Jill Santopolo
Author of The Light We Lost: A Novel
About the Author
Jill Santopolo is the author of several series including: The Light We Lost, Sparkle Spa, Alec Flint Mysteries and Follow Your Heart books. She grew up in Hewlett, New York and earned her BA degree in English Literature from Columbia University and an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont show more College of Fine Arts. She is the Editorial Director of Philomel Books where she edits several best-sellers including Get Informed, Get Inspired and Get Going by Chelsea Clinton and A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff. When she¿s not writing or editing, Jill is a thesis advisor at The New School in their MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Jill Santopolo
No Such Thing as the Real World: Stories about Growing Up and Getting a Life (2009) — Editor; Introduction — 74 copies, 4 reviews
Sparkle Spa 4-Books-in-1!: All That Glitters; Purple Nails and Puppy Tails; Makeover Magic; True Colors (2016) 7 copies
The Sparkle Spa Shimmering Collection Books 1-4 : All That Glitters; Purple Nails and Puppy Tails; Makeover Magic; True Colors (2014) 2 copies
Светлината што ја изгубивме 1 copy
Laulu joka soi yhä 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 20th century
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Columbia University (BA)
Vermont College of Fine Arts (MFA) - Short biography
- Official Bio:
Jill Santopolo is the author of The Light We Lost, the Alec Flint Mysteries, the Sparkle Spa series, and the Follow Your Heart books. She holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University, an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and a certificate in Intellectual Property Law from NYU. Jill is also the Editorial Director of Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, where she edits many critically-acclaimed, award-winning, and best-selling books including A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff, The Secret Sky by Atia Abawi, Proxy by Alex London, It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going! by Chelsea Clinton, the Nightshade series by Andrea Cremer, A Dance Like Starlight by Kristy Dempsey and Floyd Cooper, and Peanut Butter & Cupcake! by Terry Border. When she’s not writing or editing, Jill is a thesis advisor at The New School in their MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults and is on the faculty of the Columbia Publishing Course. She was formerly an adjunct professor at McDaniel College, where she helped develop the curriculum for their certificate program in Writing for Children. Jill has traveled all over the U.S.—and to Canada and Europe—to speak about writing and storytelling. She lives in New York City. - Places of residence
- New York, New York, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- New York, USA
Members
Reviews
Blah.
I didn't like any of the characters except possibly, sometimes, Gabe. Every character was a stereotype. Every thought Lucy had and every thing she did seemed just what the stereotype of a woman of her generation, with her education, in New York would do. There was absolutely nothing interesting about her and nothing original about her character. Her husband was an even more shallow cutout character with no endearing characteristics except the doting on Lucy, for reasons that are frankly show more beyond understanding given how unappealing she is, that's necessary to make him a palatable second choice for her. That and being rich are his only selling points, and that's not enough to make him a character to care about. Gabe is a stereotype of the driven activist. He's still just a stereotype, but at least it's an appealing type rather than the boring and unimaginative characters of Lucy and Darren.
The novel tries to explore questions of passionate versus comfortable love, stability, and pursuit of dreams. Unfortunately, none of the characters are developed enough to make the love or the dreams feel real or to make the stability feel anything but stale. There's no insight here, no feeling, no ideas. Honestly, I can't understand what all the positive reviewers see to make them love this book. I was entirely untouched.
I can enjoy books in which nothing much happens if the characters are interesting, with flat characters if they have a good plot, with weak plots and weak characters if the setting is powerful. This one has no real plot, flat characters, and an uninspiring setting. I won't read more from this author. show less
I didn't like any of the characters except possibly, sometimes, Gabe. Every character was a stereotype. Every thought Lucy had and every thing she did seemed just what the stereotype of a woman of her generation, with her education, in New York would do. There was absolutely nothing interesting about her and nothing original about her character. Her husband was an even more shallow cutout character with no endearing characteristics except the doting on Lucy, for reasons that are frankly show more beyond understanding given how unappealing she is, that's necessary to make him a palatable second choice for her. That and being rich are his only selling points, and that's not enough to make him a character to care about. Gabe is a stereotype of the driven activist. He's still just a stereotype, but at least it's an appealing type rather than the boring and unimaginative characters of Lucy and Darren.
The novel tries to explore questions of passionate versus comfortable love, stability, and pursuit of dreams. Unfortunately, none of the characters are developed enough to make the love or the dreams feel real or to make the stability feel anything but stale. There's no insight here, no feeling, no ideas. Honestly, I can't understand what all the positive reviewers see to make them love this book. I was entirely untouched.
I can enjoy books in which nothing much happens if the characters are interesting, with flat characters if they have a good plot, with weak plots and weak characters if the setting is powerful. This one has no real plot, flat characters, and an uninspiring setting. I won't read more from this author. show less
‘’The world felt like it was cracking in pieces, like we’d gone through a shattered mirror into the fractured place inside, where nothing made sense, where our shields were down, our walls broken. In that place, there wasn't any reason to say no.’’
