Review: Dark but realistic story laced with hope, but seeing that you have to get to the bottom to want to climb to the top.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 5, 2014
I wanted to read Saving Quinton because I enjoyed the first book Breaking Nova, and I wanted to see where time and perspective would leave Nova, and if she could indeed as the title suggests, save Quinton.It is pretty dark and gritty where Quinton is, worse than he was at the end. Getting both POV we really get in his head and see how dark it is, what leads him to continue taking drugs to get in that state of forgetfulness, where his demons don't torment him and he no longer sees Lexi's blood on his hands.Nova really wants to help him, to see him through his rough past and come out the other side of addiction. I really appreciated where she was and the look she has even after Landon and her dad, that she can be in a place of healing. She had the best of intentions, and wanted to get their relationship to an even better place it was the summer before.This book ends with hope, but it really does drag Quinton through the mud to get to his darkest place before he can ever even think of leaving this lifestyle of drugs to forget lifestyle. He thinks that is all that he deserves. It is downright hard to read, and my heart hurts for him seeing how he lives, what lengths he goes to try to protect Tristan as well as try to forget.Nova is so strong, but she also knows that she is tempted at times, but she keeps her resolve. That doesn't mean that she isn't hurting for Quinton or at times thinking that it is hopeless or feeling defeated. She also gets to a rather dark place, but luckily she's realized that she can ask for and accept help and lets her mom and friend Lea be there for her. She's grown a lot, but I would have liked to see some of that. Her working for the hotline, some of her revelations, but I suppose that would have had to be its own book.I think that Saving Quinton was realistic though. There wasn't a wave a magic wand fix. Family relationships are complicated, drugs will mess you up, and pain and trauma do not go away on their own.This story did kind of leave me saying, wow that wasn't an ending. But looking back, in a lot of ways, it was good for the story, although there is lots of room for wanting the next book in your hands right as you finish.Bottom Line: Dark but realistic story laced with hope, but seeing that you have to get to the bottom to want to climb to the top.