Book Review: Emily Giffin's Where We Belong

I have a love/hate relationship with nearly every Emily Giffin novel. Partially because her characters really come to life for you within her book (making it easy for you to either really really like them or not...) and partially because she seems to really dwell on the subjects of infidelity and lying, neither which are my cup of tea. That being said though, no matter the content I just can't seem to put her books down! And Where We Belong is no exception. Best book to date by this author who brings to life the real drama of awkward situations.

Marian and Kirby meet face to face for the first time after 18 years, unraveling an adoption story and an entire web of secrets. This novel trends back and forth between the two and their stories, and as only Emily Giffin does so well, everything comes full circle with a few surprising twists along the way.

I really enjoyed this book, and read through it in only a few short days. It was the type of story that made me sad to put away, because you feel like you actually get to know and like the characters. As with most of her books, they bring a wave of nostalgia as I read her scenes depicting Manhattan (my stomping grounds for a couple years post-college).

I'm giving this book a five star rating because of how readable it is. I enjoyed it and I couldn't put it down. That being said, I can see this book not sitting well with two very distinct groups of people: those who are in Marian's shoes and have given a baby up for adoption, and those who are in Kirby's shoes, desperately in search of some sort of belonging because they were adopted. While the story is really nice, I imagine that compared to a lot of the true adoption/birth family stories that it's a lot of fluff. Unfortunately.

I do appreciate that Giffin painted a portrait of pro-life in this novel. I really hope that she has another book that continues with these characters. I'm dying to know what happens with Marian, Conrad, and Kirby! You hear that Emily Giffin? There had better be a sequel!

Check out Emily Giffin on Facebook.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Funny & Creative Elf on the Shelf Ideas

Image
Wow! In the last year the Elf on the Shelf's popularity has sky-rocketed across the US. Santa is sending out elves left and right to keep an eye after all the little boys and girls and make sure they are good this holiday season.

We were so pleased to give away an Elf on the Shelf to a lucky Holly at Nap Time reader earlier this holiday season. I really wish that I had 400+ elves to give away to all those who entered, but if you don't already have an elf, I can assure you that the $30 is a great investment. To learn more about Elf on the Shelf, click here.

My daughter is only two years old, and this is our first year with our Elf, Sam, so his hiding spots and antics are pretty obvious and don't really tell much of a story. My friends with older kids, however, are getting pretty creative, and moms all over are sharing their ideas on Pinterest, which begs the question: Is Elf on the Shelf more fun for children or parents?

I'll leave that up for you to decide. Some of t…
Read more

Hey, Nick Jr. - Where's The Fresh Beat Band Merchandise?

Image
ADDITION 1/13/12 - I found a similar jacket to the ones everyone has been purchasing from KMart (that are currently sold out online) from Amazon.com. It's a little pricier at $64, but I'm guessing it's also of a higher quality as it's actually meant for outerwear. Click the picture below for more information. Available in GIRLS sizes 4, 5/6 and 6X.

Another option for a baseline rock star jacket has been spotted at CWDkids.com. This jacket is currently on sale for $39 (regular $64) and is ONLY available in Size 4, so if you want one you'd better hurry! Click here for more information.

The jacket that has been selling at KMart (click here for details) is temporarily unavailable online, but you may be able to find it in your local store. I'll post as soon as I see it up again.

There is a comment to this post about a person who is making the jackets for the hefty price of $80 also. Too much for my tastes, but if you have the money, go for it!

ADDITION 12/21/2011…
Read more

Grace and God Winks

Image
Life these days moves pretty quickly. For those who aren't looking for Him, it might seem like God isn't around anymore. It's hard to see Him in the troubles that this life brings. But He remains. He is always listening, and He is always interjecting in our lives in ways that sometimes we understand and sometimes we don't. But He is there. Seek Him. 
A "God-wink" is an instance in which God had his loving hand in a moment that is so obvious that it takes our breath away. That's my definition, anyways. If you're paying close attention, you will notice these God-winks in your life. Here's one of mine. 
The day that I found out that I was pregnant with my third child was not a good day. We had been traveling in Michigan for an entire week and on top of trying to divide our time amongst both sides of the family, and traveling with two toddlers who didn't like sleeping away from home, I was having these very strange hot flashes and moments of dizzine…
Read more