Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West took me by storm. I expected to enjoy this one based on other reviews, but I did not expect to love it as much as I did. In this novel, we follow four main characters: Ruby, her abusive father Lebanon, her best friend Layla, and Layla's father Pastor Potter. At the start of the story, Ruby's mother is murdered and Ruby must figure out how to continue on with the ever present threat of her father and a lack of support from her community.

At its heart, Saving Ruby King is a novel about generational trauma and how that trauma can ricochet through a community as blind eyes are turned and secrets are held. West expertly weaves in the history of The Great Migration, as well as modern day racial tensions in Chicago and the South between Black communities and the police officers that are supposed to serve them. What keeps the reader engaged are the smartly plotted mysteries that surround our main characters; each piece is unveiled brilliantly and not one reveal is a disappointment or completely predictable.

Thanks to Netgalley and Park Row Harlequin for approving my ARC request. All opinions are my own.

A gut wrenching story of a community of people tied to each other through their church. This book is built on emotions. Grief, rage, fear, love, hate and every one in between. A multi-generational tale told by the people living through events that would destroy lesser individuals.

One outstanding voice is that of the church. As a living embodiment of the people and events that have crossed its threshold, this church fills in many of the memories that are too painful for anyone else to voice.

SAVING RUBY KING is the story of a young girl whose life has been torn by her mother's murder. Ruby did not have a good home life and now the only protector she had is gone. Ruby has one good friend, Layla, who is doing everything she can to help her friend but runs into many unforeseen problems. People who she thought would help her, including her father, the pastor, give her troubling guidance. As the struggle to save Ruby from her troubled, horrific home life continues, these two young girls must battle adult issues that no child should have to face. The ending leaves we readers wrung out and hoping there is a better future coming for these girls. One helluva story.

This is quite a compelling and epic story about a multi-generational family saga that revolves around the Church, where the father is also the Pastor. This deals with some heart-wrenching topics that are difficult to see these characters face. You definitely are given a front row to the turmoil and love within a family dynamic that is complicated, both internally and through its relationship with the church.
Really great debut!
Thank you for the early copy for review.
#SavingRubyKing #Netgalley #Harlequin #ParkRow

This was an amazing and powerful read. It is definitely one of my favorites this year. I really couldn't put it down at all! I feel committed to the characters, and I just never wanted it to end.

When terrible things happen, it’s human nature to keep quiet about them. But keeping these secrets can have terrible ripple-effect consequences that go on for generations. This book explores those secrets and consequences in a very approachable and fresh style. I loved the voices of Ruby and Layla. They were so relatable and real, and I just wanted to be their friend, too.

The setting of this book–Chicago back in the 1960s and 70s and in the present day–is very well described and brought to life, and I definitely felt like I was there. The realities of the violence experienced by Black women in this setting are unflinchingly portrayed, and my heart split apart into a million pieces reading about these courageous women forced to make terrible choices and keep terrible secrets. I was rooting for all of them throughout, and I loved the connections between generations and the friendships as strong as–and at times stronger than–kinships. The central force of the Church and the fact that it was also a narrator was another key part of this story, and I thought it was a great way to bring everything together.

This book does contain some potentially triggering topics for some (rape, domestic violence) so be forewarned. I think the topics are explored in a sensitive manner, but they are definitely central to the plot.

I thought the book ended in a way that was satisfying and finished the story, leaving me feeling both sad and hopeful. I feel like I’ve made friends for life in Ruby and Layla, and I also loved West’s writing style and can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

This is one that you cannot pass up. The audio is amazing, the book is phenomenal. It is painful, it hurts, it is brilliant. I have never read something like this but I am glad I did, because it is necessary reading. It is billed as a mystery / thriller but it is so much more than that. I cannot possibly do this justice with a review, but all I can say is that this book is the perfect explanation of why you cannot judge someone without having been in their shoes, because everyone is fighting something. Some are just fighting a lot more than others.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for the egalley to review. I did buy this one as I want this on my shelves, it is one of the best books I have read this year, if not in a very long time.

