Saving Me, by Sadie Allen | Book Review #355

Thank you to Sadie Allen for allowing me to read
Saving Me in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warning:
Suicidal Thoughts
Attempted Suicide
Depression
Anxiety
Parental Abuse

On the outside, Ally has everything any teenager could want. She’s beautiful, popular, and athletic. She has the right friends, an adoring boyfriend, and the picture-perfect family.

Too bad it’s all a lie.

Every day she’s dying a little on the inside, drowning in everyone’s expectations and opinions, the weight of it all pulling her under.

She wants to do the unthinkable … until a boy with shaggy hair, unusual eyes, and a lip ring changes her plans.

---

Prior to actually getting down to the nitty-gritty of this novel, I was hesitant to read Saving Me. Having dealt with suicidal thoughts of my own before, I wasn’t sure if I would end up finishing this novel. With that said though, I am so glad that I finished reading Saving Me.

Another thing that I’m grateful for, is the authors note. The authors note beforehand really gives us an inkling on what to expect in this novel. The authors note also serves as a little trigger warning, and what the author believes (I’ll leave that for you to figure out).

There isn’t anything that I have problems with storytelling-wise. The problem I have with Saving Me is just that I strongly dislike Ally’s father. I don’t like how small-minded he is. He’s racist, homophobic, and abusive to his wife and child.

What I liked about Saving Me was that the character development that we see Ally go through. It was like watching a the most heartwarming sunrise. — There were moments in the story where Ally had literally no control over her life. We didn’t see Ally laugh, we saw her live with severe depression. And, slowly, we saw Ally grow into a brilliant person. Hence the sunrise comparison.

So within Saving Me there are definitely some heavier parts to the novel. Don’t get me wrong, the heavier parts are heavy. However, those heavier parts are balanced out with moments that were light. I like that in these heavier moments, I could giggle and laugh. You have no idea how much I was giggling at these kids’ antics! (you have no idea how old i feel saying that)

I like that Ally learned to not only stand up for herself to her abuser, but Ally for her friends, her mother, and the boy she loves, to her father. That part is extremely memorable, and I know that I’ll be remembering it for the rest of my life.

What all is said and done, Ally is a character that I unexpectedly connected with from start to finish. At the end of Saving Me, Ally is a character that I admire. She stood up for not only herself, but for her loved ones. And she grew so beautifully.

I like that a lot of the loose ends were wrapped up nicely.

Overall, Saving Me is a book that I am incredibly thankful to have read. It also helps that I love Sadie Allen’s writing. Nevertheless, I’m very happy that I got to read Saving Me. I ended up loving Ally’s story way more than I thought I would.

I give Saving Me, 4 stars.

Happy Reading!
— Adele