What do you think?
Rate this book
Save the Enemy
Zoey is at the end of her rope. Her mother is dead, and her brother, Ben, is autistic. It's senior year, and she's the new girl at a weird private school full of kids who seem too nice to be true. Her survivalist-obsessed father insisted on teaching her everything he knows which is just great for her social life. Then her father disappears, leaving Zoey as Ben's sole caretaker. Ben seems to hold the key to the disappearance in his Dream Diary: a journal of names and places Ben claims their mother shares from beyond the grave. Relying on the skills her father taught her, Zoey is plunged into a lethal battle to protect her brother, rescue her father, and determine the true meaning of the Dream Diary.
Audio CD
First published November 12, 2013
15 people are currently reading
1146 people want to read
About the author
Arin Greenwood
7 books35 followersArin Greenwood is an animal writer, novelist, and former lawyer living in St. Petersburg, Florida, with her husband, Ray, their dog Murray, and their cats Elf, Jack, and Chappy. Arin was animal welfare editor for The Huffington Post. Her stories about dogs, cats, and other critters have appeared in The Dodo, The Washington Post, Slate, Creative Loafing, The Today Show's website, the American Bar Association Journal, and other publications. Arin's third novel, Your Robot Dog Will Die, was published by Soho Teen in 2018. She is also the author of Tropical Depression and Save the Enemy.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
December 6, 2013
I really loved my friend Arin's book. It's fast-paced, funny, and blurbed by Gary Shteyngart! Arin is a quirky, delightfully absurd writer, and both her novels, "Tropical Depression" and "Save the Enemy" are charming and really fun to read.
"Save the Enemy" has the plot of a thriller, but on a deeper level it's about the main character Zoey's adolescent search for her identity. She is empathetic and imaginative (and the suggestion is that her late mother was, too), but her father and brother, the two dominant figures in her family, are rational and almost programmatic in their thinking and approach to life. On the surface of the story she is solving the mysterious crime of her mother's murder and her father's kidnapping, but underneath Zoey is navigating between the poles of who she is and who she thinks she ought to be. A thoughtful YA thriller that will make you smile.
"Save the Enemy" has the plot of a thriller, but on a deeper level it's about the main character Zoey's adolescent search for her identity. She is empathetic and imaginative (and the suggestion is that her late mother was, too), but her father and brother, the two dominant figures in her family, are rational and almost programmatic in their thinking and approach to life. On the surface of the story she is solving the mysterious crime of her mother's murder and her father's kidnapping, but underneath Zoey is navigating between the poles of who she is and who she thinks she ought to be. A thoughtful YA thriller that will make you smile.
August 13, 2016
Laugh out loud funny and disturbingly twisty - LOVED THE VOICE!!!
November 7, 2013
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars!
SAVE THE ENEMY was such a fun and thrilling ride from start to finish. I honestly enjoyed every moment of this desperate journey to find Zoey's missing father.
After coming home from school one day to discover a cigarette in the toilet and a missing father, Zoey is completely lost. Just as she's about to finally call the cops she receives a message from her father's cell phone telling her to bring the "J-File" if she wants to ever see her father alive again. Not having a clue what this file is or who has her father, Zoey knows she's going to have to take matters into her own hands. She's already lost her mother--whom she was never very close with--and knows she can't live without her dad. It's up to her and her younger brother, Ben, who is on the autistic spectrum, to figure out what to do next. Ben possibly has the key to everything, if only they knew what it meant.
Zoey had an incredible, incredible voice. I absolutely loved being inside her head. She's witty and snarky and shares the best stories about how crazy her family truly is. There was never once a dull moment, not once. This book could have been about a chicken's journey across the road and as long as Zoey was the one narrating, I would've loved every minute of it. To best demonstrate my love for the voice that is Zoey's, I have two quotes taken from the book for you:
Even as the intensity of the novel picks up with Zoey, Ben, and a boy from school, Pete, on the run, Zoey maintains her strong voice and never ceased to crack me up with one of her comments. Despite how terrifying it must be to know there are killers looking for you and they are keeping your father hostage, Zoey was extremely brave and could still keep a semi-leveled head about the entire situation. She was strong for her brother who tends to go somewhat comatose in stressful situations.
Pete comes into the picture pretty early on. Zoey has never really talked to him before but he seems eager to go along with whatever crazy idea Zoey has and won't let her do these things alone, even if he isn't exactly clued in. He was mysterious but sort of an open book at the same time. I really enjoyed his character but was still a bit wary on his intentions. Any boy that is willingly to drop everything to help someone in a stressful, and possibly life threatening situation is okay in my book!
As I mentioned, the plot was so incredibly interesting and kept my attention throughout the entire novel. One minute you think everything is going to be okay, the next you aren't so sure. While not particularly scary, SAVE THE ENEMY was still non-stop, heart pounding action. Every event was written with a purpose and I found myself more and more surprised at everything Zoey found out about her family and those around her. My only tiny little complaint is that at the beginning, a random guy named Brian is mentioned while she is class. Zoey is trying to levitate chair while talking to him. Brian is never mentioned again and I'm not really sure what her fascination with levitating things is or how this scene pertained to the story. I felt like it could've been omitted. But otherwise? I have absolutely no issues with this book. It was fantastic and something I could not put down while I was reading! I would highly recommend this book for any mystery junkie who loves wonderful main characters full of heart and wit. This was Greenwood's first YA novel and I definitely will be reading more from her in the future.
