transitions, settling down, returning to her hometown and marrying Harris, a professor. They have a daughter, Avery, and Ginny cares for her mother, who is dying. But when scandal rocks the town again--this time focused on Harris--Ginny has to make some choices. It's time to confront the past and the secret she's kept buried all this time.
"In one night, one night, I lost all of them."
I adore Marisa de los Santos and her writing, though this wasn't my favorite of her books. Still, she's just so good at capturing the little moments in life: nailing down the feelings and emotions of her characters. Ginny, Avery, and others spring to life in this one. The story swings between past and present, with older excerpts often told from Ginny's diary entries. It takes a while to learn Ginny's big secret, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine: I'm not always a fan of dragging out a secret.
This is a poignant and sad read, delving into marriage, love, and parenthood. My favorite character was fifteen-year-old Avery, who is hit hard by the incident involving her father, Harris. In many ways, I was far more invested in Avery's growth than Ginny's--I liked Ginny, but I couldn't quite find myself fully wanting to root for her. Although the juxtaposition between young Zinny and present-day Ginny was quite well-done.
Did you stop being your old selves? Did they fall away? Were you always only the self you were in the present?
The book explores how one secret can so change a person and the ripple effect it has on many lives. Ms. de los Santos examines her characters very closely via her writing, and I will always love picking up her books and getting an intimate look at her cast of players. In the end, this is a touching and well-written novel, even if I couldn't always find myself fully engaged in Ginny's world. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.
I received a copy of this novel from William Morrow in return for an unbiased review.
You can support indie bookstores and buy a copy of this novel here.
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"In one night, one night, I lost all of them."
I adore Marisa de los Santos and her writing, though this wasn't my favorite of her books. Still, she's just so good at capturing the little moments in life: nailing down the feelings and emotions of her characters. Ginny, Avery, and others spring to life in this one. The story swings between past and present, with older excerpts often told from Ginny's diary entries. It takes a while to learn Ginny's big secret, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine: I'm not always a fan of dragging out a secret.
This is a poignant and sad read, delving into marriage, love, and parenthood. My favorite character was fifteen-year-old Avery, who is hit hard by the incident involving her father, Harris. In many ways, I was far more invested in Avery's growth than Ginny's--I liked Ginny, but I couldn't quite find myself fully wanting to root for her. Although the juxtaposition between young Zinny and present-day Ginny was quite well-done.
Did you stop being your old selves? Did they fall away? Were you always only the self you were in the present?
The book explores how one secret can so change a person and the ripple effect it has on many lives. Ms. de los Santos examines her characters very closely via her writing, and I will always love picking up her books and getting an intimate look at her cast of players. In the end, this is a touching and well-written novel, even if I couldn't always find myself fully engaged in Ginny's world. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.
I received a copy of this novel from William Morrow in return for an unbiased review.
You can support indie bookstores and buy a copy of this novel here.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ PaperBackSwap ~ Smashbomb
June 12, 2022
Every time. EVERY time. A new Marisa de los Santos novel is a balm.
May 5, 2020
Title: I'd Give Anything
Series: Love Walked In #4
Author: Marisa de los Santos
Release date: May 12, 2020
Cliffhanger: no
Genre: women's fiction
It's kind of shocking that I hadn't been introduced to this author until now. I had no idea what I was missing out on, but based on first impressions she just found herself a faithful follower. Marisa de los Santos is such a master at expressing emotion, setting the scene with lush descriptions, and telling a weighty story that stays with you. Even though the page count is just under three hundred pages, every theme was explored with precision. Grief, depression, the complicated relationship between mother and daughter, the burden of secrets on our lives, and healing fractured friendships were just a few of the things touched on.
The story centers around Ginny Beale, both in present time and in the past when she was in high school. Alternating between her teen years and the current mess of her life, we learn how she transformed so drastically from a vibrant, optimistic girl who reveled at new experiences to a woman satisfied with safe.
I’m not sure how anyone else sees me, but I know how I see myself: fiery and funny Zinny, a rare bird, a wildflower, a comet. I love my friends the way I do everything: entirely.
She no longer sought out adventure, she abandoned her creative passions, and settled for a life that brought her no joy. We know that there was some sort of tragic catalyst that flipped a switch with her. A betrayal from someone she loved made her retreat within herself and erect a barrier against those closest to her. In the present time, most people perceive her life as perfect. The truth is, that stable life she thought she was giving her daughter Avery is tumbling down around them like a flimsy house of cards.
