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Saving Ivy
Ivy Hazeldine is a 15-year-old girl who lived in a small town named, Stowe. Her family wasn’t perfect, but she managed to be happy. Unfortunately one day after school, her life took a tragic turn. She found out her mother had been brutally murdered. And unsurprisingly, things only got more complicated when she found out who the murderer was.
Ivy was sent to live with her Aunt Wiley. They both hoped time would heal Ivy’s pain, but they were wrong. The pain was still withering through her bones and her life only got more problematic. The people in her town harassed her for the gory details of her family’s past, made up horrifying stories about her and broke her until she couldn’t take anymore.
She was on a desperate mission to get out of her town and away from the spotlight. But truthfully, it was her distasteful thoughts that pushed her over board. They took over her body and forced her to act on things she never dreamt of doing. And, while Ivy wanted out, Aunt Wiley did everything to make her stay. Were Aunt Wiley’s efforts to help Ivy see the silver lining in her tragic life enough?
This book contains material relating to sexual assault, suicide and violence which may be triggering to some.
Ivy was sent to live with her Aunt Wiley. They both hoped time would heal Ivy’s pain, but they were wrong. The pain was still withering through her bones and her life only got more problematic. The people in her town harassed her for the gory details of her family’s past, made up horrifying stories about her and broke her until she couldn’t take anymore.
She was on a desperate mission to get out of her town and away from the spotlight. But truthfully, it was her distasteful thoughts that pushed her over board. They took over her body and forced her to act on things she never dreamt of doing. And, while Ivy wanted out, Aunt Wiley did everything to make her stay. Were Aunt Wiley’s efforts to help Ivy see the silver lining in her tragic life enough?
This book contains material relating to sexual assault, suicide and violence which may be triggering to some.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2017
10 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 4, 2019
Emily truly has a way with expressing feelings and bringing hard to talk about topics to light.
Saving Ivy, is a tremulous story on how Ivy struggles with her family drama and in between the arms of her aunt Wiley.
Struggling with her own personal-self issues with suicide on her mind 24-7. Everything in Ivy's life crumbles after the death of her Mother. Her father Joseph is everyone's biggest downfall and in the end he is his worst enemy.
Saving Ivy contains a whirlwind of emotions that so many families and ourselves go through on a daily basis. Heartbreak, Loss and lack of self-esteem.
Through each character perspective, anyone who reads this story will feel for Ivy and her family and maybe even themselves.
I read this book back in May this year and I can still feel the pain from Ivy and her Aunt Wiley and let me tell you, I'll never forget them.
If I could rate this a 10-10 I would because it was that GOOD.
It may not be enjoyable to everyone, but it definitely is impactful to all.
Saving Ivy, is a tremulous story on how Ivy struggles with her family drama and in between the arms of her aunt Wiley.
Struggling with her own personal-self issues with suicide on her mind 24-7. Everything in Ivy's life crumbles after the death of her Mother. Her father Joseph is everyone's biggest downfall and in the end he is his worst enemy.
Saving Ivy contains a whirlwind of emotions that so many families and ourselves go through on a daily basis. Heartbreak, Loss and lack of self-esteem.
Through each character perspective, anyone who reads this story will feel for Ivy and her family and maybe even themselves.
I read this book back in May this year and I can still feel the pain from Ivy and her Aunt Wiley and let me tell you, I'll never forget them.
If I could rate this a 10-10 I would because it was that GOOD.
It may not be enjoyable to everyone, but it definitely is impactful to all.
November 7, 2019
15 year-old Ivy Hazeldine finds herself in a world of deterioration when her mother tragically dies. Ivy’s aunt, Wiley, takes Ivy in, hoping time will help heal the pain from their terrible loss. But time seems to be working against them; Ivy’s life becomes further dark and contorted, and Wiley is seemingly powerless against the thoughts clouding Ivy’s mind. Are her efforts enough to help Ivy see the silver lining?
This book was given to me by @mascotbooks in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Unfortunately I cannot properly share my thoughts without spoilers. So, be warned: *SPOILERS* (Trigger warnings: suicide, depression, rape, self-harm, etc.)
