How To Save A Life

Title: How to Save a Life
Author: Sara Zarr
Pages: 352
Profanity: PG-13 (20+ swears, 1 "F")
Content: PG-13 (Teen pregnancy, abuse)
Level: High School
Recommendation: Optional

Summary: Jill MacSweeny 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.

Review: Alternating stories told by both Mandy and Jill bring the reader into both their worlds. Two girls, each struggling in their own ways. When their worlds collide will they make it through? I enjoyed the story line and cherished the characters, and the twist at the end seems too good to be true. The story does deal with a pregnant teenager, death, and a bit of sexual abuse, and the possibility that love can help us all. Due to some content, I would not recommend this for young or immature readers.