Ginny had a very complex relationship with her mother. De Los Santos could have made her a caricature of an antagonist. Wicked, mean, and hateful to the bone with no shades of grey. That kind of character would be easy to despise, but the authenticity would suffer. Adela was a cold woman, not prone to display any affection towards her two children. She was selfish, and cared about appearances rather than what made her family happy. She could also be ruthless and liked to control every situation and person she interacted with. But there were moments when she allowed a glimpse of softness to peek through her armor. In those moments you wonder what could have been just as Ginny does.
Then there was the relationship between Ginny and her own daughter. When her marriage suddenly and dramatically implodes, her only concern is how it will impact Avery. Her marriage was a mistake from the very beginning, but the one thing they did right was her. As a mother you want to shield your child and protect them from hurt. She gave up a piece of herself when she chose Harris. "It seemed like a good idea at the time" couldn't be more appropriate in describing how that choice panned out.
That shining spirit that she had as a teen was suffocated and snuffed out by a series of events that she couldn't recover from. The past must be dredged up now in order to heal that long-standing wound. For the good of her family, and to finally right a wrong that had taken so much from her. It took a lot of courage for Ginny to finally face what she'd pushed down for so long.
Fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes weighs almost nothing, a tiny wedge of time I can pinch between my thumb and forefinger and scatter like ash. Fifteen minutes can only ruin everything if you let it.
I'll admit, I guessed very early in the book what the twist would be. And yes, the romance was minimal, but I never felt that the story lacked because of it. The focus was placed primarily on Ginny making her way back to her true self and putting the broken pieces of her friendships back together. I enjoyed every minute spent on this touching story. This is going on my favorites list for 2020!
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May 18, 2020
The author never fails to bring us an emotionally deep, insightful novel. Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me as well as some of her other books. While I enjoyed the novel, it covers a wide range of topics without really bringing closure to any of them. The plot moves at such a fast clip that any romance involved feels inauthentic. Because I was emotionally invested, the lack of closure was a struggle for me. But as always, the author gives us amazing insights into the human heart and weaves an almost lyrical story. The writing was fantastic, unfortunately the plot fell a little short for me. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.
May 14, 2020
I LOVE Marisa de los Santos, although I’ve only recently discovered her. So when I heard she was coming out with a new book I was so excited. Maybe it’s because I hyped it up so much before reading it, but unfortunately I was disappointed by this book. I thought this storyline was just ok. It’s probably a 3 star storyline, but in the hands of Marisa de los Santos I’ll be generous and say it’s a 4 star book. It definitely pales in comparison to the other books in the series. But honestly, it 100% should not be included as a part of this series, because it has absolutely nothing to do with the other books at all. While the other three books did take place years apart and could be read as standalones, they at least had very strong connections, the same characters, and overlapping storylines. So I thought that Cornelia and Teo and Clare and Dev and all my favorites might at least make an appearance, or take place in the same town, or some reference to their lives. Some kind of crossover. But no, nothing. When I first read the description I thought it might even be that this was the story of the Ginny who was Elizabeth’s babysitter in Belong to Me, which would still have been a very weak connection but a connection nonetheless, but the ages and last names don’t line up. So I’m very very confused why this is included as part of a series it has nothing whatsoever to do with.
Speaking of the description, DON’T READ IT, at least not in the middle of reading this book like I did. There’s a spoiler! I just don’t understand how a minor twist that’s not revealed until almost 75% in the book is revealed in the description. I hadn’t realized when I first read it months ago when I added the book to my TBR, and I didn’t reread it right before starting this book, but before I got to the point the spoiler is revealed, I reread the description, as I sometimes do, and the spoiler was spoiled. Not only that, but a lot of plot points that should only be discovered while reading are revealed right there in the description. Very little is left to the reader to discover by reading the book, they’d just need to read the description. I’d highly recommend the publishers change this somehow and make it less revealing.
I liked these characters, but again they are fairly generic when compared to Cornelia and Clare and Teo and Dev and even Piper and Edith from previous books. And I know I wouldn’t be comparing them so much if this hadn’t been wrongly included as part of the series, but even trying to separate myself from that and think of it as it’s own book, it’s not Marisa de los Santos’ best book. I was engaged in the plot and wanted to know what would happen and was surprised by several things, and I did root for the characters and enjoy reading about them. I really liked the friendship between Zinny and Gray and Kirsten and CJ back in the 90s and all the things that happened to them, and I was also so engaged in the train wreck that was Harris and everything that he did. I liked both the past and present storylines and the way that they connected. So there was lots that I enjoyed for sure. But something was still missing. The romance was extremely anticlimactic and sudden, especially coming from such well-crafted slow build romances in previous books. One day they were casual friends, the next day they were “one slender centimeter away from true love”, and that is not an exaggeration.
