A review by michelles_book_nook
Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry

challenging dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

⚠️ CW: paedophilia, sexual assault, rape and suicide ⚠️ This is one of the most difficult, uncomfortable, emotional and thought provoking books I've ever read. Meet Noah, an honor roll student, award-winning swimmer and small-town star destined for greatness. There weren’t any signs that something was wrong until the day he confesses to molesting two little girls during swim team practice. He’s sentenced to 18 months in a juvenile sexual rehabilitation center. His mother, Adrianne, refuses to turn her back on him despite his horrific crimes, but her husband won’t allow Noah back into their home. In a series of shocking and shattering revelations Adrianne is forced to make the hardest decision of her life, but just how far will she go to protect her son? This book is so incredibly hard to review, it challenges everything you think you know about teenage sexual offenders. I was in a weird state of not being able to put it down but also needed time to process it as I read it, and even now I still can't stop thinking about it and the immensely thought provoking topics that it tackles. It's so disturbing and uncomfortable and truly takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, and is written in such an intelligent and captivating way that makes you question your own beliefs and what you'd do in Adrianne's situation. Even now, I'm still conflicted on my thoughts but it's definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time and likely become a classic in relation to complex psychological mother and son relationships alongside Lionel Shriver's We Need To Talk About Kevin. Overall, I highly recommend reading this book but please research it first because its not a book you want to dive into blindly.
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