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Blurb
On the outside, Ally has everything any teenager could want. She’s beautiful, popular, and athletic. She has the right friends, an adoring boyfriend, and the picture-perfect family.
Too bad it’s all a lie.
Every day she’s dying a little on the inside, drowning in everyone’s expectations and opinions, the weight of it all pulling her under.
She wants to do the unthinkable … until a boy with shaggy hair, unusual eyes, and a lip ring changes her plans.
Saving Me Playlist
Review
5 stars!
Wow, I love this book! A beautifully uplifting coming-of-age story with a vulnerable yet strong heroine that you cannot help but love, and an absolutely gorgeous YA romance that had my heart pounding, and a huge smile on my face. The synopsis makes this book sound super dark, which is misleading, so don’t let it turn you off! Yes, this book has some serious subject matter, but that’s just the starting point for what is a heartfelt and hopeful story that is smart, sweet, romantic, and beautifully written, and I absolutely loved it!
On the outside, Allison ‘Ally’ Everly is living the perfect life. A high school junior, she has seemingly devoted parents, is a gifted athlete, smart, beautiful and popular with the boyfriend and best friends to match. In reality, every aspect of her life is controlled, she feels trapped and weighed down by the expectations placed upon her and with nobody real in her life to turn to, she feels trapped and lost, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking.
The hollowness inside me was infinite. My heart felt heavy, like every beat was a Herculean feat. It, along with my mind and body, were sinking, too tired to fight the pull of the encroaching darkness. I wanted to slip under. I wanted the peace it would bring. To not feel a single thing ever again.
When she hits rock bottom and feels as if she has no other choice, it is her school’s theatre bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold, Sterling Chapman, that comes to her rescue. And when a total stranger is there for her in a way that nobody else in her life is, proving again and again that he wants to be there for her, he becomes the trigger that changes everything for her.
“Why? Why are you doing this?”
“What?”
… “This?” I gestured with my hand, moving it back and forth between us.
“It’s all part of my plan,” he said somewhat cryptically.
“Plan for what?” I was confused. What kind of plan did he have that involved me.
He didn’t make me wait for the answer.
“My plan for saving you.”
OMG, Sterling is my latest cougar obsession, I just love this boy! The attraction between Ally and Sterling is there from the very beginning. They’ve both noticed the other, but they move in different social circles within their school, plus Ally has had the same boyfriend for years. But with Ally’s life changing, and her starting to reach out and explore what she wants, it provides the perfect opportunity for change, and Sterling is right there with her.
It’s a wonderful story of friendship, but there is also a strong romantic storyline which forms a big part of the change in Ally’s life, and Sterling’s impact on her is fantastically written. As a friend, Sterling is pure perfection with his sweet gestures, his generosity, and the way he is unwaveringly there for his girl. And as a romantic hero he absolutely stole my heart!
“I love you, Ally. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. I’ll give you time, and when you’re ready, I will be right here waiting for you.”
*swooooon!*
The romance is sweet, swoony and intense, and beautifully YA. There is some sexual content throughout the story but it’s off the page so this is a safe book for younger readers, but the feels are definitely there and I loved it!
I don’t want to give too much detail, because you just need to dive in and experience Ally’s story because the way it’s written, the way it all plays out and the emotion of the story is just fantastic. It’s dramatic and heartfelt, sweet, funny, fun and hopeful, and I honestly couldn’t get enough of it. I devoured this book in one sitting, reveling in the inspiring story of a brave young girl figuring herself out and fighting to find a better life for herself.
“Sometimes, the bravest thing we choose is to be ourselves and live on our own terms.”
Ally’s story captivated me from start to finish. I loved her as a character, and I thought this was a beautifully written story of family, friendship and love, of learning who you are and fighting for what you truly want.
“Life rarely turns out how we plan it … It’s funny that way. How well it turns out depends on how you accept those changed plans and live the life you’re meant to, not the one you expected.”
Absolutely beautiful – 5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Saving Me, author Sadie Allen is giving away an awesome basket of goodies!
ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE
The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway
Author Bio
Sadie Allen lives in Texas with her husband and three young children. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, catching up on her favorite shows, or chasing her family around the house.
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