New Author (for me) - Lisa Scottoline

Save Me
Lisa Scottoline

I signed up for my local public library newsletter for new books last year. As if I don't already have enough books on my "To Read" list, each month they add a few more titles. In April Lisa Scottoline's book Save Me was on the list of new books. As soon as I read the first line of the review from Booklist, "Suburban mom [Rose McKenna] is forced to make a split-second decision after an explosion goes off in the school cafeteria in which she volunteers. Should she rescue her own daughter, Melly, trapped in the bathroom, or lead the girls standing in front of her, who constantly bully her daughter, to safety?" -- Okay, now honestly, are you hooked? -- Well needless to say I was. In fact I could hardly put this book down.


I completely thought this book was going to be about the cafeteria explosion and the way it affected the lives of all the people involved. Boy was I wrong! This book, like author Jodi Picoult's books (I immediately started comparing the two authors' writing style as soon as I picked up the book), took a turn I never dreamed of happening. I had read that Lisa Scottoline has a law degree and teaches "Justice and Fiction" at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, so I completely expected a great deal of lawyer-y kind of talk and courtroom scenes. Again, boy was I wrong.


I don't want to ruin the storyline for anyone, so I am not going to say anymore about the plot. What I will say is I look at the responsibilities as an educator and parent volunteer at school so much more seriously now. I have been on the crisis team at the school I work for the past twelve years and have been trained (as much as you can be for a crisis situation) in a variety of scenarios. I would never want to be placed in the same shoes as Rose McKenna (the main character), but if I am, I want to be as strong in personal conviction and strength as she is portrayed in this wonderful novel.


Like I said at the beginning, Lisa Scottoline is a new author to me, but now I have thankfully found her and placed her books on my every growing "To Read" list.