Save Me by Lisa ScottolinePublication Date: April 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Thriller
Pages: Hardcover, 384pp
ISBN-13: 9780312380786
ISBN: 031238078X
(Received for review from LibraryThing Early Reviewers)
Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound
Lisa Scottoline on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, Twitter
Excerpt from Save Me
Book Trailer: There is a great series of interviews done by Lynn Doyle at It's Your Call, where Lisa talks in depth about her latest book Save Me. This is the first part of the Interview, see Youtube for more...
Synopsis (Book Jacket):
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline's Save Me will touch the heart of every woman, as its heroine, the unforgettable Rose McKenna, makes a split second decision that alters the course of her life - and makes you wonder what you would do in her shoes. Nobody could have foreseen what would happen the day that rose McKenna volunteers as a lunch mom in the cafeteria of her daughter's elementary school. Rose does it to keep a discreet eye on her third grader, Melly, a sweet, if shy, child who was born with a facial birthmark that has become her won personal bull's eye. Melly has been targeted by the mean girl at their new school and gets bullied every day, placing Rose in a no win position familiar to parents everywhere. Do we step in to protect our children when they need us, or does that make things worse?
When the bully starts to tease Melly yet again, Rose is about to leap into action - but right then, the unthinkable happens. Rose finds herself in a nightmare, faced with an emergency decision that no mother should ever have to make. What she decides in the split second derails Rose's life and jeopardizes everyone she holds dear, until she takes matters into her own hands and lays her life on the line to save her child, her family, her marriage - and herself.
Lisa Scottoline has thrilled millions with her inspiring female characters and her exploration of emotional justice, writing about real issues that resonate with real women. In Save Me, she returns with her most stirring and thought provoking novel yet.
Thoughts:
Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline is known for writing novels that stir the emotions and make readers think about things most would rather not confront. In her latest book, Save Me, Scottoline tackles the issue of bullying as well as, the question of how far a person would go to protect their children? Readers will find this book, riveting and full of gut-wrenching suspense as the main character must make a split second decision that will change her life forever. Save her own child or save the child who constantly bullies her daughter?
Rose McKenna had no idea that her day to volunteer as lunch mom at her daughters school would end in tragedy. When an explosion rocks Reesburgh Elementary School Rose is forced to make a split second decision. She can save the children who are closest to her or her own daughter who is trapped in a bathroom. To make matters worse one of the children she could save is Amanda, the girl who has tormented Rose's daughter Melly for months. Amanda and many others bully Melly because she has a strawberry birthmark on her face. Rose doesn't have time to think and leads some of the children to safety before she saves Melly. But Amanda somehow makes her way back inside once Rose's back is turned and sustains serious injuries. Rose is vilified by just about everyone from Amanda's mother to the school officials who blame her for Amanda's injuries. Rose must figure out what caused the mysterious accidental fire in order to save her family, her marriage and ultimately herself.
This book is so completely absorbing that readers will find themselves lost in the pages. It's definitely hard to put down! It has the fast pace of a thriller, but the amount of emotion that this novel brings to the surface is simply amazing. Scottoline is known for her emotionally stirring plots and this one is not a disappointment in that area. There are moments when you find that your pulse has sped up and your breathing is a little short as you read. It's that realistic!
As a reader I tend to read books to escape my normal day which usually includes, the dog, the kids and all that sort of thing. But this book was different. It spoke to me on a level that I wasn't expecting. Having children of my own, I sympathized with Scottoline's main character Rose. She is torn between protecting her daughter from school bullying or letting her daughter solve her own problems. It's an issue that has been around for a long time, but bullying has certainly changed a lot from when I was a child. It has spread to social media and other avenues that kids can't get away from when they go home at night. Making it that much more important to kids today. I thought the author did a fantastic job of bringing this issue to the forefront. Kids and parents who have suffered from bullying will be able to relate to this book in a profound way.