I don’t read many books about mental health (including this one, I’ve only read 3 this year), because it tends to contain a lot of dark content, and I try to limit myself to that exposure. So for me personally, if I read a book about suicide and/or mental health, I need there to be some type of redemption for at least one character. I need there to be hope, a light amidst the very difficult topic of depression. I know life doesn’t always have a happy ending for some, but if I’m reading a book addressing mental health, I expect there to be some healing or closure. Example: 13 Reasons Why (spoilers). The MC committed suicide; she couldn’t find a reason to stay. BUT there was some closure and healing for those people who were close to her.
My biggest issue was Ivy’s suicide. Throughout the story, Ivy struggles with anger, depression, guilt, and suicidal thoughts. When she finally ended her life, we’re given insight into her consciousness as she passes away and moves on to “paradise?”. And she’s finally happy. Finally at peace. No more pain, no more sadness. While I know it wasn’t the author’s intention (in fact she specifically states this in the back of the book), this made it seem as if her suicide was the good and right decision, that she was glad she made the choice to end her life, that it finally brought her happiness (despite the effect it had on her aunt). Despite the author’s intent, it felt to me as if this glorified suicide and made it an acceptable way out of a painful life. There is always hope for the hurting, there is always another answer.
In addition, the chapters were told from alternating points of view, but the timeline was not consecutive from chapter to chapter which made for some confusing moments. I think it would have been beneficial to add a date/time at the beginning of each chapter?
For me, I found no hope in this story. There was no happy ending. There were people that were willing to help the MC, Ivy, but in the end there was no healing for anyone. It was dark and depressing from beginning to end. And the ending? It left me scratching my head, and I felt no positivity from anything that happened.
This book was given to me by @mascotbooks in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Unfortunately I cannot properly share my thoughts without spoilers. So, be warned: *SPOILERS* (Trigger warnings: suicide, depression, rape, self-harm, etc.)
I don’t read many books about mental health (including this one, I’ve only read 3 this year), because it tends to contain a lot of dark content, and I try to limit myself to that exposure. So for me personally, if I read a book about suicide and/or mental health, I need there to be some type of redemption for at least one character. I need there to be hope, a light amidst the very difficult topic of depression. I know life doesn’t always have a happy ending for some, but if I’m reading a book addressing mental health, I expect there to be some healing or closure. Example: 13 Reasons Why (spoilers). The MC committed suicide; she couldn’t find a reason to stay. BUT there was some closure and healing for those people who were close to her.
My biggest issue was Ivy’s suicide. Throughout the story, Ivy struggles with anger, depression, guilt, and suicidal thoughts. When she finally ended her life, we’re given insight into her consciousness as she passes away and moves on to “paradise?”. And she’s finally happy. Finally at peace. No more pain, no more sadness. While I know it wasn’t the author’s intention (in fact she specifically states this in the back of the book), this made it seem as if her suicide was the good and right decision, that she was glad she made the choice to end her life, that it finally brought her happiness (despite the effect it had on her aunt). Despite the author’s intent, it felt to me as if this glorified suicide and made it an acceptable way out of a painful life. There is always hope for the hurting, there is always another answer.
In addition, the chapters were told from alternating points of view, but the timeline was not consecutive from chapter to chapter which made for some confusing moments. I think it would have been beneficial to add a date/time at the beginning of each chapter?
For me, I found no hope in this story. There was no happy ending. There were people that were willing to help the MC, Ivy, but in the end there was no healing for anyone. It was dark and depressing from beginning to end. And the ending? It left me scratching my head, and I felt no positivity from anything that happened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2018
More like 3.5 stars - rating art on a numerical scale is weird.
I was sent a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. Thank you so much, Emily!
I very much so enjoyed Saving Ivy, although that could have been because it's a contemporary and I love contemporaries. I also feel that it's very important for everyone going into this book to recognize that Saving Ivy is very depressing - and that's not a bad thing, I just think it's important to go into books with the right expectations.
However, Saving Ivy is told through multiple perspectives, and the development of the character's voices is nowhere near enough in order for the reader to get into the head of the character. I also would have liked to see more subplots incorporated as well - a lot of the story and some of the characters felt a bit one-dimensional.
That being said, Reilly has moments of lyrical brilliance, and the way that she tackles the harsh topics in Saving Ivy is so unique. She hits a brilliant point on how mental illness and trauma can warp one's sense of reality, and I think that point isn't touched on as much in books about mental health, and I love that Reilly chose to tackle this. I also loved the flashbacks - but again, that could be my personal bias. The flashbacks really enhanced the story without butchering the narrative.
