This is a courageous memoir detailing the aftermath of a sexual assault and the brave pursuit of passing a law to help survivors. Switching back and forth between present day and a journey she takes with past versions of herself, “Saving Five” is a heartbreaking yet hopeful story of a survivor’s movement in the world

It's difficult to write a review about someone's memoir, especially when it is about such a traumatic event.

This book is the memoir of Amanda Nguyen and her first-hand account of being raped at Harvard and the resulting aftermath. The style switches between chapters of her recounting her experience as it happened, and an imaginary story where her younger selves (who also experienced violence during childhood) travel together through time. The juxtaposition between the actual events and her meeting her younger selves adds a feeling of hope to a heavy story.

Not only does Amanda tell her story and experience, but she also sheds light on the way the US system forces victims to make difficult decisions during extremely vulnerable moments - such as whether to file charges against the perpetrator. In her case, due to her decision to stay anonymous, her rape kit would be destroyed after only six months, after which the evidence of her rape would be lost. By telling her story, she also brings an important issue to light that affects women across the US.

I have followed Amanda on social media for years so was familiar with her story however reading it in a book form was a entire new level. Its hard to put into words what you "liked" about a story of such violence and horror committed but I will say that it is incredibly written and beautiful conveyed. She is an inspiration for survivors... and all women really. What a brave choice she made to not only tell her story but also pave the way for others to come forward, recover and still live out their dreams. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How do you really rate a memoir? Especially a memoir as powerful, emotional, and significant as this one.

I’ve followed Amanda on social media for years and have always been in awe of her resilience and strength. But this memoir answers the question: at what cost?

A creative weaving of her own journey through grief with time-stamped moments utilizing her rape kit’s destruction date as the countdown, “Saving Five” is a masterclass of storytelling on a topic that is deeply uncomfortable to confront but unquestionably important.

Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope
Amanda Nguyen

One woman’s journey through grief and pain, her resilience and strength, her refusal to be a number in a broken judicial system, all coming together to institute change worldwide to benefit survivors of rape, providing them a Bill of Rights.

I don’t know if it is appropriate to call beautiful the story of something so heinous. Saving Five is a powerful, awe-inspiring memoir that proves that (while): "We can’t change the things that happen to us, but the greatest power we have is to choose how we react. And you can react to change the world. We are the architect of our life, our own experience.”

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy used in this review.

5 stars

Amanda Nguyen has done incredible things for survivors across the country as one of the activists who helped pass the Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights. This is a memoir of her journey in getting involved in this activism through the Bill's passage. It begins almost immediately after her assault, and ends with the bill's passage.

It is hard to rate a memoir of someone with such a unique and powerful story. Many instinctually give memoirs like these five stars because of the work the author has done outside of the book itself. It is hard not to compare this memoir with the most notable memoir of a sexual assault survivor, Know My Name by Chanel Miller, and I am sorry to say that this does not hold a candle to that one. The writing is fine, and the story is well told, but it feels a bit surface level. Things happen quickly, as to be expected in only 224 pages, and the reader does not have the chance to get to know Amanda deeply. I appreciate that the topic is very personal, and she does not need to go into detail about her assault itself. I think the story of her path from survivor to activist could have gone a bit deeper, however.

The book's title comes from a beautiful analogy sprinkled throughout the book of the author's self at different ages interacting with one another. This is, in my opinion, where the book shines. We are around the same age, and I loved the idea of her current self helping her past selves, because you do learn in your thirties that you were such a different person at 22 than you are now. Amanda went through more trauma than just her assault, and this story within the memoir is her way to tell her traumas without explaining them, if that makes sense. I really appreciated this, and I feel it was her best work.

This memoir will sell numerous copies because of Nguyen's activist work and because she became an astronaut afterward. These are both highly commendable, but I sadly don't think this memoir will have as much sticking power as expected.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amanda Nguyen, you are a hero.

This is one of the most incredible books I’ve ever read. Amanda’s story, told in alternating chapters of memoir and a rescue mission with her younger selves, is truly an example of tenacious HOPE and the importance of recognizing all the parts of ourselves that make us who we are.

I cannot wait for this to come out so I can buy a physical copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Saving Five by Amanda Nguyen is a deeply moving and courageous memoir that captures the raw pain of trauma while highlighting the extraordinary power of resilience and activism. Nguyen’s story, shaped by her tumultuous childhood, her dream of working for NASA, and the harrowing aftermath of her assault at Harvard, is told with searing honesty and remarkable grace. The book’s most striking aspect is Nguyen’s unwavering determination to create systemic change, culminating in the creation of the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights. Her ability to channel personal grief into groundbreaking advocacy makes this memoir both an intimate journey of healing and a powerful call to action. While some sections could delve deeper into her emotional interiority, Saving Five is an inspiring testament to the transformative power of hope and activism.

Incredible read. I finished in one sitting. It made me cry, I could feel my shoulders and breath stop, I also felt so damn inspired. She’s an incredible human and I’m so glad she’s sharing her story. Major content warnings around rape, childhood abuse.

This was a difficult read but a very important one. Amanda's story is one I'd heard about in the news, but reading in her own words was very powerful. I enjoyed the format of the book, instead of just a linear format like other memoirs. Often I was very angry at the systems she fought in her own rape case, but in the end I felt hope for her future. I'm looking forward to reading more from her!

