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| Love & Lies: Marisol's Story | 
 enlarge | Author: Ellen Wittlinger
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $9.70
You Save: $7.29 (43%)
New (32) Used (12) from $6.68
Avg. Customer Rating:  23 reviews
Sales Rank: 547979
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.7 x 1
ISBN: 1416916237
EAN: 9781416916239
ASIN: 1416916237
Publication Date: July 8, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: New hardback, bright and unmarred.Fast shipping from Nashville, TN.
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Product Description
Marisol Guzman has deferred college for a year to accomplish two things: She will write a novel and she will fall in love. How hard could that be? She gets her very own apartment (with her high school best friend as roommate) and a waitressing job at a classic Harvard Square coffeehouse. When she enrolls in an adult education class -- "How to Write Your First Novel" -- there are two big surprises waiting for her: John Galardi, aka "Gio," a fellow zine writer who fell head over heels for her last spring (despite the fact that she's a lesbian) and her instructor, Olivia Frost, the most exquisitely beautiful woman she's ever seen. But as Marisol ventures into what seems to be her storybook romance with Olivia, things start to go off track. Between the ups and downs of her new relationship, her strained friendship with Lee (a newly out lesbian who is crushing big-time on Marisol), and her roommate's new boyfriend (who is equally afraid of Marisol and their cat) moving in, Marisol starts losing sight of her goals. Is she too blinded by love to see the lies? In this long-anticipated companion novel to the Printz Honor Book Hard Love, which critics called "A bittersweet tale of self-expression and the struggle to achieve self-love," Ellen Wittlinger offers a novel just as emotionally honest and deeply felt.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 18 more reviews...
Love, lies and words October 16, 2008
Not the most realistic plotline, I mean what 18 year old starts to write a novel without going to school, I would be scared that weighting tables would turn out to be a long career, especially if the writing wasn't perfect. I wasn't aware when I started that this was a sequel so I will definitely be reading part one but overall a fun, even if little unrealistic teen story.
A fun way to revisit lovely characters! October 14, 2008
Everyone has a crush on Marisol. In "Hard Love," the prequel to this novel, the protagonist, Gio, sure does. In this episode of their stories, a ton more people do. I never quite understood exactly what makes her so crush-able, but that didn't hold me back from readily loving this book!
Marisol, former lesbian 'zine-ster, has deferred Stanford for a year to write a novel... because she wanted to. She thought it would sound cool to tell people, "Oh, me? I'm writing a novel." She signs up for an introductory class at the Adult Education Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she lives. Turns out Gio signed up as well. The two take on their writing class and the gorgeous, fashionable teacher: Olivia Frost. Olivia develops a crush too- guess who it's on? As Marisol navigates her relationship with the older Olivia, she also weaves another attractive girl into her world- the quiet, just-out Lee. When not engrossed in romantic triangles or novel writing, Marisol also waits tables at a local diner and cohabitates with two trouble makin' boys.
The multiple plot lines are realistic and make this book a page turner. There are a lot of characters, but all are interesting and worth reading about. It's great to check in with Gio and Marisol again. I wish there had been a little more stuff about `zines!
Just another teen love story? Well, no. September 30, 2008
It could only happen in the 21st century: an out-of-the-closet lesbian teenager, parents supportive to a fault, free reign to spend a year living on her own in Boston with her best friend - at age 18 - to write a novel before going to college...gender and sexuality aside, I had that fantasy too at that age.
But implausibility aside (and fortunately, it's not implausible for everyone anymore), Marisol and her friends are quite convincing as intelligent teenagers, very young but not immature for their age. The same can be said for the situations they find themselves in and what they do right and wrong along the way. The short, intense tale unfolds quickly and reads equally quickly, and lots of minor characters keep the plot interesting along the way.
