Book Blog - HOW TO CHANGE A LIFE by Sara Zarr

First, I have to send out my congratulations to Veronica!  

We are SO EXCITED about TTEN hitting the NYT Bestseller List!  And #6????  So so cool.  

But not surprising to anyone who has read it.

Congratulations, V!



So, in other news, I'm in the midst of working hard on revisions for Book2 and have been reading in the contemporary realistic genre.  HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by Sara Zarr is definitely one of my favorites so far. There's so much to love about Sara's writing, but my favorite thing about this book is the characterization.  Told in multiple points of view, each character is so distinct and defined.  As a reader, I saw so clearly how each misinterprets the actions of the other and wondered  how often I was guilty of those misunderstandings with the "characters" in my real life.

The writing in this book is exquisite, but the "showing-not telling" of character development is truly an example for every writer to study.

About the Book (from the author's website)

Published October 2011

Jill MacSweeney just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she’s been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends—everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she’s somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.

Mandy Kalinowski understands what it’s like to grow up unwanted—to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she’s sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It’s harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?

As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy—or as difficult—as it seems.