This fall, members of the Vise Library are going back to school by participating in a Fall Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!
The book for our How to Save a Life 101 class is Save Me by Kristyn Kusek Lewis.
About the book:
Daphne Mitchell has always believed in cause and effect, right and wrong, good and bad. The good: her dream job as a doctor; Owen, her childhood sweetheart and now husband; the beautiful farmhouse they're restoring together. In fact, most of her life has been good--until the day Owen comes home early from work to tell her he's fallen head over heels for someone else.
Unable to hate him, but also equally incapable of moving forward, Daphne's life hangs in limbo until the day Owen's new girlfriend sustains near-fatal injuries in a car accident. As Daphne becomes a pillar of support for the devastated Owen, and realizes that reconciliation may lie within her grasp, she has to find out whether forgiveness is possible and decide which path is the right one for her.
Unable to hate him, but also equally incapable of moving forward, Daphne's life hangs in limbo until the day Owen's new girlfriend sustains near-fatal injuries in a car accident. As Daphne becomes a pillar of support for the devastated Owen, and realizes that reconciliation may lie within her grasp, she has to find out whether forgiveness is possible and decide which path is the right one for her.
Save Me is a plot line that terrifies me as a newlywed (less than a week!). With that being said I think Kristyn Kusek Lewis' story has several things to take from it and gain insight into our own lives. When Daphne's husband, Owen, tells her that he has met someone else, she is absolutely shocked. They are both doctors and have just purchased a house to fix up together. They have been together for ten years and Daphne definitely did not see this coming. Owen tells her that he needs time away and to figure out what he wants. Daphne feels like she is in a state of limbo until out of the blue Owen contacts her and needs her help. It turns out that Owen's "friend" has been in a very serious car accident and he seeks Daphne for comfort. Daphne's family and friends warn her that it is not healthy for herself to help Owen. However, she feels like she should, even if it makes their relationship even more complicated. There are a lot of plot twists that I wish I could discuss and go further into, but just know that there are some that you as the reader do not see coming. You also get to see why and how Daphne navigates through her life after Owen's bombshell is dropped on her. Does she start over or take him back? Can they even get back?
This story has really made me think, for several reasons. Daphne and Owen had a lot of history. They knew each other as kids and then reconnected later. They had goals together and kept going towards the next goal on their list. We all do that. I am definitely guilty of it. "Work a little harder to get the house, car, etc." I think one of the main lessons of this book is that we can become complacent. Even though Owen did a terrible thing, Daphne realizes that the two of them together were not really living their lives together. Daphne really learns to do things for herself and make decisions based on what is best for her (regardless of what others may think about her choices). I think both of these things are good lessons to learn and not forget. I think Lewis' storytelling made me really sympathize with Daphne. I felt like I really understood why she made decisions that she did. She weighs every action that she makes regarding her marriage and even second guesses herself constantly. That felt very realistic to me (I do this on little stuff every single day). Daphne also has really great friends and family to rely on for support. Some of them have very differing viewpoints, but all of those opinions appear to be out of love for Daphne. Lewis' storytelling has a very fresh and realistic feel to something that is, unfortunately, way too common and prevalent in real life and books. Read this book to learn from Daphne and Owen's mistakes instead of looking back at your own and wishing you could look forward instead!
This story has really made me think, for several reasons. Daphne and Owen had a lot of history. They knew each other as kids and then reconnected later. They had goals together and kept going towards the next goal on their list. We all do that. I am definitely guilty of it. "Work a little harder to get the house, car, etc." I think one of the main lessons of this book is that we can become complacent. Even though Owen did a terrible thing, Daphne realizes that the two of them together were not really living their lives together. Daphne really learns to do things for herself and make decisions based on what is best for her (regardless of what others may think about her choices). I think both of these things are good lessons to learn and not forget. I think Lewis' storytelling made me really sympathize with Daphne. I felt like I really understood why she made decisions that she did. She weighs every action that she makes regarding her marriage and even second guesses herself constantly. That felt very realistic to me (I do this on little stuff every single day). Daphne also has really great friends and family to rely on for support. Some of them have very differing viewpoints, but all of those opinions appear to be out of love for Daphne. Lewis' storytelling has a very fresh and realistic feel to something that is, unfortunately, way too common and prevalent in real life and books. Read this book to learn from Daphne and Owen's mistakes instead of looking back at your own and wishing you could look forward instead!
About the author:
Kristyn Kusek Lewis is the author of HOW LUCKY YOU ARE (Grand Central), a novel about three adult women and the growing pains of an enduring friendship. HOW LUCKY reached #1 on Barnes & Noble's Top 100/Bestselling NOOK Books and was a Target Emerging Authors Pick. Her next novel, a love story about two doctors, a tragic accident, and the power of forgiveness, will be published by Grand Central in early 2015.
A former magazine editor at publications including Glamour and Child, Kristyn has been writing for national publications for over fifteen years. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Reader's Digest, Glamour, Self, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Parents, Allure, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Health, Men's Health, the New York Daily News, and many more.
Kristyn is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and the Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she earned an MFA in creative writing. She lives in North Carolina with her family.
A former magazine editor at publications including Glamour and Child, Kristyn has been writing for national publications for over fifteen years. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Reader's Digest, Glamour, Self, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Parents, Allure, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Health, Men's Health, the New York Daily News, and many more.
Kristyn is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and the Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she earned an MFA in creative writing. She lives in North Carolina with her family.
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