I received a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This review can be found at: The Bookish Daydreamer
SAVE THE ENEMY was such a fun and thrilling ride from start to finish. I honestly enjoyed every moment of this desperate journey to find Zoey's missing father.
After coming home from school one day to discover a cigarette in the toilet and a missing father, Zoey is completely lost. Just as she's about to finally call the cops she receives a message from her father's cell phone telling her to bring the "J-File" if she wants to ever see her father alive again. Not having a clue what this file is or who has her father, Zoey knows she's going to have to take matters into her own hands. She's already lost her mother--whom she was never very close with--and knows she can't live without her dad. It's up to her and her younger brother, Ben, who is on the autistic spectrum, to figure out what to do next. Ben possibly has the key to everything, if only they knew what it meant.
Zoey had an incredible, incredible voice. I absolutely loved being inside her head. She's witty and snarky and shares the best stories about how crazy her family truly is. There was never once a dull moment, not once. This book could have been about a chicken's journey across the road and as long as Zoey was the one narrating, I would've loved every minute of it. To best demonstrate my love for the voice that is Zoey's, I have two quotes taken from the book for you:
"Your dad probably read you books like The Giving Tree when you were a kid. My dad did read me The Giving Tree once, calling it 'evil' in that it 'promotes the immortal destruction of the self.' (I was four.)" --p. 9
"All these Shenandoah School girls: they are polite and persuasive, sporty yet bookish. That's how they convinced me. They said lacrosse would be easy. They said that it'd be a great way to meet people. And so fun, especially the away games. Time off from afternoon classes! Special treatment! A bus ride to a new place! Mom agreed. It would be a first for her otherwise blank Zoey checklist: check, my disappointing daughter is participating in team sports for once." --p. 16
Even as the intensity of the novel picks up with Zoey, Ben, and a boy from school, Pete, on the run, Zoey maintains her strong voice and never ceased to crack me up with one of her comments. Despite how terrifying it must be to know there are killers looking for you and they are keeping your father hostage, Zoey was extremely brave and could still keep a semi-leveled head about the entire situation. She was strong for her brother who tends to go somewhat comatose in stressful situations.
Pete comes into the picture pretty early on. Zoey has never really talked to him before but he seems eager to go along with whatever crazy idea Zoey has and won't let her do these things alone, even if he isn't exactly clued in. He was mysterious but sort of an open book at the same time. I really enjoyed his character but was still a bit wary on his intentions. Any boy that is willingly to drop everything to help someone in a stressful, and possibly life threatening situation is okay in my book!
As I mentioned, the plot was so incredibly interesting and kept my attention throughout the entire novel. One minute you think everything is going to be okay, the next you aren't so sure. While not particularly scary, SAVE THE ENEMY was still non-stop, heart pounding action. Every event was written with a purpose and I found myself more and more surprised at everything Zoey found out about her family and those around her. My only tiny little complaint is that at the beginning, a random guy named Brian is mentioned while she is class. Zoey is trying to levitate chair while talking to him. Brian is never mentioned again and I'm not really sure what her fascination with levitating things is or how this scene pertained to the story. I felt like it could've been omitted. But otherwise? I have absolutely no issues with this book. It was fantastic and something I could not put down while I was reading! I would highly recommend this book for any mystery junkie who loves wonderful main characters full of heart and wit. This was Greenwood's first YA novel and I definitely will be reading more from her in the future.
I received a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This review can be found at: The Bookish Daydreamer
December 28, 2013
After the lose of her mother and her loving dog Zoey's life after moving to a new town was nothing that a teenage girl wanted. She wasn't popular and her brother was a big handful.
She one day notices the absence of her father, and she is having a very rough time keeping her and her brother afloat. Though a text from her fathers phone does nothing to calm her nerves.
Zoey now had to find the people who had taken her father and why, but she didnt have to do it alone. The boy who was slowly falling for her was with her every step of the way.
Will she find her father? Is he going to be alive? Who took him? Whey did they take him?
I realy enjoyed this book. This book was very capting and exciting. It kept me on my toes and held my attention and was over all very interesting. Great book
She one day notices the absence of her father, and she is having a very rough time keeping her and her brother afloat. Though a text from her fathers phone does nothing to calm her nerves.
Zoey now had to find the people who had taken her father and why, but she didnt have to do it alone. The boy who was slowly falling for her was with her every step of the way.
Will she find her father? Is he going to be alive? Who took him? Whey did they take him?
I realy enjoyed this book. This book was very capting and exciting. It kept me on my toes and held my attention and was over all very interesting. Great book
June 2, 2014
This book has an interesting premise. Dead mom, autistic brother, kidnapped dad, what's a girl to do? Oh, right, get mom's help because she communicates with the brother in his dreams.
