How to Save a Life

Title: How to Save a Life

Author: Sara Zarr

Publisher:  Little Brown

Release Date: October 18, 2011
Received From: Publisher in return for a honest review

Summary: 

Jill MacSweeny just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she's somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.
Mandy Kalinowski understands what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she's sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It's harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?
As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy--or as difficult--as it seems.
Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr delivers a heart-wrenching story, told from dual perspectives, about the many roads that can lead us home.

Review:

This book was very interesting. I had heard amazing things about Zarr’s books and so I was excited to read this new title. But even though I was excited it was not really what I was expecting.

 

First of all this book is told in alternating points of view between Jill and Mandy which I really liked because then I could see the motivations of both of them and get to understand them better.

 

But I have to say one thing. Mandy and Jill both really annoyed me. I mean I am not sure how I would react to either of their situations but I did not like the way they handled the pressures. But I will grant that their reactions were understandable and seemingly realistic.

 

This book is not a light book and I really appreciated that. I felt that Zarr could have trivialized some of the issues and I am really glad that she didn’t.

 

While this was not my favorite book I did like it and I wanted to know what was going to happen and how it was going to be resolved. I would recommend it to anyone who likes books about growing up and learning to accept different types of people.