How to Save a Life

Sara Zarr

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Oct 18, 2011 - Juvenile Fiction - 352 pages

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.
Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr delivers a heart-wrenching story, told from dual perspectives, about the many roads that can lead us home.

What people are saying

Review: How to Save a Life

User Review  - Komal - Goodreads

My initial reaction after completing this book- If I could, I'd give this book not only 5, but a million shining and glowing stars that would live up to what this book is really worth. You know, how ...

Review: How to Save a Life

User Review  - Mike - Goodreads

I have so many thoughts on this book that I hardly know where to start. Is it normal to feel so strongly about a three-star rating? Because three-stars theoretically means you didn't have strong ...

About the author

Sara Zarr was raised in San Francisco, California, and now lives with her husband in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the author of Once Was Lost, Sweethearts, and the National Book Award finalist Story of a Girl. She can be found on the Web at www.sarazarr.com.

Bibliographic information

• Title: How to Save a Life
• Author: Sara Zarr
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011
• ISBN: 0316036064, 9780316036061
• Length: 352 pages
• Subjects: Juvenile Fiction / Family / Adoption; Juvenile Fiction / Family / Alternative Family; Juvenile Fiction / Girls & Women; Juvenile Fiction / Social Issues / Death & Dying