All that being said, I do LOVE Marisa de los Santos’ writing style. It’s probably my favorite writing style ever. There were moments where I was reading with this goofy grin on my face because the writing is so beautiful and it’s just so FUN to read. And I did enjoy reading this book, very very much. It just didn’t live up to my expectations.
Speaking of the description, DON’T READ IT, at least not in the middle of reading this book like I did. There’s a spoiler! I just don’t understand how a minor twist that’s not revealed until almost 75% in the book is revealed in the description. I hadn’t realized when I first read it months ago when I added the book to my TBR, and I didn’t reread it right before starting this book, but before I got to the point the spoiler is revealed, I reread the description, as I sometimes do, and the spoiler was spoiled. Not only that, but a lot of plot points that should only be discovered while reading are revealed right there in the description. Very little is left to the reader to discover by reading the book, they’d just need to read the description. I’d highly recommend the publishers change this somehow and make it less revealing.
I liked these characters, but again they are fairly generic when compared to Cornelia and Clare and Teo and Dev and even Piper and Edith from previous books. And I know I wouldn’t be comparing them so much if this hadn’t been wrongly included as part of the series, but even trying to separate myself from that and think of it as it’s own book, it’s not Marisa de los Santos’ best book. I was engaged in the plot and wanted to know what would happen and was surprised by several things, and I did root for the characters and enjoy reading about them. I really liked the friendship between Zinny and Gray and Kirsten and CJ back in the 90s and all the things that happened to them, and I was also so engaged in the train wreck that was Harris and everything that he did. I liked both the past and present storylines and the way that they connected. So there was lots that I enjoyed for sure. But something was still missing. The romance was extremely anticlimactic and sudden, especially coming from such well-crafted slow build romances in previous books. One day they were casual friends, the next day they were “one slender centimeter away from true love”, and that is not an exaggeration.
All that being said, I do LOVE Marisa de los Santos’ writing style. It’s probably my favorite writing style ever. There were moments where I was reading with this goofy grin on my face because the writing is so beautiful and it’s just so FUN to read. And I did enjoy reading this book, very very much. It just didn’t live up to my expectations.
May 28, 2021
“I closed my eyes for a few seconds and held out my arms, the cool air making all the hair on them rise. Standing there, I could feel not only the air, but also the stars in the sky, the entire Milky Way swirling on my skin and blazing down my spine and fizzing like champagne through my veins.”
I'd Give Anything is a heartfelt story focusing on the many layers of friendship, family and secrets while tackling some weighty issues. I enjoyed Marisa de los Santos’ insight into the human heart and the magical prose-like way she expressed it.
It begs the question of how much does your younger 18 year old self impact and shape your adulthood?
That being said, I wasn't as invested in the story as I would have liked and the reveal was a bit underwhelming. I would definitely read other books by this author.
I'd Give Anything is a heartfelt story focusing on the many layers of friendship, family and secrets while tackling some weighty issues. I enjoyed Marisa de los Santos’ insight into the human heart and the magical prose-like way she expressed it.
It begs the question of how much does your younger 18 year old self impact and shape your adulthood?
That being said, I wasn't as invested in the story as I would have liked and the reveal was a bit underwhelming. I would definitely read other books by this author.
June 10, 2020
This has been my fave by this author to date! It’s an interesting story with lots of twists and perfectly paced! I enjoyed the characters and laughed out loud a couple of times. There was also a reference to Charlottesville, VA, which made me bump it up a quarter of a point! 9.5/10.
June 2, 2020
I usually love Marisa de los Santos, but I just didn't love this book. I still would 100% recommend all her others, but this one fell a little flat for me. I've been dying to talk to someone else about it because I felt like this one just was too far reaching in terms of the plot and how juvenile some of the adults are. I'm also confused because the book is sold as being a part of the "Love Walked In" set, but I couldn't find the tie. I LOVE "Love Walked in", and so maybe I was disappointed too early on since the relationship with the previous stories wasn't clear. I think I also just didn't buy some of the main characters' choices and relationships because they're supposed to be my age...and I just can't handle story lines where high school experiences and effects are still the defining element of someone's life. It's not that I don't think high school effects us going forward, but what have the last twenty years been? It has to be more nuanced.