Rated 4 of 5 stars

In her debut novel, Catherine Adel West takes readers on an emotional journey of intertwined family secrets in the Church. Told in chapters alternating narration between characters and even the church itself. I found the story to be well written, emotional and thought provoking on topics like domestic violence, suicide, homicide, faith, friendship and loneliness.

The story follows Layla, bestfriend to Ruby. Ruby is a tortured soul after the death of her mother and possibly quite some time beforehand as shown through a gruesome suicide attempt. While Layla attempts to boost her friends spirits and find what plagues her in order to stop any further suicide attempts, she is overlooking her own family turmoil. Layla’s father, pastor of the church, has roots that run deep in the community and Ruby’s father seems to have an undeniable hold on the pastor from an incident in their youth. These secrets of all involved seem to tear at the fabric of friendship and faith. The church, the constant in the years of the family’s lineage, sees and hears all from the past and knows what happens within its walls. In the story, Ruby must find her strength in the worst imaginable way and understands the depths and confusion of love, friendship and family. Layla discovers the truths hidden by her family as does the pastor in his quest for validation and confirmation of who he is when the congregations not watching.

This story is a great story for those who like a bit of mystery and domestic drama. There are twists abound and high emotional content in the plot. Great book for book clubs who value discussions about family, race, love, friendship and secrets that should (or should not) be kept.

Raging Book Reviews Highly Recommended

4.5/5 stars

Thank you Park Row Books & Netgalley for the free copy of Saving Ruby King in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was absolutely nothing I expected it would be. There’s some light mystery to it, but it felt more like a multi-generation family saga to me. None of that is to say that I didn’t love it, it just took me a bit to get into the rhythm of the story.

The audio version is fantastic with a full cast. At first it felt a little odd that we didn’t hear from Ruby more often, but with everything that went on, I think it made sense.

Religion also played more of a role than I would have imagined, and at first I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but again, everything West did felt intentional and the church played an important role in the story. So important in fact, that it was even one of the narrators. I was initially confused during the first switch to the church as narrator, and I had to rewind the section to make sure I understood what was going on. It was such a unique feature! I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book where a building is one of the narrators. (Or if I have, I can’t remember.) It provided an unprecedented look into the characters’ lives.

Saving Ruby King is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of family, love, loss, and so much more.

Alice King is killed in her home after returning from church, where she spent most of her time. What the locals know is that Ruby King was at her mother's side as she died of a gunshot wound inside their home. As a Black family on Chicago's South Side, police quickly believe they've solved the crime and just need to compile evidence. Her father, Lebanon, is well known for a murder he committed in his youth and is the chief suspect. While church folks talk, it becomes very clear that Ruby King is in serious danger. Told from multiple perspectives, local history shows that the case may not be as clear as expected. A previous generation holds dark secrets that may lead to the suffering of multiple generations. 

Saving Ruby King at times can be tough to read; by this I meant that one of the big subplots involves incest and there is a lot to do with spousal and child abuse. Characters make multiple references to the fact that they feel like they are living in a cliche. Ruby's best friend Layla talks about her insecurities of speaking differently with family and her white college friends. Older generations keep secrets that may have ended cycles of abuse, but fear how the community would appear. Author Catherine Adel West starts strong with her first novel, especially working with the complicated world of race relations, familial abuse, and murder.

Saving Ruby King is now available from Park Row Publishing.

A wonderful debut for this author. The story is masterfully woven with only a few moments that I felt weren't as strong as the story overall. I really appreciated this look into life within the Black church in Southside Chicago. The author handles the tradgedy of generational violence with a gentleness that leaves us hopeful.

I received a copy of this YA debut novel from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

It is told from multiple points of view, Saving Ruby King is a multi-generational story of two black families from the south side of Chicago.

I liked all the themes that were explored in this novel - racism, love, friendship, family, and how secrets can tear families apart.

Overall, this book is well written and confronts many issues that are incredibly relevant with what is going on in the world today. Most of the characters are complex and well developed. I would recommend this to my high schools students and anyone who is looking for a diverse read.

