Member Reviews
This is my 2nd book by Sandi Ward and while I think that the story (and also her previous book) are very compelling, I wish that they were quite so bitter-sweet.
I absolutely loved this book! This entire story is written from the viewpoint of the family cat, Lil. She is smart and observant and deeply loves her family, especially Charlie, who picked her at an animal shelter despite her damaged leg. Lil's family has been going through some serious difficulties with the parents of the household, Kate and Jeremy, separating when Jeremy's drinking gets out of control. Kate suffers but does her best to keep things going for her three children, Kevin, Victoria and Charlie. In addition there is their dog Gretl, a former police dog, who is just as concerned with all the tension and drama taking place in the house. This was such a great story and as an animal lover, I was especially drawn to it. This was beautifully written and I couldn't be more emphatic about recommending this book.
I'm not exactly sure what my impression of this book is. The narrator of the book is a cat, Lily, which I found a bit odd, and I had a hard time getting into this book as much as I wanted.
Something Worth Saving was a great book, full of warmth and a lovely story.
This story is through the eyes of Lily a cat who can see what’s happening to Charlie and tries to make things better.
I enjoyed this book. It is well written and interesting. The story is told by the family cat. I thought the characters were well developed. I will read more by this author. Thanks to netgalley for the arc. The review is my own opinion
Something Worth Saving is a story of family dynamics told from the unique perspective of the family cat. Lily was an abused kitten who was adopted by the family. Charlie, the 14 year old boy and youngest of the three children is having problems with being bullied at school. Lily sees the bruises on his body, but she can’t do anything about it. Charlie won’t tell anyone about the bruises. She just tries to comfort him when he is sad or hurt.
Dad became addicted to narcotic pain pills when he was injured and Mom asked him to leave the home. He tries to stay involved with his children from a distance.
Victoria is the middle child. She tries to act tough, but she loves her brothers and worries about Charlie.
Kevin is the oldest and he tries to be the father figure in his dad’s absence.
I can’t say much more without giving away too much of the story. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a warm family drama. If you are a cat lover...even better!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review
This is Sandi's second book and the only one I have read. That being said -- I absolutely loved it!! I think Sandi did such an amazing job in taking on the voice of the cat as the main character. I became so attached to Lili (cat). Sandi covered many topics relating to families and relationships and was able to do that through the eyes of a cat. Absolutely brilliant!!
Princess Fuzzypants here: Lily’s family is a family in crisis. Dad no longer lives at home. After being wounded on the job, he first turns to drugs and then to alcohol to stem the pain and get him through the day. He is oblivious to how this is rupturing his family and seems unable to break out of his alcoholism. Mom is doing the best she can but she has three kids, one of whom, unknown to her, is being physically abused. It is good that Lily is such a loyal, loving, insightful and strong kitty.
The book is told in first purrson narrative from her perspective. She is not only observant but she is wise. Despite her own physical restraints, and the fact that her family do not seem to understand “cat”, she manages to suss out what is going on and saves the day. In fact, she does that literally. At the end of the day, nothing is going to return to “normal” but the injured souls in the family are seeking help and there is a good chance a new normal that works for everyone will be established.
That is quite a lot for a little kitty to accomplish. There were moments of despair when it seems too great a hurdle but she never gave up on her humans. She understood that even when they did bad things, they were still deep down good humans, worthy of her love and support.
It was a moving story, realistic and not sanguine. It touched me deeply.
Five purrs and two paws up.
The premise of this book about an abused boy told via his rescue cat's view is unique. However, this was a great and interesting read that I enjoyed!
As a cat lover this book really appealed to me but I just couldn't get away with the story bring told by the cat which is why I can only give it three stars
Sandi Ward’s "SOMETHING WORTH SAVING" is a beautifully written compellingly story about an abused boy and his dysfunctional family told from the point of view of Lily his beloved rescued cat. This is a novel that will break your heart and at the same time give you hope through their mutual story of survival . I guarantee this book will make you cry. Get the tissues out cat lovers !
Abused teenager Charlie has chosen Lily at the animal shelter in spite of her injured leg, She was terribly abused by her prior owner. Charlie loves her right away and she him. He is so damaged that he only connects with Lily. She is determined to save him when she realizes that he to is a broken soul by abuse and is living in a dangerous home where he lives constantly in fear from his Dad and now his Mother's new boyfriend and the. abusive boyfriend of his sister. He also has to hide Lily and l,earn how to protect her against further abuse. Together he and Lily form a bond of love and of understanding of how to protect each other. Lily provides comfort to him when he is beaten and he to her. She tells the story of abuse from her perspective. This was heartbreaking at times and sometimes i had to set this book down to return later. I admit its hard to read in parts as its very well told . It is infinitely sad but its also a story of hope and survival in the worse of circumstances. i hated the Mother who is weak, superficial and ignored what is going on with Charlie in her own home until the abuse had escalated and still she ignored it until finally kicking out the husband. Yet she lets a man into her life right away and into their home that affects her children in the worse way. I was disgusted by her that she allowed such a person in her home and to affect her son and his beloved pet. This was not a good Mother and she ignored her son and what was going on around her.
This is a book that stays with you. It is food for thought about children in a abusive home and animals who survived abuse and the toll it takes on both souls. I thought about this book for days after I finished it. I consider it one of the most well written books I have read this year and one that is endearing to me on a emotional level i did not expect . I highly recommend this book . For all who love cats, for all who have endured abuse and for all who love stories about survival in the worse of circumstances. You will love this book as did I.