But it goes off the rails, first in small ways and then in gigantic leaps that make the Transformers movies seem intricately plotted and entirely plausible.
The first time i really noticed it was when the girl is less upset about a random classmate basically moving into her house than she is about the fact that she apparently can't use the toilet with a non-family male in the house. Her dad's kidnapping bothers her less than her self-imposed constipation.
Then it becomes, quite frankly, nonsense.
I can't even imagine the target market for this book, except perhaps teenage girls who have toiletting issues.
But it goes off the rails, first in small ways and then in gigantic leaps that make the Transformers movies seem intricately plotted and entirely plausible.
The first time i really noticed it was when the girl is less upset about a random classmate basically moving into her house than she is about the fact that she apparently can't use the toilet with a non-family male in the house. Her dad's kidnapping bothers her less than her self-imposed constipation.
Then it becomes, quite frankly, nonsense.
I can't even imagine the target market for this book, except perhaps teenage girls who have toiletting issues.
December 10, 2013
Save the Enemy was a true mystery thriller. The author really know how to keep you in suspense until the final moment and keep the pages flipping. I'm a little new to this kind of genre and I most certainly was not disappointed. What made this book truly special was the main character Zoey. Getting inside her head as her father goes missing and having to look after her autistic brother Ben and discover the truth about her parents while the whole time her whole is being completely flipped upside down was beyond brilliantly done. A big flaw with books with female main characters is that they can get whiny or annoying, but this never happened. Zoey was witty and strong and I couldn't get enough of her (especially when mysterious boy Pete shows up). Loved it. Recommend to anyone!
February 2, 2022
Poorly written, Shakopee characters, pointless plot of people doing irrational things for no clear motivation. A real waste of my time and brain cells didn't trying to decider any purpose, character motivation or plot connections that don't really make sense. Plus casual assassin's, fills who want to eat their alpacas and do when they're juked by random meteorite, nilism might explain the plot or some ayn rand inspired plot lacking meaning and shallow people not connecting to anyone and each just in they're own personal confusions and the narrator is both unreliable and uninteresting. It's kind of like the worst finance you've ever read converted into a murder mystery. I'm don't trying to understand it, as it's probably just poorly written.
March 1, 2018
Don't read this. It's terrible. By reading the summary, I thought the premise was pretty good but the execution made me want to rip out my own hair. The characters are absolutely shallow and not really likeable, especially the main character. The plot is weird, full of plot holes and isn't really interesting. Books usually are character-driven, plot-driven, or world-driven and this story falls flat on all aspects.
February 25, 2017
I think the book was pretty good for ya readers who love a mystery ❤
There were some parts in the books when I was like, WHAAAT?! I think the mystery of Zoey's dad being kidnapped was great. However, I think that Zoey's character was a little... raw. She could've been more stronger and braver than her character portrayed in the book.
There were some parts in the books when I was like, WHAAAT?! I think the mystery of Zoey's dad being kidnapped was great. However, I think that Zoey's character was a little... raw. She could've been more stronger and braver than her character portrayed in the book.
August 8, 2017
I listened to the audiobook and literally have never laughed so hard. This book was hilarious, even though the storyline was very tragic. I wish I could find more audiobooks by this author.
October 5, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyable, well-paced with a funny & lovable main character. My students are reading this for our Book Club right now. So far, good feedback.
October 10, 2022
Good thriller with believable action by well realized characters. I especially liked the involvement of Ben, the autistic brother. Take nothing for granted.
March 12, 2017
Really couldn't get into this...
January 30, 2016
This book grabbed my attention the instant I read the synopsis. I was very excited to get a copy of the audio. I love audio and this was the perfect book to listen for audio. The story was suspenseful, well put together, and very exciting. I was caught up on the action from start to finish. It was everything I thought it would be.
Zoey and her younger brother, Ben, live with their father just trying to make it through the every day steps of life since their mother was killed. Zoey comes home one day to find her brother waiting on the front porch, a cigarette butt in the toilet, and her father missing. All very strange things, especially when added up together. Ben is autistic and shouldn't be left alone and no on in the house smokes. After a day or so of her father missing, Zoey gets a threat and and a command to hand over the Jfile if she wants to see her father again. There is even more strangeness going on including visits from her ghost mother, odd truths about her father, and a cute boy hanging out with her in the midst of all the weirdness. All three, Zoey, Ben, and the cute boy, Pete, go on a hunt to find her father and the Jfile. This brings in new issues, like danger, secrets, and betrayals.
This book was pretty cool and everything a mystery thriller should be. The writing was done well and fit the story perfectly. The tone, the setting, the pacing, it was all just right to make a very thrilling read. I was always searching for truths and never getting close. I was in the dark until the author wanted to shed the light. I was very pleased by the level of mystery in this book. The pacing was very quick and the story never slowed or felt sluggish. I was entertained through out and very satisfied in the end.