I don't know. Someone in my reading circle tell me what your thoughts are. Maybe I'm missing something???
Happy reading and happy truth telling--
ps. The best character in the book is the main character's daughter, Avery....though reading her name over and over again convinced me that I like other girls' names better for my future daughter. Always updating that baby name list...even when I'm currently pregnant with a boy. :)
I don't know. Someone in my reading circle tell me what your thoughts are. Maybe I'm missing something???
Happy reading and happy truth telling--
ps. The best character in the book is the main character's daughter, Avery....though reading her name over and over again convinced me that I like other girls' names better for my future daughter. Always updating that baby name list...even when I'm currently pregnant with a boy. :)
May 11, 2020
In classic de los Santos style, the author pulls no punches, isn't afraid to let her characters call each other out for their behavior. She shows that no matter how good (or bad) those characters might be, it's clear that none of them, and paralleling this--us, are all good or all bad, we are just a mixture of both good choices and bad choices and what we decide to do about those choices. I appreciated that the author didn't paint these characters into boxes, because that's just like real life, people are the sums of their past, their family, their friends, their present, and their hopes and dreams for the future. No one is beyond redemption, but a person has to choose that redemption and to do better in the future, and not everyone does.
I appreciated getting to know these characters, and on the surface they seem idealistic and naive, you have to look beyond that to get to the heart of the story. I'm a huge fan of this author and will definitely continue to read her books in the future.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I appreciated getting to know these characters, and on the surface they seem idealistic and naive, you have to look beyond that to get to the heart of the story. I'm a huge fan of this author and will definitely continue to read her books in the future.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
June 9, 2020
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
I'll be honest, I don't think this book is for me.
A lady's husband has a...thing with a much younger woman. The woman doesn't seem all that fazed by it, except how it will affect their daughter. She goes to her mother, a former political advisor/publicity agent for help.
Then this other secret starts to surface, and my eyes started to glaze over.
I'll be honest, I don't think this book is for me.
A lady's husband has a...thing with a much younger woman. The woman doesn't seem all that fazed by it, except how it will affect their daughter. She goes to her mother, a former political advisor/publicity agent for help.
Then this other secret starts to surface, and my eyes started to glaze over.
August 6, 2020
This is quite the young adult story. It's a story about Zinny, now a woman with a dream life, and has a complicated backstory. Zinny is her name from her youth and the story is intertwining between present and past.
The story starts when one morning a man tells her that her husband had just been fired. It is weird because he's the most dependable and bidding man. But we find out that it seems that her husband was obsessed over a teenager that interned in his company and got fired. This is a big driver figuring out the truth.
Ginny is a married women a mother to Avery who is 16. She's married to a boring guy named Harris and it's completely changed from the time that she herself was young woman. The story tells also her her past story with her group of friends which him she's not talking to anymore and her brother who's also detached from her for the most part.
The reader learns what happened to the friends and their relationship and why Ginny is so overprotective of her daughter and even why she married this boring men which she never loved.
There are too many coincidences in this story, and especially things that the investigation did not find in the past are found very easily by the group of friends. There is too much of a good ending.
It is written pretty well but with all of those coincidences it can get more than three stars.
The story starts when one morning a man tells her that her husband had just been fired. It is weird because he's the most dependable and bidding man. But we find out that it seems that her husband was obsessed over a teenager that interned in his company and got fired. This is a big driver figuring out the truth.
Ginny is a married women a mother to Avery who is 16. She's married to a boring guy named Harris and it's completely changed from the time that she herself was young woman. The story tells also her her past story with her group of friends which him she's not talking to anymore and her brother who's also detached from her for the most part.
The reader learns what happened to the friends and their relationship and why Ginny is so overprotective of her daughter and even why she married this boring men which she never loved.
There are too many coincidences in this story, and especially things that the investigation did not find in the past are found very easily by the group of friends. There is too much of a good ending.
It is written pretty well but with all of those coincidences it can get more than three stars.
July 23, 2020
I kept picturing the women of Gilmore Girls in this story!