I enjoyed learning about how bills are passed. This memoir was very heartbreaking while also being hopeful. I liked the idea of facing the stages of grief with different ages of yourself. This book was well written and easy to read. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Saving Five by @amandangocnguyen
Thank you, Amanda, for courageously sharing your story and being a voice for so many. Generations will continue to be proud of you, just as we are today. You inspire others and pave the way for women everywhere. Sharing your journey through different versions of yourself is both powerful and moving.

Add this to your reading list—out March 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for allowing me an e-ARC copy of Saving Five by Amanda Nguyen in exchange for an honest review.

This book is hard and hopeful. It is infuriating and informative. It is sad and strengthening. Amanda had already gone through so much in her life before she was assaulted. She participated in different groups, got excellent grades, was involved with NASA, and moved across the country by herself. Those are big things to be already processing at that age. Amanda also grew up in an unstable household with inconsistent parents. This fostered a breeding ground of trauma and abuse. Her assault, like all rapes, was senseless. What she went through after was negligent, selfish, unkind, and disappointing. The absolute lack of regard from the government was, frankly, disgusting. No survivor should have to desperately seek information about their case and make decisions before they are ready. Amanda set out to change that.

Amanda is the reason why rape kits legally have to be held until 20 years or the maximum statute of limitations, whichever is shorter. Her Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights included other benefits such as access to information about your kit, the right to free advocacy, timely notification of the assailant's location, the right to fair and equal treatment, and so much more. She got it passed federally and then again under the UN. The fact that she went on to continue her work with NASA and become an astronaut is so completely badass.

This book weaves the timeline of her assault with a dreamscape of her past selves working toward healing. I enjoyed reading these scenarios and talking about them during a session with my therapist. Thank you, Amanda - for sharing your story, for fighting for survivors, and for reminding us that the different stages of "us" all deserve space to be heard.

I often give memoirs 5 stars out of respect for the author for opening up and being as vulnerable as possible in sharing their story in words. Saving Fire is no exception; Nguyen is incredibly open and honest in telling her story, and her storytelling style is unique and incredibly moving.

The way Saving Fire is written mixes the typical, chronological order of events with the occasional chapter telling a story of the different versions of herself meeting in time to take on a quest. Thirty-year-old, present-day Amanda meets versions of herself throughout different times in her life and must go through different time periods in order to save her five-year-old self.

I truly believe that everyone should read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an ARC of this incredible memoir! It is being published in March of 2025.

I first want to say that I feel odd writing a review of someones life story. Given that, when I say this is a 5 star read, I say so because of how Amanda conveys her story through words. It doesn't feel right to rate someones story. With that out of the way, here are my thoughts.

I love the way Amanda wrote her story. I really liked how she conveyed healing through having to save her five year old self as they travel through the stages of grief alongside 15 and 22. Amanda's memoir is very honest about how she struggled after her assault. She was forced to choose between her career and justice. She fought to change a system that was built to defeat survivors (and won!).

Overall, Saving Five is a phenomenal, honest, and hopeful memoir that shows how the justice system in America is stacked against assault survivors.

Saving Five: a memoir of hope is emotional, enraging, powerful, heartbreaking and Inspiring. Saving Five is a brutally honest memoir that highlights the lack of care and protection that victims of rape and their evidence are treated with in the U.S. and one woman’s journey (alongside many other survivors and advocates) to change the system. It sheds light on the ways that our government has failed to protect survivors. After finding out that her rape evidence kit would be destroyed after six months, Amanda fought to extend her evidence kit’s longevity for another six months. She embarks on a transformation of herself and the law, turning her trauma into a foundation for national change.

Thank you Amanda Nguyen for writing this important book, sharing your story and inspiring survivors & advocates to continue to fight and speak up for survivor's rights.

[ARC review]
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

PUBLISH DATE: MARCH 04, 2025

Synopsis: At a Harvard fraternity party in 2013, the trajectory of Amanda Nguyen’s life was changed forever when she was raped. Nguyen had long dreamed of attending Harvard and working for either the CIA or NASA after graduation. However, all her aspirations were put on pause when she came to understand that she had only six months to take action before the state of Massachusetts destroyed her rape kit, rendering any future legal action impossible. Nguyen knew then that she had to surrender to a law that effectively silenced survivors of sexual assault, or fight for a change.

I was left in shock after reading Chanel Miller's memoir, Know My Name, so immediately after reading this memoir's synopsis, I requested this book from NetGalley.

Amanda Nguyen exposes SO much in this memoir - her difficult upbringing, her goals and aspirations, the night she was raped, and how the disgusting act pretty much ruined the rest of her life. On top of all that, she also shares her inner demons that continued to follow her throughout her life - which was beautifully, seamlessly interwoven into the memoir.

However, following the read, I was left quite sad and hopeless (although the story claims to be a memoir of hope). Nguyen consistently shares her HUGE aspirations - landing a job in the CIA or in NASA - but, nothing actually pans out.

This is an extremely important read as it shows that a seemingly small, minuscule law - rape kits getting thrown away after just 6 months - can strongly affect victims. And, there aren't many outspoken, strong-willed individuals willing to stand up for such laws.

Ooooo the emotions!!! This book will make you angry. Not at the author, but at the laws!! The author is beyond amazing for her strides in getting laws changed. Her story is so heartbreaking, but it fueled her to get things changed!!!

very innovatingly told. one part is a classic memoir about the incident and her work to get laws passed that would prevent it. the other is a fantasy story about handling grief. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I feel like my English is not good enough to describe a book like this one. Inspiring, heartbreaking, chilling story of so many emotions cased by horrible violation and ultimate victory of a survival. Amanda Nguyen is excellent example how there is hope and how truly strong and smart women are always inspiration and role models. Thank you for sharing your story with us.