Gibe me anything by Courtney Cole and I will love it! 5 stars! Another tear jerker! She is a go to author for me and I adore all her books!

Many many thanks to Courtney Cole, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this powerful, gut-wrenching book about teen addiction. It was so moving that I was brought to tears frequently while reading it. Given the author’s personal experience with addiction, it seemed very realistic to me. I was also mesmerized by the parallel storyline of Natalie’s grief and the role it played in the lives of her children. They seemed to be affected to various degrees, although I was left wondering about Devin and Annabelle after Beck left, as Natalie still seemed unable to provide them with any emotional support. If there is a flaw in this book, I do think they were left too much out of the storyline. I personally loved the brief reconnection with his dad and the revelation of Sarah at the end. The cover of the book now brings it full circle. The publication date is July 17th. You definitely want to read this book!

Oof. This was a tough read.

I mean, it was a compelling read, don't get me wrong. I read it voraciously and quickly. It was well written, and flowed smoothly between events occurring in the present, and events that occurred in the past. It was interesting - but heart-wrenching. I felt some things like a punch to the gut. As a mom, this story completely shattered my heart. As a reader, I could not put the book down.

It's definitely reminiscent of Jodi Picoult in that "ripped from the headlines" sort of way, but also a little bit like Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. That is, there are spiritual themes running through the course of this book. I didn't think it was too much. I thought it was very realistic actually and honestly - the source for all the tears I shed while reading.

In all, this is an incredibly emotional ride. It's a little bit dark, like it wants to be depressing, but there are so many beacons of hope throughout that it never completely crosses into that territory. Still, a tough read, but 100% worth it!

Natalie has a wonderful life until tragedy strikes. Her whole life is shattered. She cannot go on living but she has children she needs to parent.
The kids are doing their best to hang on. Beck the oldest is taking over the parenting roll while also dealing with his Fathers death and guilt. Having no one to turn to he turns to drugs.
This is a very real representation of how people can get hooked on drugs and all of the people it effects.
I liked the story very much. I thought characters were very real. Although it was at times hard to read but it is real life.
I would recommend it .

This book. As someone who has an addictictive personality, I couldn't help but devour this book. Beck has so much on his shoulders and he escapes the only way he knows how. Natalie doesn’t handle her problems well and her relationship with Beck spirals into a deep dark hole. As a mother, there’s nothing more scary than the thought of this happening to your child. As a person who could very well be in Beck’s shoes....this book just sucked me in for so many reasons. The author kept the story going at a quick pace and I never wanted to put the book down. Very well written.

I was given an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. This book was so very well written. It captivated me the entire time!

This book -- told in chapters by either Beck who is in a medically induced coma or Natalie, his mother, who is waiting at this bedside -- is hard to put down. The grief and guilt that both of them carry has nearly destroyed them and their family. Addiction, especially seeing it in a "regular" family, is all too common right now. This would make a good book discussion book.

This was my first time reading a story such as this one based on a mother and her son's drug addiction. As a mother myself I felt connected to the characters and could feel the hurt and pain that Natalie went through as her son was in the hospital. I thought this book was beautifully written and the story from start to finish was heartwrenching. Would highly recommend!

Saving Beck by Courtney Cole is a harrowing book about addiction and one young man's journey through the darkness. Addiction is a fiend, and it feeds on the living. Addiction doesn't just affect the user--it affects the user's family and friends. In Saving Beck, Cole captures this reality perfectly as she showcases the impact of Beck's actions. 

I absolutely loved this novel. It was a startling look at a tough life. This book was heartbreaking--yet hopeful--and I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me cry. 

The writing was simple but beautiful, and the book kept a steady pace throughout. This book was a page-turner--I couldn't put it down. 

The book jumped back and forth between the perspective of Beck and the perspective of Beck's mom, Natalie. I really enjoyed getting into the head of the addict as well as the person he's impacting the most, his mother. The story starts off at a gallop and flashes back and forth between past and present. I liked the back story--the reason behind the addiction--just as much as I liked the present-day text. I liked getting to know Beck through the flash backs and appreciated the way his history painted him as a real person. He's human--albeit troubled. He's not simply an addict.  