The other issue that Scottoline focuses on in this book, is the question of what we as parents would be willing to do to protect our children. If we had a split second to decide whether to save our own children or someone else's child, what would we do? Would we save those that were right next to us or would we move heaven and earth to save our own children? I'm not sure that any of us as parents, as readers and just as people could honestly say what we would do unless we were faced with that decision head on. I would like to think I would do the right thing, but I'm not sure what the right thing would be... It was certainly something I thought long and hard about as I read this book and saw the things that happened to Rose after her decision and I think readers will do some real soul searching with this question as well. Scottoline gives her readers a lot of food for thought in all of her books and this one is no different.
The mystery or crime aspect of the book was also thrilling. Rose must figure out what happened. What caused the explosion that changed her life. She doesn't just lie down under pressure. Though she is facing losing everything, her family, her livelihood, her marriage, she presses on. I have heard some who have read this book say that it was unrealistic that a mother could figure all this out when the police couldn't and I understand the argument, but I also know that outside sources often lead to solving crimes. People look at things differently, especially when they have different motivations. I thought it was completely plausible that Rose was able to come to the right conclusions. She had more at stake, she wasn't the police and more people would talk to her. She was there when the explosion happened and had a different perspective on the entire crime. I think Scottoline did a remarkable job of showing just how Rose could have solved this thing.
I recommend this one to readers who enjoy thrillers and mysteries. But I also recommend it mothers and parents. Those who are dealing with bullying or have been bullying in the past. And remember adults get bullied too! There are many ways to bully someone. This is a very emotional book, so be prepared for that. It's not light and fluffy. Make sure you have plenty of time to read before you start it because you won't want to put it down!
Save Me is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
Lisa Scottoline is the New York Times bestselling author of seventeen novels. She also writes a weekly column, called Chick Wit, for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lisa has won many honors and awards, notably the Edgar Award, given for excellence in crime fiction, and the Fun Fearless Female Award from Cosmopolitan magazine. She also teaches a course she created, called Justice and Fiction at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and regularly does speaking engagements. There are twenty-five million copies of her books in print, and she is published in over thirty other countries. Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. degree in English, and her concentration was Contemporary American Fiction, taught by Phillip Roth and others. She graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She remains a lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area, where she lives with her array of disobedient pets.
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline's Save Me will touch the heart of every woman, as its heroine, the unforgettable Rose McKenna, makes a split second decision that alters the course of her life - and makes you wonder what you would do in her shoes. Nobody could have foreseen what would happen the day that rose McKenna volunteers as a lunch mom in the cafeteria of her daughter's elementary school. Rose does it to keep a discreet eye on her third grader, Melly, a sweet, if shy, child who was born with a facial birthmark that has become her won personal bull's eye. Melly has been targeted by the mean girl at their new school and gets bullied every day, placing Rose in a no win position familiar to parents everywhere. Do we step in to protect our children when they need us, or does that make things worse?
When the bully starts to tease Melly yet again, Rose is about to leap into action - but right then, the unthinkable happens. Rose finds herself in a nightmare, faced with an emergency decision that no mother should ever have to make. What she decides in the split second derails Rose's life and jeopardizes everyone she holds dear, until she takes matters into her own hands and lays her life on the line to save her child, her family, her marriage - and herself.
Lisa Scottoline has thrilled millions with her inspiring female characters and her exploration of emotional justice, writing about real issues that resonate with real women. In Save Me, she returns with her most stirring and thought provoking novel yet.
Thoughts:
Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline is known for writing novels that stir the emotions and make readers think about things most would rather not confront. In her latest book, Save Me, Scottoline tackles the issue of bullying as well as, the question of how far a person would go to protect their children? Readers will find this book, riveting and full of gut-wrenching suspense as the main character must make a split second decision that will change her life forever. Save her own child or save the child who constantly bullies her daughter?
