The Precious One: A Novel

I had read two earlier books by Marisa de los Santos, and when a friend recommended this one I was happy to revisit her work.This book has a lot to recommend it, especially in the first half. The mystery of who the characters really are and why they behave as they do was well presented and engrossing. However, as the book progressed, I found myself becoming more skeptical about the motivations of the male characters, particularly. Ultimately, the father became too cardboard-like for me to find him believable. The relationship with Caro was likewise opaque, I felt, and the central romance felt a bit glib.I guess I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I gave it 4 stars because I thought the first half was quite well written. Ultimately I came away a bit disappointed.

I have to say that I ended up LOVING this book, but I only gave it 4 stars because it took a while for it to capture me. It started out a little on the slow side and really didn’t draw me in until about a third of the way through the book, but after that point I couldn’t even put it down. I absolutely loved those characters - especially Taisy, Ben, Marcus, and Luka.Taisy is estranged from her father and so when he calls her out of the blue and asks to see her, it surprises and intrigues her. She is drawn back to the town where she grew up and with her physical return, all of the memories and emotions also return. She finds herself reflecting on her past and consequently begins to question the childhood of her estranged father. Although her father has asked her to write his life story, he only meant his life starting in graduate school. Taisy finds she cannot write the story her father wants, instead she decides to seek her own answers.Willow is Taisy’s half sister and the beloved of their father. She is his precious one. She has grown up sheltered and adored, but when her father’s health takes a sharp downturn, she is sent to public school for the first time in her life. She experiences the mean things and awful things of high school and finds solace in the company of one of her teachers. She is so naive and so inexperienced and feels so adored by her male teacher that she starts spiraling down a path that cannot lead anywhere good.Taisy and Willow find themselves bound to each other in a tangle of emotions and experiences and slowly form a bond of friendship and sisterhood. I grew to love them each throughout the book. I never grew to have in inkling of like or admiration for their father though.This book takes readers on a journey of friendship, first loves, and Mainly second chances. If you get a second chance at love and life and friendship, do you take it?

I have loved every work I've read by Santos. I really enjoyed this one as well. She has such a beautiful lyrical way of writing that is unparalleled. The only critique I have is the same one as others, the whole Wilson character. His pathology and just all out oddness is not adequately justified or explained. I find him wholly unsympathetic which is unusual for me. I just couldn't believe anything about him he was so profoundly unlikable in any way. But the stories of Willow, Taisy and Cato etc were engrossing and well done except for perhaps the dynamic between Mr Insley and Willow. I mean perhaps in the 1950s but in the current day and age this all to common scenario was unfortunately described somewhat implausible.

This gifted author has insight to personalities and relationships. I appreciate the way she ignores the instruction of many writing "experts" of late who suggest few adjectives and adverbs so the story can blitz along. There were only a couple of times that the flowery language bogged me down, just a tiny bit. Mostly, I enjoyed walking through the flowers to enjoy this well-written story.When I was barely into the story, I realized that it may be written primarily for YA, but there was a good portion of profanity. Do YA authors use profanity? I'm not sure.I appreciated how the predictable was woven intricately with the unexpected twists. I especially appreciated the way Marisa de los Santos portrayed the vulnerability of a sheltered, innocent, naive young woman and a scary predator. Well done!

I LOVE THIS BOOK !!! In fact, I love all of this authors books ! The characters in "The Precious One" are wonderfully developed, so believable that you can imagine them stepping off of the page & sitting down beside you. The dynamics of the Cleary family relationships are fascinating. The plot is equally as good, filled with details and twists that made it impossible to put the book aside for very long. I could not wait to finish it but then I hated that the story came to an end. I can't wait until Mrs. de los Santos writes her next book !

While I feel like the story took some time to really get going --like maybe the first few chapters could have been condensed or eliminated, once the ball got rolling it was tough to put down.The family dynamic and all that goes with it was marvelously on point. Perhaps we all think our family is exceptionally discombobulated, but the truth is most families are in one way or another and the secrets and feelings we hide determine whether a family combusts or grows stronger.Really enjoyed the characters developed here--not typical which I find refreshing.

If there was a rating higher than five stars, I would have chosen it. This book is a must read for anyone who cares about relationships. It is gorgeously written, and so deeply sincere. Her characters are real and relevant and believable, her writing has a sort of poetry to it. Truly, a master writer. I felt fortunate to get to read her work.