Give It Back by Danielle Esplin

Give It Back                               ****
By Danielle Esplin

I liked the cover, even though I couldn't decide if it was:

A) Mysterious

B) Serene

C) Thoughtful and searching

D) Letting memories fill you

E) All of the above

What to say? First impression : I found “Give It Back” a very interesting book to read. The story is told from the point of view of 3 main characters: Lorraine, Lexy and Ella.

*from the book description*

Lorraine: Not long ago, Lorraine lost her husband to another woman. She thought that was the worst thing that could happen to her, but soon she realizes it's just the beginning of an everlasting nightmare.

Lexy: Lexy, an au pair from London, moves to Seattle to help Lorraine with her infant son. But she didn't come for the child … she came for something else.

Ella: [my own description] Ella comes to Seattle after receiving a call from her sister, Lorraine, who was diagnosed with cancer 8 months ago. When Ella arrives in Seattle, she discovers her sister's cancer has progressed much faster than she could have imagined. Ella arrives just as Lorraine's 16 year old son and the au pair, Lexy, have disappeared. Ella is thrown into the tangled web of lies, deception, love, hurt and mystery that involves her sister, her sister's ex-husband and his new wife (the mistress), and the au pair, who has her own hidden agenda.

The story gets to be a bit like a runaway mine train roller coaster ride.

This book is, in my humble opinion, a combination of murder, mystery, suspense, and some would say a “thriller” [although I don't understand why a few reviewers called it a “psychological” thriller – unless they mean it fucks with the READER'S mind < that, it does].

The book is full of twists, turns, bumps and hiccups, which I liked for the most part, although toward the end, the “twists” went overboard and seemed unbelievable, in that it felt the author worked too hard to force 'just one more twist'. The ending was very confusing – but of course – it didn't really end did it. ;-)

Through the entire story, Lorraine's terminal cancer is never out of the reader's mind. It leaves a lasting and thought provoking heaviness in the heart and mind.

The author is able to give a very accurate depiction of the way cancer effects the lives of everyone close. The love, hate, anger, denial, guilt, hope, despair and in the end, you have to hope it leads to both acceptance of all the before mentioned emotions and ultimately to a type of forgiveness you must give to yourself.

My second impression of the book, my personal, emotional response, having been a caregiver and lived through terminal cancer of several immediate family members . This book was a sad book for me to read.

It had “memories” rolling down my cheeks.

The funniest quote from the book:

“It's like getting Honey Boo Boo's mum to fit on a Twister mat – it just doesn't work”.

The most Thought provoking quote from the book:

“Have you ever loved someone so much that even when they chip pieces away from you, you still try to give them what's left? I know I have … I know I do”.

An author's ability to make a reader FEEL the whole gambit of emotions > that's a great ability to possess and leads to great books.

Overall, a very great book and I thank the author for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.