Every time I read an Alice Hoffman book, I take away a bit of insight. It might be about myself or even another person. Faithful is a beautiful coming of age story about a young girl who was involved in a terrible accident that changed the course of her life and also those around her. The strength of family weaves itself through the entire book along with love and perseverance. I loved it!

I think this one will go over well with the library book-group crowd.  I am not actually a huge fan of Alice Hoffman, but I appreciate that she is a greatly anticipated author, and her book releases are always a pretty big deal with huge holds lists on her items.

I do, however, enjoy magical realism, and Hoffman always does an excellent job with this genre.  The character development in this one, however, was lacking and I did not enjoy Shelby.

Love Alice Hoffman without fail. Beautiful writing and rich, elegant symbols. Full of emotions all along the spectrum of human feelings. Touching and well-done!

An emotional read that struck a chord with me and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

An emotionally-charged story of young women's lives changed forever due to an accident. We get taken on an emotional ride as we see the main character learn to continue on afterwards. A beautifully written Alice Hoffman novel.

I love and hate this author's work. This one I liked. It was an emotional roller coaster. Beautifully written.

A tragic event substantially alters the lives of two teenage girls. This is a good novel but hard to read because it is so sad. However, Hoffman's usual way with words and master story-telling certainly comes through in this novel. It is not a light read but I highly recommend it.

Wow, Alice Hoffman’s best book to date. I loved reading about a teen who thinks she’s nobody quietly evolve into a person with depth, compassion and knowledge, despite her never really thinking she’s somebody. If I were to use an adjective to describe this book I’d say “heartfelt”, although I still think Shelby was crazy to “rescue” the dogs and the cat and she was a person I probably would have ignored if possible. Shelby makes me stop and think about how a person’s appearance has nothing to do with the size of their heart.

FAITHFUL. 
                                    By Alice Hoffman



While I would say this is a well written story with good characters, I would not say that I really enjoyed it.
It is a very sad story of a young teenage girl who is driving when a disastrous accident occurs leaving her best friend in a coma.  From that point, she (Shelby) just spirals into a somewhat miserable life. The story is of one disaster after another as she just cannot come to terms with the outcome of the accident.
The final outcome of the story is very contrived leaving me wishing I had not read that far into the book.
Sorry guys, just not the best I have ever read.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley for a fair review.

I absolutely love the work of Alice Hoffman. She always has this ability to draw the reader in with intense storylines, beautiful and well-worded quotes and personal writing. This is no different. What a wonderfully written book.

Love all of Alice Hoffman's work. She does a beautiful job of weaving magic and reality. She's one I will always reach for.

I liked the book but it was not that memorable, the writing was good though.
It wasn't bad and it dealt with a lot of imoprtant topics but it just wasn't keeping my interest.

After a horrific event is it faithful to find happiness? Or is the dark suffering the true fate of a faithful survivor? In _Faithful_ Shelby's life is turned upside down following an accident that could have befallen anyone that icy night. Over the years she wanders through loneliness and heartache to love. While there are moments in this story that entranced me, there is something missing from this novel. Perhaps that's the point. Something will be missing from the survivor's life in a manner unable to be articulated to others. That is the bridge that Shelby must cross and it is in her real imperfection as loneliness threatens to consume her that helps her to ultimately see that life and love faithful.

Beautifully written. It's a compelling tale and not a light one. Alice Hoffman's writing is lyrical and  Shelby's struggles in the first part of the book are not an easy read because of her lack of self-worth, but slowly she comes to life again.  Faithful is a story of redemption.

Not the easiest of Hoffman's reads, and maybe a bit more like Jodi Picoult that I was expecting, but a good read nonetheless.

Having never read anything by Alice Hoffman in the past, I had zero expectations and I'm so glad for it. Much like other victory-over-adversity coming of age novels, Faithful has a lot going for it. It is so well written and cocoons everything from romance to tragedy to friendship, which is pretty much how everyone's life pans out. Faithful centres around Shelby Richmond, who is coming to terms with her emotions after enduring a gruelling car accident in which her friend is rendered brain dead. It pulls at your heartstrings, and delivers. A good read indeed.

*I received an ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review..

4⭐️. 
Alice Hoffman certainly knows how to write an engaging story! 

