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Christine D. (Closter, NJ)
(12/04/13)
Heartbreaking and Life-Affirming
Amy Hatvany's Safe With Me reels you in from the very first page. The characters and their actions are so real, you can't help but feel for them. The story is both heartbreaking and life-affirming. It makes you feel thankful for all you have, and for simply being alive. It makes you think about what you would do in the different characters' situations, and hope you would have the courage to do the right thing. Unfortunately, especially in the case of Hannah's and Olivia's situations, Amy Hatvany described it brilliantly when she had Olivia note that life is full of shades of gray, and it's not so simple for one to say 'yes, I would do that' and have that be true. Which is what makes the story work so well, how true it is to life, the way it exemplifies all the different options you have in a given situation, the way events can pile up all at once, and how grief can take hold of you that you pull back from the world and the ones you love.
KJD
(12/03/13)
Safe with Me very touching
I was reading this book as my father was very ill so at first it was hard to read. Also, I have an only daughter and so I cried at the beginning - won't say more than that. I enjoyed the book after I got into it. I felt the author kept the story interesting and developed the characters well.
Amy W. (Annapolis, MD)
(12/03/13)
Engrossing quick read
I really enjoyed this book. The book started off a bit slow and sad, which is to be expected given the subject matter. But once Olivia and Hannah meet the story really takes off and I found it really hard to put down. The voices of each character were distinct and believable, so the different narration of each chapter worked to bring the story together. I would recommend this book.
Diane W. (Lake Villa, IL)
(12/03/13)
Safe With Me Review
I really enjoyed the author's writing style in this book...and the premise of organ donation and it's myriad of issues is something I hadn't experienced before. The characters, for the most part, were believable and likable, though I'm always confused and somewhat annoyed by the idea of women with options available remaining in abusive relationships --- though I know there are reasons for such. Insights into the profound feelings of mothers and the choices women make in their life journeys is always of interest. Still not sure if I liked the ending or not....still processing what could have been other options. I'm interested in reading more by this author.
Diana J. (Highland Falls, NY)
(12/02/13)
More of a surprise
When you read the back of the book, you assume this is a sunshine and roses type book. It's not...it's more about how the donor's family and the recipient's family both cope with the event. They do intersect at one point, and it becomes a focus of the book.
However, it's not the only focus. There's spousal abuse, etc, among the other themes.
I don't want to give too much away, but it was a good, fast read, without being too maudlin.
Kathleen S. (Oshkosh, WI)
(12/01/13)
Safe With Me a safe bet for a good read!
I was captured by Amy Hatvany's story right from the start, and devoured her book quickly. The author did an excellent job of making me empathize with each of the three main characters - her style is very reminiscent of Jodi Picoult's, but there weren't the plot twists that I associate with Picoult. I think this would be an excellent book for a book club to read and discuss. My only complaint is that I would have liked the author to continue the story a bit further than she did. Overall though, I highly recommend Safe With Me.
Laura G. (Buffalo, NY)
(12/01/13)
So much to think about
I loved the book "Safe with Me" by Amy Hatvany. It was hard to put down. You see, even having known a few people who have been organ recipients, it never occurred to me the feelings both donor families and recipient families experience. The book was a well written, learning experience. I highly recommend it. I think my only problem with the book is that I didn't understand the meaning of the title.
Jessica D. (Bemidji, MN)
(11/30/13)
Safe With Me
Even though the subject matter dealt with two very difficult issues, I thoroughly enjoyed the story although, for me, the ending seemed a little flat after the big buildup to it. It almost seemed like it ended too soon. I did like Amy Hatvany's writing style and will be reading her other books.