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A review by jamiee_f
Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What a dark and tragic, yet riveting, book. The titular Noah reveals to his parents that he molested some of the girls in the swim class he teaches. His parents try to do the right thing and reveal the truth to the parents of the girls, and it kicks off a firestorm. Noah ends up sentenced to a period of time in a juvenile facility. His mother fights for him, she believes in him, to the detriment of all other relationships. The book is told in alternating perspectives, from the current timeline where Adrianne (the mother) is dealing with the fallout of this situation and trying to do the right thing for her family, and flashbacks/journal entries from a boy in the juvenile rehab facility. It is brutal to read what happens in the facility, and you end up feeling so bad for the boy with uncontrollable urges who wants to control them.
Over the course of the book, you learn more about Noah. He is a model citizen in rehab, but he has no real reason for why he did what he did. Ultimately it's revealed that unlike some of the other boys who acted out of violence, misplaced anger, a desire to control or subjugate....Noah's motivation seems to be purely sexual, meaning that he is a 'true' pedophile. Noah realizes this about himself, realizes he cannot escape his past, and asks for his mothers help in killing himself. Ultimately she does help him die.
The other twist is that the flashbacks to the facility were actually from Noah's FATHER. He is also a pedophile and went through the same thing as Noah, which makes his total rejection of his son all the more heartbreaking. There is also an implication that the father starts abusing the little sister, after being triggered by Noah's ordeal.
Overall an intense read that delves into teenage sexual offenders, family trauma, and a parent's love.
Over the course of the book, you learn more about Noah. He is a model citizen in rehab, but he has no real reason for why he did what he did. Ultimately it's revealed that unlike some of the other boys who acted out of violence, misplaced anger, a desire to control or subjugate....Noah's motivation seems to be purely sexual, meaning that he is a 'true' pedophile. Noah realizes this about himself, realizes he cannot escape his past, and asks for his mothers help in killing himself. Ultimately she does help him die.
The other twist is that the flashbacks to the facility were actually from Noah's FATHER. He is also a pedophile and went through the same thing as Noah, which makes his total rejection of his son all the more heartbreaking. There is also an implication that the father starts abusing the little sister, after being triggered by Noah's ordeal.
Overall an intense read that delves into teenage sexual offenders, family trauma, and a parent's love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt