Luke is a true pessimist. His glass is always half empty, never half full. After losing his parents, swiftly followed by his wife, Luke lives quite a solitary existence, with only his cat, Alfred for company. A freak accident during a storm proves a life changing experience for Luke, and the story that follows is heartwarming and quite lovely. Yes, at some points it's really, really cheesy, but that fits well with the story.

How to Save a Life is a wonderful story that I highly recommend.   The story is beautiful and this author, who is new t me, does  great job crafting this great story.  Do yourself a big favor today and buy this book.  You will be hooked from page 1 and a S.D. Robertson fan for life.

If you’re feeling a little glass half empty at the moment, this tale of near-death, charity and optimism will help you find your inner Mr Blue Sky. Gorgeous.

Since the breakdown of his marriage and his parent's tragic death, Luke has been alone, miserable and unsociable. A near death experience changes this, and he starts to rebuild his life. Well written and enthralling, a totally different story line.

I’d never heard of the author before but I loved the blurb for the book so had no real expectations. I’ve lost count of the number of times this beautiful, life-affirming novel reduced me to tears, in sad and happy ways. This reminds me of the book of Keith Stuart (A Boy Made of Blocks and Wonder). I love both of these books and it was a real treat to read something along a similar vein. I got so caught up in the book, so lost in Luke’s life I didn’t want the book to end. The author has written other books which I need to read. I’ll be in for a treat if How to Save a Life is anything to go by. This is the kind of book that touches you, deeply, even changes something in you. Utterly brilliant.

Loved this book, a brilliant read that just totally captures your heart and mind. A well worth read.

Something really bad happens at the beginning of the story which changes Luke Craven's life forever, and in a way that's no bad thing as Luke has sort of lost his way and it takes a really tragic set of circumstances to jolt him out of his, let's be honest, rather miserable life.

What then follows is a thought provoking read which has all the trademark characteristics which are so evident in this author's writing. We are skilfully maneuvered through the aftermath of loss and grief and taken on a life-affirming journey which will see Luke challenge himself in many different ways. Over the course of the story, I enjoyed watching how Luke's character went through a metamorphosis which, in a way, reiterated the thought, particularly in these challenging times, that we never really know what's around the corner and should appreciate more what blessings we have.

I must admit that it took me a while to warm to Luke's character he seemed such a cup half empty kind of guy however, by the end of the story I was cheering him on and hoped everything would work out for him. I thought that it was also interesting to have a male protagonist and written from a male perspective by a male author gave the story a different dynamic, which I enjoyed.

How to Save a Life is an interesting story about being kind to oneself and others.

I enjoyed this book, but found it a little hard going. It’s taken me weeks to read it. Yes, I dipped in and out, but I find a book that really grabs me, I don’t put down til I’ve finished it. It’s a lovely concept, perhaps I wasn’t in the right mood frame of mind to read it. It wouldn’t put me off reading another from the same author at all.

We meet Luke, and he’s one of life’s glass-half-empty people. He’s grumpy, pessimistic and as he even says himself, curmudgeonly, in spite of being relatively young.

But there’s more to Luke than meets the eye. He’s so lovely and sweet to his cat, Alfred, which made me realise that he actually has a heart of gold, and as the book goes on, we find out more about him, and what he’s been through to make him like this. I genuinely couldn’t help being fond of him right from the start, and even more so as the story progresses.

When Luke goes through a near-death experience, his whole attitude changes, and it’s lovely to be witness to his transformation. It’s not always easy, but it’s so heart-warming and life-affirming to see.

There’s some sad, and some very real, moments in this book, and it’s very thought-provoking, but there’s also great wit and humour.

I enjoyed every page of this uplifting and beautifully written book. The characters have such depth and I think this is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

Even grumpy pessimists get second chances. Luke's story is so well written, joy to read from the beginning to the end.

Great characters and knowing that hope never dies.

