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Save Me
Save Me will have readers wondering just how far they would go to save the ones they love. Lisa Scottoline is writing about real issues that resonate with real women, and the results are emotional, heartbreaking and honest.
Rose McKenna volunteers as a lunch mom in her daughter Melly's school in order to keep an eye on Amanda, a mean girl who's been bullying her daughter. Her fears come true when the bullying begins, sending Melly to the bathroom in tears. Just as Rose is about to follow after her daughter, a massive explosion goes off in the kitchen, sending the room into chaos.
Rose finds herself faced with the horrifying decision of whether or not to run to the bathroom to rescue her daughter or usher Amanda to safety. She believes she has accomplished both, only to discover that Amanda, for an unknown reason, ran back into the school once out of Rose's sight. In an instance, Rose goes from hero to villain as the small community blames Amanda's injuries on her. In the days that follow, Rose's life starts to fall to pieces, Amanda's mother decides to sue, her marriage is put to the test, and worse, when her daughter returns to school, the bullying only intensifies. Rose must take matters into her own hands and get down to the truth of what really happened that fateful day in order to save herself, her marriage and her family.
In the way that Look Again had readers questioning everything they thought they knew about family, Save Me will have readers wondering just how far they would go to save the ones they love. Lisa Scottoline is writing about real issues that resonate with real women, and the results are emotional, heartbreaking and honest.
Rose McKenna volunteers as a lunch mom in her daughter Melly's school in order to keep an eye on Amanda, a mean girl who's been bullying her daughter. Her fears come true when the bullying begins, sending Melly to the bathroom in tears. Just as Rose is about to follow after her daughter, a massive explosion goes off in the kitchen, sending the room into chaos.
Rose finds herself faced with the horrifying decision of whether or not to run to the bathroom to rescue her daughter or usher Amanda to safety. She believes she has accomplished both, only to discover that Amanda, for an unknown reason, ran back into the school once out of Rose's sight. In an instance, Rose goes from hero to villain as the small community blames Amanda's injuries on her. In the days that follow, Rose's life starts to fall to pieces, Amanda's mother decides to sue, her marriage is put to the test, and worse, when her daughter returns to school, the bullying only intensifies. Rose must take matters into her own hands and get down to the truth of what really happened that fateful day in order to save herself, her marriage and her family.
In the way that Look Again had readers questioning everything they thought they knew about family, Save Me will have readers wondering just how far they would go to save the ones they love. Lisa Scottoline is writing about real issues that resonate with real women, and the results are emotional, heartbreaking and honest.
373 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2011
1156 people are currently reading
13251 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Scottoline
137 books15.5k followersLisa Scottoline is a #1 bestselling and Edgar award-winning author of 33 novels. Her books are book-club favorites, and Lisa and her daughter Francesca Serritella have hosted an annual Big Book Club Party for over a thousand readers at her Pennsylvania farm, for the past twelve years. Lisa has served as President of Mystery Writers of America, and her reviews of fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She also writes a weekly column with her daughter for the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled Chick Wit, a witty take on life from a woman’s perspective, which have been collected in a bestselling series of humorous memoirs. Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. in English, and cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she taught Justice and Fiction. Lisa has over 30 million copies of her books in print and is published in over 35 countries. She lives in the Philadelphia area with an array of disobedient pets and wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,179 reviews
February 29, 2012
Well I found this to be incredibly disappointing.
It started off quite promising; an explosion, who does Rose save? her daughters bully or her daughter? She reaches a compromise and manages to save both (or so she thinks). What she later realises is that that something else happened and one of their lives hangs in the balance.
When I started reading this, I was in the mood for the type of moral dilemma type of book this represented to me. Then about 200 pages in it turned into a "murder mystery" and then the lead managed to solve the "how did the explosion happen?" question within 2 days of being on the case it seemed.
It really fell completely flat for me. None of the characters were particularly likeable, not even the main character of Rose. She felt guilty about things...fair enough but she had absolutely no backbone in which to stick up for herself and her family. The other characters of the women in the this town was just ridiculous. I don't understand how they thought it would have been acceptable for her to leave her own child behind in that situation. And her husband Leo was practically non existent. He did nothing but moan about how she makes important decisions without him, but wasn't actually present most of the book, he didn't even pick the phone up when she called him and most of their communication was via text.
This started off as a good concept, and I didn't dislike the authors writing, but the story veered so far off course, it wasn't plausible and in the end found myself skimming the last 100 pages. With the recommendation "A charged moral dilemma...You won't be able to put this one down" by Jodi Picoult, this proved to be a really disappointing read and actually just a little silly.
It started off quite promising; an explosion, who does Rose save? her daughters bully or her daughter? She reaches a compromise and manages to save both (or so she thinks). What she later realises is that that something else happened and one of their lives hangs in the balance.
When I started reading this, I was in the mood for the type of moral dilemma type of book this represented to me. Then about 200 pages in it turned into a "murder mystery" and then the lead managed to solve the "how did the explosion happen?" question within 2 days of being on the case it seemed.
It really fell completely flat for me. None of the characters were particularly likeable, not even the main character of Rose. She felt guilty about things...fair enough but she had absolutely no backbone in which to stick up for herself and her family. The other characters of the women in the this town was just ridiculous. I don't understand how they thought it would have been acceptable for her to leave her own child behind in that situation. And her husband Leo was practically non existent. He did nothing but moan about how she makes important decisions without him, but wasn't actually present most of the book, he didn't even pick the phone up when she called him and most of their communication was via text.
This started off as a good concept, and I didn't dislike the authors writing, but the story veered so far off course, it wasn't plausible and in the end found myself skimming the last 100 pages. With the recommendation "A charged moral dilemma...You won't be able to put this one down" by Jodi Picoult, this proved to be a really disappointing read and actually just a little silly.
November 21, 2012
I really wanted to like this book. I finished it in hopes that it would get better but I was disappointed. The premise - that a mother has to make a split second decision about whether to save her own child or someone else's and the consequences of that decision - was interesting and had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, that potential is never realized.
The problems?
1 - The dialogue is many times cheesy and unrealistic. I found myself rolling my eyes quite often throughout the entire book. Especially the scenes between Rose and Leo.
2 - The chapters are very short which irritated me. I suppose the author used this style to try and ramp up the suspense but in reality it just irritated me. Just when things were getting good the chapter would end. It made for some choppy reading instead of a smooth buildup of suspense.
3 - The characters were not believable. Many of them were very one dimensional - Leo (the husband), Melly (the daughter), Eileen (the other girl's mother), the lawyer and others. They all played a very specific role in the advancement of the plot - and that's all. They were never developed enough to be believable people to me and much of their personalities seemed cliched to me. Rose herself was a little ridiculous. She was very wishy washy. At first she's the assertive mother lion, then she becomes this jellyfish and then she becomes a superhero. If there had been good character development that showed the character's personal progression through these stages it would have been ok, but as written she seems to almost have multiple personalities.
4 - The story starts out as one thing and then turns into something different altogether. The first half of the book is about Rose's dilemma (as described in the book's description) and how she must deal with the fallout - other people's perceptions of her, the media, legal issues, etc. This part of the book was interesting despite the flaws above. And then, the second half of the book is something completely different. We no longer hear about the lawsuits or criminal aspects of the story. We no longer see anything about how she deals with the new public perception of her. Instead, this turns into a bad mystery novel where the main character goes off on her own to solve a completely unbelievable mystery - why the fire happened in the first place. The circumstances that are revealed are ridiculous to say the least.
This book is trying too hard to be too many things: a commentary on bullying, an emotional drama about an impossible decision, a Nancy Drew style mystery. It succeeds at none of them. I give it 2 stars because there were some parts (the first few chapters in particular) that held my interest and it was not bad enough for me to stop reading. Some entertainment can be had with this book if you are aware of its failings and are able to overlook them and suspend your belief for a little while. If you are looking for a real drama, look to Jodi Picoult or others. If you are looking for a serious mystery, look elsewhere. If you want a somewhat cheesy but maybe entertaining read continue with this one.
The problems?
1 - The dialogue is many times cheesy and unrealistic. I found myself rolling my eyes quite often throughout the entire book. Especially the scenes between Rose and Leo.