This book was quite a departure from what I usually choose to read. It was all in the cover, to be honest. I saw the lovely couple’s silhouettes and I said ‘’yeah, okay. Bye!’’ Because romance, people. Not my style at all. But, show more then my brain processed the New York scenery in the blue background and the title that sounded bittersweet, sad and I said to myself I would pretend this wasn’t a romance, but good old Contemporary Fiction. And I was right, thankfully. Yes, at the heart of the story lies the love and unbreakable bond between two people, but it was more complex than that. Family, choices, priorities, worries over an uncertain future are issues that are very prominent in this book, and reading it was a delight. And I confess, there were two-three times when I was really moved. And a little pissed-off at the characters’ choices…
Many have claimed there’s no plot in this book. I disagree. Not every novel can have mind-blowing moments, twists and turns. What about a story that touches upon daily, universal subjects and has a quiet beauty and characters one could actually meet in actual life? Sometimes, these are elements that are enough to satisfy a reader.So, we follow Lucy and Gabe’s relationship through the years, starting in that nightmarish day of 2001 when terror struck New York and the world changed forever. Lucy and Gabe make some bad choices and their lives turn quite differently that they had planned. Still, the love they share is strong and so beautifully written that you cannot help feeling both touched and concerned over what the future has in store for them.
Do I believe in love at first sight? Definitely. I guarantee you it exists, and I am the least romantic person you’ll ever find. In this novel, we witness a kind of love that starts as an obsession (and we all know how that feels when we are 20 years old) and becomes so strong that haunts the characters’ lives and the lives of those who struggle to approach them. Now, such a bond is unique, almost rare and it must be hard for a writer to communicate it to the reader without resorting to clichés. Jill Santopolo succeeds in creating a kind of language that is both contemporary and beautiful, lyrical and raw where needed. As we witness life unfolding through Lucy’s eyes, we are given a sense of her longing for Gabe, remembering their life together, and the way this pining is depicted is powerful, sincere, realistic, devoid of any drama.
I really, really liked Lucy. She has the strength to admit her own faults and stands for her choices, she has her head screwed together and her doubts are understandable. She isn’t in the least bit selfish, to the point when I know I would have chosen differently. (But this is my personal opinion…)Gabe is complementing her perfectly, although they are two very different personalities. He had the power to make me really angry at times (often…) I mean, the guy was so wishy-washy and couldn’t see further than the end of his own nose. His choices can be a matter of endless debate, but he is so well-written that he makes us look upon him as if he is that troubled friend or relative who always gets on our nerves -especially at family gatherings- but you cannot help loving him and caring for him. However, Darren...Bliah!!! Yikes!! I do hate him and I cannot lie. You can find me a dozen reasons that are supposed to make me sympathise with him and I’d still want to punch him. The man is a human soup - I hate soup, sorry:) - and I hate him. Truly! The way he constantly doubts Lucy and tries to patronize her is outrageous…
The theme in focus isn’t love, in my opinion, but choices and priorities. The great ‘’what ifs’’’ that shape our lives. What do we want from life when we find ourselves at a point where we need to sacrifice something we love for something we feel equally strongly about? Do we wait? Do we compromise? Do we wonder what could have gone differently? Of course, we do. And these questions do not refer only to romantic feelings, but to anything related to future plans and human relationships. You see? This book is far from a simple romance…
I cannot recommend it enough. Read it for the descriptions of New York during terrifying times and times of prosperity and hope. Read it for a beautiful reference to a kind of love that is firmly rooted in the souls of two people. Read it to reflect or reminisce of the past. Perhaps a similar feeling once came your way. Read it because it is a very good book, not light, not heavy. Just realistic and attainable.
……...and did I mention I hate Darren? show less
This book was quite a departure from what I usually choose to read. It was all in the cover, to be honest. I saw the lovely couple’s silhouettes and I said ‘’yeah, okay. Bye!’’ Because romance, people. Not my style at all. But, show more then my brain processed the New York scenery in the blue background and the title that sounded bittersweet, sad and I said to myself I would pretend this wasn’t a romance, but good old Contemporary Fiction. And I was right, thankfully. Yes, at the heart of the story lies the love and unbreakable bond between two people, but it was more complex than that. Family, choices, priorities, worries over an uncertain future are issues that are very prominent in this book, and reading it was a delight. And I confess, there were two-three times when I was really moved. And a little pissed-off at the characters’ choices…
Many have claimed there’s no plot in this book. I disagree. Not every novel can have mind-blowing moments, twists and turns. What about a story that touches upon daily, universal subjects and has a quiet beauty and characters one could actually meet in actual life? Sometimes, these are elements that are enough to satisfy a reader.So, we follow Lucy and Gabe’s relationship through the years, starting in that nightmarish day of 2001 when terror struck New York and the world changed forever. Lucy and Gabe make some bad choices and their lives turn quite differently that they had planned. Still, the love they share is strong and so beautifully written that you cannot help feeling both touched and concerned over what the future has in store for them.
