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