From the New York Times bestselling author of Think Twice and Look Again comes an emotionally powerful novel about a split-second choice, agonizing consequences, and the need for justice Rose McKenna volunteers as a lunch mom in her daughter Melly’s school in order to keep an eye on Amanda, a mean girl who’s been bullying her daughter. Her fears come true when the bullying begins, sending Melly to the bathroom in tears. Just as Rose is about to follow after her daughter, a massive explosion goes off in the kitchen, sending the room into chaos. Rose finds herself faced with the horrifying decision of whether or not to run to the bathroom to rescue her daughter or usher Amanda to safety. She believes she has accomplished both, only to discover that Amanda, for an unknown reason, ran back into the school once out of Rose's sight. In an instance, Rose goes from hero to villain as the small community blames Amanda’s injuries on her. In the days that follow, Rose's life starts to fall to pieces, Amanda’s mother decides to sue, her marriage is put to the test, and worse, when her daughter returns to school, the bullying only intensifies. Rose must take matters into her own hands and get down to the truth of what really happened that fateful day in order to save herself, her marriage and her family. In the way that Look Again had readers questioning everything they thought they knew about family, Save Me will have readers wondering just how far they would go to save the ones they love. Lisa Scottoline is writing about real issues that resonate with real women, and the results are emotional, heartbreaking and honest.
Save Me
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
At the start of this gut-wrenching stand-alone from bestseller Scottoline (Think Twice), an explosion rips through the nearly empty cafeteria of Reesburgh (Pa.) Elementary School. Lunch mother Rose McKenna leads two girls to safety before racing to rescue her own daughter, Melly, but Rose soon learns that she may face both civil and criminal charges for her heroics because one of the girls she saved was seriously injured in the resulting fire that killed three school staff members. The tension rises as the united front presented by Rose and her lawyer husband, Leo Ingrassia, begins to disintegrate in the face of media demands, legal maneuverings, and social pressures. Rose must also deal with school bullying (Melly has a noticeable facial blemish), difficult legal problems, and her husband's reaction when a secret from her past is revealed. Scottoline melds it all into a satisfying nail-biting thriller sure to please her growing audience. 400,000 first printing; author tour. (Apr.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Suburban mom [Rose McKenna] is forced to make a split-second decision after an explosion goes off in the school cafeteria in which she volunteers. Should she rescue her own daughter, Melly, trapped in the bathroom, or lead the girls standing in front of her, who constantly bully her daughter, to safety? Her choice reverberates throughout the little town of Reesburgh, Pennsylvania, as she is cast as the villain by the local news anchor, parents, and the school. While her attorney and husband construct a defense plan that includes filing a lawsuit against the school, [Rose] sets out to seek the truth behind this mysterious, accidental fire. With the help of a construction worker who may know the cause of the explosion as well as an incognito visit to a local factory, [Rose] slowly unravels the truth and along with it some hidden secrets in Reesburgh's dark past, including one horrifying buried memory of her own. At the quick pace of a thriller, Scottoline masterfully fits every detail into a tight plot chock-full of real characters, real issues, and real thrills. A story anchored by the impenetrable power of a mother's love, it begs the question, just how far would you go to save your child? --Annie McCormick
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More About the Author
Lisa Scottoline is the New York Times bestselling author of seventeen novels including her most recent, THINK TWICE, and also writes a weekly column, called Chick Wit, for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lisa has won many honors and awards, notably the Edgar Award, given for excellence in crime fiction, and the Fun Fearless Female Award from Cosmopolitan Magazine. She also teaches a course she created, called Justice and Fiction at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and regularly does speaking engagements. There are twenty-five million copies of her books in print, and she is published in over thirty other countries.Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. degree in English, and her concentration was Contemporary American Fiction, taught by Philip Roth and others. She graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She remains a lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area, where she lives with her array of disobedient pets.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
106 of 112 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Lisa Scottoline's "Save Me" is a domestic drama about a stay-at-home mom, Rose McKenna, who has a precocious eight-year-old daughter, Melly, from her first marriage, and a baby boy, John, from her second. Rose is unhappy about the teasing that Melly endures because of a prominent birthmark on her face. McKenna is determined to stop the bullying and, partly to keep an eye on her child, volunteers to be a "lunch mom" in school.