Thanks to publisher Avon Books UK and NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

If you're looking for a feel-good story about a "glass-half empty" kind of guy, this is the book for you. Luke starts out as a man with a negative attitude, someone who is selfish and frequently feels sorry for himself. After a nearly fatal accident, he begins to make changes in his life, how he treats others, and opens his heart as he learns about hope and second chances. This was a comforting, heartwarming novel for these times.

A different type of reading for me, but I loved it. Eat read following Luke turning his life around. Thoroughly enjoyed and will be looking to read more by this author.

A refreshing read that felt so different to many of the novels I have encountered recently. The protagonist, Luke, is a grumpy, lonely man and the writer shows how one incident is the catalyst for bringing about change. All in all, we can learn that it is never to late to make a change in your own life.

I warmed to Luke immediately. His grumpiness was entertaining although his loneliness was painful. Luke does not have anyone to turn to and has managed to convince himself that this is what he prefers. However, the freak accident that leaves him the only survivor forces Luke to re-evaluate his perspective towards life. A self-confessed pessimist, Luke struggles to abandon his life-long belief of expecting the glass to always be half-empty. Yet, being reminded of what he has to be thankful for, reflects the journey of self-discovery that Luke embarks upon.

This is a really touching story. Luke is haunted by events from his past – losing both his parents, his sudden divorce – and what occurs during the storm and then at his barbers, really knocks him back. It takes time for him to trust towards thinking positively and I thought it completely endearing the way he makes friends with those living in his block of flats. Despite being much older than him, it showed to readers how a friend can exist in anyone – even if you consider them to be the polar opposite.

Undoubtedly, the theme of mental health is dominant in Robertson’s story. The writer treats this delicately and demonstrates that the importance of mental health is not exclusive to those from particular walks of life. The broad spectrum of characters in this novel all suffer from some degree of anxiety, worry and some have even sought counselling. They are all brought together by the common need of wanting company and to share experiences. I loved this connection that exists and felt warm as I saw Luke’s own network of friends begins to grow.

I am always trying to broaden my reading horizons – having a male author and a male protagonist is a double change for me! I appreciated Robertson’s portrayal of Luke – pessimistic and lonely, vulnerable and mistrusting to finally, accepting and seeking connections. It was a like watching a flower blossom over the novel and I delighted in the closure that was provided. Some may find this quite an emotional story and I imagine many readers would relate to Luke’s experience. I think this just adds to the realism and overall enjoyment of the story.

In this novel, Luke manages to turn his life around. Those around him are also affected by his actions and as a result, I think Robertson is illustrating that firstly, it is never too late to make a change and secondly, never under-appreciate those you have around you.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Luke Craven is a likable character, idiosyncrasies and all. I enjoyed his journey to owning his life. It was a great story, but a little heavy with the similes, metaphors and analogies. Perhaps that was part of the humor, or just the author's style, but I found it a little distracting. Well worth the time to read it though as I found myself laughing, sighing and even tearing up.

I almost put 3 or 3.5 stars, BUT I thoroughly enjoyed this read. The main character was quirky and an oddball, yet relatable. His daily issues were ones that many struggle with, like family expectations, goals and relationships. The others in his life were likable, even the occasional annoying characters. Was not sorry I requested this from NetGalley.

I am a fan of novels by this author and eagerly await a new release and this is the 5th book to be published and did not disappoint.

The story begins with the main character Luke having a near death encounter whilst sheltering from the rain. He is suddenly pushed out of the way from falling scaffolding and debris by complete stranger Iris who is also weathering out the storm, but is not so lucky and loses her life.

Luke a divorcee owns a small barber shop in Manchester and tends to keep to himself; my thoughts were that he came across as a rather quiet yet angry introvert person which could possibly be explained by the breakup of his marriage. Social butterfly Luke is certainly not and the only family in the UK is his cousin Meg who he has always been close to apart from a slight rift recently that neither of them would mend as both being a little stubborn.  After the accident Meg is Luke’s constant and they soon resume their strong bond.

