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zapkode's review
5.0
{my thoughts} – Colin Leventhal was very much in love with Sarah Evans. On the day she disappeared he lost his mind. His world collapsed, he lost his will to live, he lost his ability to care and he was crumbling from the inside out. He kept holding onto the thought that maybe just maybe Sarah was still out there and that he had to be the one to save her. He spent countless days calling her phone hoping she would answer and then one day her voicemail had managed to pick up this was one year after she’d gone missing. He kept calling her after that leaving her messages hoping that she would call back but she didn’t and he kept holding onto hope, hope that she was out there, hope that he just needed to find her, hope that in a sense she was alive.
Claire Evans was a Sarah’s younger sister. She had always wished that she had what Sarah had including Colin. Claire learns how hard it is to live through the loss of her sister and in her own way she wanted to help Colin. She had always loved Colin and wanted him to be okay. She did a lot of not smart things throughout the book that could get her in a lot of trouble but in the end she didn’t have anything to do with her sister going missing.
The two of them struggle with accepting that Sarah isn’t coming back and it isn’t until the end of the book that for both of them they are finally able to let go. They can finally let Sarah go and start living their lives for themselves instead of everybody else. Well Colin wasn’t living for everyone else he was stuck in this world where Sarah was alive in his head and as long as she was there everything was okay because he didn’t have to let go. Claire was the one living for everyone else and because of that things were not well for her. Her mother left, her father wanted to pack up and move away, the uncertainty of not knowing what happened to Sarah is what was tearing the family apart. Because of all that uncertainty no one knew how to deal with what was all taking place. No one knew really how to heal or accept it all and because of all that it made it difficult to move on.
This book is a wonderfully well written book. It’s tone is perfect and it does have it’s moments where it may make you tear up or even cry. It is a good book for anyone to read that had been forced to deal with the loss of a loved one. The loss of someone that you have no answers for because they are simply gone and aren’t coming back. There are so many more things that could have been covered in this book in regards to this topic, but the things that were covered helped to make a good book. The most important thing I got out of reading this book is that you need to accept what is going on before you can move on and heal. Acceptance is that last part of the healing process and getting there can sometimes be an overwhelming and bumpy road. This book can help other’s to know that they are not alone and that others too have been through what they are going through, it can maybe help others to learn to live their lives again.
Quotes i liked} –
01} “I’m eighteen, about to graduate, and, in a few months, I’m suppose to go to college and pretend that everything is okay. I can’t wrap my brain around that. Nothing is okay. It hasn’t been the same since the last time I saw Sarah. That was when time cracked, splintered like a broken bone, and no matter how hard I try to hold it together, everything falls apart. -Colin
02} In a single moment, Sarah vanished, and the world shifter forever on its axis. It can do that. It can keep going on for everyone else, spinning around, day in day out: morning, school, home, bed, morning, school, home, bed, lather, rinse, repeat. It goes on for everyone else, but then for some of us, like me, it comes to a screeching halt. -Colin
03} I used to be jealous of how Sarah was, but now I felt guilty for even thinking such a thing. All the complex emotions vanished when Sarah disappeared. I only wanted one thing- to get her back, to get our life back to normal. – Claire
04} Sometimes I wondered if every time I came in this room, I made it a little less Sarah’s. Like my being here pushed her out. I didn’t want to push her out; I just wanted to bring her back. – Claire
05} High School wasn’t the kind of thing you just float through. It was a jungle, something my parents didn’t understand. – Claire
06} It’s so easy to be unnoticeable. It’s actually comforting, like floating downstream. I didn’t have to make any decisions because the current would just carry me wherever it needed.It felt peaceful the way one day passed into the next, seamless like the overlapping petals of a flower. – Colin
Claire Evans was a Sarah’s younger sister. She had always wished that she had what Sarah had including Colin. Claire learns how hard it is to live through the loss of her sister and in her own way she wanted to help Colin. She had always loved Colin and wanted him to be okay. She did a lot of not smart things throughout the book that could get her in a lot of trouble but in the end she didn’t have anything to do with her sister going missing.
