How To Save A Life (YA)
"I am writing in response to your Love Grows post from Christmas day. I think I might have what you're looking for. It should be available on March 1. Or around March 1."
How To Save a Life by Sara Zarr is narrated by two teens, Jill and Mandy. Mandy is pregnant and wanting to give her baby up for adoption. She thinks Robin, Jill's mom, would be a good match. But she doesn't exactly want the adoption to go through normal, traditional channels. She wants things done her way. Robin wants a baby so badly. She is just desperate to fill the hole in her heart. You see, Robin and Jill are in grief--probably different stages of grief. Jill's Dad is dead, you see. Jill was always, always, always closer to her Dad. And she isn't quite sure how to (best) relate to her Mom. To be honest, Jill isn't sure how to relate to anybody these days. Not her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Dylan. Not her former best friends. No one. Anyone who challenges her to feel something...she runs from...until she meets someone from her past. A boy named Ravi. He may just help her see things clearly for the first time in months....
So Robin invites Mandy into their home. She welcomes her into their lives. She's willing to pay for all the expenses of the pregnancy. She is just so excited about the coming baby. Jill? Well, Jill is less than thrilled about getting a new brother or sister. In fact, she's ANGRY at her mom and angry at Mandy. What did Mandy ever do to her? Well, nothing really. But Jill is angry at her all the same. She is determined to not like her, determined to find reasons why this adoption is insane. She is sure that Mandy has more than a few secrets, has told more than a few lies...
Mandy has told a few lies...but are they justifiable? You may be the judge of that!
This is a compelling novel to be sure. It is emotional. It is well written. Of the two, I probably loved Mandy just a little bit more. Maybe because she needed to be loved a little more. I'll say no more than that. But even though Jill could be a mess, I still liked her, I still wanted the best for her. I wanted to see her wounds heal too.
I would definitely recommend this one!
Read How To Save A Life
- If you're a fan of Sara Zarr and you enjoyed her previous novels: Story of a Girl, Sweethearts, Once Was Lost
- If you're looking for an emotionally compelling (but not manipulative) read
- If you're looking for a good story about grief and loss
- If you're looking for a story about broken families that need healing
- If you're looking for a realistic portrayal of teen pregnancy
© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Category Article 2011, Books Reviewed in 2012, library book, Little Brown, YA Fiction, YA realistic fiction
