FAITHFUL.
By Alice Hoffman



While I would say this is a well written story with good characters, I would not say that I really enjoyed it.
It is a very sad story of a young teenage girl who is driving when a disastrous accident occurs leaving her best friend in a coma. From that point, she (Shelby) just spirals into a somewhat miserable life. The story is of one disaster after another as she just cannot come to terms with the outcome of the accident.
The final outcome of the story is very contrived leaving me wishing I had not read that far into the book.
Sorry guys, just not the best I have ever read.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley for a fair review.

I absolutely love the work of Alice Hoffman. She always has this ability to draw the reader in with intense storylines, beautiful and well-worded quotes and personal writing. This is no different. What a wonderfully written book.

Love all of Alice Hoffman's work. She does a beautiful job of weaving magic and reality. She's one I will always reach for.

I liked the book but it was not that memorable, the writing was good though.
It wasn't bad and it dealt with a lot of imoprtant topics but it just wasn't keeping my interest.

After a horrific event is it faithful to find happiness? Or is the dark suffering the true fate of a faithful survivor? In _Faithful_ Shelby's life is turned upside down following an accident that could have befallen anyone that icy night. Over the years she wanders through loneliness and heartache to love. While there are moments in this story that entranced me, there is something missing from this novel. Perhaps that's the point. Something will be missing from the survivor's life in a manner unable to be articulated to others. That is the bridge that Shelby must cross and it is in her real imperfection as loneliness threatens to consume her that helps her to ultimately see that life and love faithful.

Beautifully written. It's a compelling tale and not a light one. Alice Hoffman's writing is lyrical and Shelby's struggles in the first part of the book are not an easy read because of her lack of self-worth, but slowly she comes to life again. Faithful is a story of redemption.

Not the easiest of Hoffman's reads, and maybe a bit more like Jodi Picoult that I was expecting, but a good read nonetheless.

Having never read anything by Alice Hoffman in the past, I had zero expectations and I'm so glad for it. Much like other victory-over-adversity coming of age novels, Faithful has a lot going for it. It is so well written and cocoons everything from romance to tragedy to friendship, which is pretty much how everyone's life pans out. Faithful centres around Shelby Richmond, who is coming to terms with her emotions after enduring a gruelling car accident in which her friend is rendered brain dead. It pulls at your heartstrings, and delivers. A good read indeed.

*I received an ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review..

4⭐️.
Alice Hoffman certainly knows how to write an engaging story!

There is a terrible accident and Shelby, the 17 year old driver, survives, while Helene, her BFF, suffers broken vertebrae and brain damage, leaving her in a coma. Shelby has survivor-guilt, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and major depression. She basically gives up on herself, and feels that she is nothing and unworthy of anything.

Before the accident, the girls were always together, beautiful Helene and smart Shelby. Helene was sneaky and nasty and Shelby was good and kind.

Alice Hoffman expertly and beautifully weaves a story about Shelby Richmond's spiral into darkness and her relationship with Sue, her ever faithful mother and Ben Mink, her weed dealer, and how they all change through the years.

Although I didn't identify with any of the characters in the story, I loved and cared for Shelby, Sue, Ben, Maravelle, Jasmine, the twins - Teddy and Dorian, James and the four-footed pals. I was afraid of Marcus and did not like him.

I highly recommend this story of grief and despair, friendship, fate, love and hope and new beginnings for people and dogs.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, Inc. for an early copy of Faithful by Alice Hoffman.

Posted
Goodreads November 19, 2016

The writing is beautifully written and I enjoyed it, but however it was not very memorable for me. The story was easy forgettable. The main character struggles a lot throughout her life and doesn't make the best decisions. Overall, I liked the book and I would like to read more from Alice Hoffman.

This novel is about a young woman named Shelby, terribly guilty and depressed about surviving a car accident in which she was driving and her best friend ended up in a coma. The beginning of this book was honestly tough to read, with Shelby being in such a dark place, but as Shelby slowly learns how to live again she becomes a charming character in her own quirky and grumpy way. And the book is just beautifully written, with just the tiniest touch of Alice Hoffman's usual magic realism.

Somehow I missed this book on my shelf when it was first released. I’m so pleased to have found it again, though. Hoffman writes her characters with such love, and such hope in their ability to grow and develop.

Shelby is the driver in a car accident that almost kills her and leaves her best friend damaged beyond healing. Shelby’s path to forgiving herself is long and twisting. The relationships that she develops along the way, both human and animal, make both her and the world a better place.

I highly recommend this book, especially in a time when it is important to be reminded of the good in others.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Title: Faithful
Author: Alice Hoffman
Pages: 272 Pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
The Blurb
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and The Dovekeepers comes a soul-searching story about a young woman struggling to redefine herself and the power of love, family, and fate.
Growing up on Long Island, Shelby Richmond is an ordinary girl until one night an extraordinary tragedy changes her fate. Her best friend’s future is destroyed in an accident, while Shelby walks away with the burden of guilt.
What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithful is the story of a survivor, filled with emotion—from dark suffering to true happiness—a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world. A fan of Chinese food, dogs, bookstores, and men she should stay away from, Shelby has to fight her way back to her own future. In New York City she finds a circle of lost and found souls—including an angel who’s been watching over her ever since that fateful icy night.
Here is a character you will fall in love with, so believable and real and endearing, that she captures both the ache of loneliness and the joy of finding yourself at last. For anyone who’s ever been a hurt teenager, for every mother of a daughter who has lost her way, Faithful is a roadmap.
Alice Hoffman’s “trademark alchemy” (USA TODAY) and her ability to write about the “delicate balance between the everyday world and the extraordinary” (WBUR) make this an unforgettable story. With beautifully crafted prose, Alice Hoffman spins hope from heartbreak in this profoundly moving novel.
The Review
I have never read a book by Alice Hoffman before and whilst I know she has been handed praise from all corners I still didn’t know what to expect.
I will admit, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Faithful.
Faithful is a story of redemption. Our protagonist Shelby is seeking redemption. She blames herself for an accident that left her best friend in a comatose state. She has survivor’s guilt and she sets on a path of self destruction. Along the way she hurts herself and other people but she also grows and begins to rescue lost souls much like herself.
Faithful is a wonderful journey of self discovery and you cannot help but root for Shelby and beg her to forgive herself.
I really enjoyed Faithful. I will definitely be returning to Hoffman for more of her books.
Faithful by Alice Hoffman is available now.
For more information regarding Alice Hoffman (@ahoffmanwriter) please visit www.alicehoffman.com.
For more information regarding Simon & Schuster (@simonschusterUK) please visit www.simonandschuster.co.uk.

