The Gift

This book feels like something I'd find at a beach house while on vacation and I'm reading it only because I somehow forgot to bring any books with me and also have no way to get to a bookstore or library. The gift that this book gave me is that I only wasted 1 day reading it.

This was my first Danielle Steel and it will likely be my last. Her writing style (and probably subject matters) are just definitely not for me. Part of my issue with this book is that it's a romance about two 16-year-olds, which is really not a type of romance I enjoy. Most of my issue, however, is with the writing style, and the rest is with the bizarre plot.

I just don't understand most of the choices made by the characters in this book, especially the adults. I show more didn't connect with any of the characters because of Steel's straightforward, tell-never-show, style and that made it hard to just go along with what they were doing, or even root for the relationship between the teens.

I know Ms. Steel is an incredibly prolific writer and they can't all be bangers, but I don't imagine myself giving her another shot. She's definitely got a huge fanbase without me. show less

Everything you'd expect of a Danielle Steel novel! An easy, throwaway read, with a romantic story between a strong, powerful woman, and a sickeningly affectionate man.

Well, I say woman and man, the story isn't actually too dissimilar from that of Juno (meaning that if you've seen the film, you won't need to read this). Consequently, it's a bit of a mystery as to who the story is exactly aimed at, seeing as the average readership of a Steel novel is somebody over 30, and the lead characters are 16, and act like 16 year olds do. There's nothing erotic about this book as a result, just a very dated love story between two young people, laced through with religious references about their coming together through fate etc. It's like Mills show more and Boon but lacking in any of the erotic excitement that makes M&B worth reading and so the outcome is something a bit drab.

This still makes for a nice holiday read nonetheless. Nothing I'd read again however, the pace is a bit too quick for my liking, and the characters are all just a bit too sickeningly sweet. show less

A moving story set in the 1950s, intertwining the lives of two families in the USA. One suffers a devastating loss, while the other has a teenage daughter who makes a bad mistake, leading to her alienation from them.

I didn't think I was going to like this book, which starts with a lot of description and back-story, much of which didn't seem necessary. But as it got going, I found it quite emotional, and found it impossible to put down. It's not a long book, and I read it straight through in two hours.

Some moral issues came up, which were dealt with pretty sensitively. The teenage girl, Maribeth, grows up and shows great strength of character as she has to make some difficult decisions.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

Even though all Danielle Steele novels begin..and end...in about the same way that doesn't make them any less of a good read. Sure I knew what was going to happen before the third chapter was over, but the lovable characters, and the overall optimism of the novel makes it a good read for a late night bubble bath. It's not going to cause any though provoking epiphany, but it will leave you with a good feeling in your chest!

This book touched my heart. Here is this loving family, and were distraught to hear they just lost their 5-1/2 year old little angel to menigitis. Jumping a whole lot, Meribeth Robertson comes into their life, pregnant and in love with the Whittaker's son, Tommy. Meribeth gives up her baby-as a gift- to the whittakers, and in turn, they give her money for her college fund, which her father is so set against Meribeth getting an education. You'd really have to read this book. It's a book that you can't set down.

This is my first Danielle Steel novel. It is very good but goodness what an emotional roller coaster!

It was an okay book. It really wasn't my kind of book, I got bored with it and it's rather predictable. I knew what happened before I even finished the first chapter so that shows how predictable these kinds of books are. I was glad when I get the book finished, it just wasn't my kind of book there wasn't enough excitement in it for me.

The 1950's are much different then they are today when it comes to pregnancy of teens. Now a days when a teenager gets pregnant people really could care less, we just see it so often anymore that we don't really pay attention to it. But in the 1950's if an teenager got pregnant they were forced to get married to the baby's daddy or if they didn't they were shipped off to have it with no support from their show more family's it was sad really. show less