2014 Book Challenge: Stealing Heaven

{via Goodreads}

Stumbled upon this book while looking for another title by the same author. The book is Something, Maybe and I've been wanting to read it for quite some time now but surprisingly, I read this one first. But I do not regret picking up this one because although it wasn't really a fun read (because, seriously, the girl's got some serious issues) but I guess the kilig factor made up for it.

Danielle, our protagonist, is in the family business, only it is one business one cannot be proud of. Her mother steals silverware from rich people's houses and all her life it's what she has known to do. She has never gone to school. She and her mother hop from one town to another, taking on one identity after another. Danielle wanted more but she reckons she doesn't know how to be and have more than she is right now, plus she just can't leave her mother alone, that they are a team.

But things changed when they came to Heaven- she became friends with Allison and she's genuinely into this guy, Greg, who turns out to be a cop. But to be successful in their plan of laying low, she must not have both but the desire is so strong and she does maintain both the friend and the love interest, unknown to her mother. Of course I wanted things to come up roses- for her mother to truly fall in love with a nice guy and decide to stop stealing silver from rich people and the plan to steal from Allison's family doesn't push through because of it, then Dani and her mom stays in Heaven and then they live happily ever after. But that wasn't the case.

They got busted and both relationships that Danielle gained from their stay in Heaven was compromised. The one with Allison was irreparable (but still you've got to give the girl props for not turning in Danielle), but the one with Greg, well, it was a good thing he finally came around. Understandable that he'd be hurt because of the lies but of course, true love wins. Ha. Sige na, huwag na tayong kontra-bulate.

My like for Danielle is reversely proportional to my dislike for her mother. Even until the end, I am unsure if she truly, genuinely loved Danielle. Maybe she's just doing the stealing because she wants to be able to provide for her daughter and stealing is what she knows how to do and what she does best. It's just that I hope she didn't involve her daughter in it.

But we still got out happily ever after, just not the way I wanted it though. Mom gets cancer, which I think is for all the bad juju just coming back to her for stealing from other people. Greg stays by Danielle's side and preferred to see what she wants to be and not for what she was. But what I liked most was that Danielle has risen above her past and turn into something better. Well, she was able to do it with the help of ill-gotten wealth but still, she chose to use it for her betterment, so she doesn't have to do what her mother did for a living.

Ang serious naman ng "review" na 'to.