2 - The chapters are very short which irritated me. I suppose the author used this style to try and ramp up the suspense but in reality it just irritated me. Just when things were getting good the chapter would end. It made for some choppy reading instead of a smooth buildup of suspense.
3 - The characters were not believable. Many of them were very one dimensional - Leo (the husband), Melly (the daughter), Eileen (the other girl's mother), the lawyer and others. They all played a very specific role in the advancement of the plot - and that's all. They were never developed enough to be believable people to me and much of their personalities seemed cliched to me. Rose herself was a little ridiculous. She was very wishy washy. At first she's the assertive mother lion, then she becomes this jellyfish and then she becomes a superhero. If there had been good character development that showed the character's personal progression through these stages it would have been ok, but as written she seems to almost have multiple personalities.
4 - The story starts out as one thing and then turns into something different altogether. The first half of the book is about Rose's dilemma (as described in the book's description) and how she must deal with the fallout - other people's perceptions of her, the media, legal issues, etc. This part of the book was interesting despite the flaws above. And then, the second half of the book is something completely different. We no longer hear about the lawsuits or criminal aspects of the story. We no longer see anything about how she deals with the new public perception of her. Instead, this turns into a bad mystery novel where the main character goes off on her own to solve a completely unbelievable mystery - why the fire happened in the first place. The circumstances that are revealed are ridiculous to say the least.
This book is trying too hard to be too many things: a commentary on bullying, an emotional drama about an impossible decision, a Nancy Drew style mystery. It succeeds at none of them. I give it 2 stars because there were some parts (the first few chapters in particular) that held my interest and it was not bad enough for me to stop reading. Some entertainment can be had with this book if you are aware of its failings and are able to overlook them and suspend your belief for a little while. If you are looking for a real drama, look to Jodi Picoult or others. If you are looking for a serious mystery, look elsewhere. If you want a somewhat cheesy but maybe entertaining read continue with this one.
December 9, 2018
Lisa Scottoline's book is called Save Me, but I wondered who was going to save me from it. It was awful. There were too many characters that needed to be more polished. The story is noble at heart but badly woven together. That is why I give this book one star. I got the book as a gift. That is the only reason I finished it.
Update-12-9-18
Whoops! I hit four stars but I meant one stars. I fixed it.
🇺🇸🦅
Update-12-9-18
Whoops! I hit four stars but I meant one stars. I fixed it.
🇺🇸🦅
January 9, 2012
This is the worst book I have ever finished. It is complete rubbish, but that is the catch. The sheer idiocy of it makes it a page turner. Just when you think the author has hit the pinnacle of stupidity, another absurd plot twist takes off and I was left in disbelief at the fact that the story could become any more implausible.
However, it is not just the plot that is lacking. The writing itself is enough to earn it the dubious honor of being tagged “rubbish” (I had to add that tag just for this novel. I should have gone with my gut, given up, and just tagged this one as a “yucky-did-not-finish.) I will spare you the ongoing list of examples of extremely poor writing that I compiled in my head while reading, but you will get to enjoy a few.
First, the author writes plain craziness. For example, “Every mom is an action hero.” –p. 328. What the hell? The main character gets a makeover, solves a major mystery, and then makes it home in time to make dinner. What is this garbage? Who is in this target audience of action hero moms?
Next, the author really enjoys using the word “Klieglights.” (That is her spelling, not mine. If only this were the only aspect of the book that screamed for better editing, but it is minor.) I would suggest partaking in your favorite indulgence each time you encounter the term; it will make the story pass in a far more interesting manner.
Better yet, don’t waste your time. Put this book back on the shelf and back away slowly. Don’t even bother checking it out from the library. This book is a complete and utter waste of time; it is RUBBISH!
However, it is not just the plot that is lacking. The writing itself is enough to earn it the dubious honor of being tagged “rubbish” (I had to add that tag just for this novel. I should have gone with my gut, given up, and just tagged this one as a “yucky-did-not-finish.) I will spare you the ongoing list of examples of extremely poor writing that I compiled in my head while reading, but you will get to enjoy a few.
First, the author writes plain craziness. For example, “Every mom is an action hero.” –p. 328. What the hell? The main character gets a makeover, solves a major mystery, and then makes it home in time to make dinner. What is this garbage? Who is in this target audience of action hero moms?
Next, the author really enjoys using the word “Klieglights.” (That is her spelling, not mine. If only this were the only aspect of the book that screamed for better editing, but it is minor.) I would suggest partaking in your favorite indulgence each time you encounter the term; it will make the story pass in a far more interesting manner.
Better yet, don’t waste your time. Put this book back on the shelf and back away slowly. Don’t even bother checking it out from the library. This book is a complete and utter waste of time; it is RUBBISH!
June 8, 2011
I've read all of Lisa Scottoline's novels...she's one of my favorite writers, but Save Me didn't do it for me. I'm so disappointed and can't help but wonder if the book was rushed out in time for Mother's Day as well as for it's bullying theme. The first couple chapters were okay, but I only made it just past page 60 or so, then started skimming pages, then started skimming whole chapters, then just gave up on it. I am not a skimmer, but I was hoping to find something that would convince me to keep reading. The characters were drawn too thinly to keep me interested. Rose seemed like she had some back-bone in the beginning when she tries to talk with the girl in the lunch room who is bullying her daughter, but after that her self-doubt and lack of personality become wearisome. This is a woman who uses a burning board to smash through fire to get to her daughter but doesn't demand to see her daughter when the doctor says she can't, even though the girl is sedated and sleeping? Is she suffering from PTSD? It doesn't seem like that's implied anywhere. This is a woman who didn't put her foot down with her first husband regarding his shallowness about their daughter's birthmark until much damage was done to the girl's self-image. The first husband died in a car accident after they divorced and her current husband is this supposedly fabulous guy who, within hours of the explosion/rescue, calmly informs her that they could lose it all, they could lose their house if the other mother sues them? And then they leave their daughter alone at the hospital overnight after she almost died? Incredible. I just couldn't suspend my belief to read on. I've come to expect more complexity and depth from Scottoline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2017
Excited I was to listen to this book as it was on my TBR list, and I don't have the best access to audio cd's. The premise of the dilemma a mother has when saving her own in a fire and needing to save others, who do you choose first? The first couple of chapters were ok in dealing with this - and I felt the angst in spades from the mean hearted parents that were quick to be judgemental and outright rude after tragic events of a fire. Things got convoluted real fast, improbable. Implausible. This moral dilemma focused story turned into a vigilante who dunnit. It kept growing more and more far fetched with each paragraph. The descriptive sentences seemed to be far reaching with wordy adjectives, and toward the end I couldn't believe the chapters kept coming. The mother at the centre of the story had an eight year old and a ten month old. The baby slept all the time (and Cynthia Nixon from Sex and The City did quite a bad job of baby talk. The entire narration was quite monotone - disappointing) and the husband was an absent lawyer in times of turmoil. I didn't imagine he should have been away from his family at this time. Tedious description of a factory (if I hear 'chocolate filled nugget' one more time...) that was just boring. Cliched ending. I don't feel bad rating so low as I have never read this author before, and imagine that now I won't again.
January 5, 2015
I do not include synopses with my goodreads reviews. Read what the professionals wrote. It's better than my mumbo jumbo.
Actual rating: 2.25 stars?
I REALLY wanted to like this book. My real rating is probably somewhere around 2.5, but I had to drop it down to 2 for several reasons.
First and foremost, I am all for shorter chapters. Books that have 60-page chapters have been proven to be harder to read for most people, and I'm one of them. Shorter chapters make it easier for me to read more ("Oh, it's only 1 AM, I can read one more!"). This book's chapter sizes FREAKING KILLED ME. I think the longest one was four pages. Some people might prefer it that way, but I personally hated it. This small, seemingly insignificant trait makes a much bigger difference than you'd think.
As for the rest of the book, I simply feel it was just poorly written. I've read reviews on the author and there are plenty of readers who claim this particular novel does not mirror her work, but unfortunately I have to admit I will probably turn down any more works by her out of genuine fear it will end up like this one. Throughout the entire book I was annoyed. I wanted to get it over with so badly so I could move on to the next one, and that's not how a reading experience should be.