Thank you for the ARC to Net Galley and the Publisher. My opinion is my own. i do recommend you read this book with tissues. Very well written .
Thank you for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
I'm not exactly sure what my impression of this book is, it's a difficult one to dissect.
I think the storyline was pretty decent, and Mrs. Ward's writing style is well-developed. But the narrator of the book is the cat which was something that I found a bit odd, and as result, I had a hard time getting into this book as much as I wanted.
I don't think it's for everyone, but one should definitely give it a chance.
Sandi Ward makes an amusing decision when she chooses a cat named Lily, to narrate her new book.
When Lily was a newborn, a horrible human kicked her out of his way. Lily survived but walks with a limp. Charlies picked Lily out of all the cats at the shelter, and they became best friends over the years.
Charlie has two siblings, Victoria and Kevin, and parents who are separated. Charlie's mom is a pre-school teacher, and his father a cop. The parents no longer live together because of dad's drinking problems.
Lily is a great narrator because, mostly, that is all she can do. She can't influence the plot, but she does have a particular way of communicating with the humans. Lily's love for Charlie has no boundaries. She would do anything for anyone in the family, but especially Charlie. Lily even accepts a new human into the pack who comes to help with home renovations.
The story is one we all know; parents split up, someone is bullied, and the welfare of the entire family hangs by a thread. The story is short, bittersweet, and worth a read!
I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
SOME THING WORTH SAVING SANDRA WARD 4 STARS
Someone is hurting Charlie,he has bruises and acts peculiar . Lily archs her back whiskers spread when Charlie comes home early looking different . He whispers that it’s okay. Charlie watches the sailing club boys and hides his bruises .Charlie is youngest of the family and often seems sad. Charlie and lily are as close as a pet and human can be. “No creature should be mistreated,I didn’t deserve it,and neither does charlie.I remember the fear ,the constant knot of anxiety in my stomach that I felt when I heard the bad man coming.And I recall how humiliating it was to be too small to fight back , it makes my eyes sting and nose quiver when I think about it.Believe me MI know who was hurting charlie I would scratch his eyes out.”I liked how I was seeing everything through the cat lily’s eyes and what she was thinking. Charlies best friend is Karen and she helps him fix his hair and use eyelinet. I liked the charcaters except for Aidan and charlied dad.Aidan was a bully to charlie and his brother kevin.Charlies dad needed to get his act together . I also didn’t like how Aidan treated Victoria. I liked how Victoria was called Vicky for short.
As a cat lover I was really happy when this book was approved and I got more than I bargained.
A moving, heartbreaking and wonderful tale told by cat, talking about people hurted, the need to heal and how people act under stress.
The voice of Lily is full of tenderness is the one of a very acute observer. She loves, she's being loved but she also see sufferance.
A book that is full of food for thought and that you cannot read and don't be moved.
I look forward to reading other books by this author, Lily has a special place amongst my favourite literary cat.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC
I’d like to thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Something Worth Saving’ by Sandi Ward in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Lily is a furry affectionate cat who loves her family but especially fourteen-year-old Charlie who chose her when she was a kitten. Lily sees bruises on Charlie’s body and knows she must help him but needs to give some thought as to how best to let his family know. When Mark arrives in their house to help build shelves there’s an immediate attraction between him and Charlie’s Mom. Lily immediately feels an empathy with him and hopes that in time Charlie will confide in Mark and tell him who he’s being bullied by.
‘Something Worth Saving’ observes what’s happening to Charlie’s family through the eyes of a very shrewd cat, highlighting the problems caused by alcohol dependency, teenagers forming dubious relationships, and touching on a boy’s sexual indecision. It’s been beautifully written with compassion and empathy and although you don’t have to be a cat-owner to enjoy it you can’t fail to see similarities between Lily and your own pet. It’s not the type of novel I would normally read but it’s a lovely story, full of warmth and a joy to read. I loved it!
Ward has once again written a sweet and thoughtful novel narrated by a cat. Yes a cat. Lily the cat is the observer in a family of wounded people. This is so topical in its themes and so sensitive in how it handles addiction and abuse and the impact of those on a family. Charlie is Lily's person- he's the one who adopted her- but he's also fond of the others, all of whom are struggling. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a touching heartwarming read.
I really love this author, and this new title did not disappoint! As an avid cat lover for many years, I really enjoyed watching and listening to the story unfold from the cat’s point of view. The way the plot evolved kept me turning the pages faster and faster because I really cared about the main characters. The whole story has made me look at my own cats and it totally different way! Highly recommend!
I think this is a story that all parents should read!
It is told by Lily, the family cat who knows secrets within her pack that nobody else is aware of.
It is a book about love, loss, abuse, dependency and the impacts on an entire family.
If only Lily could tell all! If only she could make all of it go away!
Her mission is to get help for each person that she loves! She will find a way to get her message to her people and the help needed to prevent further hurt in her family.
It's definitely a wonderful book and well worth the time to read Lily's story.
This book was so intriguing to me. As in Sandi Ward's debut novel, this sophomore novel is told through the perspective of the family cat. I enjoy this perspective, where Lily J. Potter (best cat name ever) covertly, cleverly, simplistically (but not in an unsophisticated manner), and earnestly tells the story of a family unit facing drama on all fronts. The ending was sweet and satisfying, just what I was hoping for.