03/02/2020
De los Santos’s heartfelt latest (after I'll Be Your Blue Sky) illustrates how tragedy can be overcome by love, honesty, and forgiveness. In 1997, the bonds of teenage Virginia “Zinny” Beale’s friend group are tested after the death of Zinny’s boyfriend Gray’s father, a firefighter who died putting out a fire. Soon after, Zinny overhears a fight between her mother, Adela, and Zinny’s beloved older brother, Trevor. Trevor loathes Adela, a wealthy, steely matron, and after his fights with Adela persist, he leaves for college and never returns. The tension at home causes Zinny to withdraw from her friends, including Gray. Twenty years later, Zinny is Ginny Beale McCue, married to the bland, dependable Harris. After Harris loses his job due to a scandal resulting from affectionate emails he sent to an 18-year-old intern, Ginny turns her attention to their precocious 15-year-old daughter, Avery. As Avery investigates her father’s behaviors, Ginny looks back on her regrets about losing cherished teenaged friendships and her decision to settle with Harris. Thoughtful musings, engaging dialogue, and ironic wit (“it has adult bone structure,” Harris says, defensively describing his intern’s face) add to the drama. De los Santos’s seemingly light tale is full of surprises. (May)Correction: An earlier version of this review listed the incorrect title for the author's previous book.
Written in gorgeous prose, I'd Give Anything is a novel about the mistakes we make, and how we can confront them and move forward.” — Popsugar
"With Marisa de los Santos’ beautiful descriptions of the settings and her vivid characters who, you’ll feel, are just like your friends growing up, I’d Give Anything is a piece of art. . . . This book is a wonderful read that will have you falling in love with its characters.” — Manhattan Book Review
“De los Santos’s heartfelt latest illustrates how tragedy can be overcome by love, honesty, and forgiveness. . . . Thoughtful musings, engaging dialogue, and ironic wit . . . add to the drama.” — Publishers Weekly
“As fans know, de los Santos uses exquisitely luxurious, poetic writing to tell her characters’ stories. She knows exactly where she’s going and how and when to get there. The rhythm of the prose will more than please those who love the thoughtful, precise language of Anne Tyler and Joshilyn Jackson.” — Booklist
"There’s nothing that Marisa de los Santos writes that I won’t read. Her writing is warm and accessible, like open arms welcoming us into the story. . . . In true Marisa de los Santos fashion, she weaves a compelling, wisely plotted story with characters you want to hang out with and have as friends. She addresses weighty issues with beautiful prose." — Bookreporter.com
"Smart prose and sharply drawn characters set this domestic drama apart." — Library Journal
"An engaging story about regrets and second chances." — People
“With her signature warmth and wisdom, [de los Santos] explores the ripple effects of that night on Ginny's life. . . . This story, in true de los Santos fashion, is full of hope and people who are willing to try.” — Shelf Awareness
"A luminous exploration of wanderlust, friendship, and fire." — Entertainment Weekly
Written in gorgeous prose, I'd Give Anything is a novel about the mistakes we make, and how we can confront them and move forward.
"An engaging story about regrets and second chances."
As fans know, de los Santos uses exquisitely luxurious, poetic writing to tell her characters’ stories. She knows exactly where she’s going and how and when to get there. The rhythm of the prose will more than please those who love the thoughtful, precise language of Anne Tyler and Joshilyn Jackson.
"A luminous exploration of wanderlust, friendship, and fire."
With her signature warmth and wisdom, [de los Santos] explores the ripple effects of that night on Ginny's life. . . . This story, in true de los Santos fashion, is full of hope and people who are willing to try.
"With Marisa de los Santos’ beautiful descriptions of the settings and her vivid characters who, you’ll feel, are just like your friends growing up, I’d Give Anything is a piece of art. . . . This book is a wonderful read that will have you falling in love with its characters.
"There’s nothing that Marisa de los Santos writes that I won’t read. Her writing is warm and accessible, like open arms welcoming us into the story. . . . In true Marisa de los Santos fashion, she weaves a compelling, wisely plotted story with characters you want to hang out with and have as friends. She addresses weighty issues with beautiful prose."
As fans know, de los Santos uses exquisitely luxurious, poetic writing to tell her characters’ stories. She knows exactly where she’s going and how and when to get there. The rhythm of the prose will more than please those who love the thoughtful, precise language of Anne Tyler and Joshilyn Jackson.