Saving Ruby King took some for me to get into, mostly due to the sheer number of points of view. Even so, the writing style is quite good and the story is certainly prevalent, so I kept pushing forward. And I'm glad I did. Had I not known going in that this is a debut novel, I wouldn't have guessed. Everything about it screams talent. From the intense emotions to the compelling story, this is one of those books that grabs hold and doesn't let go long after the last page is turned. As I mentioned, it does take some time to get invested because there are a lot of points of view to sort out, but I would advise not giving up. Honestly, by the time I got the various characters and points of view all sorted in my head, I was already hooked, so it wasn't as much of a chore as I feared. All in all, a great debut from a promising author that I hope to see more of.

I had trouble getting into this book. The quick changes in point of view made it hard for me to familiarize myself with or feel invested in any particular character. But more than that, I think this was not the right time for me to read such a heavy book. The world is very bleak right now, so I find myself reading more for the purpose of escape than I normally do. While I have been reading primarily mysteries and thrillers to get myself through this quarantine era, this one was less of a thriller and more of a generational story. That was unexpected, and I think my stilted attention span meant that I was not in the right frame of mind to give it a fair shake. I wound up buying the audiobook so that I could spend more time with this story (and perhaps get to know the characters differently via audio) in the future, when real life sucks a little less.

Thank you very much for the ARC.

Loved this book. While it’s set in Chicago and is about people different than myself the story is well known. Lies and secrets cause nothing but pain. The stories and so well written, the characters detailed and their pain palpable. I was struck with how the pain of each generation fed to the next and so on. The fact that Layla and Ruby and fighting so hard to stop the cycle and have a better future gives us hope. I won’t soon forget Ruby and Layla and those that came before them. Especially Sara, Violet, and Naomi. Grab this book!

Saving Ruby King is an ambitious debut novel that introduces us to Ruby and Layla, who have been friends since childhood. Author Catherine Adel West takes on multi-generational relationships, as she shares the nuanced story of a black family's life on the South Side of Chicago.

When Ruby's mother Alice is killed on the way home from church, Adel West skillfully pulls back the layers of these two intertwined families and the secrets and history they keep.  The multiple points of view storytelling and shifting time periods add so much dimension as they each share what they know and feel. Even the Calvary Hope Christian Church has a voice and adds an integral part to the storyline. While it takes some time to balance all the narrators, once you take it all in, it's such a powerful and compelling use of layered storytelling and how the past can stay with us forever. 

While this book takes on many important and timely present-day issues, Adel West shines at sharing a compelling story of a neighborhood and the families within it. The idea that no one is inherently "good or bad" is masterfully woven into this powerful and often heartbreaking storyline. This novel does an impressive job of delving into racism, domestic abuse, sexual assault, and trauma, while also balancing the power of friendship, hope, and redemption. 

I alternated listening and reading this book and it was such an incredible experience. This character-driven novel packs a powerful punch and it would be a wonderful book club selection. 

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Park Row for the gifted copy. As always, all opinions are my own.

Stunning debut. This novel gets inside the world of a handful of characters that live on the Southside of Chicago. With sparse dialogue that often spoke volumes, we see how faith, murder, racism and abuse affects this group. Can the pattern be changed? How does faith serve a role in it? All of this is unleashed in this incredible book.

Links to Come

Thank you so much NetGalley and Park Row Publishing for the ARC.

I felt Ruby in my bones. Everything she went through, every challenge and heartache gut me to the core. One thing to note, this is not a thriller. It is not a mystery, this is very much a study of people. places and stories.
I could not get over Catherine Adel West's writing. I don't think I've highlighted as many words as I did in this book. It was the writing alone that made me rate this 5 stars. This book is a book that stays with you. It took me a while to write my review and I still don't feel like I will ever be able to do this book justice by a review, but OMG what a beautiful book.
This is a wonderful heart felt book. I can't thank the publisher enough for the honor of reading this!

Heavy and powerful, fresh voiced, and one of the most engaging and haunting books I’ve read in years. Very highly recommended

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC e-book. I have not been compensated for my opinion and this is an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for surprising me with several details.

Interesting use of multi-generational relationships. The many secrets between family and friends made for a more mysterious story than I imagined when I began reading.

"Our history can shape our future, but it doesn't define it."

I truly enjoyed this book. From the church references to the drama amongst families, it reminded me of my favorite tv show. Greenleaf