Helpful Score: 6
I have never read Scottoline before and I now know why. This was selected for our book club so I felt an obligation to read it. The book's beginning has some promise but then goes downhill and becomes downright outlandish when Rose (the main character) drops her kids off with friends and turns into super hero/Nancy Drew uncovering a conspiracy, cover-up and solving a murder. I thought this book was completely farfetched and unrealistic and the trivial conversation was annoying. Scottoline should have stuck with her original plot - the explosion, its aftermath, and the effects on the community.
Helpful Score: 5
Really disappointed in this book as I generally love Lisa Scottoline's books....just seemed to be all over the place & found it frustrating at some points to enjoy this book!
Helpful Score: 5
what a disappointment--the first 2/3 just kept dragging on and on and on and I felt at times like I was reading a See Jane Run book, the dialogue was almost sickening between the mother/daughter--the last 1/3 of the book is when the real story finally unfolds and by that time I was so bored I just skipped through got the info I needed and finished it to get it out of the way--very disappointed with this one.
Helpful Score: 4
Brilliant story line, however, that is what makes the very poor execution so disappointing. The story is filled with conflicting details and flat, stereotypical characters.
Helpful Score: 3
Just read this.....really awful & I guess I should have followed my instincts on reviews I read on AMAZON.....most people hated this book......just not anything at all like what I am used to reading from Scottoline!!!
Helpful Score: 3
A lot of this book I found to be unrealistic. It was ok, I listened to it on CD...if I was reading it, I would probably have given up.
Helpful Score: 2
Defiantly do not recommend this. I feel like the climax happens I the first chapter. Not like her other books, very disappointing. Too far-fetched, way too drawn out. The book would be half as long without the constant, repeating, minute descriptions... She thumbed through her contact to L, pressed call and held the phone to her ear... Really? Do I need to know exactly how she makes a phone call, every time she does it? Don't waste your time.
Helpful Score: 2
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.
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed the book up until the end - there was no climax to the story - it just ended. Such a huge build up to nothing.
Helpful Score: 1
Loved this book, with unexpected turns!
Helpful Score: 1
I liked the story, it makes you think about your own kids, and what you would do in emergencies. However, the writing was a little too choppy and disjointed for me. I usually finish books in a day or two; this one took 4. I just wasn't "into" it!
Helpful Score: 1
Eh! I enjoyed the ending and the last third of the book..... but the first 2/3 just dragged. Maybe because Im not a mom? But I just couldn't find a connection to Rose - she annoyed me. I gave it 2.5 stars
A novel packed with excitement and emotion. Fast paced. If you are a parent it's a story that will make you stop and & ask yourself how far would you go to save your child before another. This is a story about a mom who volunteered as a lunch room mom, children who bully others & a fire. Mom is accused of saving her child while sacrificing another. Then facing the after effects of what can happen when you are in charge of children in a setting such as this. It has many unexpected twists and turns & a lot of suspense. I flew thru the pages.
This writing seemed poor for someone who has written multiple books. It's definitely not as good a read as her last stand-alone, Look Again.
When Rose McKenna and her family move to a small Pennsylvania town, they are hoping for a more supportive environment. But this has not turned out to be the case, and the bullying that traumatized young Melly in previous settings has followed them to this small, peaceful town; for Melly has a large birthmark on her cheek, and suffers regular taunts and teasing.
Volunteering at the school in the lunch room offers Rose the opportunity to oversee things and to provide a safety net, of sorts. But on one tragic day, the cafeteria explodes, endangering lives. Rose's efforts to direct the children outdoors to safety, and then return to find her daughter trapped in the bathroom, leads to applause for the "hero mom," only to have the tide turn drastically when other mothers blame Rose for endangering another child. For seemingly, Amanda, one of the biggest bullies, did not make it outside to safety and lies in Intensive Care in a coma.
The media frenzy skewers Rose as negligent, with hints of criminal prosecution and lawsuits hanging over her head, even as she sits beside her daughter's bedside, awaiting her recovery from smoke inhalation.
Moral, legal, and ethical themes provide a backdrop for this series of events, beginning with the media frenzy, legal posturing, and serious dilemmas that have arisen from the tragedy. Rose is determined to get to the bottom of what happened that day, but as she asks questions, more arise, leading her down a pathway and on a journey to construction companies, local factories, and politicians. Wending her way through her questions, she uncovers more and more clues pointing to blackmail, conspiracy, and murder.
What connects a construction company, a potato chip factory, and a politician? What do any of them have to do with the fire in the cafeteria? And what unique situation lies at the center of it all?
Scottoline has a talent for leading the reader on a nail biting journey, turning those pages rapidly in the pursuit of answers to these questions. I couldn't help but love the characters of Rose, her husband Leo, and especially the plucky Harry Potter reading Melly. Save Me is about so much more than the initial questions of who you would save during a tragedy. It led to questions about responsibility, negligence, and what nefarious individuals might do for profit and fame.
Volunteering at the school in the lunch room offers Rose the opportunity to oversee things and to provide a safety net, of sorts. But on one tragic day, the cafeteria explodes, endangering lives. Rose's efforts to direct the children outdoors to safety, and then return to find her daughter trapped in the bathroom, leads to applause for the "hero mom," only to have the tide turn drastically when other mothers blame Rose for endangering another child. For seemingly, Amanda, one of the biggest bullies, did not make it outside to safety and lies in Intensive Care in a coma.
The media frenzy skewers Rose as negligent, with hints of criminal prosecution and lawsuits hanging over her head, even as she sits beside her daughter's bedside, awaiting her recovery from smoke inhalation.
Moral, legal, and ethical themes provide a backdrop for this series of events, beginning with the media frenzy, legal posturing, and serious dilemmas that have arisen from the tragedy. Rose is determined to get to the bottom of what happened that day, but as she asks questions, more arise, leading her down a pathway and on a journey to construction companies, local factories, and politicians. Wending her way through her questions, she uncovers more and more clues pointing to blackmail, conspiracy, and murder.
What connects a construction company, a potato chip factory, and a politician? What do any of them have to do with the fire in the cafeteria? And what unique situation lies at the center of it all?
Scottoline has a talent for leading the reader on a nail biting journey, turning those pages rapidly in the pursuit of answers to these questions. I couldn't help but love the characters of Rose, her husband Leo, and especially the plucky Harry Potter reading Melly. Save Me is about so much more than the initial questions of who you would save during a tragedy. It led to questions about responsibility, negligence, and what nefarious individuals might do for profit and fame.
This book Kept me reading late into the night.
I got about 60 pages into this book and couldn't read any further because the premise was so ridiculous. I didn't believe for a moment that mothers would behave the way the ones did in this book or that the media would, either.
Not one of her best books, but I still did enjoy it! I'm looking forward to reading more by Lisa Scottoline.
One of the best books I have read. Keeps you one the edge of your seat. Would make a great movie.
I enjoy Lisa Scottoline's books very much. This one was as good as expected. It seemed to move a little slow in the beginning, but was true to form and a good book overall.
I enjoy anything written by Lisa Scottoline.
Really good.