Alice Hoffman certainly has a way with words. She gets you to care about her characters, even when (from the outside), they seem to not be worth the care & attention. You see their faults, but also the potential for change and self-improvement.

When Shelby is seventeen, she's involved in a one-vehicle crash that leaves her best friend in a vegetative state and she attempts to commit suicide, as she was the driver. When she is released, she feels that she must be punished. Instead of going to college, she shaves her head, lives in her parents' basement, and only makes human contact with her weed supplier, Ben. There are two different Shelbys. The before Shelby, seventeen, fun loving, popular in school, a good student and there is the after Shelby. Survivor guilt. This is her story and parts of it are not pretty.

After her move to New York with Ben, things begin to happen to Shelby. Good things, even though she doesn't want them and doesn't think she deserves them. She gets a job at a pet store where she ends up rescuing (stealing) some dogs, becomes friends with Maravelle, and is promoted to manager. She enrolls in college where she hopes to eventually apply to Veterinarian School.

Alice Hoffman has an understanding of people and their flaws. I cheered for Shelby, sympathized with her and was heartbroken for her at various times. I loved watching her move forward and try to forgive herself, even though she did everything she could not to. I love stories like Faithful that explore characters who are flawed and scarred and that draw me into the their lives as they find their way in life. This makes for a powerful and interesting read for me. I really enjoyed this audio book. The narration was very good and it felt like I was actually talking to Shelby as she moved through her story. I will definitely look for more from Alice Hoffman.

A gut-wrenching novel of grief and acceptance. Hoffman is an incredible storyteller and Faithful is no exception.


4.5/5

FAITHFUL by ALICE HOFFMAN was a spellbinding and beautifully told coming-of-age story that I devoured in two sittings which rarely happens for me as I normally don't get that much time to read in a sitting!

Although I do find the embossed floral blue COVER of this book very attractive and pretty it isn't the reason I chose this book to read. It was actually chosen for me to read by my thoughtful sister who bought this book and let me read it first. She is so nice! Thank you, Brenda!

To be totally honest while I was reading this novel I didn't really discover any clues or figure out the reasoning behind why the author chose this particular TITLE for her book. I looked up the definition of FAITHFUL and it means loyal, constant, and steadfast. So I am taking a guess here that this is directed more to the anonymous postcards that Shelby received which had some motivational and inspirational sayings on them to help Shelby through her grief, survivor guilt, and recovery.

I really enjoyed the main CHARACTER (Shelby) and the relationships that were formed as we followed along her journey to see if she was able to have closure and forgive herself. I was captivated by ALICE HOFFMAN’S writing style here as I was never bored and she had me wanting to turn those pages rather quickly.

The ENDING was heartwarming, touching, and satisfying for another enjoyable read. Would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.

Oh my. What a wonderful story. It's heartbreaking to be sure but it's wonderful because it concludes with beautiful redemption.

We meet Shelby two years after a tragic accident stole the life from her best friend and in so many ways her as well. Shelby is stuck in a deep, dark pit of grief, survivor's guilt, shame, and despair. She's withered away to nothing, attempting to atone for what she believes is her fault. It doesn't matter who says it wasn't, she knows somehow and someway she is to blame. As the years go by following the accident Shelby enters into a shell of a life. But life is alluring and she finds it pulls at her and entices her to rejoin it in deeper ways than the fringes. As we witness life unfold for Shelby in the decade following the accident we get to watch the stops and starts she experiences in coming back to life and finding redemption.

Really wonderfully written. Shelby is a well-developed character that I fell in love with, I wanted to know her, I wished that I could meet her. I love the story of faithful love Shelby experiences without even realizing it. I loved pretty much every single thing about this story.

A terrible accident occurred and Shelby Richmond was never the same. Neither was her friend, Helena, who is in a vegetative state. Shelby went from being the popular girl in high school to the odd outcast. She's lost her will to live and doesn't particularly care about anything anymore. Things start to change when she moves to New York City - she gets a job, makes friends, and ultimately figures out that her life is worth living.

The funny thing about this book is that I started it about a year ago and just couldn't get into it as I found it rather dark and depressing. A friend of mine recently read Faithful and raved about it. I told her that it wasn't holding my interest and she convinced me to finish it. I'm so glad I did. Although the beginning is a bit dark, I realize that Hoffman had to show her readers this side of Shelby to get to where she was at the end of the story. This was such a great read - I laughed, cried, and thought about the story for days after finishing it.

Read this book in a very short time. I don't usually like books set outwith the UK but I did enjoy this one. It was heartwarming to read how the main character healed herself and blossomed after the traffic accident. Shame she didn't get together with Ben Mink in the end but perhaps that sounds have been too obvious.
Enjoyed her relationship with her ex colleague and her children.

Alice Hoffman has a way with words and she shines this in this novel as well. The main character tried to find herself which is never easy. This book shows how dogs can be good companions as well, or sometimes even better.