The writing was just the beginning. The characters were pretty darn awesome too. I loved Zoey, she was one strong girl. She would do anything for those she loved and that included putting herself in the pit of danger. She was very fast thinking, quick on her feet, and determined. She made a great detective when she needed to be a great detective. She was very lost in the beginning and couldn't believe the turn of events in her life and at first she was a frightened girl but when it all hit, and hit her hard, she hit the pavement running and didn't slow down until the job was done.
Ben was another awesome character. I love autistic characters, they are very entertaining and when they are done well, I can appreciate the uniqueness and difficulties that come with being autistic. Ben was amazing, smart and blunt. He didn't have any trouble keeping up with his sister.
Pete was also a great secondary character. I could see from the very beginning there was more to him than what was he allowed to be seen. When his true colors came through I liked him more than I did in the beginning. Very sweet and very loyal. He was Zoey's love interest and it was a sweet and cute romance.
The book really did well as an audio. I think this book was more enjoyable because of the audio. I do believe that the book would have been pretty good read but the audio really made it more intense for me. The narrator did a wonderful job getting the town just right and making the characters come alive. Each character was their own and very different from the rest of the cast. She did well keeping the personalities and the voices very unique. I would love to listen to more from this narrator.
A very good read, thrilling, intriguing, and fulfilling. I got exactly what I was hoping for.
August 9, 2017
This whole book the main character, Zoey is doing nothing. She letting these people randomly lead her somewhere. She would of been dead already. She is not that smart. I thought she was going to be this kick ass girl who was going to save her dad who was kidnapped. Talking about things that I did not care for and a lot randomness. All of a sudden she starts talking about her clothes, your dad is kidnapped and your thinking about something else. There was no thriller to this or action. She didn't have much contact with the kidnappers. They texted her twice to get something for them and she met someone once who she kicked untill he was down. She mets that person later on again and somehow knocked him out, she did think why is he trying to kill her but never thought to tie him up and ask him. This whole book she doesn't even know if her father is even alive. I got tired of hearing her 'dad says this, dad says that' I don't know what was going on in Peters head, what kind of person is he?. Is he cool, funny, etc. He doesn't even feel mystrious to me. I did not understand the releationship between Zoey and peter. The Author writes a lot of 'she says, he says, I say, peter said, ben said' Its just Plain. The author kept writing four ???? when zoey is asking questions in her head. (Ex. who are the hell is P.F???? who are any of the P.F.s????)
This Quote "I look for Roscoe. I miss my parents. I have this crazy feeling of wanting to make babies with pete." WHAT!? That last sentence is so random.
"as if P.F. is really fucking dumb." The Cursing comes out of nowhere. There was no cursing in the beginning and it just seemed out of place.
She splet with her best friend, Molly's ex boyfriend. Molly was mad at her and she wasn't speaking with her. I guess she still had feeling for her ex. Then her friend gets thrown in to all this mess but then she just disappears. she could be dead. Then at the end pete says he's going to look for her. That whole thing with Molly was confusing.
A lot of Unnesscesary things like a metorite, zoey having to take a diarrhea. She says "I think I might have diarrhea" that was just random. A lot of stuff could of been left out.
I'm only giving it 2 stars because the mom was the assassin. Peter was a P.F. And because I finished the book.
This Quote "I look for Roscoe. I miss my parents. I have this crazy feeling of wanting to make babies with pete." WHAT!? That last sentence is so random.
"as if P.F. is really fucking dumb." The Cursing comes out of nowhere. There was no cursing in the beginning and it just seemed out of place.
She splet with her best friend, Molly's ex boyfriend. Molly was mad at her and she wasn't speaking with her. I guess she still had feeling for her ex. Then her friend gets thrown in to all this mess but then she just disappears. she could be dead. Then at the end pete says he's going to look for her. That whole thing with Molly was confusing.
A lot of Unnesscesary things like a metorite, zoey having to take a diarrhea. She says "I think I might have diarrhea" that was just random. A lot of stuff could of been left out.
I'm only giving it 2 stars because the mom was the assassin. Peter was a P.F. And because I finished the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2014
Heh. Save the Enemy is a clever way of saying "Save that boy." That boy will be Pete something-something.
Yawn! That's all I'm going to say about Save The Enemy. Actually, all the similar words and adjectives all fit with "Yawn!" You don't have to read my review to know about the overall message of my review. You know, I'm feeling sleepy, too.
I know. I know. It's been a few days since I opened my mouth on this blog (or my Goodreads Account). A few hours since I last typed a word. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I had been busy and I still am. I can't seem to find a break in between my work. I can't even seem to find a break for my reading. I have a lot of work to do. Heh, heh. Ha, ha.
Okay. Save the Enemy is ridiculously complicated. Apparently, there's a ton of bad things with Zoey's parents. They are involved with assassinating a bunch of people, hence the ransom note for the J-File. The J-File brings up some issues. For one, the J-File is said to be destroyed by Zoey's mother. And the kidnappers of Good Old Dad want the J-File. That's some problems, obviously. No ransom and advantage for Zoey.
