Review: This One is Mine by Maria Semple

I have fallen in love with a book... This One is Mine, by Maria Semple. This book is officially a new favorite of mine and will forever stay on my special bookshelf where I keep all my favorites. That's quite an honor around here haha. This book was just SO SO incredible.

Summary: Okay, first, let me say, this is NOT chick-lit, so don't let the cover or the description turn you away or off or anything like that (though I personally love chick-lit). I know this description might sound banal, but believe me, this book is the opposite of anything you'd ever expect it to be, and it's so off-kilter and so unique and unpredictable and strange, bizarre, magical! I have so many words just bursting out of me. So let me try to explain. Violet is married to the ultra-rich and rather famous music exec, David Parry. They have a beautiful home, and an even more beautiful daughter, Dot. Somehow, Violet feels empty inside. She doesn't feel quite right, not like the carefree girl she used to be. Then by chance, she meets Teddy Reyes, a down-on-his luck, hep-c infected, poor bass player. Despite his flaws, his girlfriend, his lack of funds, his dirty demeanor... he exudes sexuality, and steals Violet's heart away instantly. So begins an innocent emotional affair that eventually explodes in passion one night, while Violet continues to neglect her family, home and life, while becoming more and more consumed by Teddy, who doesn't seem to care as much. This tension is so explosive, realistic and crazy!

Running parallel to this story, is also the story of Sally, David's seemingly neurotic sister who is trying desperately to find a man of her own. She meets a shy and sweet sports writer, Jeremy, whom she quickly manipulates into marriage, and oh my, this relationship is SO DAMN STRANGE! Sally is one helluva character, I'll tell you.

My Thoughts: Okay, I know that summary was a lot to take in. There was so much to tell and I could really go on, but instead I'll gush here about my love of this book. I LOVED IT! I have never once encountered such a unique and strange cast of characters in my life! And yet.... I found them to be so endearing. Almost all of them had so many despicable traits about them, but I loved them anyways. Maria Semple did such a great job developing them that they felt so real, and they actually evoked so much sympathy and so many feelings from me, especially Teddy. I loved Teddy, even though he was so incredibly flawed. I also really loved the secondary story of Sally and Jeremy because it was so bizarre! Sally is pretty crazy, and really selfish, in my opinion, but she just cracked me up with her manipulation and antics. This book was fresh, lively, emotional, and unlike anything I have ever read before. I finished it a couple of days ago, and I am STILL thinking about it. Seriously! Just... the tension between Violet and Teddy was so intense and electric and WOW. There are lines that I remember word for word from this book, from only one reading, because the writing was so wonderful, beautiful, and unique. I can't say enough about this book to express how much I loved it. It's not for everyone, but if you are looking for something different and are open-minded, I recommend you RUN to the bookstore and get this book. This book is now an absolute all time favorite of mine and I WILL be re-reading it in the future, which does not happen often.

My Rating: 5/5 +++!!