April 24, 2020
I’d Give Anything is a captivating, touching novel about friendships, truths, and forgiveness. Ginny’s life has been shaped by events that happened when she was a teenager, events that splintered friendships as well as Ginny’s heart. When scandal shakes up Ginny’s family, she must confront the past, and rediscover who she was twenty years earlier. The relationships in this book all felt so real—the love, the disappointments, the friendships, and the pain. I was completely invested in the lives of these characters, hoping for reconciliation, healing and love for them all.
May 21, 2023
It took me a while to get into this story. I kept re-reading the first several pages over and over as if I had been daydreaming and just couldn’t find my vision correctly. And then I finally moved on and found my way.
The basic story starts with 18-year-old Ginny with a brother she adores and a circle of friends whom she would do anything for until one terrible night she loses them all to a school gym fire set by someone. The town believes Daniel was responsible for the fire, but Ginny makes a shattering discovery that casts blame on the person she trusts most in the world. Over the next two decades Ginny puts aside her wanderlust and her dreams. We watch as her life seems to pass by until old lies and hard truths and good friends help her to regain herself.
Some of the book is written in journal passages from the past which at times helped give better insights into the various characters and how they all fit in with what actually happened to form Ginny’s present character. The story did a good job of pulling readers in. I’d Give Anything is ultimately a story of facing one’s past in order to face one’s future. As readers we will experience twists that bring old friends back together and tear others a part. In this way, it becomes a story worth reading, even if it started slowly, and I wasn’t sure whether I would continue or not. P.S. - I actually started reading this several days earlier than when I originally posted this as currently-reading. I'm still working my way through how best to utilize all the tools on Goodreads. 3.5 stars.
The basic story starts with 18-year-old Ginny with a brother she adores and a circle of friends whom she would do anything for until one terrible night she loses them all to a school gym fire set by someone. The town believes Daniel was responsible for the fire, but Ginny makes a shattering discovery that casts blame on the person she trusts most in the world. Over the next two decades Ginny puts aside her wanderlust and her dreams. We watch as her life seems to pass by until old lies and hard truths and good friends help her to regain herself.
Some of the book is written in journal passages from the past which at times helped give better insights into the various characters and how they all fit in with what actually happened to form Ginny’s present character. The story did a good job of pulling readers in. I’d Give Anything is ultimately a story of facing one’s past in order to face one’s future. As readers we will experience twists that bring old friends back together and tear others a part. In this way, it becomes a story worth reading, even if it started slowly, and I wasn’t sure whether I would continue or not. P.S. - I actually started reading this several days earlier than when I originally posted this as currently-reading. I'm still working my way through how best to utilize all the tools on Goodreads. 3.5 stars.
May 18, 2020
I’d Give Anything is a contemporary stand alone novel from Marisa de los Santos, best known for her ‘Love Walked In’ series.
“...sometimes families and worlds, no matter how careful everyone is, no matter how much love, fall apart and there’s not a thing you...can do to stop it.”
As a teenager Ginny Beale imagined that her future would be extraordinary, buoyed by her ‘forever’ friends, Kirsten, C.J., and Gray, she would take risks, have wild adventures, and create art to gift to the world, until tragedy left her dreams in ashes. Two decades later her staid life as a suburban wife and mother falls apart when her husband, Harris, is fired amid a scandal involving a young woman barely older than their daughter, and just days later her terminally ill mother suicides. Forced to reimagine her future in the midst of this upheaval, Ginny is offered a way to reconnect with the girl she once was, and perhaps reclaim all that she lost.
I’d Give Anything is told through diary entries, and the perspectives of Ginny and her fifteen year old daughter, Avery. This is a story that focuses on relationships - those between parent and child, siblings, between lovers, and friends - and explores the limits of their resilience. It features themes of loss, regret, forgiveness, redemption and the courage it takes to be honest with the ones we love.
Santos infuses her main characters with nuance, truth and emotion, and while in frame her minor characters such as Ginny’s mother, Adel, and Gray receive the same treatment.
However I thought the story was a bit messy in places. I felt that the central plot involving the fire that separated teenage Ginny from her brother and friends was well handled, but that ultimately Harris was superfluous in Ginny’s story, and I think this creates flaws in both character and plot which affected my engagement.
In the end my feelings about I’d Give Anything are mixed, which is a shame as I have really enjoyed several of her previous novels which I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.
“...sometimes families and worlds, no matter how careful everyone is, no matter how much love, fall apart and there’s not a thing you...can do to stop it.”