The two of them struggle with accepting that Sarah isn’t coming back and it isn’t until the end of the book that for both of them they are finally able to let go. They can finally let Sarah go and start living their lives for themselves instead of everybody else. Well Colin wasn’t living for everyone else he was stuck in this world where Sarah was alive in his head and as long as she was there everything was okay because he didn’t have to let go. Claire was the one living for everyone else and because of that things were not well for her. Her mother left, her father wanted to pack up and move away, the uncertainty of not knowing what happened to Sarah is what was tearing the family apart. Because of all that uncertainty no one knew how to deal with what was all taking place. No one knew really how to heal or accept it all and because of all that it made it difficult to move on.
This book is a wonderfully well written book. It’s tone is perfect and it does have it’s moments where it may make you tear up or even cry. It is a good book for anyone to read that had been forced to deal with the loss of a loved one. The loss of someone that you have no answers for because they are simply gone and aren’t coming back. There are so many more things that could have been covered in this book in regards to this topic, but the things that were covered helped to make a good book. The most important thing I got out of reading this book is that you need to accept what is going on before you can move on and heal. Acceptance is that last part of the healing process and getting there can sometimes be an overwhelming and bumpy road. This book can help other’s to know that they are not alone and that others too have been through what they are going through, it can maybe help others to learn to live their lives again.
Quotes i liked} –
01} “I’m eighteen, about to graduate, and, in a few months, I’m suppose to go to college and pretend that everything is okay. I can’t wrap my brain around that. Nothing is okay. It hasn’t been the same since the last time I saw Sarah. That was when time cracked, splintered like a broken bone, and no matter how hard I try to hold it together, everything falls apart. -Colin
02} In a single moment, Sarah vanished, and the world shifter forever on its axis. It can do that. It can keep going on for everyone else, spinning around, day in day out: morning, school, home, bed, morning, school, home, bed, lather, rinse, repeat. It goes on for everyone else, but then for some of us, like me, it comes to a screeching halt. -Colin
03} I used to be jealous of how Sarah was, but now I felt guilty for even thinking such a thing. All the complex emotions vanished when Sarah disappeared. I only wanted one thing- to get her back, to get our life back to normal. – Claire
04} Sometimes I wondered if every time I came in this room, I made it a little less Sarah’s. Like my being here pushed her out. I didn’t want to push her out; I just wanted to bring her back. – Claire
05} High School wasn’t the kind of thing you just float through. It was a jungle, something my parents didn’t understand. – Claire
06} It’s so easy to be unnoticeable. It’s actually comforting, like floating downstream. I didn’t have to make any decisions because the current would just carry me wherever it needed.It felt peaceful the way one day passed into the next, seamless like the overlapping petals of a flower. – Colin
lburden03's review
5.0
This story was so interesting! It is told from two perspectives, the boyfriend and the sister of the girl who went missing one night. Throughout the novel, the idea of love and loss are discussed as Sarah's family deals with this loss as well as her boyfriend's family. However, when Colin discovers that Sarah might still alive, he tries everything he can think of to get her back. Although this novel is fairly short, it is packed with great writing and awesome character development!
For a more in-depth review, check out my book blog, A Nook of Blankets and Books!
http://anookofblanketsandbooks.blogspot.com/2015/02/this-is-sarah-book-review.html
For a more in-depth review, check out my book blog, A Nook of Blankets and Books!
http://anookofblanketsandbooks.blogspot.com/2015/02/this-is-sarah-book-review.html
aralston08's review
4.0
*I received an eCopy in exchange for an honest review.
"Hi, this is Sarah. You know what to do."
This is Sarah is a harrowing tale about the disappearance of a teenage girl and the devastating impact it has on the two people closest to her. Although the book is called This is Sarah, it isn’t Sarah’s story, but rather the story of the people Sarah left behind.
