I thought the beginning to Faithful was really interesting. A young woman in pain, full of self-loathing and self-abuse. There were so many directions this story could have gone... but I don't think it went much of anywhere.

Everything Alice Hoffman turns to gold. This was one of my favorite books and brought her back to what she's really spectacular at - magic. I reviewed this on Amazon and on Goodreads.

Beautifully written as with all Hoffman's books. Powerful, sensitive, unpredictable, the characters always feeling real despite being probably quite different to the reader. I would read anything by this write without thinking about the subject matter, as I know the language will be gorgeous, the story flow in safe hands, and the ideas thought-provoking.

Alice Hoffman is an incredible storyteller, and this journey the reader gets to take with Shelby exemplifies that so well. Weaving in heartbreak, healing, doubt and laughter, FAITHFUL provides everything I've come to love about Hoffman's books.

Seventeen year old Shelby and her best friend, Helene, are in a horrific car crash. Helene is left in a permanent coma. Shelby recovers physically but she follows a path of self-destructive behavior. Shelby’s behavior is not only a way to punish herself for the accident but also a way to form a barrier to her mental recovery.

Having read Hoffman’s previous book, ‘The Rules of Magic’, I went into, ‘Faithful’, with the impression that it would have paranormal elements. When the story begins, I thought that the story would follow both Helene and Shelby. I was pleasantly surprised when, ‘Faithful’ turns out to follow Shelby’s mental health after the crash.
I’ve put off writing this review for a while. I wanted to give some thought into how I really felt about ‘Faithful’.

I really love Shelby’s story. In many ways, Shelby is just an ordinary person trying to overcome a tragedy. The way that Hoffman portrays Shelby as a flawed human but as an overall good person really endeared her to me and the story in general.

Shelby’s PTSD follows a true to life behavior pattern. Since Shelby blames herself for the accident, she justifies her self-destructive and self-deprecating behavior. She falls into a pattern of drug use, casual sex, criminal activity, and pushing people away. In the process of leading her life in this way, Shelby finds that she has a love for animals. Especially the animals, that are abused, mistreated, and misunderstood. The ones that really need her most. This not only helps give Shelby a process to heal but also heads her life in a new direction.

On the surface Faithful is just the story of Shelby’s life from seventeen to mid-twenties. Except for the accident that begins the story, Shelby leads a fairly normal life for a twenty something in NYC. However, Hoffman’s amazing writing really made me care for Shelby. Shelby’s determination to live life on her terms moved the story along and I was never once bored.

One of my favorite aspects of the story was Shelby’s passion for animal rescue and veterinary medicine. Although I have read other novels that incorporate veterinary medicine and/or animal rescue, these were always the main focus of the story. ‘Faithful’, tells the story of a life and interweaves the Shelby’s love for animals with the other harsh aspects of her life. I can also say, as a Vet Tech, that the veterinary medicine aspects were pretty believable (expect for the clinic smelling like Lysol, anyone who’s ever worked in an animal hospital will tell you that they always smell of Roccal).

I was really taken by surprise by, ‘Faithful’. The character of Shelby and her development as a person was absolutely amazing. Definitely a book for those overcoming something difficult in their lives. This story is just amazingly well written and I will push some of Hoffman’s books up on my TBR.

Faithful by Alice Hoffman is a tale of remorse, regret, and eventual redemption. It is a love story but of the most tragic and difficult kind. A tale of learning to love yourself and in doing so, find a value in who you are.

Shelby Richmond is a normal teenage girl growing up in Long Island. Beautiful, with good grades and a bright future, she is the girl everyone wants to be. Until the night when a tragic car accident leaves her best friend in a coma and Shelby drowning in a world of guilt and rage. Guilt that will consume her every waking moment and a rage at herself for what she has done.

"...There are dozens of high school girls who lock themselves in their bedrooms on the anniversary night, their hands dusted with luminous sand, prayers on their lips, their hearts heavy with sorrow. Each one thanks her lucky stars she is not Helene, even though Helene was the beautiful girl who could do as she pleased, the one every boy wanted to date and every girl wanted to be like. But that was then. Now even the outcasts-the fat, the unattractive, the lonely, the sorrowful, the lost-are grateful to be who they are, at least for a single evening..."

The crash left Helene in a coma she would never recover from and Shelby, with barely a scratch. What follows is a life lived in pursuit of the death she did not receive that night. The scholarship to college put aside, the drug addictions, the sexual abuse, the path of self loathing and self destruction as Shelby tries to punish herself for what happened to Helene. Even the love of a friend cannot save Shelby from her own self hatred.