One last thing that sincerely got on my nerves was the predictability of it all. The outcome wasn't exactly predictable, but everything leading up to it was. "Oh, I'm a mom who used to be a model and now my daughter's ugly and everyone makes fun of her!" -- for example. I don't know how to explain it. This is probably the worst book review I've ever written but words simply do not cover it.
Some people love this book, but I've found most reviews are along the same lines as mine. I would strongly recommend a different read if you're looking for something to erect a loving, mother-child-relationship-ish feeling.
Actual rating: 2.25 stars?
I REALLY wanted to like this book. My real rating is probably somewhere around 2.5, but I had to drop it down to 2 for several reasons.
First and foremost, I am all for shorter chapters. Books that have 60-page chapters have been proven to be harder to read for most people, and I'm one of them. Shorter chapters make it easier for me to read more ("Oh, it's only 1 AM, I can read one more!"). This book's chapter sizes FREAKING KILLED ME. I think the longest one was four pages. Some people might prefer it that way, but I personally hated it. This small, seemingly insignificant trait makes a much bigger difference than you'd think.
As for the rest of the book, I simply feel it was just poorly written. I've read reviews on the author and there are plenty of readers who claim this particular novel does not mirror her work, but unfortunately I have to admit I will probably turn down any more works by her out of genuine fear it will end up like this one. Throughout the entire book I was annoyed. I wanted to get it over with so badly so I could move on to the next one, and that's not how a reading experience should be.
One last thing that sincerely got on my nerves was the predictability of it all. The outcome wasn't exactly predictable, but everything leading up to it was. "Oh, I'm a mom who used to be a model and now my daughter's ugly and everyone makes fun of her!" -- for example. I don't know how to explain it. This is probably the worst book review I've ever written but words simply do not cover it.
Some people love this book, but I've found most reviews are along the same lines as mine. I would strongly recommend a different read if you're looking for something to erect a loving, mother-child-relationship-ish feeling.
August 27, 2012
It felt like I finished every chapter (and there were at least fifty of them....) with an eye roll accompanied by saying "ugh, this is horrible." Every chapter I debated just abandoning the book, but the thing is I was just too curious to find out what happend (not necessarily because the plot was good.... just because I am so curious and I hate the idea of investing time in a book and not knowing how it ends).
About a quarter of the way through the book, I could just sense that I wasn't going to like it... So I started skimming a couple pages at a time hoping that things would get better... It didn't so I started skimming chapters. The plot was so far-fetched, the main character (Rose) was simply unbelieveable (one minute she has no back-bone, and then switches to a super slueth, and then back to no back bone within a matter of pages). The dialogue was incredibly cheesy, for lack of a better word. It's a shame because I quite enjoyed Lisa Scottoline's Look Again. I wouldn't even suggest Save Me as a quick, light summer read.
About a quarter of the way through the book, I could just sense that I wasn't going to like it... So I started skimming a couple pages at a time hoping that things would get better... It didn't so I started skimming chapters. The plot was so far-fetched, the main character (Rose) was simply unbelieveable (one minute she has no back-bone, and then switches to a super slueth, and then back to no back bone within a matter of pages). The dialogue was incredibly cheesy, for lack of a better word. It's a shame because I quite enjoyed Lisa Scottoline's Look Again. I wouldn't even suggest Save Me as a quick, light summer read.
December 27, 2013
This was a really rough read. I love the concept - a mother volunteering at her daughter's school has to make a split second decision whether to save her daughter or save the girl who bullies her daughter. She makes a decision and manages (she thinks) to save both. But Scottoline's execution of the concept just didn't work. To people who weren't there, later events make it appear as though Rose saved her own daughter at the expense of the other girl. Even so, I have a really hard time believing that every single person she ran into hurled insults at her and shunned her for saving her own daughter from dying in a fire. Really?? 'How dare you save your own child's life?!" Who would say that to anyone, ever. Roses's husband Leo, a lawyer, tells Rose that they'll probably be used and lose everything because of her actions, but ethically, he can't represent her, then he leaves to live in a different city for a few weeks to work on a case of his own. He doesn't answer her phone calls, doesn't answer her texts, then shows up out of nowhere and threatens to leave her because she's not including him in any decisions.
Then suddenly, the second half of the book was a completely different story. Suddenly Rose decided she needed to solve the murders of several different people, there were crooked politicians, corporations poisoning children and killing people to cover it up, secret pregnancies, and Rose being a superhero. Seriously. We know she was a superhero because she told us in those exact words.
Then at the end, in one page, everyone loves Rose again, including the mother of the little girl Rose allegedly left behind in the fire, Rose's daughter and her bully are BFF, the lawsuits are dropped, and everyone loves everyone. I was so disappointed with this book because I had such high hopes.
Then suddenly, the second half of the book was a completely different story. Suddenly Rose decided she needed to solve the murders of several different people, there were crooked politicians, corporations poisoning children and killing people to cover it up, secret pregnancies, and Rose being a superhero. Seriously. We know she was a superhero because she told us in those exact words.
Then at the end, in one page, everyone loves Rose again, including the mother of the little girl Rose allegedly left behind in the fire, Rose's daughter and her bully are BFF, the lawsuits are dropped, and everyone loves everyone. I was so disappointed with this book because I had such high hopes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2011
Sorry to say, but I'm pretty disapointed with Save Me. I was so excited to see it available at my local library that I grabbed it before anyone else could. However, it did not live up to my expectations.
In all fairness, the first half of it was good enough to hold my interest. Anyone who has had their good intentions and/or their good character questioned unjustly can empathize with the main character, Rose. She was put in a lose/lose situation with only seconds to think, and everyone else in town has that 20-20 hindsight. (Not to mention they are a very judgemental bunch of Stepford-like mommies.)
Where I had a problem with the book was: The writing was really simplistic. Many of the chapters were barely 1-2 pages and so much of it was redundant filler. How many times can the author tell me that Rose stepped on the gas or her heart hammered or she pressed 'L' to dial Leo's number? There was so much detail that was irrelevant to the story. And dang, that lady spent a LOT of time in her car driving around in painful detail!
Maybe I'm alone in this, but I had a hard time connecting with Melly, Rose's daughter. I'm not into Harry Potter at all, so all of those references were lost on me...and wow, she was just annoying on all of those car trips! I know I was supposed to be sympathetic to her plight of having a birthmark, but I just found her to be a wuss. Sorry, I just see so many kiddos with much bigger issues that a birthmark does not tug on my heartstrings.
So, my biggest beef with this book is how the second half of it feels like an entirely different novel! No wonder it is so long! Within a couple of paragraphs, Rose goes from church-mouse to super-hero-mommy-style; um, not believable. The tone of the story changed dramatically about halfway through, as though the author was starting a whole new storyline. I guess that would have been fine if the new direction of the story was more believable...but it just wasn't there for me.
In all fairness, the first half of it was good enough to hold my interest. Anyone who has had their good intentions and/or their good character questioned unjustly can empathize with the main character, Rose. She was put in a lose/lose situation with only seconds to think, and everyone else in town has that 20-20 hindsight. (Not to mention they are a very judgemental bunch of Stepford-like mommies.)
Where I had a problem with the book was: The writing was really simplistic. Many of the chapters were barely 1-2 pages and so much of it was redundant filler. How many times can the author tell me that Rose stepped on the gas or her heart hammered or she pressed 'L' to dial Leo's number? There was so much detail that was irrelevant to the story. And dang, that lady spent a LOT of time in her car driving around in painful detail!
Maybe I'm alone in this, but I had a hard time connecting with Melly, Rose's daughter. I'm not into Harry Potter at all, so all of those references were lost on me...and wow, she was just annoying on all of those car trips! I know I was supposed to be sympathetic to her plight of having a birthmark, but I just found her to be a wuss. Sorry, I just see so many kiddos with much bigger issues that a birthmark does not tug on my heartstrings.
So, my biggest beef with this book is how the second half of it feels like an entirely different novel! No wonder it is so long! Within a couple of paragraphs, Rose goes from church-mouse to super-hero-mommy-style; um, not believable. The tone of the story changed dramatically about halfway through, as though the author was starting a whole new storyline. I guess that would have been fine if the new direction of the story was more believable...but it just wasn't there for me.
