Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Love Walked In
Book Review: Beautiful words, needs deeper characters
Summary: 3 Stars
I read this book and discussed it with a book club. It sparked a lively discussion, but we agreed that most of the characters were a little flat. The only one that any of us identified with was the little girl Clare. Cornelia, the main character, seemed to reflect the author's inability to get out of her head and into the story. We were pulled out of the story and into exposition at key moments (e.g., right before a first kiss), rather than being able to experience them along with the character.
In addition, the message of this book, being transformed by love, was weakened by contrived plot points (e.g., a sudden and convenient death). Several of the key events required a leap of faith to believe, mostly related to odd or sudden decisions of a character. Big things, like falling in love with a family friend, ditching your child on the side of the road, deciding to get divorced, moving, etc. are decided spur of the moment and with very little build-up. It would be one thing if it were limited to one or two spontaneous characters, but it happens randomly across the board. Again, this is related to poor character and plot development.
That being said, the author's beautiful use of language, touching insights, and compelling citations of classic books and movies made this an enjoyable read. I found several gems of wisdom and poetry scattered throughout (although it was inconsistent whose mouth it was coming from). I was not surprised at all to learn the the author is a poet. She has a lot to say but needs work writing in the novel format.
Book Review: Beautifully Written and Heartbreaking
Summary: 4 Stars
Cornelia Brown's life changes forever when a handsome stranger walks through the door of the coffee shop where she works. Sounds corny right? Not in the least! Cornelia notices the man's resemblance to Cary Grant right away and puts to use all the fantastic flirting skills she's learned from years of obsessing over old movies. Martin seems to be into her too and their relationship affects Cornelia in ways she never expected. Clare is a going-on-eleven year-old girl who lives with her single mom in an affluent area outside of Philadelphia. Her father doesn't have much interest in her, but her mother's love more than makes up for her father's lack of love. When Clare's mother begins to act strangely, Clare is scared. She reaches out to her father and he dismisses her concerns. Clare is a resourceful and mature child so she copes the best she can. When Clare and Cornelia's lives intersect, they form an instant bond. With help from her brother-in-law Teo and her loud, but loving, family, Cornelia helps Clare cope with the changes life has thrown at her. This is an incredibly moving story about different types of love and the way love can help heal the most broken heart. The prose is beautifully written by first-time author, Marisa del los Santos and there are many amusing references to old movies and classic children's books, both of which I love. The plot kept me turning pages way too late into the night and there were twists I never saw coming. The story does not end the way I expected it to or really wanted it to but the ending is right for the characters. It's perfect the way it is and leaves room for a sequel but also closes the story if there's not a sequel. Some of the events are too contrived but I was too caught up in the story of heartbreak and love to be really annoyed. The character development is mostly good, but there are awkward insightful moments that come when a story is told in first person. Clare's story is the stronger of the two. My heart goes out to her and I admire her maturity. Cornelia comes across as a little ditzy and annoying at first but I can relate to her issues about growing up and dealing with real life. I also love many of the same movies she does and can easily understand her obsession with them! Though this is different from my usual type of novel, I loved it. This is a great book for older teens and adults who want a heartwarming story that will make you cry and smile.Book Review: Beautifully written
Summary: 4 Stars
This is book that deserves to be read if for no other reason than the reading of it. The prose is beautifully constructed and the author's poetic roots are evident. The book does have a few problems that mar the beauty of the writing.
As stated in earlier reviews, the chapters alternate between Cornelia's first person narrative and Clare's third person accounts. Cornelia is an odd bird and I had trouble buying into her character. I can see Sarah Jessica Parker playing her in the self-absorbed, coolly detached, uber-urbanite way she plays all her characters and it will serve Cornelia's character well. (I'm not a SJP fan.) Clare's character is a beautifully written and realized but wholly unbelievable 11 year old girl. She is simply too precocious to be believed but she must act and think in this way to further the story. A 16 year old girl, an age that Clare's thoughts and actions could justify, wouldn't need Cornelia or react to her Viviana's illness in the way that the author needed to carry her story. The author had quite a problem - she needed a maturing female voice to carry the book but she also needed the presence of girl who was still a child. Unfortunately you can't have it both ways and the story loses a sense of authenticity because of how Clare's character was written. I did enjoy Clare's voice and character but I did so from an adult perspective - she was unconvincing as a child.
The book has a few surprises and a few plot twists that the reader didn't anticipate which will hold a reader's interest. The biggest problem with the book that its basic premise is very hard to believe. I didn't know that severe mental illness could come on so quickly and with such force and then be resolved so quickly, even with the help of good meds. As a mother I have a hard time buying into the relationship between Clare and Viviana and the relatively easy transition Viviana has back into her child's trust. All that being said, it is worth the time to read this book. This book deserves three stars for characterization and plot and 5 stars for beauty of prose so we will compromise with the four rated here.
Book Review: Beautifully written
Summary: 4 Stars
The first few chapters of this book were a little slow for me but I was quickly drawn into the characters. The author has a stunning way with wordplay. It is almost breathtaking and I was captivated with her writing. This is an excellent read and I'm looking forward to her second novel "Belong To Me" which takes off where this one ended. This author has the key to writing characters that you can empathize with even through their inadequacies.Book Review: Beautifully written, too many coincidences
Summary: 3 Stars
I read this for our library book discussion group, which is usually all women--except me. I guess this is why I like poetry and avoid "chick lit," all wrapped up into one book. The language is wonderful, clearly from a poetic mind, with a poet's eye for the world and details.
On the other hand, everyone in the book is beautiful or handsome, Cornelia's two men both apparently stunning head-turners. Events turn out just as Cornelia would have them, despite her sorrow at the end, she's going to have everything just as she'd want it. The right two people die at the right times (one expected, one not), the right person leaves at just the right time, and so on and on.
I found myself enjoying the two voices, Clare (3rd person) and Cornelia (1st person), but rolling my cynical eyes at the coincidences and inevitable handsomeness/beauty of the people in the book.