"...This isn't love.' Shelby tells him finally.
'Oh yeah?' He says it with real bitterness. He doesn't sound like the Ben that she knows. Shelby feels a shiver of fear when she sees the look on his face. She's probably ruined him, turned a sweet, loving person into a cynical bastard. 'How do you know?'
Because I'm not worth it, she wants to say. Because you knew me at my worst point, when I was bald and desperate. Because I was never good enough for you. Because my mother told me love is everything.
'I just know,' she answers.
'Well, thanks for including me in this decision', Ben says. 'It just means our breakup is exactly like the rest of our relationship. All about you..."

As Shelby tries to destroy herself, she begins to learn that the world is not about one night and perhaps, who she is as a person is not only about that night. Slowly, Shelby begins to realize that she is not that horrible person she has always believed herself to be and she doesn't need to be punished for the accident. That perhaps what has happened to Helene is not her fault.

"...I wish it had been me instead of Helene,' Shelby says. 'I should have died.'
She turns and slaps her. The slap is so hard Shelby hits her head against the window. 'Mom!' she says, stunned.
'Don't you dare say that!' Sue cries. "Don't even think it! Do you hear me? You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Shelby, don't take that away from me. You're my gift..."

Faithful is a powerful emotional novel of survival and the overwhelming guilt that can come with it. But don't let the synopsis fool you. It is also an incredible tale of becoming, of growth, and of the eventual decisions to allow yourself the hardest gift of all. The right to be happy.

Alice Hoffman is a treasure. She is easily one of the most prolific writers around and none of her books can be accused of being copycats of one another. No, instead what you have is a novel that is uniquely its own. Whether it be teen angst, a colonial forbidden romance, a religious tale of freedom and victory or a good story about what it is to live with the guilt of killing your best friend. Whether it is your fault or not.

If you were to ask me which Alice Hoffman novel to read, my answer would be simply. Pick the one that says "Alice Hoffman" on the cover.

A really good read.

Faithful isn't just Shelby's story. It is also a story about those who stay faithful and compassionate towards their loved ones when they are going through hard times.

This book is quite different from the other book by Alice Hoffman that I had read. The Museum of Extraordinary Things was very surreal for me, and it would be wrong of me to expect that same magic here in this book. Faithful is different. It is a book that had me believing in miracles and new beginnings.

I received an advanced readers copy of this ebook in exchange for a fair review.

What a pleasure to get to know some interesting characters! Shelby will remain in my thoughts for a long time. You know a book is special when you feel like you know the characters first hand. Shelby was infuriating at the same time you wanted to fix everything for her. You shuddered as you watched her make so many awful choices —shaving her head, pushing everyone away, not recognizing love and support when it was in front of her face. My favorite character might have been James if only we had learned more about him, too.

I would have given this 5 stars except there was a bit of triteness to the story that was slightly disappointing. Things wrapped up a little too perfectly by the end.

I'm not sure what it is, but the magic that used to be Alice Hoffman (for me) has changed. Her magical realism has gone from fun and delightful to too heavy. It may be my preferences, but I wish I still enjoyed her the way I used to.

This is a beautifully written story about a young woman trying to pull herself out of a deep depression following an event that turns her life upside down. Two high school girls make one bad decision that irrevocably changes the course of both their lives, leaving one in an irreversible coma, and the other with a severe case of survivor’s guilt. How does a girl who’d lived a heretofore semi-charmed life recover and rebuild and reinvent a new life for herself? One day at a time, through a series of decisions, some good and some ill-advised, some with unexpected consequences and some that are serendipitous. And through a series of mysterious postcards that encourage her to keep going. Even though through much of the book the main character is in a dark and depressing place, Alice Hoffman’s writing is lovely and somehow hopeful. All in all, this is a book I highly recommend.

Copy provided by Netgalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an unbiased review.

Excellent!

It's hard to go wrong with an Alice Hoffman book. While this story has very little of Hoffman's signature magical realism, the story is great.

I loved this book! Ms. Hoffman is a prolific writer who can write across genres and pull on your emotions regardless of the genre. I could relate to Sue, as I know first hand the feeling of desperation when your child is hurting and distant. One of my favorite books of Ms. Hoffman's!

I have to admit, I read it at the perfect time. I am currently dealing with a sick dog. I read 75% of the book one sleepless night because I was worrying about Gracie, my dog.