It is interesting to read how almost losing his life nudges Luke into changing his perspective as he struggles to transform  from a pessimistic  half empty guy into the complete opposite. The obstacles he encounters along the way only make him stronger and a much more positive person.

A delightful story of friendships, hope and transformation, which I found both enjoyable and satisfying.

My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC and to Julie for allowing me to guest review on her blog.

Really enjoyed this book. Steady paced, great characters, I was absorbed throughout. Will be reading more Robertson books in the future!

«How to Save a Life» was the shot of positivity I so desperately needed.
In this heartwarming novel, S.D. Robertson explores the possibility of turning your life around by making some minor changes, by being opening to opportunities and by trying to overcome our inner pessimists.

Luke Craven is a “glass-half-empty” kind of guy. This is something we learn right from the beginning of the story [even from the book] and are reminded throughout the entire story. You can probably guess from the blurb and just from this characteristic of the main character what this book will be about. And most-likely you’ll be right.

Luke runs his own hairdresser / barber shop for many years now. He works alone. He doesn’t have many friends. He lives alone with his cat. And he doesn’t hide his negative emotions towards the world and other people. Basically, he is not a nice person to be around.
Until one faithful day, when his life is put at risk and he finally sees the need to change. Maybe this need didn’t come naturally to him and started out as an honorable thing to do for someone else, but slowly Luke starts to see the importance of doing good, of being nice and helpful to the people around him.

Following Luke’s transformation was pure joy. Even though he started off as rude and unpleasant, in just a couple of pages I was routing for him, smiling and mentally encouraging his deeds.

This is predominantly a slice of life kind of book, with little sub-plots here and there, but all of the author’s attention is on Luke. Even the side characters are there only to help us see Luke’s various facets and to help him through his journey.

As much as I loved the story and message it conveyed, I couldn’t close my eyes to somewhat slow and repetitive writing. I feel like this book needed slightly more editing. The dialogues felt more like an exchange of monologues and the conversations felt too… (I can’t believe I’m going to say this)... polite.

I’m usually the one who cringes from swear words in books, so saying that I found the book “flawed” because it was too polite doesn’t feel right. But that’s exactly what it was! Noone in real life speaks like the characters in this book. If only the conversations were a little bit more polished, they would have felt more real as well which would have added so much more enjoyment from reading «How to Save a Life»!

I will always have a soft spot for the stories that make me want to be and do better. I don’t think this is the best character-driven book I’ve ever read. However, it’s so uplifting that I will make sure to recommend it to everyone, especially during these hard times. We all need a little bit of kindness in our lives right now. And I’m sure this book will inspire many of us to start the change within ourselves and extend the hand of friendship and support to a person in need.

Luke isn't exactly the most positive of people, he could be described as miserable, grumpy or even a glass half empty kind of guy, but he gets by - he's had his fare share of trauma in his life and wears it like a badge. One evening during a horrific storm, a stranger saves his life in a moment of her kindness when he was frozen. Luke feels like he has been given another chance at life, why did he survive when someone with such a bright future lost theirs? Vowing to be more positive Luke vows to turn his life around. Its not as easy as it seems.



Luke is really trying, we see him going the extra mile with neighbours, talking more to customers and generally really trying to consider others but when his acts of kindness bring another horrific even to his door - can he continue on this path or will it finally be enough for him?

"Being positive is opening your heart to the world without being afraid of potentially negative outcomes. It's choosing hope rather than fear. It's opting to live i the now, rather than the problems of the past or the fears of the future."

I really really enjoyed this. It was heart warming and heart wrenching in equal measure, it was kind, it was sad and it was honest. It took someone like Luke who was unhappy, miserable and needed a bit of guidance and showed him that some blue sky thinking could change a life. It could make his life better, but only if he is committed to it. I felt Luke was a really complex character and we get to discover everything that has shaped him gradually. It gives the reader such a clear understanding of him. 