I was sent a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. Thank you so much, Emily!
I very much so enjoyed Saving Ivy, although that could have been because it's a contemporary and I love contemporaries. I also feel that it's very important for everyone going into this book to recognize that Saving Ivy is very depressing - and that's not a bad thing, I just think it's important to go into books with the right expectations.
However, Saving Ivy is told through multiple perspectives, and the development of the character's voices is nowhere near enough in order for the reader to get into the head of the character. I also would have liked to see more subplots incorporated as well - a lot of the story and some of the characters felt a bit one-dimensional.
That being said, Reilly has moments of lyrical brilliance, and the way that she tackles the harsh topics in Saving Ivy is so unique. She hits a brilliant point on how mental illness and trauma can warp one's sense of reality, and I think that point isn't touched on as much in books about mental health, and I love that Reilly chose to tackle this. I also loved the flashbacks - but again, that could be my personal bias. The flashbacks really enhanced the story without butchering the narrative.
May 7, 2020
Emily truly has a way with expressing feelings and bringing hard to talk about topics to light.
Saving Ivy, is a tremulous story on how Ivy struggles with her family drama and in between the arms of her aunt Wiley.
Struggling with her own personal-self issues with suicide on her mind 24-7. Everything in Ivy's life crumbles after the death of her Mother. Her father Joseph is everyone's biggest downfall and in the end he is his worst enemy.
Saving Ivy contains a whirlwind of emotions that so many families and ourselves go through on a daily basis. Heartbreak, Loss and lack of self-esteem.
Through each character perspective, anyone who reads this story will feel for Ivy and her family and maybe even themselves.
I read this book back in May this year and I can still feel the pain from Ivy and her Aunt Wiley and let me tell you, I'll never forget them.
If I could rate this a 10-10 I would because it was that GOOD.
It may not be enjoyable to everyone, but it definitely is impactful to all.
Saving Ivy, is a tremulous story on how Ivy struggles with her family drama and in between the arms of her aunt Wiley.
Struggling with her own personal-self issues with suicide on her mind 24-7. Everything in Ivy's life crumbles after the death of her Mother. Her father Joseph is everyone's biggest downfall and in the end he is his worst enemy.
Saving Ivy contains a whirlwind of emotions that so many families and ourselves go through on a daily basis. Heartbreak, Loss and lack of self-esteem.
Through each character perspective, anyone who reads this story will feel for Ivy and her family and maybe even themselves.
I read this book back in May this year and I can still feel the pain from Ivy and her Aunt Wiley and let me tell you, I'll never forget them.
If I could rate this a 10-10 I would because it was that GOOD.
It may not be enjoyable to everyone, but it definitely is impactful to all.
November 30, 2019
More on Chill and read
The days we live are full of sorrow stories. People have lost their humanity and are transformed into monsters, craving for money and power. They don’t care about anyone else but themselves. One of these creatures is Ivy’s dad, Joseph.
Ivy lives with her mother Mary-Anne and father Joseph. That is when Joseph is at home and hasn’t left them for days. Unfortunately, it’s one of those cases where the man was forced into something he didn’t want, but he has convinced himself that he can do. Given that he doesn’t care about his family, he treats them bad. He abuses his wife for years and she still stays with him, as she doesn’t want to let their family fall apart. Because she has convinced herself that she will not make it without him. Because she feels less of herself, after all these years she’s spent under his influence.
This is a sad story, which aims to point out all the wrongs in our lives and help us get out of similar situations. One theme is domestic abuse. Women like Mary-Anne are afraid of their abusive husband not only for them, but also for their children. They may be the ones receiving all the abusive behavior, but they don’t want to change that afraid of what that mean for their children. Afraid of retaliation. Afraid that they won’t be able to run away into safety along with their children, thinking that their husband is so powerful that will find them wherever they go and he will get revenge for what they had him go through. There are a number of organizations in most countries, helping out these women get away from abusing husbands or boyfriends. All they have to do is reach out.