The J-File is a list of names of people who died by the hands of an assassin. While the book and plot drones on about the mystery behind the assassin, the J-File reveals that Zoey's brother, Ben, memorized some of the J-File.
It gets even more confusing. There's a group of people named P.F. who are stalking Zoey, Ben, and anyone related to them. I mean, every person in the group is named P.F. I kid you not. Every person. I stress this: every person is named P.F. Of course, there's probably some variations of the name (Pop Frank, Peter Francis, Pan Fried), but the initials are all the same. And then that leads to a more mysterious story arc.
It's a boring book. Ben's character never builds. Zoey is always focus on her father, so her character doesn't build other than being a dutiful daughter from the beginning to end. And Pete? Well, I don't even know why he fell in love with Zoey. Sorry, Zoey. Sorry, author of this boring book.
The most character build is Zoey's father. He's a rather cynical and very opinionated man. I'm very confident that he's in love with his own voice.
Rating: One out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
Yawn! That's all I'm going to say about Save The Enemy. Actually, all the similar words and adjectives all fit with "Yawn!" You don't have to read my review to know about the overall message of my review. You know, I'm feeling sleepy, too.
I know. I know. It's been a few days since I opened my mouth on this blog (or my Goodreads Account). A few hours since I last typed a word. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I had been busy and I still am. I can't seem to find a break in between my work. I can't even seem to find a break for my reading. I have a lot of work to do. Heh, heh. Ha, ha.
Okay. Save the Enemy is ridiculously complicated. Apparently, there's a ton of bad things with Zoey's parents. They are involved with assassinating a bunch of people, hence the ransom note for the J-File. The J-File brings up some issues. For one, the J-File is said to be destroyed by Zoey's mother. And the kidnappers of Good Old Dad want the J-File. That's some problems, obviously. No ransom and advantage for Zoey.
The J-File is a list of names of people who died by the hands of an assassin. While the book and plot drones on about the mystery behind the assassin, the J-File reveals that Zoey's brother, Ben, memorized some of the J-File.
It gets even more confusing. There's a group of people named P.F. who are stalking Zoey, Ben, and anyone related to them. I mean, every person in the group is named P.F. I kid you not. Every person. I stress this: every person is named P.F. Of course, there's probably some variations of the name (Pop Frank, Peter Francis, Pan Fried), but the initials are all the same. And then that leads to a more mysterious story arc.
It's a boring book. Ben's character never builds. Zoey is always focus on her father, so her character doesn't build other than being a dutiful daughter from the beginning to end. And Pete? Well, I don't even know why he fell in love with Zoey. Sorry, Zoey. Sorry, author of this boring book.
The most character build is Zoey's father. He's a rather cynical and very opinionated man. I'm very confident that he's in love with his own voice.
Rating: One out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
September 13, 2016
Summary:
Zoey is beginning her senior year at a new private school in Alexandria, VA. Her mother has died, her brother has autism, and her father is not helping her get a life. Nothing seems to be going well, but that doesn't stop things from getting much worse. All of a sudden, her father is kidnapped and she is left to take care of Ben, while also make friends and see what a fairly new relationship with the cute guy, Pete, may lead to. It's all just a little too much. When Zoey begins to get weird text messages and Ben seems to be a necessity in finding her father, she has to suck it up and uncover what is really going on (this includes way more than you would thing).
My thoughts:
While I enjoyed this novel, I felt like there were more twists than a single book really needed. This almost felt like an action movie where things were just thrown in for effect, not necessarily to make for an interesting plot. The saving grace is that Zoey and Ben are amazing characters. Zoey is not a superhero, but also not a weakling struggling with her identity. She comes across as a real teenager. The martial arts/self defense that she is using to help fight off the bad guys is perfectly normal for a girl that has had some training in that field. She doesn't have super strength that stuns her or anything like that. She also is a typical high school talk a mile a minute type of girl. I enjoyed that part because I felt like I could hear my high school girls talking in the same manner. Ben is also an amazing character. While he is harder to understand, he is well developed and adds more than detracts in the search for what's happening. A lot of the character development happens between Zoey and Ben as they struggle to understand, trust, and work with one another. Zoey particularly struggles with this, but I felt like her growth because of Ben was exciting to read about. This would easily be a five star book if we took out about 1/3 of the unnecessary turns and really focused on the central plot with the development of these two fascinating characters.
Zoey is beginning her senior year at a new private school in Alexandria, VA. Her mother has died, her brother has autism, and her father is not helping her get a life. Nothing seems to be going well, but that doesn't stop things from getting much worse. All of a sudden, her father is kidnapped and she is left to take care of Ben, while also make friends and see what a fairly new relationship with the cute guy, Pete, may lead to. It's all just a little too much. When Zoey begins to get weird text messages and Ben seems to be a necessity in finding her father, she has to suck it up and uncover what is really going on (this includes way more than you would thing).
