Book Review: Save Me by Jenny Elliott

Title: Save Me

Author: Jenny Elliott

Publisher: Swoon Reads - Macmillan

Pages: 309

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Rating: 3/5

Source: Review Copy from Publishers

Goodreads Blurb:

Debut-novelist Jenny Elliott’s thrilling romance, chosen by readers, writers, and publishers for the first list in the new Swoon Reads imprint, pours on the tension and danger in an addictive combination that will keep you turning pages!

Something strange is going on in the tiny coastal town of Liberty, Oregon. Cara has never seen a whale swim close enough for her to touch it—let alone knock her into the freezing water. Fortunately, cute newcomer David is there to save her, and the rescue leads to a bond deeper than Cara ever imagined.

But then she learns something about David that changes everything, and Cara is devastated. She turns to her best friend for support, but Rachel has changed. She’s suddenly into witchcraft, and is becoming dangerously obsessed with her new boyfriend….

Cara has lost her best friend, discovered that her soul mate is off limits, and has attracted the attention of a stalker. But she’s not completely alone. Her mysterious, gorgeous new friend Garren is there to support her. But is Garren possibly too perfect?

Hmmm. This book. To start off with, this book is a book for middle school student getting into young adult novels. And, don’t get me wrong, as a high school student I still liked this book and I could definitely see myself reading it in the future. But I’d have to say that I would have liked it more if I had read it a few years ago.

So, now onto the actual review.

‘Save Me’ is a light, interesting contemporary romance that takes place in the small town of Liberty, Oregon. This book isn’t so deep and intense that I had to actually focus, but it wasn’t light either, so I wasn’t instantly bored. It was more of a beach read - a book you would read if you were looking to fill your time pleasantly.  

This was, overall, an average book. There were good characters and a good plot, but there were quite a few things I didn’t like about this book. Let’s start off with the good things, such as the characters.  I’d have to say that these characters were incredibly cute. Cara was just another ordinary girl, definitely not looking for the love of her life. She was smart, nice, one of those girls who would make a good friend. And David was absolutely handsome. He was like a knight in shining armor, even after his true identity was discovered. But while the characters were adorable and all, I still had a few problems with Cara. For one, while she was book smart, she definitely didn’t seem all that street smart. The way she approached the problems she faced seemed a bit senseless, as if she hadn’t given it a single thought. On the other hand, there was David who was the epitome of rationality and thoughtfulness. The stark difference between the two of them made it extremely easy to see the areas where Cara was lacking that David excelled in.

Then there was the romance plot. There were a few good parts and a few bad parts about this section of the book. One good thing about this book would be how cute it was. The devotion that Cara and David had for each other was adorable to read about. Not only that, but reading about the struggles the two faced to deal with their feelings was incredibly sweet. It was one of those books where you have a good idea of how the book is going to end up but any expected change makes you gasp in shock. Basically, I was hooked. But then, I really didn’t like the fact that the obstacles in the way of Cara and David’s love were very ordinary. There was nothing extremely different about these challenges, which was most definitely a letdown.

I could say the same for the whole “witch” idea. Because there are so many of them, books that have witches have to meet a certain standard. A standard that if they fail to meet, aren’t a good book. And while this book had interesting paranormal creatures, that was the main focus. There wasn’t anything else besides them. And while the paranormal creatures were intriguing, they weren’t good enough to be truly riveting. Quite often I felt that the events occurring were was too popular. There were moments when I couldn’t help but think the events incredibly clichéd.

But, the book began to pick up again in the conclusion. It was towards this part of the book that, even with the over-the-top witch idea, the book began to get more interesting. Cara, Garren and David were finally taking a stand to protect each other and rid the evil spirits that were plaguing them. I’m happy that the book was able to conclude with a fast pace and good ending. And though it was a bit cheesy, it was still a sweet ending that I liked.

‘Save Me’ by Jenny Elliott was an average book that is a decent time-passer. It’s a book that I would reread if I was looking for a quick read. If you’re interested in books that include fantasy creatures this is the book for you.

Looking for other books to check out releasing in January 2015? Click here to check it out!