Do I believe in love at first sight? Definitely. I guarantee you it exists, and I am the least romantic person you’ll ever find. In this novel, we witness a kind of love that starts as an obsession (and we all know how that feels when we are 20 years old) and becomes so strong that haunts the characters’ lives and the lives of those who struggle to approach them. Now, such a bond is unique, almost rare and it must be hard for a writer to communicate it to the reader without resorting to clichés. Jill Santopolo succeeds in creating a kind of language that is both contemporary and beautiful, lyrical and raw where needed. As we witness life unfolding through Lucy’s eyes, we are given a sense of her longing for Gabe, remembering their life together, and the way this pining is depicted is powerful, sincere, realistic, devoid of any drama.
I really, really liked Lucy. She has the strength to admit her own faults and stands for her choices, she has her head screwed together and her doubts are understandable. She isn’t in the least bit selfish, to the point when I know I would have chosen differently. (But this is my personal opinion…)Gabe is complementing her perfectly, although they are two very different personalities. He had the power to make me really angry at times (often…) I mean, the guy was so wishy-washy and couldn’t see further than the end of his own nose. His choices can be a matter of endless debate, but he is so well-written that he makes us look upon him as if he is that troubled friend or relative who always gets on our nerves -especially at family gatherings- but you cannot help loving him and caring for him. However, Darren...Bliah!!! Yikes!! I do hate him and I cannot lie. You can find me a dozen reasons that are supposed to make me sympathise with him and I’d still want to punch him. The man is a human soup - I hate soup, sorry:) - and I hate him. Truly! The way he constantly doubts Lucy and tries to patronize her is outrageous…
The theme in focus isn’t love, in my opinion, but choices and priorities. The great ‘’what ifs’’’ that shape our lives. What do we want from life when we find ourselves at a point where we need to sacrifice something we love for something we feel equally strongly about? Do we wait? Do we compromise? Do we wonder what could have gone differently? Of course, we do. And these questions do not refer only to romantic feelings, but to anything related to future plans and human relationships. You see? This book is far from a simple romance…
I cannot recommend it enough. Read it for the descriptions of New York during terrifying times and times of prosperity and hope. Read it for a beautiful reference to a kind of love that is firmly rooted in the souls of two people. Read it to reflect or reminisce of the past. Perhaps a similar feeling once came your way. Read it because it is a very good book, not light, not heavy. Just realistic and attainable.
……...and did I mention I hate Darren? show less
I'll be honest, I had a hard time starting this since it starts on and uses 9/11 and the events following it as a backdrop. It's still a raw day for me. But I kept reading and eventually found I didn't want to put the book down and that the backdrop was fairly respectfully interwoven.
I loved the writing style -- someone narrating the story of their life, or at least the highlights, as they remember them with small intimate details that still stick out through the fog of memory. The memories show more are immersive and flash by you, making the foreshadowing very subtle. You only get bits and pieces of memory-- the perceptions of what happened over a lifetime, the questions about what could have happened instead, the things that were left unsaid, the choices made. If you're completely honest with yourself, no one looks back on their life and says, "I made all the right choices. I wouldn't have done anything different and I'm not remotely curious about any other paths my life may have taken."
The protagonist isn't perfect, but no one is, and in the end, I am left hungry for the other perspectives we didn't get to see and for what recent and future thoughts and choices may be made and/or remorsefully questioned going forward. As an individual, constrained to our own perspective and singular experience, those other perspectives and alternative paths are things we would never be privy to anyway, so that hunger is completely fitting with the tone of the book.
Received free review copy from First to Read, opinions are my own, yadda yadda. show less
I loved the writing style -- someone narrating the story of their life, or at least the highlights, as they remember them with small intimate details that still stick out through the fog of memory. The memories show more are immersive and flash by you, making the foreshadowing very subtle. You only get bits and pieces of memory-- the perceptions of what happened over a lifetime, the questions about what could have happened instead, the things that were left unsaid, the choices made. If you're completely honest with yourself, no one looks back on their life and says, "I made all the right choices. I wouldn't have done anything different and I'm not remotely curious about any other paths my life may have taken."
The protagonist isn't perfect, but no one is, and in the end, I am left hungry for the other perspectives we didn't get to see and for what recent and future thoughts and choices may be made and/or remorsefully questioned going forward. As an individual, constrained to our own perspective and singular experience, those other perspectives and alternative paths are things we would never be privy to anyway, so that hunger is completely fitting with the tone of the book.
Received free review copy from First to Read, opinions are my own, yadda yadda. show less
Disappointing. Got tired of the first person narration by Lucy. Too long, the teasing about what had happened to Gus was too drawn out. I get that Lucy did not paint herself as the "great girl" she probably was, since she was the one telling her story. But perhaps if the book had been written in the third person, we might have got a better portrait of her and been able to admire her, and see in her what Gabe and Darren did. I've heard that Reese Witherspoon may produce this - I feel she show more might save it, but as it is, I'm not on the edge of my seat. It doesn't compare to other novels with a similar plot idea, like David Lodge's One Day. In that book, at least the endless missed chances at love were offset by brilliant writing and humour. show less
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- Works
- 28
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- 3
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- 2,786
- Popularity
- #9,223
- Rating
- 3.6
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- 74
- ISBNs
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