My thoughts:
While I enjoyed this novel, I felt like there were more twists than a single book really needed. This almost felt like an action movie where things were just thrown in for effect, not necessarily to make for an interesting plot. The saving grace is that Zoey and Ben are amazing characters. Zoey is not a superhero, but also not a weakling struggling with her identity. She comes across as a real teenager. The martial arts/self defense that she is using to help fight off the bad guys is perfectly normal for a girl that has had some training in that field. She doesn't have super strength that stuns her or anything like that. She also is a typical high school talk a mile a minute type of girl. I enjoyed that part because I felt like I could hear my high school girls talking in the same manner. Ben is also an amazing character. While he is harder to understand, he is well developed and adds more than detracts in the search for what's happening. A lot of the character development happens between Zoey and Ben as they struggle to understand, trust, and work with one another. Zoey particularly struggles with this, but I felt like her growth because of Ben was exciting to read about. This would easily be a five star book if we took out about 1/3 of the unnecessary turns and really focused on the central plot with the development of these two fascinating characters.
February 13, 2014
Save The Enemy
By
Arin Greenwood
What it's all about...
Zoey's mom is murdered, her father is kidnapped and she is left with her autistic little brother...Ben.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Oh my...Zoey's thought processes are hysterical especially when she is looking after her autistic brother...who...by the way...is very funny, too. He refuses to brush his teeth, wears his missing father's T-shirts and spouts statistics constantly.
The entire situation is odd just because Zoey has no clue why her father would be a kidnap victim. Then there is Pete...wealthy Pete...Zoey's classmate and now her partner in crime. He suddenly seems to be with Zoey and Ben...all of the time...he even makes breakfast. Ok...so...someone wants a j-file but Zoey has no clue where to find it. Without it...her father will not be returned.
She relies on cryptic messages that Ben says he gets from their dead mother to help her decide what to do and where to go.
What I loved best...
I loved the characters, I loved their quirkiness and I loved their banter. Loved loved loved Ben...there is something so sweetly charming and funny about him and his facts.
My ending thoughts for potential readers...
This is a very funny very sweet YA book. Dry witty humor is everywhere. I could almost laugh out loud at some of Zoey thoughts and comments.
I really enjoyed this book!
Just know that there are some not so nice words in this book...but...they are kind of necessary! Lol...
Sent from my iPad2 by PattyLouise
By
Arin Greenwood
What it's all about...
Zoey's mom is murdered, her father is kidnapped and she is left with her autistic little brother...Ben.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Oh my...Zoey's thought processes are hysterical especially when she is looking after her autistic brother...who...by the way...is very funny, too. He refuses to brush his teeth, wears his missing father's T-shirts and spouts statistics constantly.
The entire situation is odd just because Zoey has no clue why her father would be a kidnap victim. Then there is Pete...wealthy Pete...Zoey's classmate and now her partner in crime. He suddenly seems to be with Zoey and Ben...all of the time...he even makes breakfast. Ok...so...someone wants a j-file but Zoey has no clue where to find it. Without it...her father will not be returned.
She relies on cryptic messages that Ben says he gets from their dead mother to help her decide what to do and where to go.
What I loved best...
I loved the characters, I loved their quirkiness and I loved their banter. Loved loved loved Ben...there is something so sweetly charming and funny about him and his facts.
My ending thoughts for potential readers...
This is a very funny very sweet YA book. Dry witty humor is everywhere. I could almost laugh out loud at some of Zoey thoughts and comments.
I really enjoyed this book!
Just know that there are some not so nice words in this book...but...they are kind of necessary! Lol...
Sent from my iPad2 by PattyLouise
January 31, 2015
I hate giving up on a book, but I couldn't make it through this Young Adult novel. I received this book months ago for review through Goodreads First Reads.
Save the Enemy centers on a girl called Zoey who recently moved to the D.C. area with her parents and brother, Ben. Shortly after they arrive, her mother is killed in a mugging while walking their dog, then her father is kidnapped. Zoey, only seventeen, now has the responsibility to take care of her brother and find a way to save her dad.
This type of story isn't a typical read for me, but the synopsis sounded interesting enough. However, when I received the book and started reading the first chapter or so, I questioned the writing. Coming back to the book months later, my opinion still hasn't changed. I made it through 100 pages of this book and didn't enjoy it.
It pains me not to finish a book. The writing just isn't strong enough for me to continue on with it. The main character, Zoey, isn't endearing. She is going through an existential crisis, while dealing with the loss of both parents, all the while judging EVERYONE around her and quoting German philosophers. I don't know if the ideas, presented in the book as Zoey's father's, reflect the author's own political agenda, but the majority of the portion I read centered on those views. All in all, this book is not for me, and I do not plan to finish it.
Save the Enemy centers on a girl called Zoey who recently moved to the D.C. area with her parents and brother, Ben. Shortly after they arrive, her mother is killed in a mugging while walking their dog, then her father is kidnapped. Zoey, only seventeen, now has the responsibility to take care of her brother and find a way to save her dad.
This type of story isn't a typical read for me, but the synopsis sounded interesting enough. However, when I received the book and started reading the first chapter or so, I questioned the writing. Coming back to the book months later, my opinion still hasn't changed. I made it through 100 pages of this book and didn't enjoy it.
