Author: Dr. Lucinda Berry
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Page Count: 257 Pages
Rating: ❤❤❤❤
Hi friends, I'm back with another hot take on the latest books I've read. First, let me apologize because I have slacked on my uploading, but I have a good reason! I've actually been working on a creative writing class trying to strengthen my writing skills. Then life happened and some stuff with my house went awry and I had to focus on that for a bit.
Anyway, now that life has calmed down for a moment, I am back to write about the good, the bad, and the ugly in all of the books I've been reading lately. Now this one here... oh my Christ. I was UGLY. Right up there with The Good Samaritan in terms of disturbing content. I had to take a break from this book. Matter of fact, after reading this, I read a romance book directly after just to give my poor psyche a chance to heal and recover from this. Dr. Lucinda Berry writes some disturbing content, but I appreciate the fact that she writes about subjects that people are scared to touch. This story is a perfect example. So yes, without further ado, hang on to your butts friends. Let's get into it.
Excerpt from Amazon
We forgive murderers, not pedophiles.
Meet Noah—an A-honor roll student, award-winning swimmer, and small-town star destined for greatness. There weren’t any signs that something was wrong until the day he confesses to molesting little girls during swim team practice. He’s sentenced to eighteen months in a juvenile sexual rehabilitation center.
His mother, Adrianne, refuses to turn her back on him despite his horrific crimes, but her husband won’t allow Noah back into their home. In a series of shocking and shattering revelations, Adrianne is forced to make the hardest decision of her life. Just how far will she go to protect her son?
Saving Noah challenges everything you think you know about teenage sexual offenders. It will keep you up at night long after you've read the last page, questioning beliefs you once thought were true.
Whew. This one... This one made me uncomfy just from the synopsis. I knew I was jumping head first into some pretty dark material, but even knowing that going in, didn't prepare me entirely. As you can gather from the synopsis, this book is about a teenage sexual offender. So, if you're someone who is triggered by sexual offense and pedophilia, please please PLEASE exit stage left. Don't read this book because it will trigger something. I'm willing to guarantee. There were moments I was uncomfortable and needed to take a quick break.
Overall, this book was well written. Dr. Lucinda Berry is no stranger to the darker side of humanity and her work is a direct reflection of that. she writes about subjects that others may not be strong enough or have the stomach to touch. I appreciate her work for that fact alone. This book was no different. Dark and uncomfortable but expertly written with a twist at the end that literally made me sick to my stomach. Whew! Let's dive into what I liked and didn't like about this book.
The Plot. Sick subject matter, but it was well written. The plot kept me reading even when I didn't want to (lol) and it gave a new perspective on the subject. Can everyone be saved? Noah struggled through the entire book to keep his urges in check. For a split second, I felt bad for him because he seemed truly ashamed of what he struggled with. It made me stop and think for a second. We usually just think that they're all monsters with no remorse for what they've done or what they have thoughts about. In reality, as hard as it is to accept, these people are still human and they still deserve to be treated with some type of respect.
The Twist. There was a love/hate response to the twist in this story. I love when a story can shift an entire perspective and tone by changing or adding one simple piece of information. This story had me thinking one thing for the entire story until the ended where they added a piece of information that switched the entire tone of the story. I was impressed. I was shook. I was disgusted.
The Ending. Impressive twist aside, the ending wasn't my favorite. The way the mother approached the situation bothered me. I can appreciate that she felt there was no other solution but come on, there HAD to be something else she could have done. That whole part of the plot didn't sit well with me. I tried hard to get past it, but nope. I can't shake the idea that it could have and SHOULD HAVE ended differently.
Do I recommend this book? Yes, but only if you can handle it. Like most of her work, this book is one big trigger. So if this is a subject that makes you so uncomfy that you can't sleep well at night, but you decide to read it anyway, don't blame me for your nightmares.
If you can power through, I absolutely think you should check this book out. It offers a different take on the subject of sex offenders, especially teenage sex offenders. Definitely worth discussing in detail. If you decide to read it, make sure you come back and let me know what you think. I'd love to discuss it.
If you want to purchase it on Amazon, you can grab it here:
So there you have it folks. This book was an uncomfy but eye opening read. Check it out if you have some time. When you're done run over to Instagram or Facebook and let me know what you think. I can't wait to hear from you!
Until then...
Happy Reading Babes! ❤