There is a terrible accident and Shelby, the 17 year old driver, survives, while Helene, her BFF, suffers broken vertebrae and brain damage, leaving her in a coma. Shelby has survivor-guilt, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and major depression. She basically gives up on herself, and feels that she is nothing and unworthy of anything. 

Before the accident, the girls were always together, beautiful Helene and smart Shelby. Helene was sneaky and nasty and Shelby was good and kind. 

Alice Hoffman expertly and beautifully weaves a story about Shelby Richmond's spiral into darkness and her relationship with Sue, her ever faithful mother and Ben Mink, her weed dealer, and how they all change through the years. 

Although I didn't identify with any of the characters in the story, I loved and cared for Shelby, Sue, Ben, Maravelle, Jasmine, the twins - Teddy and Dorian, James and the four-footed pals. I was afraid of Marcus and did not like him. 

I highly recommend this story of grief and despair, friendship, fate, love and hope and new beginnings for people and dogs. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, Inc. for an early copy of Faithful by Alice Hoffman.

Posted 
Goodreads November 19, 2016

The writing is beautifully written and I enjoyed it, but however it was not very memorable for me.  The story was easy forgettable.  The main character struggles a lot throughout her life and doesn't make the best decisions.  Overall, I liked the book and I would like to read more from Alice Hoffman.

This novel is about a young woman named Shelby, terribly guilty and depressed about surviving a car accident in which she was driving and her best friend ended up in a coma. The beginning of this book was honestly tough to read, with Shelby being in such a dark place, but as Shelby slowly learns how to live again she becomes a charming character in her own quirky and grumpy way. And the book is just beautifully written, with just the tiniest touch of Alice Hoffman's usual magic realism.

Somehow I missed this book on my shelf when it was first released.  I’m so pleased to have found it again, though.  Hoffman writes her characters with such love, and such hope in their ability to grow and develop.  

Shelby is the driver in a car accident that almost kills her and leaves her best friend damaged beyond healing.  Shelby’s path to forgiving herself is long and twisting.  The relationships that she develops along the way, both human and animal, make both her and the world a better place.

I highly recommend this book, especially in a time when it is important to be reminded of the good in others.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Title: Faithful
Author: Alice Hoffman
Pages: 272 Pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
The Blurb
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and The Dovekeepers comes a soul-searching story about a young woman struggling to redefine herself and the power of love, family, and fate.
Growing up on Long Island, Shelby Richmond is an ordinary girl until one night an extraordinary tragedy changes her fate. Her best friend’s future is destroyed in an accident, while Shelby walks away with the burden of guilt.
What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithful is the story of a survivor, filled with emotion—from dark suffering to true happiness—a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world. A fan of Chinese food, dogs, bookstores, and men she should stay away from, Shelby has to fight her way back to her own future. In New York City she finds a circle of lost and found souls—including an angel who’s been watching over her ever since that fateful icy night.
Here is a character you will fall in love with, so believable and real and endearing, that she captures both the ache of loneliness and the joy of finding yourself at last. For anyone who’s ever been a hurt teenager, for every mother of a daughter who has lost her way, Faithful is a roadmap.
Alice Hoffman’s “trademark alchemy” (USA TODAY) and her ability to write about the “delicate balance between the everyday world and the extraordinary” (WBUR) make this an unforgettable story. With beautifully crafted prose, Alice Hoffman spins hope from heartbreak in this profoundly moving novel.
The Review
I have never read a book by Alice Hoffman before and whilst I know she has been handed praise from all corners I still didn’t know what to expect.
I will admit, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Faithful. 
Faithful is a story of redemption. Our protagonist Shelby is seeking redemption. She blames herself for an accident that left her best friend in a comatose state. She has survivor’s guilt and she sets on a path of self destruction. Along the way she hurts herself and other people but she also grows and begins to rescue lost souls much like herself.
Faithful is a wonderful journey of self discovery and you cannot help but root for Shelby and beg her to forgive herself.
I really enjoyed Faithful. I will definitely be returning to Hoffman for more of her books.
Faithful by Alice Hoffman is available now.
For more information regarding Alice Hoffman (@ahoffmanwriter) please visit www.alicehoffman.com.
For more information regarding Simon & Schuster (@simonschusterUK) please visit www.simonandschuster.co.uk.