Belong to Me by Marisa De Los Santos

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Ok, now that I got that out, let's summarize. This is a tale of how complicated relationships can be and shows that what's important in life are the people who belong to us. Cornelia and Teo move to suburban Philadelphia and find it difficult to fit in with their new sorority-like neighborhood. The story is split into 3 narrators: Corneila, her neighbor Piper and the 14 year old Dev.

Seemingly shallow and vicious Piper's cool exterior crumbles as the loss of her best friend to cancer and the infidelity of her husband threaten to destroy her "perfect" world. Through her developing friendshp with Cornelia, Piper finds the strength she needs to be true to herself and create a new, more loving, world for herself and her children.

Dev's connection to the story is initially unknown, but as his mother, Lake, develops a friendship with Cornelia, his involvement becomes central to all of them. A genius by definition, Dev was a loner who struggled in his California school, and was both relieved and confused when his mother packed the car and relocated them. In his new home and school, Dev feels like he belongs in a way he's never felt before; he makes friends and even falls in love with Claire, a girl who has a special relationship with Cornelia and Teo. Because he is a very smart boy, Dev pieced together the theory that his mother chose the small Philadelphia suburb because she was planning to re-connect with his biological father, a man Dev didn't know much about and had never met. His theory proves true, but not in the way he expected.

This story is engaging and written in a way that makes you feel like you know each of the characters...and eventually makes fall in love with each and every one of them. It shows that everyone is multifaceted; that one bad decision (or even a series of bad decisions) is not enough to erase a lifetime of good; and that forgiveness and love are powerful things that can overcome any adversity we might face.

Would I recommend this book? YES! I loved it so much I now have to go back and read De Los Santos's Love Walked In so I can see where Cornelia Brown was before she left the city!