June 15, 2011
I wanted to like this, but I didn't. I didn't really want to finish it, but I did. The beginning of the book however, drew me in. As a mom who volunteers often in the school, it made me pause to consider, what would be the legal ramifications if something tragic happened while you were the parent chaperone? I would have liked that story line to have continued. But the book seemed to be divided into two almost separate parts. In the second half, Rose becomes Nancy Drew, driving all over the tri-state area trying to solve the mystery that involves several deaths, a pregnant teacher, a misbehaving senator and a pretzel company not being on the up and up about whether their products contain peanuts. Really? Any honestly, how many times do I have to read that Rose got in her car and "hit the gas" and then after parking "chirped the lock". I can honestly say that I rarely "hit the gas" when I pull out of my driveway or parking lot. Okay maybe once or twice when I'm late for work or school. The whole Harry Potter thing didn't make sense to me either. I hardly think a kid is going to be ostracized for liking Harry Potter, even as a girl. Overall, I give it an "eh" passed the time at the pool....
March 5, 2019
Lunchroom mom Hero. This was a book that keep me on my toes. I read it so fast I could not stop reading. I had to know how it ended. Scottoline is moving to the top of my favorite author list. This is a must read. All the mothers need to read this.
September 10, 2015
The first half of this book was engaging! I am a retired educator and have been a volunteer at my children's schools, and our local playhouse. This novel could give you many ideas to discuss in a book club. Unfortunately for me, the least part of the book left me wanting the book to end quickly. The super mom private eye section felt overdone! Overall a good read.
May 10, 2011
For the first three quarters of this book, I loved it. You are riding Rose McKenna's emotional rollercoaster but any mother would. How many times have you volunteered at your child's school?
Rose's daughter Melly was born with a port-wine birthmark on her cheek and has been teased and bullied out of her last school and now the harassments has begun all over again at the new Reesburgh Elementary. To see for herself how bad it is between her daughter and the class princess Amanda, Rose decides to be the Lunch Mom for the day. To seeing for herself what is going on and once witnessing it, she takes a few moments to discuss the situation with Amanda and her friends. It is at that exact moment that there is a gas explosion in the kitchen. After regaining consciousness, Rose leads the three girls to the cafeteria exit and returns to the restroom to find her own daughter. Unfortunately, that is not how others see it when one of the girls is seriously injured and Rose is accused of abandoning the little terrors in an effort to save her own child.
Did you know that you could be held civilly and criminally responsible for any child in your care when you are volunteering at a school? I had no idea either and I will tell you that this book will make many rethink the whole classroom helper thing.
As I said, about three quarters of the way through Rose's character completely changes. She is no longer the mild mannered mom; she morphs into a cape-wearing superhero that is not consistent with the character that we have come to know. I understand wanting to get to the bottom of a situation, but she takes it a little too far. Unless you are Erin Brockovich - and that is even pushing it.
The ending was a complete let down. There were many times that this book could have ended but Ms Scottoline just kept adding one more chapter, and one more chapter and one more chapter. Plus, Amanda had some lingering injuries, but she did not have amnesia, the happily ever after ending was not plausible.
I don't want to say that I am completely dissatisfied since I enjoyed the beginning immensely and I am glad that this is the new direction that Ms Scottoline is taking since she puts so much caring and compassion in her characters, I just wish that the ending didn't seem to have come out of left field.
Of course, I will continue reading her books, both the fiction and non-fiction, but I will be more aware of the divergent path that her fiction can suddenly take.
Why no voting buttons? We don't let customers vote on their own reviews, so the voting buttons appear only when you look at reviews submitted by others.
Rose's daughter Melly was born with a port-wine birthmark on her cheek and has been teased and bullied out of her last school and now the harassments has begun all over again at the new Reesburgh Elementary. To see for herself how bad it is between her daughter and the class princess Amanda, Rose decides to be the Lunch Mom for the day. To seeing for herself what is going on and once witnessing it, she takes a few moments to discuss the situation with Amanda and her friends. It is at that exact moment that there is a gas explosion in the kitchen. After regaining consciousness, Rose leads the three girls to the cafeteria exit and returns to the restroom to find her own daughter. Unfortunately, that is not how others see it when one of the girls is seriously injured and Rose is accused of abandoning the little terrors in an effort to save her own child.
Did you know that you could be held civilly and criminally responsible for any child in your care when you are volunteering at a school? I had no idea either and I will tell you that this book will make many rethink the whole classroom helper thing.
As I said, about three quarters of the way through Rose's character completely changes. She is no longer the mild mannered mom; she morphs into a cape-wearing superhero that is not consistent with the character that we have come to know. I understand wanting to get to the bottom of a situation, but she takes it a little too far. Unless you are Erin Brockovich - and that is even pushing it.
The ending was a complete let down. There were many times that this book could have ended but Ms Scottoline just kept adding one more chapter, and one more chapter and one more chapter. Plus, Amanda had some lingering injuries, but she did not have amnesia, the happily ever after ending was not plausible.
I don't want to say that I am completely dissatisfied since I enjoyed the beginning immensely and I am glad that this is the new direction that Ms Scottoline is taking since she puts so much caring and compassion in her characters, I just wish that the ending didn't seem to have come out of left field.
Of course, I will continue reading her books, both the fiction and non-fiction, but I will be more aware of the divergent path that her fiction can suddenly take.
Why no voting buttons? We don't let customers vote on their own reviews, so the voting buttons appear only when you look at reviews submitted by others.
August 23, 2015
The very ending is what bumped up the rating for me. It was touching and had great closure. It was worth the few tears I shed over the course of the last 20 pages. This is my first novel for Scottoline. I like her writing. It's precise and sharp and the characters are well developed. A lot of "what if's" in this book. I liked and respected Rose. Her wit, warmth, and charm emanated off the pages. She had a solid marriage and a great little family. The bond they all had spoke volumes. Now as for the mystery behind this story, it was a little far-fetched and something I don't think most mothers would get involved in. It just sounds too risky. But Rose as a whole and what she takes to clear her name and release some of those old ghosts from her past is very admirable. For that, it was really great. I look forward to meeting more of Scottoline's characters.
April 21, 2015
Scottoline returns with a stand-alone thriller about a super-hero, a mom.
When Rose McKenna's daughter is injured in an explosion in the school cafeteria, she has to choose between saving the children in front of her or looking for her daughter. Her decision ultimately impacts how she is viewed by the rest of the town and rumors begin about her.
She sets out to find out the cause of the explosion and in the process uncovers a conspiracy by a former CEO of a big company and US senator.
A gripping story that reminds me of her previous book Look Again where the main character was another super-hero mom.
When Rose McKenna's daughter is injured in an explosion in the school cafeteria, she has to choose between saving the children in front of her or looking for her daughter. Her decision ultimately impacts how she is viewed by the rest of the town and rumors begin about her.
She sets out to find out the cause of the explosion and in the process uncovers a conspiracy by a former CEO of a big company and US senator.
A gripping story that reminds me of her previous book Look Again where the main character was another super-hero mom.
December 5, 2016
2.5 stars.
Meh. This book started out okay, then slowly went downhill about 75% into it. The whole "whodunit" part of the story could have been a bit more exciting. I ended up skimming the last 50 pages. As soon as Rose morphed into "super sleuth", it becomes a bit unbelievable. Her husband, Leo, was the character I disliked the most. What an unsupportive dolt of a husband. I doubt I'd recommend this to anyone, unless you're a die hard Scottoline fan, which I am not.
Meh. This book started out okay, then slowly went downhill about 75% into it. The whole "whodunit" part of the story could have been a bit more exciting. I ended up skimming the last 50 pages. As soon as Rose morphed into "super sleuth", it becomes a bit unbelievable. Her husband, Leo, was the character I disliked the most. What an unsupportive dolt of a husband. I doubt I'd recommend this to anyone, unless you're a die hard Scottoline fan, which I am not.
March 18, 2020
Mild Spoilers
This book starts off as drama, suddenly makes a detour into murder mystery territory, and ends up being plain silly.
