Book Review & Giveaway: Falling Together
Falling Together
Published By: William Morrow
Publication Date: October 2, 2012 (Paperback Edition)
Page Count: 384
Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound
Source: Kindly Provided by the Publisher for TLC Book Tours
Audience: Adult - Contemporary
It's nice to take a break from YA fiction from time to time to dive into an adult novel. I have never read any of Marisa de los Santos' previous work, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was intrigued that this one focused on former college friends who had gone their separate ways as adults. It made me reflect on my own college experience and friendships. Sadly, life has gotten in the way and I am not as close to the people from those days as I would like to be. In the moment, you think your friends will always be the ones you're the closest to - and for some people that may be true - but it didn't exactly work out that way for me. I am intrigued to read about how the earlier phases of our lives play out when we cross the threshold into adulthood.
This novel revolves around Pen, Cat, and Will and spans two phases of their lives: the college years and the adult years. The trio is inseparable as they work their way through school, but once they leave the hallowed halls of higher education, things start to fall apart. When the novel begins, the friends haven't spoken in several years. They have missed so many things - including births, breakups, and deaths. It was sad for me to know how close these characters once were and to consider how many moments they had missed out on. I couldn't wait to dive deeper into this novel to understand these people more and to figure out why their relationships fell apart. As always, I'm a romantic at heart, and I wanted the friendship to be mended. You'll have to read this one for yourself to see if I got my wish.
I was very impressed by these characters - flaws and all. They seemed very real to me and I couldn't walk away from their story. I was compelled to keep reading late into the night in spite of a full day of teaching looming on the horizon. I enjoyed that the book bounced between time periods and character perspectives. It helped me to understand the full picture and allowed me to piece together things in sections. However, I do think it is important to note that some readers may find this frustrating.
In addition to the characterization, I was enthralled by Santos' writing style. She has a beautiful prose that creates vivid images. I love authors that can transport me from the stress of daily life into a story. It was nice to focus on the troubles of Pen, Will, and Cat rather than think of the million items sitting on my own to do list. This was just the sort of escape I needed this week. I am eager to experience more of Santos work.
One Last Gripe: I found myself frustrated with Pen at times. She is such a smart woman, but she makes some of the dumbest decisions at times.
My Favorite Thing About This Book: I loved that the central focus was on friendship. Books revolving around this topic - especially ones that span time periods - are often some of my favorite reads.
First Sentence: Pen would not use the word summoned when she told Jamie about the e-mail later that night.
Favorite Character: Pen (even though she frustrated me - I still connected with her more than the others)
Least Favorite Character: Patrick
From their first day of college orientation, Pen, Cat and Will seemed born to be close friends. Eventually though, Cat's decision to marry an unpleasant mate had loosened their magical bond and without its center, the group had drifted away from each other. Now, six years later, when Cat emails her former cronies, asking them to join her at their college reunion, they cannot resist. Whatever nostalgic dreams the pair nurtured, however, dissolve when they are forced to confront a dangerous situation in which everything they believed about themselves and each other is brought into question. With its vividly drawn characters; plausible plot developments, another triumph for the author of Belong to Me.
About the Author:
Marisa de los Santos is a New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning poet with a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing. She lives in Delaware with her husband, David Teague, and their son and daughter.
Tuesday, October 2nd: Reflections of a Bookaholic
Wednesday, October 3rd: Reading Lark
Thursday, October 4th: girilichef
Friday, October 5th: The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader
Monday, October 8th: A Reader of Fictions
Tuesday, October 9th: A Patchwork of Books
Wednesday, October 10th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Thursday, October 11th: The Feminist Texican [Reads]
Friday, October 12th: Book Spark
Monday, October 15th: Books and Movies
Tuesday, October 16th: Kritters Ramblings
Thursday, October 18th: Between the Covers
Friday, October 19th: Book Journey
Monday, October 22nd: Silver & Grace
Tuesday, October 23rd: Raging Bibliomania
Wednesday, October 24th: Book Hooked Blog
Thursday, October 25th: My Bookshelf
Friday, October 26th: Iwriteinbooks’s blog
Monday, October 29th: Lit and Life
Tuesday, October 30th: The Book Bag
I have an extra copy of this book so I'm going to offer it up to our readers. You can snag the shiny new paperback for your very own. You must be 18+ years old to win and a resident of the United States or Canada. To enter, please fill out the rafflecopter form. Entries will be accepted from October 3-10. The winner will be notified via email on October 11.
I have read Love Walked In, cried through nearly the entire thing, and want to read more from Marisa. I love the way she writes!
ReplyDeleteI actually read this when it came out in hardcover. It's an amazing book. :D
ReplyDeleteI have never read any of Marisa de Los Santos books before but I love to read about friendships. I have never read a book a about someone in the Phillipines before either.
ReplyDeleteCarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
I'd love to win because it sounds like an interesting story! I think many of us grow out of our friendships after a certain point. I feel I could relate.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how some friendships stand the test of time, others drift apart and still others come and go like the seasons. Relationships are always dynamic.
ReplyDeleteit sounds like a really interesting story! thanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see that you enjoyed this one and that it gave you the kind of escape you were looking for.
ReplyDeleteThank for being on the tour!
This sounds like a story I would enjoy. And I don't mind the alternating points of view and moving around in time.
ReplyDeleteFollowing the TLC tour :) It took me almost a week to read this book because I was reading each page slowly and savoring all the beautiful imagery and elaborate descriptions it provided. I'm so glad you enjoyed Falling Together too!
ReplyDeleteAna @ BookSpark