The other major issue here is suicide. I don’t have much to say about that, other that it requires proper help. In most of the cases, friends and family don’t see the signs of a person having suicidal thoughts until it’s way too late. Such a person won’t confide these thoughts to anyone, feeling no-one is able to help them. They just want to be left alone to go on with what they have planned. They believe they are not worthy of a life, that they shouldn’t be around in this world, that there won’t be a single person missing them. This is exactly the reason they need to be treat by doctors, professionals that know the right way to address their psychology and the issues that cause these thoughts and actions. But it is very difficult to get them to open up and speak freely so it requires a lot of courage and will and patience. If you recognize similar behaviors among your friends or family, please try to find a way to help them. Ask for professional advice and try to make them feel welcome.
The days we live are full of sorrow stories. People have lost their humanity and are transformed into monsters, craving for money and power. They don’t care about anyone else but themselves. One of these creatures is Ivy’s dad, Joseph.
Ivy lives with her mother Mary-Anne and father Joseph. That is when Joseph is at home and hasn’t left them for days. Unfortunately, it’s one of those cases where the man was forced into something he didn’t want, but he has convinced himself that he can do. Given that he doesn’t care about his family, he treats them bad. He abuses his wife for years and she still stays with him, as she doesn’t want to let their family fall apart. Because she has convinced herself that she will not make it without him. Because she feels less of herself, after all these years she’s spent under his influence.
This is a sad story, which aims to point out all the wrongs in our lives and help us get out of similar situations. One theme is domestic abuse. Women like Mary-Anne are afraid of their abusive husband not only for them, but also for their children. They may be the ones receiving all the abusive behavior, but they don’t want to change that afraid of what that mean for their children. Afraid of retaliation. Afraid that they won’t be able to run away into safety along with their children, thinking that their husband is so powerful that will find them wherever they go and he will get revenge for what they had him go through. There are a number of organizations in most countries, helping out these women get away from abusing husbands or boyfriends. All they have to do is reach out.
The other major issue here is suicide. I don’t have much to say about that, other that it requires proper help. In most of the cases, friends and family don’t see the signs of a person having suicidal thoughts until it’s way too late. Such a person won’t confide these thoughts to anyone, feeling no-one is able to help them. They just want to be left alone to go on with what they have planned. They believe they are not worthy of a life, that they shouldn’t be around in this world, that there won’t be a single person missing them. This is exactly the reason they need to be treat by doctors, professionals that know the right way to address their psychology and the issues that cause these thoughts and actions. But it is very difficult to get them to open up and speak freely so it requires a lot of courage and will and patience. If you recognize similar behaviors among your friends or family, please try to find a way to help them. Ask for professional advice and try to make them feel welcome.
February 19, 2018
I haven't read many books where the narrative came from both the protagonists and the antagonist which made it interesting to read. Saving Ivy is simply written without much scene description but it has masses of dialogue, which I personally like. Rather than try to shock or have huge plot twists, Reilly deals with the loss of a loved one and the emotion turmoil that goes with it. It feels like it was written by a young author, even when the narrative is coming from an older character. I applaud this young indie and hope that she takes another look at this story when she has more experience to put some deeper perspective.
June 4, 2018
Loved this book! It was one of those books I couldn’t put down because I always wanted to know what happened next. It’s easily one of the better books I’ve read in awhile.
November 7, 2019
2/5*
Full review here: https://www.allcharacterswanted.com/b...
Thank you to Mascot Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for any honest review.
When I heard about Saving Ivy the premise really caught my attention: a young girl dealing with trauma and mental health while her family rallies around her in support. So I was really surprised when I started reading and found out that there's a lot more happening in this book than that.
Intense Subject Matter
There is a trigger warning at the beginning of this book that should really be followed. The abuse, rape, murder and suicide attempts that happen in the novel are scary and should be approached with caution. I didn't feel like these topics were handled with the care they needed; instead, they all seemed like plot points to move the story.
Many POVs
Normally I'm a huge fan of multiple perspectives - I love getting to know different characters and seeing how they change individually. However, the characters in Saving Ivy felt rushed. With every chapter jumping between different characters, it sometimes felt hard to keep track of what was going on in the past vs. the present.
Hated the Ending
I won't go overly into detail because it contains a massive spoiler about the ending, but I was INCREDIBLY disappointed and upset with the ending of this novel. There is simply nothing positive about the ending of this story and I'm very concern that it romanticizes things that shouldn't be. I honestly couldn't believe that this was the way Reilly chose to end this novel - there's not redemption, no healing, just an end. And I couldn't be angrier about it.