Rose McKenna is a mother struggling with a problem her daughter Melly is facing at school. A birthmark on her face is causing her to be teased by Amanda Gigot, the class bully. During lunch one day, when Rose is volunteering as a "Lunch Mom", chaperoning the kids during lunch time, a bullying incident happens and Melly runs off to hide in the toilet. Rose decides to talk to Amanda about it but while she is doing so, there is an explosion in the kitchen and the cafeteria is enveloped in fire and smoke - and Rose has to decide how to save both Amanda and Melly. She manages to do so, but later finds that Amanda has run back in and is now battling for her life in the ICU.
Rose who was lauded as a "Hero Mom" for saving her daughter is now derided and ostracised by the whole community, as Amanda's family believes that she kept her in the cafeteria and saved only her daughter. Rose faces online and offline bullying, derision, and a possible criminal lawsuit. Her lawyer husband Leo is highly but too busy to jump onto the frontline, and she has to contend with everything largely by herself, at the same time managing Melly and her ten-month-old son John.
Just when I was preparing to buckle down and enjoy this drama, the author decides "enough of this! Let's have a murder mystery." Suddenly, the explosion is not what it seems to be; there are "wheels within wheels" (as Jeeves would say), and Rose transforms herself into a sort of super-sleuth. Within the space of a week, this "Hero Mom" succeeds is exposing a huge plot having massive national/ international repercussions and becomes the darling of her community.
The book is readable and fast-paced. However, characterisation is virtually non-existent (except for Rose and Melly); happenings and coincidences are heaped one upon the other; and many a time, I felt the presence of a deus ex machina to push the plot forward. The ending is highly contrived and patently ridiculous, so that what should have been nail-biting suspense ends up as burlesque. And the author's language also leaves a lot to be desired (for example, she uses "flashed on" innumerable times to depict falshbacks in Rose's mind), and the staccato chapters really don't help.
This book can be safely ignored.
This book starts off as drama, suddenly makes a detour into murder mystery territory, and ends up being plain silly.
Rose McKenna is a mother struggling with a problem her daughter Melly is facing at school. A birthmark on her face is causing her to be teased by Amanda Gigot, the class bully. During lunch one day, when Rose is volunteering as a "Lunch Mom", chaperoning the kids during lunch time, a bullying incident happens and Melly runs off to hide in the toilet. Rose decides to talk to Amanda about it but while she is doing so, there is an explosion in the kitchen and the cafeteria is enveloped in fire and smoke - and Rose has to decide how to save both Amanda and Melly. She manages to do so, but later finds that Amanda has run back in and is now battling for her life in the ICU.
Rose who was lauded as a "Hero Mom" for saving her daughter is now derided and ostracised by the whole community, as Amanda's family believes that she kept her in the cafeteria and saved only her daughter. Rose faces online and offline bullying, derision, and a possible criminal lawsuit. Her lawyer husband Leo is highly but too busy to jump onto the frontline, and she has to contend with everything largely by herself, at the same time managing Melly and her ten-month-old son John.
Just when I was preparing to buckle down and enjoy this drama, the author decides "enough of this! Let's have a murder mystery." Suddenly, the explosion is not what it seems to be; there are "wheels within wheels" (as Jeeves would say), and Rose transforms herself into a sort of super-sleuth. Within the space of a week, this "Hero Mom" succeeds is exposing a huge plot having massive national/ international repercussions and becomes the darling of her community.
The book is readable and fast-paced. However, characterisation is virtually non-existent (except for Rose and Melly); happenings and coincidences are heaped one upon the other; and many a time, I felt the presence of a deus ex machina to push the plot forward. The ending is highly contrived and patently ridiculous, so that what should have been nail-biting suspense ends up as burlesque. And the author's language also leaves a lot to be desired (for example, she uses "flashed on" innumerable times to depict falshbacks in Rose's mind), and the staccato chapters really don't help.
This book can be safely ignored.
January 20, 2012
This sounded like an interesting premise and it started out promising. After an explosion in the school's cafeteria, lunch mom Rose has a life threatening decision. Does she rescue the two girls who have been bullying her daughter who are right there or does she go find her daughter, Melly, and save her, leaving the two bullies? Rose is able to do both and becomes a hero. But things change very quickly and every resident in the small town turns against Rose and there are threats of legal action.
I found the writing really boring and draggy. This could have been such a better book. I wanted to give up on it a few times but kept going.
With Rose going through so much, you'd think Leo, her loving husband who is a lawyer, would have been there for her. But he has a case pending that has to take up every second of his time while all this is going on. Though he seems caring to Melly, I would want a more more supportive husband who is there with me while the rest of the town is hating and ostracizing me. And then he has the nerve to whine when she's making "family" decisions without him! Dude, you were too busy working instead of being there for your wife.
Leo hires Rose the best criminal and civil lawyers but she doesn't listen to them. She could lose everything and even end up in prison but she wants to play nice and not hurt anyone's feelings. Really?! Everyone in the town hates her!!! Instead she starts poking around to see if the explosion really was accidental ... she's the only one who thinks things might not be how they seem. Really??!! And guess what? She figures everything out.
The subplot with Kristen, the special ed teacher, was a waste of time.
The outcome was unbelievable ... I didn't buy it.
Needless to say, I'm not recommending this book.
Blog review: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2012/01...
I found the writing really boring and draggy. This could have been such a better book. I wanted to give up on it a few times but kept going.
With Rose going through so much, you'd think Leo, her loving husband who is a lawyer, would have been there for her. But he has a case pending that has to take up every second of his time while all this is going on. Though he seems caring to Melly, I would want a more more supportive husband who is there with me while the rest of the town is hating and ostracizing me. And then he has the nerve to whine when she's making "family" decisions without him! Dude, you were too busy working instead of being there for your wife.
Leo hires Rose the best criminal and civil lawyers but she doesn't listen to them. She could lose everything and even end up in prison but she wants to play nice and not hurt anyone's feelings. Really?! Everyone in the town hates her!!! Instead she starts poking around to see if the explosion really was accidental ... she's the only one who thinks things might not be how they seem. Really??!! And guess what? She figures everything out.
The subplot with Kristen, the special ed teacher, was a waste of time.
The outcome was unbelievable ... I didn't buy it.
Needless to say, I'm not recommending this book.
Blog review: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2012/01...
August 5, 2011
I have read a lot of books by this author and have enjoyed most of them immensely.
This one is a little different than some of her previous books, giving you a more emotional book, more of a character study and I really liked it more for that.
It`s about a woman forced to make a decision on who to save in a school fire, her child or 2 other children. This is a choice that no mother should ever have to make. And realistically, wouldn`t a mother naturally want to save her own child first? Or would you have time to logically think things through and make a different choice? The whole town turns on her when they decide she sacrificed another child to save her own. Everything becomes a trail of impending lawsuits and what seems rather simple initially turns out to have many little twists involved as the main character gets involved in trying to find an answer.
While the ending tied up just a little too neatly, it was nonetheless a great book and a lesson in forgiveness for many of the characters in the book.
This one is a little different than some of her previous books, giving you a more emotional book, more of a character study and I really liked it more for that.
It`s about a woman forced to make a decision on who to save in a school fire, her child or 2 other children. This is a choice that no mother should ever have to make. And realistically, wouldn`t a mother naturally want to save her own child first? Or would you have time to logically think things through and make a different choice? The whole town turns on her when they decide she sacrificed another child to save her own. Everything becomes a trail of impending lawsuits and what seems rather simple initially turns out to have many little twists involved as the main character gets involved in trying to find an answer.
While the ending tied up just a little too neatly, it was nonetheless a great book and a lesson in forgiveness for many of the characters in the book.
June 23, 2011
Synopsis:
Save Me starts off with a suburban mom (Reesburgh, PA), Rose McKenna working as a lunch mother at her daughter's school when suddenly an explosion rips through the school's cafeteria, killing three staff members. She leads to girls to safety before running to rescue her own daughter Melly.
After being dubbed by the media as somewhat of a hero, Rose soon learns she might face civil and criminal charges because one of the girls she saved was seriously injured in the fire. The same girls who teased her daughter Melly for having a rose colored birthmark on her face just minutes before the fire, and Rose confronted the same girls about bullying. After being told she might face a charges, Rose, her husband Leo who is a lawyer, and her attorney discuss a defense plan that includes filing a lawsuit against the school for the lack of training for fire drills.
Rose takes it upon herself to investigate the truth behind the mysterious fire. She enlists the help of a construction worker at the school who may know answers, as well as a visit to a local factory where she unravels more questions and answers regarding the fire.