It pains me not to finish a book. The writing just isn't strong enough for me to continue on with it. The main character, Zoey, isn't endearing. She is going through an existential crisis, while dealing with the loss of both parents, all the while judging EVERYONE around her and quoting German philosophers. I don't know if the ideas, presented in the book as Zoey's father's, reflect the author's own political agenda, but the majority of the portion I read centered on those views. All in all, this book is not for me, and I do not plan to finish it.
November 8, 2013
http://amberleannbookreviews.blogspot...
I won a advance edition of this book on goodreads to read and review. This book's Expected Publication is November 13th 2013.
I enjoyed this book and thought it was really cool. Zoey's dad gets kidnapped and she tries to take care of her brother while saving him.
This book has a lot of flashbacks and back story which I liked. You got to know a lot about her family and life before hand. Which is good other wise the book would be so short. Its not like all the other books where trying to get who has been kidnapped takes the whole book and they think everything threw and its all action like and intense. No Zoey is pretty normal and doesn't think like all smart about it. Actually some of the things that go threw her mind while she is trying to save her dad can be pretty funny.
I found this a good book and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. (Even though if I didn't get it in a give away I was gonna find it at my library when it came out cause it just sounded to good not to read.)
Oh I also wonder if there is going to be a second book and how that might possibly turn out. This one had a good ending but there are some possibility's for a second book I think and that would be cool. If there isn't a second book all well cause this was still a neat book I enjoyed reading. :)
I won a advance edition of this book on goodreads to read and review. This book's Expected Publication is November 13th 2013.
I enjoyed this book and thought it was really cool. Zoey's dad gets kidnapped and she tries to take care of her brother while saving him.
This book has a lot of flashbacks and back story which I liked. You got to know a lot about her family and life before hand. Which is good other wise the book would be so short. Its not like all the other books where trying to get who has been kidnapped takes the whole book and they think everything threw and its all action like and intense. No Zoey is pretty normal and doesn't think like all smart about it. Actually some of the things that go threw her mind while she is trying to save her dad can be pretty funny.
I found this a good book and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. (Even though if I didn't get it in a give away I was gonna find it at my library when it came out cause it just sounded to good not to read.)
Oh I also wonder if there is going to be a second book and how that might possibly turn out. This one had a good ending but there are some possibility's for a second book I think and that would be cool. If there isn't a second book all well cause this was still a neat book I enjoyed reading. :)
March 30, 2014
This is not a book that I enjoyed reading. The Trask family has recently moved from Rhode Island to the Washington D. C. area. Along with navigating a new school, seventeen year old Zoey is also missing her murdered mother and missing husky, Roscoe. When her dad fails to pick her up from lacrosse practice, at first Zoey doesn’t suspect the worst. But soon, it becomes clear that her father has been kidnapped - and that her autistic younger brother is having dream conversations with their mother that contains information many people want their hands on.
While I do have a fondness for mysteries that throw people into them, the characters here just unlikable and rather unbelievable. The plot lacks any genuine tension or sense of urgency. And the viewpoints of her family are presented in a repetitive manner. It’s also rather amusing how hard the author comes down on the evils of smoking but no moralizing about drinking or sex. Parents may also be surprised by the amount of foul language in this YA book.
Zoey’s success at disarming assassins really defies belief, too. The stream of conciousness style to her perspective is awfully disjointed (she thinks about clothes, dating, et cetera a lot for someone thrust into a nightmare). The ending isn’t complete, either, though if a sequel is intended I will certainly not be reading it. I wish I hadn’t bothered to finish this one..
August 22, 2013
I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads program and I am writing a review to say thank you. Thank you to Goodreads and to Soho Press!
This book was really different from what I was expecting, but it was really fun. Zoey's family is really interesting, unique, and I liked the way the Trask family was portrayed. I do think the reader needs to suspend a certain amount of disbelief throughout the story, though - Save the Enemy is definitely a bit over the top, but that's what makes it such a fun read. Zoey felt authentic and I really liked that.
Another thing I really enjoyed is Zoey's voice. She's funny and very out there, which I liked a lot, and her interactions with the other characters in the book were fun to read. My only complaint in regards to her character was at times she seemed to put off moving the story forward, which was a bit frustrating because I wanted to know what was going to happen!
My only other major complaint is one I can't include in the review due to spoilers, but overall this was a really fun, over-the-top read, so as long as you're on board with that as a reader, this is a book you should enjoy. I am hoping that there might be another book written in the future!
This book was really different from what I was expecting, but it was really fun. Zoey's family is really interesting, unique, and I liked the way the Trask family was portrayed. I do think the reader needs to suspend a certain amount of disbelief throughout the story, though - Save the Enemy is definitely a bit over the top, but that's what makes it such a fun read. Zoey felt authentic and I really liked that.
Another thing I really enjoyed is Zoey's voice. She's funny and very out there, which I liked a lot, and her interactions with the other characters in the book were fun to read. My only complaint in regards to her character was at times she seemed to put off moving the story forward, which was a bit frustrating because I wanted to know what was going to happen!