I felt this book tackled alot of issues and it did it in a beautifully written way from the homeless, to handling grief - it was all dealt with in a sensitive manner. It teaches us as the reader to take a brighter look at life, how a little thing can make a big difference and most of all. It isnt that easy when your struggling but thats okay too.



I really felt like this book took me on an emotional journey and it was a roller coaster ride, i felt emotionally invested in it and i really cared for Luke despite his grisly nature. He was supported by a lovely surrounding cast of characters that had their own issues, problems and situations they were dealing with. 



This was a wonderfully delicate read that sometimes made me smile, sometimes made me want to hug it but most of all, it made me consider positivity . Thank you for the e-arc for the blog tour, it hasnt impacted my review.

Luke Craven is more of ‘a cup half empty’ than ‘a cup half full’ sort of man. Life hasn’t been kind to him at the very beginning of this story and thrown him a series of ‘curve balls’. He detests his neighbours and tries to avoid them at all costs, has no time for socialising, has rowed with his cousin so fiercely that they are estranged and does not do chit-chat with the customers in his Barbers Shop. He doesn’t mix with the owners of other businesses in the same street as his or with casual acquaintances or jolly passers-by. In fact he is short-tempered and often rudely retorts quick fire conversation stoppers to people who just plain get on his nerves. He is actually really unpleasant and down on his luck. He hasn’t got any happiness or joy in his life except for his little tom-cat companion.
One day a total stranger sheltering beside him under a scaffolding awning in stormy, inclement weather saves his life in a freak accident. Her heroism and caring nature actually cost her own life and this totally shames him. He thinks about how friendly and kind she had been to him, even on her death-bed. He feels humbled and he resolves to try to emulate her empathy and do something that he can pay her back with, although she will never even know about it.  She had everything to live for and she was destined to a life of helping others, both as a doctor and as a volunteer abroad. He would figuratively make goodness in her name. So begins his life of becoming ‘a cup half full man’, someone who can be proud of his contribution to society. He was a really rich character and, even though he made errors of judgement, dangerous ones, I personally felt proud of him and I knew that Iris, the young lady who saved his life, would also have loved and admired him if she had lived.
This story is wonderfully life-affirming and a real joy to read. I loved having a man as the main character and I enjoyed every page of this beautiful new novel. So much so that I have already explored S.D.Robertson’s back catalogue of four more novels that I am sure will all enrich my reading. In fact I have another downloaded to read already! The author has a background of journalism and his writing is very high quality, full of empathy and compassion. He has created lots of lovely characters in this story, characters I admired and cared about, as well as other less savoury characters. There always has to be an odious, threatening character, as in life itself! But most of all his storyboard was unique; he paced his story wisely and kept some very interesting aspects of his story until the very moment that was best to reveal them. I am so impressed with this novel and cannot praise it enough.
I received this book through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Avon, sent in return for an honest review. Thank you so much for my copy. I’m so lucky to have been sent a copy to read for review. These are my own thoughts and I have read no other reviews before writing my own. I loved it and hope that my review will introduce some avid readers to a new author and that they will also recommend this novel to others.

After a terrific beginning with vivid, compelling premise, this promising story veered firmly and stubbornly into trite, formulaic, and exhausted. I read to the end for two reasons: I wanted to see if the author regained their narrative strength and I wanted to see how several intriguing subplots were resolved. Neither one occurred. For the entire novel, I presumed that I was reading the work of a talented-enough, earnest twenty-something young woman with a huge heart and enormous social conscience, comfortable with dropping into the prototypical "romance" novel of thinking/agonizing/wailing/wondering/dreading/doubting/ad infinitum boring.  That's the last half or three-quarters of the book, the thinking and agonizing and the swift easy resolution of those fascinating subplots (the one that staggered me the worst was a blithe "I guess I'll never know" with respect to complex, unique dreams). *sigh!* I hate going on about this, but I can't help myself. There are lovely gems of phrase and vivid characters, but those occasional sparkles are not enough to save this story. Great premise, indifferent, flat and aggravating execution.