The ending is a portrait of hope. The path of addiction isn't easy, but with a solid support system, there's a way out. Beck's path isn't easy, and the book never pretends that it is. I liked the ending, and the way all the seemingly loose ends were tied together. 

Courtney Cole's son battled with addiction, so she understands firsthand what it's like to live with an addict. Her intimate knowledge of addiction came out through the characters in the book. They were realistic and perfectly imperfect. Natalie is a struggling mom who battles grief and depression. She doesn't have it all together, and that's okay. Beck is swamped under the pressure of a guilt. He's a good kid who makes bad decisions. 

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to others. If you're looking for something a little different to read, pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My review will be posted on my blog, Thrifty Bibliophile, on Monday, June 25, 2018: https://thriftybibliophile.com

This was a compelling read. I was very engrossed in this book and could not put it down. After the death of a woman's husband with her son in the car who survied, this is the road they travelled. What a road it is,. The mother has a hard time dealing with the death and her son is thrust into being the caregiver for his siblings. The sons's road is very hard due to guilt and other issues. He turns to drugs and this book takes us on the journey told from various views. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend to anyone that is looking for a good read. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

I don't even know what to say about this book. It feels wrong to say that I loved it because it was so very hard for me to read. I'm already crying just writing this far. But I really did love it. I read the book yesterday and waited until today to try and write down some thoughts about it. I knew about the author's son, Gunner, being a recovering heroin addict before I requested this book from NetGalley. I think she was so brave writing this story. It had to be really painful for her.
I, as I know so many people, have had someone close to me affected by this terrible monster heroin. And unfortunately he wasn't as lucky as Gunner to survive. So although this book was really hard for me to read, I think it's so very important! I think Becks story, although it is fiction, needs to be heard. This book should be required reading in high schools. This is real talk about how easy it is to go from a little pot to sticking a needle in your arm. Honestly I wondered how could anyone ever.....but Courtney Cole sure made it seem like it wasn't that far of a fall! "They slip into it, like a whisper that turns into a roar"
The way this story was told in dual POV worked so well for me. And I also really thought that the way she went between the past and present time was a great way to tell their stories.
There is also hope here. There is a beautiful family dynamic that comes together to support a lost boy/man. This is truly a work of love from her heart. I would recommend this book. Even though it's not sunshine and roses. It's worth it!!

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

This book gets a 4 star plus rating from me. It is the story of a family dealing with loss and addiction and guilt and it is so authentic. The author has personally dealt with a child who is an addict and her truth comes through. There were times I was crying while reading it, so it's a pretty strong story. There are times when the writing doesn't feel perfect, but the story rings true.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A heartbreaking account of a family in crisis. After a major event, Beck begins using drugs to numb the pain. The aftermath of which is devastating. The entire family is affected by his use and mom had completely "checked out" for quite a long time, leaving him to be in charge while she grieved. I really felt for everyone and am so very grateful they took the time to write their story. Many people will come away with valuable information.

A family implodes as death takes their father and husband. As one woman struggles with the loss of her soulmate, one child will take the weight of the world on his shoulders, a weight that will prove too much when he finds he cannot live with the guilt of blame he places on himself. Beck will spiral into the false promises of escape in the abyss of drug addiction that will shred what remains of the life he once knew. Now he lies near death, comatose, trapped with his memories of his darkest moments and the “angel” that tried to save him. He must decide, is his life worth being saved? Can he fight the demons of drug addiction?

SAVING BECK by Courtney Cole goes beyond fiction as this brave author bases her heartrending tale on a devastating reality she knows too well, the havoc wreaked on the souls of those who can only watch as a loved one plummets into drug addiction.

Ms. Cole builds a complex world, filled with the emotional landmines her characters must plod through. She gives us heartache, devastation and self-destruction, then soothes the pain with a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. We will witness firsthand how grief and loss brings out both the best and worst in the cornerstone of society, family. Witness grief in its most raw and brutal forms. Feel the toll “stepping up to the plate” will take on a young man still struggling to grow up, still wrestling with the monsters of regret and guilt as he attempts to hold his shattered family together when he mother “checks out” lost in her own despair. Stand in awe of the first ray of sunlight and hope that filters through and remember, but for the grace of God…

Beautifully devastating, amazingly uplifting, this story is raw and riveting and breathtaking.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Gallery Books!

