Loved this story of friendship and forgiveness.

I really love verse novels, thanks to Sonya Sones. I’d previously only read those dealing with family matters, so I liked reading about a topic that’s somewhat unusual in young adult fiction: homelessness.

This book.
This book.
This book.
I have no idea
where to even start.
This book
Ripped out
My heart.
And that's all I'm going to write in verse :P speaking of things written in verse, THIS BOOK IS. It's the first book I've ever read written in verse, so it was a totally new experience for me.
This book is one the best representations of mental illness I've read. The main character, Molly, has panic attacks. It's something I've dealt with, and I feel like the author showed it in a raw and honest way, a way she couldn't have without the style she implemented. I know a lot of books use verse these days, so I know to me the style and story was so unique. To others, maybe it's not, but I really enjoyed it. Another character is super mentally unstable but I love how it shows she still a person, still human.
There is a really sweet, wonderful romance but it's not the whole point of the book, or super overwhelming. It was really cute and lovely.
So let's talk about the characters. There are really only six, which made this book really pop. Because there wasn't a ton, each one really got fleshed out and explored. I really loved all the characters, and I adored every word of the story within these pages.
I'm not going to say much more, because I knew nothing about this story before reading it and the reading experience was so, so good.
The verdict? GO READ THIS BOOK.

CONTENT GUIDE -
Intimacy - thoughts of kissing, a mentally ill character nearly strips, then nearly gets attacked by rapists
Drugs/drinking - a major character is hooked on pot
Cursing - almost none
Violence - none, but this book is really intense.

'Saving Red' by Sonya Sones is an unabashedly riveting tale of Molly, a girl who has fielded her fair share of trouble, yet doesn't back down in the face of what could be considered nothing less than overwhelming. Molly's relationship with her parents is strained, to say the least, and she makes mention of her brother, Noah, who has disappeared from her life. At times readers may wonder if he disappeared in the literal or figurative sense, but it is made clear soon enough, compounding the issues that Molly is dealing with when she comes upon a homeless girl named Red.

Red is homeless, yes, but she is unwilling to accept charity, citing her oft-used phrase, "I better not," to turn down any offer presented to her. Molly tries unflinchingly to provide Red with necessities, sometimes with help from Cristo, a cute boy Molly meets on a Ferris wheel. Whereas in some books the fast-paced nature of a 6-hour long in-person relationship would seem rushed and maybe even forced, Sones is at her best yet again, making readers see that Molly and Cristo share a connection at the tender age of fourteen that makes them eager and willing to get to know each other through texts, Facetime, and phone calls when Cristo leaves on vacation mere hours after happening upon Molly originally. Their relationship and ensuing troubles when Cristo seemingly disappears brings out the teen angst that any fourteen-year-old would have if in a similar situation.

Yet Molly doesn't have time to worry about Cristo as much as she'd like to wallow when he doesn't respond to her texts. She has to deal with Red and the voices that inhabit Red's mind. By trying to help Red, Molly finds that her understanding of what happened when her brother Noah went missing comes to a head, and she has to focus on the ensuing internal battle that she feels, and which Red tries to help her come to grips with. Despite Red's craziness, which Red fully understands she herself is dealing with, Molly can see the truth and wisdom in Red's words, as she tries to help Molly cope with the losses she has sustained.

In 'Saving Red,' relationships are tested on all levels, including family, friends, and romances. Sones has a way of captivating readers' attention and making them see the readers as nothing less than real people with real problems, who deal with them as only as those people could. They are all unique, independent, strikingly unsure characters who find their truth in their own ways as the story goes on. It is a testament to Sones' writing style that she can capture all of this in short, to-the-point verse. The last few words of the novel leave room for a whole new story that Sones will hopefully write one day. Those last words should provide hope, making anyone's heart leap - especially those invested in the outcome of Molly's story.

Beth Rodgers, Author of 'Freshman Fourteen,' A Young Adult Novel

Read my review at Bookish Adventures.

I had to deduct half a star for the overuse of exclamation points and half a star for the way too neatly wrapped up ending, but overall really enjoyed Sonya Sones's newest book. The verse formatting makes it a quick read, and he characters are well developed and heartfelt.

3.5/5 rounded down.

I've never read a book in verse. I don't know if it's just because I wasn't used to the format, but this book was really hard to get into at first. It was definitely page turning! But I didn't find myself feeling any heavy emotions despite the heavy topics. However, around halfway through, this changed and I started really feeling for the characters. I really appreciate the themes of this book, and the portrayal of mental illness wasn't sugarcoated at all. I'm definitely glad I read this book (really quick read too btw). Just still not sure how I feel about the format. The writing was also kind of frustrating at times. Like sometimes you could really hear the author speaking, and not Molly. Also! All the! Exclamation points! Yowzers!

This book was wonderful. No other words are needed to describe it.

The characters feel as real as any person I know, and Molly's story is as life-like as a fourteen-year-old poet's diary— and I would know.

The way Molly tells the story made me physically cling to the book wanting more, more, more, and while the plot was decidedly simple, the way it was written made me want to just keep reading—
and oh! The way it was written!

All in verse, the line-breaks made thoughtfully and with purpose; the book wouldn't have been the same without its creative and unique format.

I've seen a few reviewers complaining about the excessive! Use! Of exclamation! Marks! But now imagine you're fourteen and something brilliant and exciting is finally happening to you— all around you!— for once. Imagine you're Molly— kind and with an overwhelmingly beautiful sense of wonder at the world, and the exclamation marks start making a lot more sense.

More on Molly— while I'm personally not religious, the way she thinks of "God" as this all-powerful being whom she knows nothing about and isn't even sure she even believes in, is in a way that brought tears to my eyes. Molly constantly toys with the idea of a god and if there is a point to each of her emotions and if so, why? Her character holds a giddy, child-like wonder, which makes Molly all the more like a person you'd just want to be friends with.

Now, Noah... Noah, Noah, Noah... Noah makes me want to run out onto the streets and find every single kid with a dream and make all their wishes come true, makes me want to run more miles than I know I can or want to, and makes me want to stop the goddamned violence all over the bloody globe more than I already did before this book (which was quite a lot). Now I personally want to sign a few peace treaties.

Cristo is incredibly sweet and I can only hope that every girl (or guy) gets the chance to meet and fall in love with someone like him.

Pixel is the liveliest book-dog I've ever read about. I love him to bits. Can I have a Pixel, please?

I think that perhaps everyone has a wonderful little Molly and a smidgen of Red's spirit within their heart. Red made me remember that life's about the little things, like dancing until you actually want to fall on the floor and laughing at corny jokes and spinning around in the rain because you just could not care any less about your troubles or anybody else's for just a moment.

I honestly think that this book should be on the shelf between the other novels one can choose to read in late junior-school/middle-school and high-school. It subtly brings forth some serious topics that could be the fruit of a beneficial discussion (if any teachers are reading this :)), but in its essence, "Saving Red" is really just about a few days in the life of two lost girls who are just trying to get by, whether knowingly, not, or recklessly.

"Saving Red" was so beautiful.
I hope that those who read it will be reminded that life is short and priceless above everything else, and that if you don't spend it being happy, then you should ask yourself: who is it you're trying to please that's so much more important to you than the little child you once were, dreaming of a million worlds and of being part of something bigger?

A perspective on mental health told in verse that seems to bring more light on using illness as an excuse... It’s realistic, but would be best used to pair with other mental health focused titles.

This is a good look at a teen who has runaway from home because of mental health issues and a teen who is dealing with her own issues trying to help her out. I thought the ending was great but left one piece hanging. A good read for high school students.