Overall, this was a very different book than what I was anticipating and unfortunately, not one that I was a fan of. Too much of this story was rushed and the ending is deeply concerning. I simply didn't feel like I connected to any characters. Books about mental health are always difficult to read, but Saving Ivy is not one that I would want impressionable people reading. Please pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book if it's going to be one that you read.
Full review here: https://www.allcharacterswanted.com/b...
Thank you to Mascot Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for any honest review.
When I heard about Saving Ivy the premise really caught my attention: a young girl dealing with trauma and mental health while her family rallies around her in support. So I was really surprised when I started reading and found out that there's a lot more happening in this book than that.
Intense Subject Matter
There is a trigger warning at the beginning of this book that should really be followed. The abuse, rape, murder and suicide attempts that happen in the novel are scary and should be approached with caution. I didn't feel like these topics were handled with the care they needed; instead, they all seemed like plot points to move the story.
Many POVs
Normally I'm a huge fan of multiple perspectives - I love getting to know different characters and seeing how they change individually. However, the characters in Saving Ivy felt rushed. With every chapter jumping between different characters, it sometimes felt hard to keep track of what was going on in the past vs. the present.
Hated the Ending
I won't go overly into detail because it contains a massive spoiler about the ending, but I was INCREDIBLY disappointed and upset with the ending of this novel. There is simply nothing positive about the ending of this story and I'm very concern that it romanticizes things that shouldn't be. I honestly couldn't believe that this was the way Reilly chose to end this novel - there's not redemption, no healing, just an end. And I couldn't be angrier about it.
Overall, this was a very different book than what I was anticipating and unfortunately, not one that I was a fan of. Too much of this story was rushed and the ending is deeply concerning. I simply didn't feel like I connected to any characters. Books about mental health are always difficult to read, but Saving Ivy is not one that I would want impressionable people reading. Please pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book if it's going to be one that you read.
July 8, 2018
I literally just finished this book and I must say that I need to get my mental thoughts together before fully explaining how I feel about this. Mentally this book was extremely raw and it will literally have you in your feelings messing you up mentally. This book reminds me of a retelling Of the Whitney Houston and the Bobby Kristina story but with a twist; I feel. My review will be posted in full on my channel July 17th. The link to my channel is located on my profile.
October 1, 2018
The only reason I gave this four stars is so it has somewhere to go after it’s re-release!
Reilly deals with several difficult topics in a contemporary and realistic way - very much in line with it’s target market.
The plot’s downward spiral never lets up, eventually speeding the reader to the story’s end. ‘Saving Ivy’ is unrelenting in it’s sadness, provocative in it’s character building and intriguing in the way Reilly has used flashbacks and POV.
A great debut from an honest young writer.
Reilly deals with several difficult topics in a contemporary and realistic way - very much in line with it’s target market.
The plot’s downward spiral never lets up, eventually speeding the reader to the story’s end. ‘Saving Ivy’ is unrelenting in it’s sadness, provocative in it’s character building and intriguing in the way Reilly has used flashbacks and POV.
A great debut from an honest young writer.
April 18, 2021
DNF at 30%. Might try picking it up again in the future.
September 15, 2019
Where can I even begin with this novel?
Saving Ivy is fast-paced and hauntingly beautiful. Reilly fluently writes about so many hard topics in this novel, but while they are hard to read she delivers them with grace and so much truth. Reading these hard truths shines light on what I can only imagine is so difficult for those living it daily, my heart goes out to everyone living in a difficult time - I’ve been there.
Being in a dark place is very real and not every story has a happy ending. So much love to Reilly on delivering such difficult demographics in such a strong way.
🖤
Saving Ivy is fast-paced and hauntingly beautiful. Reilly fluently writes about so many hard topics in this novel, but while they are hard to read she delivers them with grace and so much truth. Reading these hard truths shines light on what I can only imagine is so difficult for those living it daily, my heart goes out to everyone living in a difficult time - I’ve been there.
Being in a dark place is very real and not every story has a happy ending. So much love to Reilly on delivering such difficult demographics in such a strong way.
🖤
December 3, 2019
Excellent book, Reilly paints the picture for each character so well. I highly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews