Save Me by Lisa Scottoline
Book Details:
- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (April 12, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 031238078X
- ISBN-13: 978-0312380786
Synopsis:
Save Me starts off with a suburban mom (Reesburgh, PA), Rose McKenna working as a lunch mother at her daughter's school when suddenly an explosion rips through the school's cafeteria, killing three staff members. She leads to girls to safety before running to rescue her own daughter Melly.
After being dubbed by the media as somewhat of a hero, Rose soon learns she might face civil and criminal charges because one of the girls she saved was seriously injured in the fire. The same girls who teased her daughter Melly for having a rose colored birthmark on her face just minutes before the fire, and Rose confronted the same girls about bullying. After being told she might face a charges, Rose, her husband Leo who is a lawyer, and her attorney discuss a defense plan that includes filing a lawsuit against the school for the lack of training for fire drills.
Rose takes it upon herself to investigate the truth behind the mysterious fire. She enlists the help of a construction worker at the school who may know answers, as well as a visit to a local factory where she unravels more questions and answers regarding the fire.
Rose slowly unravels the truth, and is forced to face a dark secret from her own past. She discovers an intricate web of lies, cover-ups, and conspiracies which all lead to the ultimate answers regarding the questions of the school explosion/fire, whether or not she is a local hero by saving three girls and her own daughter, and whether she can face the demons from her past.
Review:
The jacket description on the cover of the book leads the reader to believe Rose is a dedicated mother who would do anything for her child, but I didn't know Scottoline would instead blur the lines between mother and superhero; dramatic fiction and young adult mystery.
The novel beings with much promise, as the synopsis above indicates. The story sounds exciting, thrilling, and has potential. A school explosion, a mom saving her own daughter, other children getting injured in the fire with the hero to blame, as well as the swell of the media, possible criminal charges, and haunting secrets from Rose's past. All the great markings of a great story...
Unfortunately, the story as a whole lacks realism and substance. The story Scottoline creates is simply absurd and far-fetched: A school explosion that is actually a conspiracy due to a politician's mistress working at the school? A small community turning a mother into a pariah for saving kids in a fire but accusing her of leaving someone else's daughter behind only to be injured and questioning her motives for saving her own daughter? A mom who drops her kids off with family friends (her husband is out of town on a court case and he rarely checks in) so she can sneak off in her mini van to do detective work with a construction worker and make an incognito visit to a local factory to get answers about a possible murder cover-up? This storyline would not even be successful as a movie plot on Lifetime Movie Network.
Besides the story mimicking a Nancy Drew sleuth novel, the characters are one-dimensional and the dialogue is unrealistic. The way she portrays the characters, the things they say, and the way they act in certain situations is impractical and unlikely, behaviors and dialogue you might find in a young adult novel or in a cheesy after school movie.
I think it's obvious to say this novel was a grave disappointment, which is surprising because Lisa Scottoline has written many fantastic novels. This story had a lot of promise based on the description on the jacket as well as the set up in the beginning of the story, but my expectations for this stand-alone novel fell short. The story lacked character development, realistic dialogue, and mystery the entire way through.
If you're looking for a good dramatic novel with a lot of strong characters, thick plotlines, and excellent writing, pick up a Jodi Picoult novel. If you're looking for a nail-biting, edge of your seat mystery, pick up a different Lisa Scottoline novel. If you're looking for a superhero book, read a graphic novel. If you're looking for a detective/sleuth novel, pick up a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book. But sadly, I would not recommend this book for any reason.
With that said, please don't judge Lisa Scottoline's other works based on this novel alone. Save Me is by no means an accurate representation of her writing skills or creative imagination. I believe Scottoline wanted to try something new but was too far out of her comfort zone, and Save Me is the result of that. I would recommend her other books, but definitely not this one.
Kara Kelly
Guest Reviewer for Kathleen Kelly
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