My only other major complaint is one I can't include in the review due to spoilers, but overall this was a really fun, over-the-top read, so as long as you're on board with that as a reader, this is a book you should enjoy. I am hoping that there might be another book written in the future!
June 28, 2014
I loved the story, and I loved the characters even more - especially the fact that they're so flawed. (Zoey, for instance, loves her little brother but catches herself thinking of him as a "freak" or "weird". Their mother was good to Ben, but over-critical towards Zoey.)
The writing style could have been a little more finessed, though: there were a lot of sentence fragments which could have strung into sentences with the aid of commas and semi-colons. There were also some odd little typographical errors ("newsstand" where I think the author meant to say "nightstand"; I think this might have been a word processor auto-correct, though), and one point in the book that didn't make sense involving a cell phone that wasn't working one minute, yet Zoey was calling somebody on it at another moment. (Perhaps Zoey had borrowed Pete's cell? I'm not sure.)
But other than that: great characters, honest narration, snappy dialogue, and a plot that was unpredictable but not totally out there.
The writing style could have been a little more finessed, though: there were a lot of sentence fragments which could have strung into sentences with the aid of commas and semi-colons. There were also some odd little typographical errors ("newsstand" where I think the author meant to say "nightstand"; I think this might have been a word processor auto-correct, though), and one point in the book that didn't make sense involving a cell phone that wasn't working one minute, yet Zoey was calling somebody on it at another moment. (Perhaps Zoey had borrowed Pete's cell? I'm not sure.)
But other than that: great characters, honest narration, snappy dialogue, and a plot that was unpredictable but not totally out there.
December 23, 2013
Zoey Trask's mother was killed in a random mugging. Her life is turned upside down once again when her father is kidnapped and she receives a text message demanding the J-file in return for his life. To solve this mystery, she needs the help of her 14 year old genius - autistic brother who receives cryptic messages from Mom in his sleep. Along the way, Zoey enlists the help of cute-boy Pete who just might know more than he is telling. I didn't like this book at all. The only character remotely likable was genius Ben and his unending list of facts. I am also annoyed by the cheapening of our language when even the female characters can only use adjectives and adverbs beginning with the letter F. I wonder why it necessary to pepper these books with foul language. Maybe I am the only person in the universe upset at the coarsening of our culture.
August 25, 2016
I read about half of the story before I finally just ended it. Why didn't I like the book? *Pete: Who acts like that? *I didn't like when the main character (Zoey) seemed to be talking to me. (such as: Your dad may have read you books like the Giving Tree, mine read . . ) *There were too many "funny" comments written as Zoey's thoughts. To me, they were just distracting. *I couldn't understand why Zoey was even thinking about a boy, parties, etc. when her father was missing, leaving her the huge responsibility of taking care of her autistic brother. What normal person would not call his/her aunt or uncle for help?!
December 20, 2013
I started evaluating this book to suggest to my son. I found about it after an interview of Arin Greenwood with Reason Magazine. I was intrigued by the setting of the novel, the daughter of a Libertarian man. I liked the combination of creativity, sarcasm, diversions, and fun. It seems like a book that kids and teens would love, indeed my son just started and he is hook to the book. Despite I think that Greenwood made a great job for her audience, I gave *** because I like better non-fiction or deeper novels.
Read
February 21, 2016This was a really good and fast paced book. It was very adventurous. The girl is very quirky and awkward, more like a normal girl, so some people can connect. It was slow at the beginning, which I did not enjoy. It also had a lot of random flashbacks or "story time" passages that I really did not need to know about. However, I did like this book. It did not really say what happened to her friend, but I am guessing that she is going to be okay and that she and Pete are dating now. The J-file, it was a plot twist. Good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2014
When I heard about this book, I thought I would love it because it had an intriguing plot in an area that I'm familiar with. I was wrong.
For me, Zoey's character was unlikable, unrealistic, and irritating, as were the other characters. The plot seemed interesting but it didn't live up to my expectations.
Normally, I love every book I read and I hate to give a book a bad-ish rating, but this book truly annoyed me.
For me, Zoey's character was unlikable, unrealistic, and irritating, as were the other characters. The plot seemed interesting but it didn't live up to my expectations.
Normally, I love every book I read and I hate to give a book a bad-ish rating, but this book truly annoyed me.
March 28, 2016
Why did not like this book. I thought that the characters were well thought-out I didn't quite understand how the author I didn't quite understand how the other put the plot together. Zoey what is been a better character if she remembered her training. The total lack of Parental Guidance in Ben and Zoey's life just seemed to impossible to get into. And Zoey was too trusting for someone with all that survival training.
Read
December 3, 2015Graded By: Mandy C.
Cover Story: Damp Big Face
BFF Charm: Nope
Swoonworthy Scale: 2
Talky Talk: Catch-12
Bonus Factor: Conspiracy
Relationship Status: Forget Me Yes
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Damp Big Face
BFF Charm: Nope
Swoonworthy Scale: 2
Talky Talk: Catch-12
Bonus Factor: Conspiracy
Relationship Status: Forget Me Yes
Read the full book report here.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews