A review by smileysam
Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I have a hard time picking a star rating for the book. I really enjoy Lucinda Berry’s writing and have a hard time putting her books down, and this was no exception. Her books often feel more realistic than a lot of thrillers which makes them all the more gut-wrenching. That being said, I had a lot of conflict with Adrianne as our narrator because I often did not agree with her. The book felt like it wanted to lead the reader to sympathize with her. I know that they say a Mother’s love is unconditional, but I myself could not love a pedophile, no matter the relation. Parts that felt even more lost on me were when it was clear I was supposed to sympathize with Noah. I didn’t. I still don’t.
It bothered me that Adrianne couldn’t believe her son, a sexual abuser, could in turn, be sexually abused. The irony here was not lost on me, though. And I found myself wondering if Berry’s goal was for me to sympathize with Adrianne here, or if her goal was to see the juxtaposition of events.  Honestly, jumping back to Noah, his understanding of his actions being wrong but himself and other characters in the book viewing that as “just how he was born” and “something he can’t control” felt abhorrent. I also had wondered about Lucas - at first, I fully agreed with him, but the more chapters I read from the unnamed man, I grew suspicious. I expected the twist to be that it wasn’t Noah, especially given the mention of electroshock therapy.
All in all, I enjoyed this book but at the same time, I didn’t, if that makes sense. I think it’s a good read and worth the read, though. 
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