Audiobook Review: Safe With Me by Amy Hatvany

Title:  Safe With Me

Author:  Amy Hatvany

Narrators:  Cassandra Campbell, Joy Osmanski, Rebekkah Ross

Unabridged Length:  10 hrs, 23 mn.



Here is a summary of the book from the publisher's website:
The screech of tires brought Hannah Scott’s world as she knew it to a devastating end. Even a year after she signed the papers to donate her daughter’s organs, Hannah is still reeling with grief when she unexpectedly stumbles into the life of the Bell family, whose child, Maddie, survived only because hers had died. Mesmerized by this fragile connection to her own daughter and afraid to reveal who she actually is, Hannah develops a surprising friendship with Maddie’s mother, Olivia.

The Bells, however, have problems of their own. Once on the verge of leaving her wealthy but abusive husband, Olivia now finds herself bound to him as never before in the wake of the successful transplant that saved their fifteen-year-old daughter’s life. Meanwhile Maddie, tired of the limits her poor health puts upon her and fearful of her father’s increasing rage, regularly escapes into the one place where she can be anyone she wants: the Internet. But when she is finally healthy enough to return to school, the real world proves to be just as complicated as the isolated bubble she had been so eager to escape.

A masterful narrative, shaped by nuanced characters whose fragile bonds are on a collision course with the truth, Safe with Me is a triumph.

My Review: 
This was a beautifully crafted story that puts us in the lives of those personally effected by a tragedy.  The story is told from three different perspectives in alternating chapters and Hatvany did a great job of bringing these characters to life for us.  The narrators in the audioversion were equally exceptional.

Maddie is the young girl who has spent the majority of her life in and out of hospitals because of her illness.  Had it not been for an organ transplant she received a year ago, she would probably be dead today.  She finds herself struggling with her identity and even goes as far to create a Facebook page with an entirely different persona.  The name on her secret Facebook page is Sierra and she looks like a twenty-year-old supermodel.  Sierra possesses all the looks and qualities that Maddie does not.

Olivia is Maddie's mom, and is thankful for every day that her daughter breathes life.  Olivia has been keeping a secret throughout her married life that is about to unravel.  She has been able to protect Maddie so far and believes if she stays under the radar she can continue with her escapade.  But this becomes nearly impossible when she meets Hannah, who is the first woman to offer her true friendship in years.

Hannah is a single, independent woman whose daughter, Emily, was killed a year earlier.  Emily was the light of Hannah's world and when Emily was taken from her, that light was extinguished, and she has been floundering day to day trying to live a normal life.  When Maddie and Olivia walk into her life, she feels a closeness with Maddie she can't explain.  She develops a bond with both the mother and daughter and can't stop the friendship from developing.  Suspicions of who these people really are creep into her mind and she knows she will have to reveal her true identity eventually.

I truly enjoyed this story that takes the lives of these three wounded individuals and forces them into a hurtful situation that allows them to heal.  And let me tell you, the tension mounted towards the end of the book taking my breath away.  Since I had technical difficulties with my iPod, I was only able to listen to about two-thirds of the book, then had to request the physical book from my library.  I can tell you I thoroughly enjoyed both versions.  With themes of family, friendship, secrets,  and organ donation, you would probably enjoy this book as much as I did.  I don't hesitate to recommend this book for personal leisure or as a book club selection.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The screech of tires brought Hannah Scott’s world as she knew it to a devastating end. A year after she signed the papers to donate her daughter’s organs, Hannah is still reeling with grief when she unexpectedly stumbles into the life of the Bell family, whose fifteen-year-old daughter, Maddie, survived only because Hannah’s daughter had died. Mesmerized by this fragile connection to her own daughter and afraid to reveal who she actually is, Hannah develops a surprising friendship with Maddie’s mother, Olivia.

The Bells, however, have problems of their own. Once on the verge of leaving her wealthy but abusive husband, Olivia now finds herself bound to him in the wake of the transplant that saved their daughter’s life. Meanwhile, Maddie, tired of the limits her poor health puts upon her and fearful of her father’s increasing rage, regularly escapes into the one place where she can be anyone she wants: the Internet. But when she is finally healthy enough to return to school, the real world proves to be just as complicated as the isolated bubble she had been so eager to escape.

A masterful narrative shaped by nuanced characters whose delicate bonds are on a collision course with the truth, Safe with Me is a riveting triumph. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Safe-with-Me/Amy-Hatvany/9781476704418#sthash.pfcU8VZu.dpuf

Blog Tour and Review: The Bully of Order by Brian Hart

Thanks once again to Trish from TLC Book Tours for inviting me to be a part of this tour. I'm sure I would not have picked this book up on my own otherwise.

Here is a summary of the book from the publisher's website:
Set in a logging town on the lawless Pacific coast of Washington State at the turn of the twentieth century, a spellbinding novel of fate and redemption—told with a muscular lyricism and filled with a cast of characters Shakespearean in scope—in which the lives of an ill-fated family are at the mercy of violent social and historical forces that tear them apart.

Keen to make his fortune, Jacob Ellstrom, armed with his medical kit and new wife, Nell, lands in The Harbor—a mud-filled, raucous coastal town teeming with rough trade pioneers, sawmill laborers, sailors, and prostitutes. But Jacob is not a doctor, and a botched delivery exposes his ruse, driving him onto the streets in a plunge towards alcoholism. Alone, Nell scrambles to keep herself and their young son, Duncan, safe in this dangerous world. When a tentative reunion between the couple—in the company of Duncan and Jacob’s malicious brother, Matius—results in tragedy, Jacob must flee town to elude being charged with murder.

Years later, the wild and reckless Duncan seems to be yet another of The Harbor’s hoodlums. His only salvation is his overwhelming love for Teresa Boyerton, the daughter of the town’s largest mill owner. But disaster will befall the lovers with heartbreaking consequences.

And across town, Bellhouse, a union boss and criminal rabble-rouser, sits at the helm of The Harbor’s seedy underbelly, perpetuating a cycle of greed and violence. His thug Tartan directs his pack of thieves, pimps, and murderers, and conceals an incendiary secret involving Duncan’s mother. As time passes, a string of calamitous events sends these characters hurtling towards each other in an epic collision that will shake the town to its core.

My Review:
Let me start by saying this was a very interesting novel giving you an honest look at life in a logging town at the height of the industry.  Hart shared with us the raw and primal lives of the people of this community as they lived day to day.  With that being said, I need to warn you that this book is definitely not for the faint-hearted.  But if you are looking for an honest glimpse into this piece of history, then this novel is for you.

There are a lot of characters in the book and different chapters offer narrations for several characters.  I was impressed with Hart's ability to introduce new characters to us, because even though they have similar needs within the community, they all come from different walks of life.  We learn about Jacob, who works hard his whole life but makes bad decision after bad decision.  Then there is his son Duncan, who is an unfortunate victim of circumstance.  Jacob's wife, Nell, who blindly followed him to this wild country in search of a better life, only to be cast aside by the community because of her husbands actions.  These are just a few of the characters in the novel with just a fraction of their personal predicaments.

Besides Jacob's lies about who he really is, his brother Matius has a downright evil streak.  When Jacob seems to be getting things back on track with his family, Matius does something that will shatter Jacob's family as he knows it.  The Ellstrom family will never be the same and young Duncan can't help but be drawn down a dark path of his life.  Violence becomes a normal part of Duncan's life, and he can't help but embrace his violent tendencies when things do not work out as planned.

This book was kind of a slow read for me as it was packed with vivid details and information.  One of the most difficult chapters for me to read was about Jacob when he was in a very dark time of his life, probably drunk most of the time.   That chapter was so scattered that I couldn't help but compliment the author, because I imagine these thoughts could be pretty accurate for a man in his circumstances.

For those that are history buffs and interested in the early logging industry, this book would be right up your alley.  With themes of family, secrets, lies, and survival you may enjoy this book too.  I recommend this novel for either personal leisure or as a book club discussion.

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by the publisher to participate in this blog tour and provide an honest review.