Unfortunately, a catastrophe in the cafeteria not only brings grief to innocent people but also makes Rose into a pariah. She is unfairly blamed for committing an unforgivable act, and must fend off pushy reporters and furious neighbors. Adding to her burdens is a painful secret from her past that she has never revealed to her husband, Leo.
The novel begins promisingly. Rose is sympathetic, compassionate, and a devoted wife and mother. She is infinitely patient and always seems to know how to make her kids happy. Scottoline points out that people who live in small communities may be close-knit and supportive. However, when tragedy strikes, they sometimes unjustly vent their anger on outsiders.
The characters in "Save Me" are thinly drawn, and the contrived and melodramatic story lacks nuance, realism, and substance. It is disappointing that, as the book progresses, Rose's activities become so outlandish. After uncovering a possible conspiracy, she drops her kids off with friends and starts behaving like Nancy Drew, sneaking around in disguise and pumping people for information. We have come to expect more from the talented Scottoline, who has written a number of compelling and suspenseful works of fiction.
Unfortunately, a catastrophe in the cafeteria not only brings grief to innocent people but also makes Rose into a pariah. She is unfairly blamed for committing an unforgivable act, and must fend off pushy reporters and furious neighbors. Adding to her burdens is a painful secret from her past that she has never revealed to her husband, Leo.
The novel begins promisingly. Rose is sympathetic, compassionate, and a devoted wife and mother. She is infinitely patient and always seems to know how to make her kids happy. Scottoline points out that people who live in small communities may be close-knit and supportive. However, when tragedy strikes, they sometimes unjustly vent their anger on outsiders.
The characters in "Save Me" are thinly drawn, and the contrived and melodramatic story lacks nuance, realism, and substance. It is disappointing that, as the book progresses, Rose's activities become so outlandish. After uncovering a possible conspiracy, she drops her kids off with friends and starts behaving like Nancy Drew, sneaking around in disguise and pumping people for information. We have come to expect more from the talented Scottoline, who has written a number of compelling and suspenseful works of fiction.
41 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have always loved Lisa Scottoline books. I picked this one up hardcover the moment I saw it. An overwhelming disappointment.
It starts out well, with an explosion in a school and a mother's choice. She makes the obvious but difficult compromise to save all of the children, and would have succeeded, but one child runs back into the building to retrieve an electronic toy and is badly injured. It's all downhill from there.
The plot is ridiculous and strains credibility. Although the husband and wife are supposed to be deeply in love with a good marriage, he seems very peripheral and uninvolved, except in his interactions with his stepdaughter. I got very bored reading about the adorable things baby John did, ad infinitum. Melly's birthmark was way overworked. The whole book was boring, and at the end, the main protagonists actions were stupid, as was the reaction to those actions, and everybody believed her story with no shred of proof. Well, except for the security guards actions toward another character, and why they would take her and tie her up at their first encounter is never explained. She tries to enter a company party, babbling about a murder that was written off years ago as an accident, and their reaction is to drag her off and tie her up? Were they in on this convoluted plot from the beginning. Did they call someone? The response was over the top and incriminating, which I guess is how the author had to tie up the loose ends of the slithery plot going nowhere.
Did Lisa Scottoline actually write this book? There were hints of her writing here and there, but I don't think she did.
Anyway, it was boring with a supremely unbelievable plot and this is my last Lisa Scottoline, at least to buy. Maybe she can redeem herself in another book, but I'm not going to pay for it.
It starts out well, with an explosion in a school and a mother's choice. She makes the obvious but difficult compromise to save all of the children, and would have succeeded, but one child runs back into the building to retrieve an electronic toy and is badly injured. It's all downhill from there.
The plot is ridiculous and strains credibility. Although the husband and wife are supposed to be deeply in love with a good marriage, he seems very peripheral and uninvolved, except in his interactions with his stepdaughter. I got very bored reading about the adorable things baby John did, ad infinitum. Melly's birthmark was way overworked. The whole book was boring, and at the end, the main protagonists actions were stupid, as was the reaction to those actions, and everybody believed her story with no shred of proof. Well, except for the security guards actions toward another character, and why they would take her and tie her up at their first encounter is never explained. She tries to enter a company party, babbling about a murder that was written off years ago as an accident, and their reaction is to drag her off and tie her up? Were they in on this convoluted plot from the beginning. Did they call someone? The response was over the top and incriminating, which I guess is how the author had to tie up the loose ends of the slithery plot going nowhere.