Publisher: Gallery Books (July 17, 2018)
Publication Date: July 17, 2018
Genre: Family Saga | Drug Addiction
Print Length: 304 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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5 stars for Saving Beck written by Courtney Cole. This was the first novel written by Ms. Cole that I had the pleasure of reading thanks to Netgalley & Galley Books in exchange for an honest review. Saving Beck was a beautifully written yet tragic, heart-wrenching account of addiction from a mother's view. This novel was really emotional and difficult at times to read not because of the characters or Ms. Coles writes, but purely due to the content. If you or somebody you know has been in this situation you will fully understand if you haven't been afflicted by addiction in any means, shape or form it will either spread out your eyes or fix you made and judgmental. I applaud Ms. Cole & would recommend this book to be added to anyone's to read list.

Wowie, this was a tough one to read--not because it wasn't good--but because it was so visceral and moving. Reading about addiction from an author who has experienced it with a child is hard as parenthood throws you such unexpected loops that you can't always anticipate. But when Natalie loses her husband in a fatal car accident, she has no idea that her depression will spiral out of control and result in her son. Beck's guilt and drug use. With flashbacks and present-day hospital scenes we see a family torn apart by loss, struggling to regain some semblance of normality after grief. A lovely yet harrowing novel!

Amazing story! This was real and could only have been written by someone who has experienced this. I know, because I experienced it too. Nat has 3 children, lost her husband in a car crash. The car was being driven by her son, Beck who blames himself for the crash. Nat tries to cope and begins to rely on Xanax and Beck turns to drugs to help him escape and cope with his guilt. This was written mostly from Nat’s point of view, but also from Beck’s, while he is in a coma after an overdose. Beautifully written, brought tears to my eyes many times. Addiction is so very hard on the loved ones involved.

WOW. I generally avoid books that I know will make me cry but something about the description for Saving Beck caught my interest. The story told from the point of view alternating between Beck and his mom was such a great form for this type of story. Life is hard and this book truly demonstrates how badly we need each other and need to communicate openly and honestly with those we love. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read. I would also recommend this book to parents and students and classroom teachers. This would be a great book for group discussions and classroom literature circles (for older students.)
There are so many aspects of this story that i really liked. Beck and his relationship with Angel was another aspect of this story that I think really makes this story work. The end was perfect.
Thank you Courtney Cole for sharing your family's story with us. Loved this book.

This was a difficult book to review because it isn't a book where you can say, "Oh I loved that book," or even that you "Really enjoyed it." The subject of the book is far too serious to allow a simple like or dislike. Drug addiction is one of the most serious and devastating problems in the United States today. Predictions are that drug use will continue to increase and take more lives this year than last. This book is timely and important and comes at a time when we all need to be more aware of the devastation that drug use causes. This is a problem that touches all areas of society. Saving Beck, is a book that can help with that awareness and start conversations about it. I would definitely recommend the book to students.

This is an intense and heartbreaking story about grief and addiction but is also about hope and redemption. It is very fast paced and once I began reading I didn’t want to put it down. This story is emotionally-charged and there was truly never a moment, until the very end, where I felt like I could take a deep breath.

Natalie lost her husband in a tragic car accident and is drowning in grief as a result. Beck, her eldest son, was driving the car when the accident took place, and he survived the accident that took the life of his father. Beck is also drowning in grief but he also has the guilt of his father’s death to deal with and the way he chooses to deal with it is by trying to escape it through drug use which quickly turns him into a full out junkie. Now both mother and son have not only grief but also addiction to survive.

The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Natalie and Beck. There were times when I wanted to strangle each of them but mostly I found my heartbreaking for them and for everyone who was affected by Beck’s addiction. The author did a wonderful job of showing us snippets of Beck that existed beneath the surface that was his addiction, allowing the reader to like him, root for him and have sympathy for him.

I would highly recommend this read. I think it is an important story to get out there as this country is in the midst of a growing drug epidemic
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I want to thank Courtney Cole for sharing her very personal and emotional journey and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel.