Saving Red

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 7, 2017

Review

With a well-known author and an eye-catching cover, this novel is sure to be picked up. With its spare verse, likable protagonist, and well-paced action, it won't easily be put down. Sones is a master of the prose poetry novel and this one is packed with weighty issues like PTSD, mental illness, dysfunctional families, homelessness, runaways, and then to top it all off navigating the unfamiliar territory of a first crush. Sones captures the voice of protagonist Molly who, due to some unnamed tragedy, has disengaged from her former friends and her family. Instead of being the book that deals with her journey back to them, this book deviates from the familiar trope. Thanks to a community service project, Molly encounters the homeless young woman, Red, and decides that she will "save" her, which means that she will reunite this woman with her family, working a "Christmas miracle" in the vein of "It's a Wonderful Life." But like the Capra film, the person who is doing the saving ends up being saved by the one she is trying to help. As Molly attempts to gain Red's trust and to get personal information from her so that she can track down Red's family, she learns to open her heart to another person and confront her own demons. Molly is drawn in by the dynamic, impulsive Red and as Molly works to help Red confront her schizoaffective disorder, she learns how to forgive herself and possibly heal the tear in her own family. The love story piece is contrived, but it irons out some plot holes and offers a 3rd party to whom Molly can share the details of her mission. The book manages to walk the line between heavy and hopeful and should appeal to teen readers.

Overall Book Score: very good