This story is so emotionally moving. it will stay with you. It will grip you. You can't not cry. Prepare yourself. Read it. Then Pass it on to a friend.

Alice Hoffman needs no introduction. Her works are touching and so beautifully written. Faithful takes you on an emotional ride from start to finish. Shelby’s life unravels after a traumatic accident that left her friend in a coma while Shelby is riddled with guilt and grief. Shelby’s healing is not linear and her road to forgive herself in the process is captivating. The ending left me feeling so many emotions and it’s a story that will stay with you.

Received from NetGalley and publishers for an honest review.

Oh lord, I was not emotionally or psychologically prepared for this book. I cry over books all the time but this time, it has almost ruined me. I will be recommending this to everyone who asks me for a good book.

**Kleenex Alert!

There have only been two books ever that have made me cry. This one did make me tear up a couple of times so I would say it would probably make most people sob.

This is a beautiful story about loss, love, and how someone recovers. The character development is excellent.

I really enjoyed this story.

Thank you, NetGalley for the privilege of receiving an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another gorgeous book by my favorite contemporary writer. There is no author that can take me to the places Ms. Hoffman can. I can only ask for another, and another and another book to keep me up at night and send me to sleep with magical dreams. Faithful took me into the mind and heart of loss and sadness and a character who needs to heal more than the best friend she wanted so desperately to bring back to the real world. Her journey is one of forgiving yourself, and the prose is gorgeous.

Another instant hit with Alice Hoffman! She did not disappoint. With all the feels, world building, and great storyline...she has outdone herself with this one. I highly recommend you read this one and give her others a try too!

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

Anything by Alice Hoffman is a must read and this book is no exception. The character development, the plot and the depth of emotion had me gripped from beginning to end.

This is a story of redemption. After a tragic accident claims the young woman’s friend, guilt holds her on a path of self-destruction. It is only after she witnesses the suffering of others to be as great as her own, that she turns, examines her past, and enters onto a long road of eventual understanding and forgiveness of herself and others.
The novel, lyrical and descriptive, contains scenes of graphic violence as well as sensitive scenes of compassion and beauty. Hoffman’s depth of description projects views of the characters from different angles. The story centers on the impact of guilt, and the difference between love and devotion.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to finish this book, and cannot provide substantial feedback. I really liked what I have read, and hope to finish it when I have the chance!

This is not a typical Hoffman story, but it is gorgeously rendered in its own right. At times, it almost feels like the reader watches the tale from a distance, as there is a large amount of telling rather than showing. Yet for some reason, this works, mostly because Hoffman is a fantastic storyteller. This is both a story of coming-of-age and self-forgiveness. There are quite a few tough issues depicted — rape, self-harm, suicide — but so much of this book, especially Shelby's relationship with her mother, is so amazing that it makes the tough passages doable.
High school seniors Shelby and her best friend Helene are involved in a horrific car accident. Shelby survives with minor injuries, but Helene is in a permanent coma. Shelby has intense survivor's guilt, manifesting itself in a dark place for a long time. As she begins to find her way back to life, she befriends a local drug dealer and the two of them move to New York City and forge a life that they hope will have meaning.

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.