Although the subject matter of This is Sarah is tough to stomach, it was one of my favorite reads of 2014. The story is told from alternating POV between Sarah’s boyfriend, Colin, and her sister, Claire. It was an emotional journey through the minds of both Colin and Claire. Colin struggled to deal with his own anger and grief, while Claire was suffocated by the impact Sarah’s disappearance had on her family. It was devastating seeing them both react to Sarah’s disappearance.
"Where are you, sweetheart? Where did you go that you can't come back from? Why can't you come back?"
I really liked both Claire and Colin. I thought Malinenko really breathed life into them. I think it would have been easy for Claire and Colin to tell us about their grief and pain and devastation but instead through Malinenko’s words the reader is really able to feel what they both felt. I was really able to delve into the deepest, darkest parts of both characters thoughts. I think the rawness and realness of both characters was what drew me into the story most. It was painful to see both characters suffer through this tragedy but what I found most heartbreaking was Claire’s struggle. Not only was her sister likely abducted, but she also felt the “survivor’s guilt” of being the sister left behind. Her whole world was turned upside down and she wasn’t able to find solace in her family, instead she found more pain. This was really hard for me to stomach. As for Colin, his love for Sarah was one of the purest loves. He is undeniably loyal to her, even a year after her disappearance. However, his feelings for her and the guilt he feels over her disappearance is crippling and begins to tear his world apart.
"I still see her face, turned up at me, with that smile. My God, how she smiled."
The mystery that surrounded Sarah’s disappearance kept me thoroughly engrossed and invested in the story. Malinenko was able to plant seeds of doubt in my mind that left me wondering if someone closest to Sarah could indeed be responsible for her disappearance. I enjoyed the artful way the mystery was entwined with the characters’ stories.
With its gut-wrenching and heartbreaking subject matter, This is Sarah is a powerful book that will take readers on an emotional rollercoaster. Although I found the ending to be rather satisfying, This is Sarah is definitely one of those stories that concentrates more on the journey than the destination so it may leave some readers wanting more. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from Malinenko in the future!
"Hi, this is Sarah. You know what to do."
This is Sarah is a harrowing tale about the disappearance of a teenage girl and the devastating impact it has on the two people closest to her. Although the book is called This is Sarah, it isn’t Sarah’s story, but rather the story of the people Sarah left behind.
Although the subject matter of This is Sarah is tough to stomach, it was one of my favorite reads of 2014. The story is told from alternating POV between Sarah’s boyfriend, Colin, and her sister, Claire. It was an emotional journey through the minds of both Colin and Claire. Colin struggled to deal with his own anger and grief, while Claire was suffocated by the impact Sarah’s disappearance had on her family. It was devastating seeing them both react to Sarah’s disappearance.
"Where are you, sweetheart? Where did you go that you can't come back from? Why can't you come back?"
I really liked both Claire and Colin. I thought Malinenko really breathed life into them. I think it would have been easy for Claire and Colin to tell us about their grief and pain and devastation but instead through Malinenko’s words the reader is really able to feel what they both felt. I was really able to delve into the deepest, darkest parts of both characters thoughts. I think the rawness and realness of both characters was what drew me into the story most. It was painful to see both characters suffer through this tragedy but what I found most heartbreaking was Claire’s struggle. Not only was her sister likely abducted, but she also felt the “survivor’s guilt” of being the sister left behind. Her whole world was turned upside down and she wasn’t able to find solace in her family, instead she found more pain. This was really hard for me to stomach. As for Colin, his love for Sarah was one of the purest loves. He is undeniably loyal to her, even a year after her disappearance. However, his feelings for her and the guilt he feels over her disappearance is crippling and begins to tear his world apart.
"I still see her face, turned up at me, with that smile. My God, how she smiled."
The mystery that surrounded Sarah’s disappearance kept me thoroughly engrossed and invested in the story. Malinenko was able to plant seeds of doubt in my mind that left me wondering if someone closest to Sarah could indeed be responsible for her disappearance. I enjoyed the artful way the mystery was entwined with the characters’ stories.