Rose slowly unravels the truth, and is forced to face a dark secret from her own past. She discovers an intricate web of lies, cover-ups, and conspiracies which all lead to the ultimate answers regarding the questions of the school explosion/fire, whether or not she is a local hero by saving three girls and her own daughter, and whether she can face the demons from her past.
Review:
The jacket description on the cover of the book leads the reader to believe Rose is a dedicated mother who would do anything for her child, but I didn't know Scottoline would instead blur the lines between mother and superhero; dramatic fiction and young adult mystery.
The novel begins with much promise, as the synopsis above indicates. The story sounds exciting, thrilling, and has potential. A school explosion, a mom saving her own daughter, other children getting injured in the fire with the hero to blame, as well as the swell of the media, possible criminal charges, and haunting secrets from Rose's past. All the great markings of a great story...
Unfortunately, the story as a whole lacks realism and substance. The story Scottoline creates is simply absurd and far-fetched: A school explosion that is actually a conspiracy due to a politician's mistress working at the school? A small community turning a mother into a pariah for saving kids in a fire but accusing her of leaving someone else's daughter behind only to be injured and questioning her motives for saving her own daughter? A mom who drops her kids off with family friends (her husband is out of town on a court case and he rarely checks in) so she can sneak off in her mini van to do detective work with a construction worker and make an incognito visit to a local factory to get answers about a possible murder cover-up? This storyline would not even be successful as a movie plot on Lifetime Movie Network.
Besides the story mimicking a Nancy Drew sleuth novel, the characters are one-dimensional and the dialogue is unrealistic. The way she portrays the characters, the things they say, and the way they act in certain situations is impractical and unlikely, behaviors and dialogue you might find in a young adult novel or in a cheesy after school movie.
I think it's obvious to say this novel was a grave disappointment, which is surprising because Lisa Scottoline has written many fantastic novels. This story had a lot of promise based on the description on the jacket as well as the set up in the beginning of the story, but my expectations for this stand-alone novel fell short. The story lacked character development, realistic dialogue, and mystery the entire way through.
If you're looking for a good dramatic novel with a lot of strong characters, thick plotlines, and excellent writing, pick up a Jodi Picoult novel. If you're looking for a nail-biting, edge of your seat mystery, pick up a different Lisa Scottoline novel. If you're looking for a superhero book, read a graphic novel. If you're looking for a detective/sleuth novel, pick up a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book. But sadly, I would not recommend this book for any reason.
With that said, please don't judge Lisa Scottoline's other works based on this novel alone. Save Me is by no means an accurate representation of her writing skills or creative imagination. I believe Scottoline wanted to try something new but was too far out of her comfort zone, and Save Me is the result of that. I would recommend her other books, but definitely not this one.
Kara Kelly
Guest Reviewer for Kathleen Kelly
Save Me starts off with a suburban mom (Reesburgh, PA), Rose McKenna working as a lunch mother at her daughter's school when suddenly an explosion rips through the school's cafeteria, killing three staff members. She leads to girls to safety before running to rescue her own daughter Melly.
After being dubbed by the media as somewhat of a hero, Rose soon learns she might face civil and criminal charges because one of the girls she saved was seriously injured in the fire. The same girls who teased her daughter Melly for having a rose colored birthmark on her face just minutes before the fire, and Rose confronted the same girls about bullying. After being told she might face a charges, Rose, her husband Leo who is a lawyer, and her attorney discuss a defense plan that includes filing a lawsuit against the school for the lack of training for fire drills.
Rose takes it upon herself to investigate the truth behind the mysterious fire. She enlists the help of a construction worker at the school who may know answers, as well as a visit to a local factory where she unravels more questions and answers regarding the fire.
Rose slowly unravels the truth, and is forced to face a dark secret from her own past. She discovers an intricate web of lies, cover-ups, and conspiracies which all lead to the ultimate answers regarding the questions of the school explosion/fire, whether or not she is a local hero by saving three girls and her own daughter, and whether she can face the demons from her past.
Review:
The jacket description on the cover of the book leads the reader to believe Rose is a dedicated mother who would do anything for her child, but I didn't know Scottoline would instead blur the lines between mother and superhero; dramatic fiction and young adult mystery.
The novel begins with much promise, as the synopsis above indicates. The story sounds exciting, thrilling, and has potential. A school explosion, a mom saving her own daughter, other children getting injured in the fire with the hero to blame, as well as the swell of the media, possible criminal charges, and haunting secrets from Rose's past. All the great markings of a great story...
Unfortunately, the story as a whole lacks realism and substance. The story Scottoline creates is simply absurd and far-fetched: A school explosion that is actually a conspiracy due to a politician's mistress working at the school? A small community turning a mother into a pariah for saving kids in a fire but accusing her of leaving someone else's daughter behind only to be injured and questioning her motives for saving her own daughter? A mom who drops her kids off with family friends (her husband is out of town on a court case and he rarely checks in) so she can sneak off in her mini van to do detective work with a construction worker and make an incognito visit to a local factory to get answers about a possible murder cover-up? This storyline would not even be successful as a movie plot on Lifetime Movie Network.
Besides the story mimicking a Nancy Drew sleuth novel, the characters are one-dimensional and the dialogue is unrealistic. The way she portrays the characters, the things they say, and the way they act in certain situations is impractical and unlikely, behaviors and dialogue you might find in a young adult novel or in a cheesy after school movie.
I think it's obvious to say this novel was a grave disappointment, which is surprising because Lisa Scottoline has written many fantastic novels. This story had a lot of promise based on the description on the jacket as well as the set up in the beginning of the story, but my expectations for this stand-alone novel fell short. The story lacked character development, realistic dialogue, and mystery the entire way through.
If you're looking for a good dramatic novel with a lot of strong characters, thick plotlines, and excellent writing, pick up a Jodi Picoult novel. If you're looking for a nail-biting, edge of your seat mystery, pick up a different Lisa Scottoline novel. If you're looking for a superhero book, read a graphic novel. If you're looking for a detective/sleuth novel, pick up a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book. But sadly, I would not recommend this book for any reason.
With that said, please don't judge Lisa Scottoline's other works based on this novel alone. Save Me is by no means an accurate representation of her writing skills or creative imagination. I believe Scottoline wanted to try something new but was too far out of her comfort zone, and Save Me is the result of that. I would recommend her other books, but definitely not this one.
Kara Kelly
Guest Reviewer for Kathleen Kelly
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2011
I was given this book as a kris kringle/secret santa present this year, by somebody who clearly doesn't know me very well. I have tried to read chick lit before, assuming it would be enjoyable in that vapid, lazy way that playing Bejewelled on my phone and clicking through facebook profiles of friends of friends of friends can be. I picked up a Janet Evanovich (or someone) book in a Johannesburg hostel once, and lay by the pool with it for 10 minutes before giving up in a rage. I should have learnt my lesson there. These books don’t do for me what they appear to do for the rest of the population.
Alas, I took 'Save Me' on holiday with me because flipping through the first few pages was a suitable procrastination activity to avoid packing, and the dialogue was so ridiculous and somehow so All American that I kind of wanted to keep reading. I simultaneously loved and loathed this book, and don't know how to rate it or write about it.
Also, I remember my family accompanying mum on a business trip to France when I was about 13, and reading Lisa Scottoline's first book because I had run out of my books and only had my parents' 'adult' books. 'Everywhere that Mary Went' was the first adult book that I read. In hindsight, it may have been the kind of shockingly "easy" book that Save Me is, to have given me the confidence to peruse all aisles of book shops from then on. I've always meant to go back and read more of her books.