Rose McKenna had no idea that her day to volunteer as lunch mom at her daughters school would end in tragedy. When an explosion rocks Reesburgh Elementary School Rose is forced to make a split second decision. She can save the children who are closest to her or her own daughter who is trapped in a bathroom. To make matters worse one of the children she could save is Amanda, the girl who has tormented Rose's daughter Melly for months. Amanda and many others bully Melly because she has a strawberry birthmark on her face. Rose doesn't have time to think and leads some of the children to safety before she saves Melly. But Amanda somehow makes her way back inside once Rose's back is turned and sustains serious injuries. Rose is vilified by just about everyone from Amanda's mother to the school officials who blame her for Amanda's injuries. Rose must figure out what caused the mysterious accidental fire in order to save her family, her marriage and ultimately herself.
This book is so completely absorbing that readers will find themselves lost in the pages. It's definitely hard to put down! It has the fast pace of a thriller, but the amount of emotion that this novel brings to the surface is simply amazing. Scottoline is known for her emotionally stirring plots and this one is not a disappointment in that area. There are moments when you find that your pulse has sped up and your breathing is a little short as you read. It's that realistic!
As a reader I tend to read books to escape my normal day which usually includes, the dog, the kids and all that sort of thing. But this book was different. It spoke to me on a level that I wasn't expecting. Having children of my own, I sympathized with Scottoline's main character Rose. She is torn between protecting her daughter from school bullying or letting her daughter solve her own problems. It's an issue that has been around for a long time, but bullying has certainly changed a lot from when I was a child. It has spread to social media and other avenues that kids can't get away from when they go home at night. Making it that much more important to kids today. I thought the author did a fantastic job of bringing this issue to the forefront. Kids and parents who have suffered from bullying will be able to relate to this book in a profound way.
The other issue that Scottoline focuses on in this book, is the question of what we as parents would be willing to do to protect our children. If we had a split second to decide whether to save our own children or someone else's child, what would we do? Would we save those that were right next to us or would we move heaven and earth to save our own children? I'm not sure that any of us as parents, as readers and just as people could honestly say what we would do unless we were faced with that decision head on. I would like to think I would do the right thing, but I'm not sure what the right thing would be... It was certainly something I thought long and hard about as I read this book and saw the things that happened to Rose after her decision and I think readers will do some real soul searching with this question as well. Scottoline gives her readers a lot of food for thought in all of her books and this one is no different.
The mystery or crime aspect of the book was also thrilling. Rose must figure out what happened. What caused the explosion that changed her life. She doesn't just lie down under pressure. Though she is facing losing everything, her family, her livelihood, her marriage, she presses on. I have heard some who have read this book say that it was unrealistic that a mother could figure all this out when the police couldn't and I understand the argument, but I also know that outside sources often lead to solving crimes. People look at things differently, especially when they have different motivations. I thought it was completely plausible that Rose was able to come to the right conclusions. She had more at stake, she wasn't the police and more people would talk to her. She was there when the explosion happened and had a different perspective on the entire crime. I think Scottoline did a remarkable job of showing just how Rose could have solved this thing.
I recommend this one to readers who enjoy thrillers and mysteries. But I also recommend it mothers and parents. Those who are dealing with bullying or have been bullying in the past. And remember adults get bullied too! There are many ways to bully someone. This is a very emotional book, so be prepared for that. It's not light and fluffy. Make sure you have plenty of time to read before you start it because you won't want to put it down!
Save Me is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
Lisa Scottoline is the New York Times bestselling author of seventeen novels. She also writes a weekly column, called Chick Wit, for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lisa has won many honors and awards, notably the Edgar Award, given for excellence in crime fiction, and the Fun Fearless Female Award from Cosmopolitan magazine. She also teaches a course she created, called Justice and Fiction at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and regularly does speaking engagements. There are twenty-five million copies of her books in print, and she is published in over thirty other countries. Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. degree in English, and her concentration was Contemporary American Fiction, taught by Phillip Roth and others. She graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She remains a lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area, where she lives with her array of disobedient pets.
1 comment:
Been dying to read this! 5/5 - cool!
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