With its gut-wrenching and heartbreaking subject matter, This is Sarah is a powerful book that will take readers on an emotional rollercoaster. Although I found the ending to be rather satisfying, This is Sarah is definitely one of those stories that concentrates more on the journey than the destination so it may leave some readers wanting more. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from Malinenko in the future!
ashleybhaley's review
2.0
This is a story about loved ones struggling to deal with their grief after Sarah goes missing. You should know that this is NOT a story about what happened to Sarah or how to find Sarah. It is written from the alternating perspective of Sarah's boyfriend Colin and her sister Claire.
I found myself frustrated with all of the unsaid thoughts and opinions that the narrators had but never shared out loud. I was also frustrated at the lack of plot development and progression of the story.
Unfortunately this book was not my cup of tea, and I can't come to recommend it to anyone. :(
The best part of this book was the brainstorming session that we had at bookclub on the additional chapter we could write with about 1000 different alternate endings.
I found myself frustrated with all of the unsaid thoughts and opinions that the narrators had but never shared out loud. I was also frustrated at the lack of plot development and progression of the story.
Unfortunately this book was not my cup of tea, and I can't come to recommend it to anyone. :(
The best part of this book was the brainstorming session that we had at bookclub on the additional chapter we could write with about 1000 different alternate endings.
akel104's review
4.0
This is Sarah follows two young people, Colin and Claire through a devastating and life changing situation. Colin has lost the love of his life while Claire has lost a sister. While each of them wander through the troubles of coming to terms with the possibility of never seeing that special person again, we are privileged to a front row seat of this journey.
Set in a small town, where no one would believe such horrors would occur, the abduction of Sarah Evans ricochets through everyone from school friends to neighbours. There is an incredibly realistic feel to the novel. The pace is even, with a slow tempo allowing you to really engage with the emotions of each character. In fact the reader could almost be one of the neighbours or a school pupil - someone who knows of the missing girl but has no real personal connection.
I found this book a little difficult to accept when I came to the end and Sarah was not there. In my fictional fantasies that beautiful boy Colin would have saved his girlfriend, his heartache would be spared and her life would be long and prosperous. But, unfortunately that’s not life and things don’t always work out the way you want.
Ally Malinenko’s writing is very realistic and I felt every bit of sorrow and anger and loss that Colin felt just as much as I could empathise with Claire’s confusion and rejection. While the story is not something that I am used to reading, I fully appreciate the purpose it serves. Life isn’t always full of happy endings and the loss of Sarah is one particularly difficult situation - there’s no certainty that she is dead or alive and no one knows what happened to her, there are only assumptions and questions and possibilities that would eat away at even the most strong soul.
What I did particularly love about this book is that it doesn’t focus on Sarah at all. She’s an ever present character throughout the book but having never met her, or experienced her personality, the reader is able to stay detached from her disappearance. Any emotion we feel is a direct connection to the people she left behind and that’s rare for most books that surround such similar subjects. Take The Lovely Bones for instance, which is told from the vantage point of a victim who was murdered. She disappeared and her family were left with the devastating after-effects, as told by the victim… A story like that is a completely different emotional roller coaster where we know exactly what happened and there is nothing we can do about it. This is Sarah, however, gives us the opportunity to forget about our feelings for whatever poor Sarah has gone through so that we can focus on those she left behind. This really got to me because, as an avid reader I always place myself in the protagonist’s shoes; fighting demons, kissing boys and generally engaging in exciting adventures but now i’m in the shoe’s of two people who have been left behind, how do you cope with that?
I would recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys a mystery, is curious about the way people behave and why or perhaps is looking for some guidance themselves. This isn’t a non-fiction book, but I can see how it would give a reader the opportunity to learn from.
Set in a small town, where no one would believe such horrors would occur, the abduction of Sarah Evans ricochets through everyone from school friends to neighbours. There is an incredibly realistic feel to the novel. The pace is even, with a slow tempo allowing you to really engage with the emotions of each character. In fact the reader could almost be one of the neighbours or a school pupil - someone who knows of the missing girl but has no real personal connection.