Did Lisa Scottoline actually write this book? There were hints of her writing here and there, but I don't think she did.
Anyway, it was boring with a supremely unbelievable plot and this is my last Lisa Scottoline, at least to buy. Maybe she can redeem herself in another book, but I'm not going to pay for it.
39 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By Renee Wadler
Format:Hardcover
This seems to be my week to play the Grinch - After not commenting for months I have felt compelled to submit 2 negative reviews in one week. However, I must admit, "Save Me", makes the previous book I commented on seem a veritible prize winner.
"Save Me" is the most inane, childish, just plain boring book I have read in years. I forced myself to finish it - and even then I did some skipping. Does Scottoline really expect readers to be able to suspend disbelief to the point where they can accept a "Super Mom" who, figuratively, "leaps tall buildings" in one jump? The main character in this book does at least that.
She single-handedly overpowers a well over 6', 250 lb. (or more) Hit-Man,who is intent on killing her; she brings down Heads of large and respected corporations; and, the coup de gras, she brings down a US Senator and has him held for Murder, ALL BY HERSELF.
The stupidity is magnified, if possible, when she gets these people arrested and charged by the FBI and other law enforcement officials, without any REAL evidence! All this is done largely on the basis of what our "Super Mom" figured out MUST have happened.
This is becoming longer than I intended, and my only excuse is real anger and disappointment that an Author who I once enjoyed and respected, has sunk to these unimaginablely low depths.
Suffice it to say, Save Me reads like a comic book; it will bore most thinking Adults, and should have been marketed for Pre-Teens.
Renee Wadler
"Save Me" is the most inane, childish, just plain boring book I have read in years. I forced myself to finish it - and even then I did some skipping. Does Scottoline really expect readers to be able to suspend disbelief to the point where they can accept a "Super Mom" who, figuratively, "leaps tall buildings" in one jump? The main character in this book does at least that.
She single-handedly overpowers a well over 6', 250 lb. (or more) Hit-Man,who is intent on killing her; she brings down Heads of large and respected corporations; and, the coup de gras, she brings down a US Senator and has him held for Murder, ALL BY HERSELF.
The stupidity is magnified, if possible, when she gets these people arrested and charged by the FBI and other law enforcement officials, without any REAL evidence! All this is done largely on the basis of what our "Super Mom" figured out MUST have happened.
This is becoming longer than I intended, and my only excuse is real anger and disappointment that an Author who I once enjoyed and respected, has sunk to these unimaginablely low depths.
Suffice it to say, Save Me reads like a comic book; it will bore most thinking Adults, and should have been marketed for Pre-Teens.
Renee Wadler
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thank You
I have been very satisfied with all the items that I've purchased from Amazon . If it changes I'll let you know. Thank you for the follow -up.
Published 5 hours ago by Joyce Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Whom do you save, your own child or the children you are responsible...
Well told story. Explores all sides of this perplexing question from all angles. Also very believable reactions of people in the community.
Published 7 days ago by Bonnie Schiffern
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't waste your money!!!
I usually love Lisa Scottoline. But I should have heeded the reviews. If I could get a refund I would ask for one. This one is a real snooze.
Published 11 days ago by Big Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five stars for Save Me
Lisa Scottoline has done it again. Couldn't put it down! As always the book was intriguing until the last page.
Published 12 days ago by Joanne MacCollum
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely loved it.
I loved it, once you start reading it, you can't put it down. Read it in two days. So easy to read and it just keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Published 13 days ago by emma
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heart touching
I loved this book and couldn't put it down. It was the first of hers I had read but I will definitely read another one. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Misty
1.0 out of 5 stars
boring and tedious
I only finished this book because I was curious about where she was going. It took so long to get through all the whining, irrational guilt that the heroine wallowed in that I... Read more
Published 16 days ago by thomas
4.0 out of 5 stars
The choices we make
Good story line! Split decisions must be made in a catastrophic event! Will 5-10 seconds change the outcome? And are shortcuts the way to go for extra money?
Published 16 days ago by Bonnie Borough
4.0 out of 5 stars
Save me
It was good reading. A little annoying at first that people could be so cruel, but I'm a sucker for a good ending..
Published 20 days ago by franco
2.0 out of 5 stars
Save Me
One of the poorer books I have read. Lacking depth with sentences that are simple. Plot was minimal, not worth wasting your time on this one.
Published 26 days ago by Sue135
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