One minor shortcoming is that any reader older than Marisol is not likely to find her romantic misadventures all that tragic, simply because we've been there and know that life goes on after a fight or a teen love triangle. But anyone who remembers how it all felt at her age will appreciate what she's feeling. Fans of the classics of this genre (Judy Blume and such) will probably enjoy this one as well.
 Courtesy of Teens Read Too September 25, 2008
In HARD LOVE, the reader got to meet Gio. Gio fell in love with Marisol Guzman, to no avail. Not that Marisol didn't like Gio, maybe even love him. But not in that way. For Marisol likes girls. Now, Ellen Wittlinger gives the reader a chance to get inside Marisol's head. This is Marisol's story.
Marisol has decided to defer Stanford for a year. She's got the idea that she's going to write a novel. And she can't do that if she's worrying about her schoolwork at the same time. So she moves out of her parents' house and into a grungy apartment with her best friend, Birdie. With some under-the-table financial assistance from her mother, Marisol works a waitress job at a small coffee shop while trying to write her novel.
She signs up to take a Saturday morning writing class to aid her in the endeavor. There, she first encounters her old friend Gio. Things were left unsettled between them after a falling out in the spring when Gio revealed his true feelings for her. Hopefully, they can begin again as friends with a firm understanding between them this time around. Marisol has truly missed Gio, but she knows she never led him to believe anything else would happen between them.
As they settle into their seats, in walks the most beautiful woman that Marisol has ever met, their teacher, Olivia Frost. From the first moment, Marisol is struck and becomes obsessed. Marisol begins to imagine being with Olivia, and before she knows it, Olivia is returning the attention.
But life isn't perfect or easy for Marisol. Olivia is hiding something and none of Marisol's friends trust her. Added to that, Marisol has befriended Lee, a shy girl that has begun to hang out at the coffee shop after school. Lee has recently announced to her family and friends that she's gay, and things haven't been easy for her. Marisol tries to encourage Lee in her new world, without encouraging her affections. She can see the situation turning into a repeat of her troubles with Gio in the spring.
As Ms. Wittlinger crafts her story, Marisol is forced to deal with her own issues and struggles to stay who she is as she struggles with her need to be loved. It's only after Marisol loses what she truly needed that she realizes what she has to do. LOVE & LIES: MARISOL'S STORY is a great continuation to HARD LOVE. Fans of the first one will definitely love this one just as much. And for those that have never read HARD LOVE, they will easily pick up the flow of the story and want to join the crazy bunch of people that are Marisol's friends.
Reviewed by: Jaglvr
Love & Lies... September 7, 2008
I really liked "Love & Lies - Marisol's Story" by Ellen Wittlinger. The story was great and well written. The characters were so real and memorable. I had never read anything previously from this author, however I hope that there will be a sequel to this book. I would like to know what happens to Marisol in her love life and with her novel in progress beyond page 245 of this book.
Marisol is a young lady who has deferred college for a minute. During this deferment she is writing a book and is looking for love. She has a small challenge though because she is gay. She is a talented writer, has a great relationship with her parents, and has a cozy job at The Mug, memorable roommates and wonderful friends. At first I was wondering if this would be a boring read because Marisol had a comfort zone and really no major issues.
Major issues enter the picture when Marisol enrolls in an eight-week Saturday morning writer's class (Writing Your First Novel) at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and becomes the prey of the mysterious instructor named Olivia Frost. I was constantly waiting to find out beyond the shadow of a doubt if Olivia is either lesbian or bi-sexual. Did Olivia lie about her literary background and Harvard degree? Could Olivia possibly have a husband and a commuter marriage? Why was Olivia so controlling and jealous?
Just when I thought that Olivia was the only issue, Lee, a "new" friend of Marisol's becomes a possible soul mate and true love interest. The story kept me hanging on as the author made the main characters (Marisol, Damon, Birdie, Gio, Lee) transparent and believable.
I give this book five stars because it is a great story, well written, great character development, and left me wanting more. A treat for writers at the end of the book is a list of quotations on writing. Words to the author...please follow up with a sequel!
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