This book, though, was fucking terrible. I kept reading lines like 'because he didn't yet know that all moms [sic] are superheroes' and other .. not even Oprah, but Tyra Banks bullshit. It was hilarious. I glared through the pages with this disbelieving smirk on my face, and sat on the plane, pulling my boyfriend over every so often to READ THIS! Fuck. You have to. READ. THIS. It was that atrociously good. The plot is so heinously unbelievable, the characters such perfect examples of the plot devices they needed to be that everything they did was cringeworthy and predictable. The central driving plot pusher of the book seemed to me so unbelievable and almost wrong, that everything around it was similarly unbelievable. A woman is volunteering at her daughter’s school canteen, delicately confronting her daughter’s bullies, when an explosion occurs. Her daughter has taken refuge in a disabled toilet, and superhero mom [sic] [ew] has to make a choice between saving her daughter’s bullies (right in front of her), or finding her daughter (down the hallway). In actual fact, she seems to do both, ferrying the other girls to a teacher to go outside, then finding her daughter and saving her also. However, the chief bullying child then ends up in a coma and the whole town plus their mama turns against the protagonist: how could you! You let Amanda die! Blah blah blah, you are so selfish, blah blah. The whole thing was so bizarre that I actually flicked through the various characters in my head thinking, is this actually a rational and reasonable response for this person to have? In nothing but midday movie in a small town of an America that scares the bejeezus out of me, did any of it make sense.
There then ensues a conspiracy involving various other characters in the kind of unconvincingly joined up way that much popular crime fiction tends to require. While I didn’t buy it, and was infuriated at various points along the way, I couldn’t put the fucking book down. The gifted education teacher, the dying girl’s family, the school, construction companies: every character was somehow involved, and it was all just a ludicrous joke of a hodge podge. A page turner.
So there you have it. It’s a horrible book that I couldn’t stop reading until I had breathlessly turned the last page. I’d say that it’s instantly forgettable, except that I could recall a good chunk of it to write this, a good week and a few good books later. Perhaps that’s the sign of A Good Book. I just don’t want to inhabit any world or circle of people where books like this are considered Good.
Alas, I took 'Save Me' on holiday with me because flipping through the first few pages was a suitable procrastination activity to avoid packing, and the dialogue was so ridiculous and somehow so All American that I kind of wanted to keep reading. I simultaneously loved and loathed this book, and don't know how to rate it or write about it.
Also, I remember my family accompanying mum on a business trip to France when I was about 13, and reading Lisa Scottoline's first book because I had run out of my books and only had my parents' 'adult' books. 'Everywhere that Mary Went' was the first adult book that I read. In hindsight, it may have been the kind of shockingly "easy" book that Save Me is, to have given me the confidence to peruse all aisles of book shops from then on. I've always meant to go back and read more of her books.
This book, though, was fucking terrible. I kept reading lines like 'because he didn't yet know that all moms [sic] are superheroes' and other .. not even Oprah, but Tyra Banks bullshit. It was hilarious. I glared through the pages with this disbelieving smirk on my face, and sat on the plane, pulling my boyfriend over every so often to READ THIS! Fuck. You have to. READ. THIS. It was that atrociously good. The plot is so heinously unbelievable, the characters such perfect examples of the plot devices they needed to be that everything they did was cringeworthy and predictable. The central driving plot pusher of the book seemed to me so unbelievable and almost wrong, that everything around it was similarly unbelievable. A woman is volunteering at her daughter’s school canteen, delicately confronting her daughter’s bullies, when an explosion occurs. Her daughter has taken refuge in a disabled toilet, and superhero mom [sic] [ew] has to make a choice between saving her daughter’s bullies (right in front of her), or finding her daughter (down the hallway). In actual fact, she seems to do both, ferrying the other girls to a teacher to go outside, then finding her daughter and saving her also. However, the chief bullying child then ends up in a coma and the whole town plus their mama turns against the protagonist: how could you! You let Amanda die! Blah blah blah, you are so selfish, blah blah. The whole thing was so bizarre that I actually flicked through the various characters in my head thinking, is this actually a rational and reasonable response for this person to have? In nothing but midday movie in a small town of an America that scares the bejeezus out of me, did any of it make sense.
There then ensues a conspiracy involving various other characters in the kind of unconvincingly joined up way that much popular crime fiction tends to require. While I didn’t buy it, and was infuriated at various points along the way, I couldn’t put the fucking book down. The gifted education teacher, the dying girl’s family, the school, construction companies: every character was somehow involved, and it was all just a ludicrous joke of a hodge podge. A page turner.
So there you have it. It’s a horrible book that I couldn’t stop reading until I had breathlessly turned the last page. I’d say that it’s instantly forgettable, except that I could recall a good chunk of it to write this, a good week and a few good books later. Perhaps that’s the sign of A Good Book. I just don’t want to inhabit any world or circle of people where books like this are considered Good.
April 10, 2012
Couldn't put this book down. It was a fascinating read!
May 8, 2011
Save Me by Lisa Scottoline
If you enjoy the type of novels that want you to ask yourself the hard “what if” or “what would I do in this type of situation” questions, then you may find this novel interesting…at least for the first 8 or 10 chapters, because that is what this novel asks you to do. It tries to ask you to put yourself in a situation that may make you uncomfortable, unpopular and may even call you ethics into question.
Or, after ten chapters you may do like me and simply roll your eyes at the antics of the “heroine” and want to call it a day. While the story could have been ‘all that and a bag of chips’ the stilted dialogue, unsympathetic characters, outlandishly unrealistic plot makes this a difficult read to take seriously or to even simply like. The plot is all over the place with no rhyme or reason, and some secondary stories just seem thrown in willy-nilly. For the life of me I cannot see why Ms Scottoline did things like this.. The main story of our heroine taking flak for supposedly saving her child above any other child, would have been sufficient to carry this book. The author chooses to throw in revelations that really had no bearing on the story and childish antics that has the heroine finding out that there was a nefarious plot going on to kill several people. Frankly, just the “what if” idea was enough for an entire book.
Sadly, I expected so much more from an author of this caliber
If you enjoy the type of novels that want you to ask yourself the hard “what if” or “what would I do in this type of situation” questions, then you may find this novel interesting…at least for the first 8 or 10 chapters, because that is what this novel asks you to do. It tries to ask you to put yourself in a situation that may make you uncomfortable, unpopular and may even call you ethics into question.
Or, after ten chapters you may do like me and simply roll your eyes at the antics of the “heroine” and want to call it a day. While the story could have been ‘all that and a bag of chips’ the stilted dialogue, unsympathetic characters, outlandishly unrealistic plot makes this a difficult read to take seriously or to even simply like. The plot is all over the place with no rhyme or reason, and some secondary stories just seem thrown in willy-nilly. For the life of me I cannot see why Ms Scottoline did things like this.. The main story of our heroine taking flak for supposedly saving her child above any other child, would have been sufficient to carry this book. The author chooses to throw in revelations that really had no bearing on the story and childish antics that has the heroine finding out that there was a nefarious plot going on to kill several people. Frankly, just the “what if” idea was enough for an entire book.
Sadly, I expected so much more from an author of this caliber
October 21, 2012
I've been a fan of Lisa Scottoline since "Look Again" and I was excited to see "Save Me" at my local library.
Rose is a supermodel turned mother who is married to Leo, her lawyer husband. She lives in upper class suburbia with him, her daughter Melly by her former husband and their son, John.
The story begins with Rose volunteering at her daughter's school. She witnesses her daughter being bulled by another student and transforms into "mama bear" mode, calling out the bully and her friends and trying to reason with them. She detains the bullies at lunch while the rest of the class (except Melly, who has gone into the bathroom) heads out for recess. At that moment, there is an explosion in the kitchen and chaos ensues. When Rose finally realizes what has happened, she has to make a choice - lead the bullies to safety or save her daughter. At that point, she decides to make some effort to get the bullies out (but never follows up on that to make sure they're all out) and then find her daughter.
Her daughter suffered smoke inhalation but is basically alright, but as we discover, the bully suffered more serious injuries and her life hangs in the balance.
Rose becomes the town scapegoat then and her life begins to spiral downward. She knows in her heart that she did what any parent would do, but she feels very guilty about the fate of the other child, mostly due to her unresolved guilt from a past experience in which she was indirectly responsible for the death of a child.
Rose's husband Leo becomes her crusader, helping her to deal with her feelings and being her rock during this turmoil. He warns her against speaking to anyone about the explosion, but Rose is stubborn and foolish and chats it up with everyone she encounters, mostly in an attempt to prove her innocence and get to the real cause of the destruction, which was the explosion itself. Rose does eventually solve the mystery of the explosion, but the plot becomes almost implausible towards the end, with Rose transforming herself from clueless mommy to private investigator. She drives up and down the East Coast, disguising herself as a factory worker and a reporter to gain information to prove that the explosion was not an accident.
