This book and this story was immensely powerful. There was an immense emotional honesty to this book that was unimpeachable.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of <i>Saving Ruby King</i> in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

<h4 style="margin-top: 84px;">The Gist</h4>

Catherine Adel West's debut novel, <i>Saving Ruby King</i> is a poignant exploration of family, secrets, and the enduring bonds that tie us together. Set against the backdrop of Chicago's South Side, the novel unfolds with a raw and emotional intensity that resonates long after the final page.

<h4>The Details</h4>

At its heart, the novel is a compelling family drama that weaves together the lives of Ruby King and her childhood friend, Layla. West delves into the complexities of their intertwined families, unraveling generational trauma and deeply buried secrets.

The strength of the novel lies in West's ability to create authentic and multifaceted characters. Ruby and Layla, along with the secondary characters, are portrayed with a depth. This makes them feel like real individuals facing the challenges of their circumstances. The exploration of race, religion, and the impact of systemic issues adds layers to the narrative, making it both timely and thought-provoking.

The narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives. This provides a nuanced understanding of each character's motivations and struggles. West's prose is evocative, capturing the essence of the South Side and infusing the story with a palpable sense of place.

While the novel's commitment to addressing serious societal issues is commendable, some readers may find certain plotlines predictable. The pacing also occasionally falters as it moves between timelines and perspectives.

<h4>The Verdict</h4>

Overall, <i>Saving Ruby King</i> is a powerful and resonant debut that tackles themes of family, friendship, and societal challenges. Catherine Adel West's storytelling is imbued with empathy, and her exploration of complex relationships makes this novel a compelling and worthwhile read.

A solid book. There were parts that were heart wrenching and parts that surprised me. Is there anything more you can really ask for in a book?

A timely read with really well drawn characters. For better or worse these characters have stuck with me years later. I can visualize their story and their lives.

This book is truly complex, touching on the racial divide throughout Chicago's borders, the autobiographical experience she had as a member of the black church community there, while peppering in a genuinely gripping mystery as well. The latter is something you should go into blind, but just know that once you have a handle on the many POVs that tie in beautifully by the end, you'll be on the edge of your seat waiting to see how it all plays out. This was an engrossing, authentic, and timely interpretation of a journey in the African American community in Chicago.

Unfortunately I have not read this book, so I will return with a review as soon as I have completed it. Thank you for your patience.

I’m judging the L.A. Times 2020 and 2021 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got me to read on even though it was among 296 other books I’m charged to read.


"There is a time for war, but peace that's the real prize."
"You need to figure out when to fight and when to be still"

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Saving Ruby King is an amazing novel. Beautifully written but without the typical happy ending. A moving read that I highly recommend.

5 out of 5 stars.

Yes! I love books that don't have a traditional, Hollywood, happy-ever-after ending and this book delivered on that front. It reads like a thriller, but it is about inter-generational trauma, abuse, and healing.

I really enjoyed Saving Ruby King. I was able to get into the story immediately and flew through it. It was a great novel and I’m so glad that I read it.

The evidence the officials discover, labeled the crime a home invasion. Ruby’s mother lied dead at the scene. In this Chicago black community, this was just another crime committed and marked in the books. Yet, some individuals knew exactly what had occurred behind the doors of this house throughout the years. They knew the truth. The abuse that had been silenced and buried for years was finally over and Alice was finally free from her husband, Lebanon. Ruby knew it too for she lived it, day in and day out. Alone now with her father, Ruby faces the reality that it’s just her and her abusive father.

Layla is Ruby’s friend and what a great friend she is. Although Layla was told by her father Jackson, to stay-out-of-it, Layla can’t. Jackson, a pastor of this community’s church and some members of the congregation know what Lebanon is capable of but their actions and voices are silent. Layla steps up to help Ruby providing much more than I realized she had in her.

Crossing timelines and hearing from multi-viewpoints, it took me a while to get into the flow of this book. I liked how Layla kept at Ruby, she never gave up and she questioned Ruby and didn’t preach at her constantly. I thought having all the different characters and viewpoints was interesting and made for a more-rounded book, although keeping them separate took some work, on my part. Set in Chicago, the book addresses many issues such as domestic violence, race, a church community, family and friendship. I received this book from NetGalley and Park Row in exchange for an honest opinion (a few years ago).

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

This was a beautiful, and lyrical, gripping, and such a beautiful story. What a talented Author. Lovely world building, and character development..

Saving Ruby King is a well-written and important novel about race, culture, and true friendship. Set in the Southside of Chicago, it explores race, family, toxic secrets, and what it truly means to be a friend. When Ruby's mother is found dead, her friend Layla will do anything to save Ruby from her abusive father. On the way, long buried secrets are uncovered. The book explores race and privilege and what you'll do for the ones you love most.

This book ended up being far more of a mystery than I was expecting - in fact, I was so invested in the characters, I almost forgot about the plot. And I definitely don't mean that in a bad way! This is a story of family secrets, race, faith, and what it means to be family, whether you're related by blood or not.

Lovely written saga about family and the human condition with well thought out character development. This is the type of book that's a slow climb to a stunning conclusion that just might give you all the feels and a book hangover.

A beautiful story which will stay with you. This is definitely a book that I will revisit as my niece is a little older. The author draws you in and you feel the emotions as you navigate through the text. I would recommend this to anyone.

SAVING RUBY KING is s stunningly affecting novel. West weaves together a tale that contains just as much heart as it does candor. It is not a book to be missed.

This is a difficult book for me to review. I loved aspects of the story, but the overall experience didn't wow me.

The writing is, without question, beautiful and powerful. The various aspects of the story are expertly woven in, interlinking everyone and everything that happens.

But the pace is quite slow, which would've been fine had the rest worked for me.

I think the scope of the story is took wide, taking on domestic abuse, racism, friendships, child abuse, parent-child relationships, grief, etc.

Also, we have excessive narrative passages about living with racism, which, while powerful, read too much like a memoir. And I'd have loved it as a memoir. But the constant insertion within a novel began to feel like a message being forced at me, rather than a natural flow of the story. Once or twice would've been great, but the repetitiveness felt too heavy-handed.

In the end, I loved the writing and the message, but I didn't love the execution.

When Ruby King's mother is found dead in their SouthSide home in Chicago, the police deem it neighborhood violence, and leave it at that. But now, Ruby's left to live alone with her father, whose violence is a well-kept secret from most. Only her best friend Layla is privy to the inner workings of her father's violent ways. But when Layla's father pulls the girls apart and demands Layla disentangle herself from her best friend - things start to fall apart. But Layla won't be deterred so easily, right? A tale of two families intertwined far closer than either of their daughters can imagine, Saving Ruby King is a heartwrenching tale about the bonds of friendship, and what it takes to change the narrative of your own story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for advance access to this title!