I found this book a little difficult to accept when I came to the end and Sarah was not there. In my fictional fantasies that beautiful boy Colin would have saved his girlfriend, his heartache would be spared and her life would be long and prosperous. But, unfortunately that’s not life and things don’t always work out the way you want.
Ally Malinenko’s writing is very realistic and I felt every bit of sorrow and anger and loss that Colin felt just as much as I could empathise with Claire’s confusion and rejection. While the story is not something that I am used to reading, I fully appreciate the purpose it serves. Life isn’t always full of happy endings and the loss of Sarah is one particularly difficult situation - there’s no certainty that she is dead or alive and no one knows what happened to her, there are only assumptions and questions and possibilities that would eat away at even the most strong soul.
What I did particularly love about this book is that it doesn’t focus on Sarah at all. She’s an ever present character throughout the book but having never met her, or experienced her personality, the reader is able to stay detached from her disappearance. Any emotion we feel is a direct connection to the people she left behind and that’s rare for most books that surround such similar subjects. Take The Lovely Bones for instance, which is told from the vantage point of a victim who was murdered. She disappeared and her family were left with the devastating after-effects, as told by the victim… A story like that is a completely different emotional roller coaster where we know exactly what happened and there is nothing we can do about it. This is Sarah, however, gives us the opportunity to forget about our feelings for whatever poor Sarah has gone through so that we can focus on those she left behind. This really got to me because, as an avid reader I always place myself in the protagonist’s shoes; fighting demons, kissing boys and generally engaging in exciting adventures but now i’m in the shoe’s of two people who have been left behind, how do you cope with that?
I would recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys a mystery, is curious about the way people behave and why or perhaps is looking for some guidance themselves. This isn’t a non-fiction book, but I can see how it would give a reader the opportunity to learn from.
appifanie's review
I was contacted by the author for an honest review of this book. Before accepting, I downloaded a free sample on amazon and read that. When I liked it, I agreed to the review.
I've only heard the first ep of Serial, but I couldn't help but draw some comparisons, so if that's your thing, give it a try!
Despite that, I was instantly drawn in and had to know where the story was going. It was fascinating to read a book from the POVs of people who are left behind when someone disappears/is kidnapped/runs away/etc. At the same time, I'm sort of a wimp with stories about missing people, and I didn't have troubles with this one at all. I loved Colin and felt so sad for him.
I've only heard the first ep of Serial, but I couldn't help but draw some comparisons, so if that's your thing, give it a try!
Despite that, I was instantly drawn in and had to know where the story was going. It was fascinating to read a book from the POVs of people who are left behind when someone disappears/is kidnapped/runs away/etc. At the same time, I'm sort of a wimp with stories about missing people, and I didn't have troubles with this one at all. I loved Colin and felt so sad for him.
rosie_b's review
5.0
* - I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
If I had to choose one word to describe this book it would be 'real'. The emotions and reactions of the two characters we follow, Sarah's boyfriend and sister, are incredibly realistic and you can't help but feel their pain immediately.
At times it's truly gut-wrenching to read it's that real and parts of it resonated very loudly with me from my own experience of losing a family member.
This Is Sarah looks at the grieving process, how the way other people grieve can tear a family apart, hope, anger, frustration, just getting by, acceptance and the healing process.
It's beautifully written and handled very well and you just can't help but get sucked into it.
This is not a happy book with a happy ending but it is a very powerful book with real emotions.
If I had to choose one word to describe this book it would be 'real'. The emotions and reactions of the two characters we follow, Sarah's boyfriend and sister, are incredibly realistic and you can't help but feel their pain immediately.
At times it's truly gut-wrenching to read it's that real and parts of it resonated very loudly with me from my own experience of losing a family member.
This Is Sarah looks at the grieving process, how the way other people grieve can tear a family apart, hope, anger, frustration, just getting by, acceptance and the healing process.
It's beautifully written and handled very well and you just can't help but get sucked into it.
This is not a happy book with a happy ending but it is a very powerful book with real emotions.
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