This Is Sarah: A Book Review

I received this book for review from the author, and unfortunately it took me a little while to get to.  But once I started it, I could not put it down!  I really enjoyed this book, and I definitely think it is worth picking up and checking out!

Title: This Is Sarah

Author: Ally Malinenko

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Publisher: Bookfish Books

Publication Date: January 1, 2014

Pages: 169

Out in Paperback?: Yes, July 3, 2014

Goodreads

Amazon

My Rating: 5/5

Review:

Goodreads Summary:

When Colin Leventhal leaned out his bedroom window on the night of May 12th and said goodbye to his girlfriend, he never expected it would be forever. But when Sarah Evans goes missing that night, Colin's world unravels as he transforms from the boyfriend next door to the main police suspect. Then one year later, at her memorial service, Colin makes a phone call that changes everything. Is it possible that Sarah is still alive? And if so how can he bring her back?

As Colin struggles with this possibility, across the street, Sarah’s little sister, Claire learns how to navigate the strange new landscape of life without her sister. While her parents fall apart, Claire remains determined to keep going even if it kills her.

THIS IS SARAH serves as a meditation on loss, love and what it means to say goodbye.

Characters:

This story is told in dual perspectives from Colin’s, Sarah’s boyfriend, and Claire’s, Sarah’s sister, point of views.  These characters are so interesting as we watch them deal with the loss of someone close to them and find the hope that Sarah is still alive somewhere waiting for their help.  Both Colin and Claire are likeable and relatable characters as they deal with this tragedy.   I think Colin has more chapters from his perspective, however, I felt that both characters were well developed.  There were other characters, like parents and friends, but they weren’t mentioned often and were not part of the story essentially.  I thought this was interesting, since so many stories focus on the parents’ reaction to such a loss.

Plot:

This story focuses on the loss of a daughter, sister, friend, and girlfriend.  Sarah goes missing one night on a way to a party and is never seen again.  The book picks up about one year later, as her boyfriend and sister are trying to move on with their lives while debating the possibility that Sarah is still alive.  The idea of trying to find Sarah and believing that she is still alive takes over Colin’s life, hindering him from healing.  But what if Sarah is still alive?  That is the question that is constantly posed throughout the whole novel, and it keeps you on the end of your seat, not knowing where the author is going to end this story.  I really liked this element of suspense.

Writing Style:

I thought the writing style was amazing!  I loved Ally’s writing, as it was real and very true to life in that the characters reactions were relatable and realistic.  I felt that it was a very quick read, although the book isn’t that long to begin with, but the writing and suspense kept me reading.

Have you read this book?  I definitely recommend checking it out!

Thank you Ally for the opportunity to review this awesome book! :) 

FTC Disclaimer:

This book was sent to me for review by the author.  This is not a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.  No affiliate links were used.