As a teenager Ginny Beale imagined that her future would be extraordinary, buoyed by her ‘forever’ friends, Kirsten, C.J., and Gray, she would take risks, have wild adventures, and create art to gift to the world, until tragedy left her dreams in ashes. Two decades later her staid life as a suburban wife and mother falls apart when her husband, Harris, is fired amid a scandal involving a young woman barely older than their daughter, and just days later her terminally ill mother suicides. Forced to reimagine her future in the midst of this upheaval, Ginny is offered a way to reconnect with the girl she once was, and perhaps reclaim all that she lost.
I’d Give Anything is told through diary entries, and the perspectives of Ginny and her fifteen year old daughter, Avery. This is a story that focuses on relationships - those between parent and child, siblings, between lovers, and friends - and explores the limits of their resilience. It features themes of loss, regret, forgiveness, redemption and the courage it takes to be honest with the ones we love.
Santos infuses her main characters with nuance, truth and emotion, and while in frame her minor characters such as Ginny’s mother, Adel, and Gray receive the same treatment.
However I thought the story was a bit messy in places. I felt that the central plot involving the fire that separated teenage Ginny from her brother and friends was well handled, but that ultimately Harris was superfluous in Ginny’s story, and I think this creates flaws in both character and plot which affected my engagement.
In the end my feelings about I’d Give Anything are mixed, which is a shame as I have really enjoyed several of her previous novels which I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.
April 21, 2020
This is my first novel by Marisa de los Santos. I was not aware but apparently this book is one of a series. I found it is easily a stand-alone novel.
The first half moved slowly for me just like other novels where the author sets the characters and story line. The second half was better paced and I liked that it's told from different perspectives. Ginny is the protagonist who, along with her three best friends in high school, experience a tragic incident that changes their lives. Since the emotional results were not resolved in her teen-age years, Ginny carries them into adult life. The time element switches between Ginny's teen-age years and the present time when she is married and has a teen-age daughter.
There were so many things in this novel that go against my beliefs as a Christian and were written into the story line as acceptable ways to behave or live your life. Since I don't live under a rock, I am well aware these things exist in life but that doesn't make me happy to read about them. Of course, there is no way to know what all is in a novel when I start reading so I try to understand and tolerate.
Thanks to the publisher, William Morrow, via LibraryThing, for an Advance Reader's Edition, in exchange for my honest review.
The first half moved slowly for me just like other novels where the author sets the characters and story line. The second half was better paced and I liked that it's told from different perspectives. Ginny is the protagonist who, along with her three best friends in high school, experience a tragic incident that changes their lives. Since the emotional results were not resolved in her teen-age years, Ginny carries them into adult life. The time element switches between Ginny's teen-age years and the present time when she is married and has a teen-age daughter.
There were so many things in this novel that go against my beliefs as a Christian and were written into the story line as acceptable ways to behave or live your life. Since I don't live under a rock, I am well aware these things exist in life but that doesn't make me happy to read about them. Of course, there is no way to know what all is in a novel when I start reading so I try to understand and tolerate.
Thanks to the publisher, William Morrow, via LibraryThing, for an Advance Reader's Edition, in exchange for my honest review.
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February 4, 2020Marisa de los Santos doesn't disappoint with another novel about relationships. This is the story of four high school friends and the night that changed them all forever. And it's the story of a fifteen year old daughter who helps bring them together twenty year later so the truth can finally come to light.
May 24, 2020
I know I’m going to love it. I love everything Marisa de los Santos writes. So excited to have a new novel of hers to look forward to!
*** I was right. I loved it, like I love every one of her books. My only criticism is that it wasn’t long enough. I wanted more!
*** I was right. I loved it, like I love every one of her books. My only criticism is that it wasn’t long enough. I wanted more!
July 13, 2020
Too much melodrama for me. It felt like it was written for high school girls.
May 15, 2020
I am in love with this book! It’s beautiful written, profound, and heartbreaking. It has to be one of my favorite books this year. I’m giving it 5 stars for the emotional aspect and the beautiful prose. I will be thinking about this story for a long time.
July 20, 2020
I love her lyrical writing and how she can make everything sound like pure magic, the strength and depth of the friendships and relationships, the funny names and the sly humor along with the seriousness, and the reminders of how quickly everything can shift and change in life, just one moment to the next and it’s a different world with a different truth. This book was lovely and I devoured it.
March 20, 2020
This was a very intellectually deep and insightful look into a tragic event that changed many lives. I absolutely fell in love with the characters. If you have ever done self reflection and asked yourself “what if” you’ll enjoy this read.
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