Unfortunately, I got sucked into the plot and wanted to find out what happened, so I endured the crazy plot twists and boring characters. I gave this book 3 stars instead of 2 because the mystery did suck me in.
More gripes: Rose is just unlikeable. She seems so shallow and boring and suburbany. At one point, Rose's friend actually tells her that the other mothers don't like her because she is pretty. Really?? Why was she trying to force Melly to read "American Girl" books? She desperately wanted her daughter to fit in at just about any expense. I found it very hard to sympathize with her. I even suspected her husband of having an affair because she was just so helpless and clueless. It almost seemed that he only married her for her looks because she just doesn't seem like she has much substance. The dialogue between Leo and Melly is just lacking in depth. I wanted him to be more of a part of her life instead of this boring "Disneyland Dad" character on the periphery.
I really wanted to find out why Rosie, the night nurse in charge of Melly while her mother was gone, just left and never came back to help Melly during the night. The author seemed to imply that Rosie was friendly and nurturing then just absent when she was needed. Was Rosie up to something devious? I felt let down by the dangling character development.
This book had potential to be something more than it was.
Rose is a supermodel turned mother who is married to Leo, her lawyer husband. She lives in upper class suburbia with him, her daughter Melly by her former husband and their son, John.
The story begins with Rose volunteering at her daughter's school. She witnesses her daughter being bulled by another student and transforms into "mama bear" mode, calling out the bully and her friends and trying to reason with them. She detains the bullies at lunch while the rest of the class (except Melly, who has gone into the bathroom) heads out for recess. At that moment, there is an explosion in the kitchen and chaos ensues. When Rose finally realizes what has happened, she has to make a choice - lead the bullies to safety or save her daughter. At that point, she decides to make some effort to get the bullies out (but never follows up on that to make sure they're all out) and then find her daughter.
Her daughter suffered smoke inhalation but is basically alright, but as we discover, the bully suffered more serious injuries and her life hangs in the balance.
Rose becomes the town scapegoat then and her life begins to spiral downward. She knows in her heart that she did what any parent would do, but she feels very guilty about the fate of the other child, mostly due to her unresolved guilt from a past experience in which she was indirectly responsible for the death of a child.
Rose's husband Leo becomes her crusader, helping her to deal with her feelings and being her rock during this turmoil. He warns her against speaking to anyone about the explosion, but Rose is stubborn and foolish and chats it up with everyone she encounters, mostly in an attempt to prove her innocence and get to the real cause of the destruction, which was the explosion itself. Rose does eventually solve the mystery of the explosion, but the plot becomes almost implausible towards the end, with Rose transforming herself from clueless mommy to private investigator. She drives up and down the East Coast, disguising herself as a factory worker and a reporter to gain information to prove that the explosion was not an accident.
Unfortunately, I got sucked into the plot and wanted to find out what happened, so I endured the crazy plot twists and boring characters. I gave this book 3 stars instead of 2 because the mystery did suck me in.
More gripes: Rose is just unlikeable. She seems so shallow and boring and suburbany. At one point, Rose's friend actually tells her that the other mothers don't like her because she is pretty. Really?? Why was she trying to force Melly to read "American Girl" books? She desperately wanted her daughter to fit in at just about any expense. I found it very hard to sympathize with her. I even suspected her husband of having an affair because she was just so helpless and clueless. It almost seemed that he only married her for her looks because she just doesn't seem like she has much substance. The dialogue between Leo and Melly is just lacking in depth. I wanted him to be more of a part of her life instead of this boring "Disneyland Dad" character on the periphery.
I really wanted to find out why Rosie, the night nurse in charge of Melly while her mother was gone, just left and never came back to help Melly during the night. The author seemed to imply that Rosie was friendly and nurturing then just absent when she was needed. Was Rosie up to something devious? I felt let down by the dangling character development.
This book had potential to be something more than it was.
March 18, 2012
This book started with an extremely thought provoking dilemma: a parent volunteer in the lunchroom finds herself thrown into the middle of a tragic explosion. Does she save the little girl who has been tormenting and bullying her daughter first? Or does she go after her daughter?
Rose McKenna believes she makes the perfect compromise: she guides the three young girls to the hallway and tells them to run outside. She then heads to the handicap bathroom to find her daughter, Melly, who has run off after being tormented by the class bully, Amanda Gigot. The first ten pages of this book broke my heart, brought tears to my eyes, and exposed my deepest fears about sending a child to school. Bullying is an absolutely needless and tragic epidemic, Lisa Scottoline describes the torment and hurt poignantly. However, the plot begins to fall apart and the poignancy is replaced with a kitchy murder mystery starring possibly corrupt politicians and cliche muscled body guards for hire.
One of the most disappointing books I've read in a long time.
Rose McKenna believes she makes the perfect compromise: she guides the three young girls to the hallway and tells them to run outside. She then heads to the handicap bathroom to find her daughter, Melly, who has run off after being tormented by the class bully, Amanda Gigot. The first ten pages of this book broke my heart, brought tears to my eyes, and exposed my deepest fears about sending a child to school. Bullying is an absolutely needless and tragic epidemic, Lisa Scottoline describes the torment and hurt poignantly. However, the plot begins to fall apart and the poignancy is replaced with a kitchy murder mystery starring possibly corrupt politicians and cliche muscled body guards for hire.
One of the most disappointing books I've read in a long time.
July 6, 2013
I was intrigued by the premise of the book SAVE ME...who's life would (and should) a mother save, if she has to make a choice between her own child and other children? It seemed like a moral and emotional dilemma that might play out in an interesting way-and it did-for about the first 20 chapters. Unfortunately, this book has 89 chapters! It went from interesting and believable to boring and far fetched. The book reads like a Saturday morning Superhero cartoon. The "Superhero" Mom, takes on The Bullies (children And adults), An Entire Angry Town, A School, High Powered Attorneys, A Huge Corporation, A Hit Man, and A State Senator! She single-handedly, figures out that a crime has been committed, solves the mystery and brings the "bad guys to justice", all the while remaining the humble and guilt-ridden mother. Of course, by the end of the book, all the bullies begin to "play nice" and everyone walks off into the sunset, holding hands and singing "Kumbaya". Really, Lisa? Where were your editors?
September 15, 2014
It took me almost three months to finish my last read of 400 pages and only a day and a few hours to finish the 370 pages in Save Me by Lisa Scottoline. This book is a page turner! Almost like reading the well-crafted script for a Law and Order or Chicago Fire. I was riveted from page 1 through the end. The plot twists and turns had me constantly shifting my own thinking about what happened in the school cafeteria the day that main character, Rose McKenna volunteered to be a "cafeteria mom". The character is well-built as we learn about her third grade daughter being bullied for a large red birth mark she has on her cheek. Rose is called to action and taken to task in this book. She also clearly exposes a mother's heart as she deals with her present while also digging into her past. Scottoline is a new author for me. I'm going to have to check out more of her work.
February 7, 2018
After reading the first few chapters, I wasn't sure if I could continue. I have a grandson who is the same age as Melly, and I know how kids can be cruel. Melly was born with a birthmark on her cheek (I believe it was referred to as a port-wine stain, as well as the medical name). I cringe to think that a bully could make fun of any of my grandchildren, especially the two who wear glasses.
Anyway, Melly's mom volunteers one day in the cafeteria to sort of watch to see how the other children are teasing & bullying Melly. An explosion in the cafeteria during lunchtime changes lives in ways no one expects.
Great book! So glad I continued reading it. Lisa Scottoline is fast becoming a favorite author!
Anyway, Melly's mom volunteers one day in the cafeteria to sort of watch to see how the other children are teasing & bullying Melly. An explosion in the cafeteria during lunchtime changes lives in ways no one expects.
Great book! So glad I continued reading it. Lisa Scottoline is fast becoming a favorite author!
April 14, 2013
I gave this book 3 stars because I was engaged enough to want to know what happened at the end. However, I did not enjoy it as much as other Scottoline books I have read. I thought Rose, the main character, was weak and ineffective to the end. Melly, her daughter, was annoying. The plot twists were kind of out there and the end was cheesy. I have a lot more to say but then they would be spoilers, so I will leave it at that.
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