The title of the book lead me to believe there would be more of a spiritual and/or miraculous theme. However, if you look up faithful, you get "faith·ful·ness noun. synonyms FAITHFUL, LOYAL, STAUNCH, STEADFAST mean firm in one's allegiance to someone or something. FAITHFUL suggests that one has a firm and constant allegiance that is based on or as if on a pledge ." I also saw an internet discussion this week regarding the dog name Fido: The Latin fīdō is an adjective in the dative case. The nominative is fīdus and means trustworthy. The dative fīdō basically means "the one to whom my trust is given."

I like flawed characters, but Shelby might have been over the top. She learned about unconditional love from her mother and from Ben. She was broken and not emotionally equipped to deal with the survivor's guilt. Both her mom and Ben never gave up on her, no matter how terribly she acted. Shelby in turns returns the learned behavior of kindness in the rescue animals, especially seen in Pablo the monster. She takes on the toughest cases as the animal shelter. Shelby is broken, but learns to trust and be trustworthy, love and receive love.

Faithful
By Alice Hoffman

This, for me, was not a typical Alice Hoffman story. Having read several of her other books (including her middle grade novel), this one, ironically, seems lighter, despite the weight of serious, complex themes. I appreciated that Hoffman tackled a conventional subject from a new angle — the car crash described at the start of the novel does not take lives in the literal sense— but both of the girls involved, and their families, cope with the "life" they each have left. Shelby has been dealt what may seem like the better hand (her friend Helene is comatose), but her guilt for the circumstances related to the crash, her experiences in the hospital after, and the fact that she has managed to build a life beyond it, all overwhelm any relief she might feel.

Hoffman is at her best rendering the finer details of ordinary life; here, even the minor characters provide transcendent moments with simple acts of kindness and compelling stories of their own. At some point, I found I was almost more interested in them than with Shelby, but that is not a criticism, Hoffman's powerful writing ensures each character is a fully realized, compassionate individual, worthy of our time and attention.



For Goodreads:

Why I picked it — I love Alice Hoffman!
Reminded me of… A YA novel, Things We Know by Heart
For my full review — click here

A beautifully written piece of literature that leads you on an emotional journey, through some dark and heartbreaking moments and out the other end like a breath of crisp autumnal air.

This book really got to me, on an emotional level and im certain parts I almost regretted reading it- I'm more of a whimsical/ historical fiction kind of gal, but despite being sucker punched by my feelings I am glad I stuck with it, as it was such a pleasure to read.

The story follows the tragic turn of events to young Shelby on one awful night and shows her darkest lows as she battles against her biggest fears and enemy- herself. Woven together with a delicate yet fearless hand, Hoffman writes this contemporary piece with intention.

Be prepared to feel all the feels, this little beauty will pierce through the thickest skin. One to be devoured and savored. Highly recommend.

I loved it! It went on my to-buy list automatically. It's been a while since Hoffman has hit all the right notes for me but this one definitely hit it out of the park. I loved Shelby!

3.5 stars

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Another enthralling read by Alice Hoffman. This book tells the story of Shelby, a young woman who is struggling after a tragic car accident has changed her life forever. Shelby has stopped living life and is hiding our in her parents basement unable to move forward since the day of the accident since her carries the burden of guilt for causing her best friend to be in a permanent coma.
We see Shelby struggle as she moves to Manhattan with her boyfriend, who she doesn't feel she deserves. She tries to live a life where she cares for nobody or anything, but her path eventually compels her to discover how she can help people, no matter how much she doesn't want to.
Shelby struggles and grows and discovers her true self, which leads her to discovering the identity of her guardian angel, which will help move her towards finding true happiness.
A great read with a character that you find yourself rooting for because she is so real and relatable and could be anyone who is facing life struggles and finding out who they truly are in a world full of hardship.

I am an Alice Hoffman fan so I will always read her books no matter what the book jacket says!. That being said, this was one of my favorite books of her. It was completely haunting and intriquing, I had a hard time closing the book at the end of the chapter. This beautifully written story follows the journey of a young woman trying to finds her way through survivors guilt, depression and onto redemption. Hoffman has an incredible way of connecting you with characters you never thought you could care so deeply about! This tale of unconditional love, loyalty, and friendship is a re-read on my list and should go to the top of yours.

fter 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.

I have been reading Alice Hoffman for many, many years. I find that even when I don't like what happens in one of her stories I can appreciate how strongly she makes me feel about it. I usually really enjoy her books. She is a very masterful storyteller. This book was one I did enjoy more than others. It isn't my favorite of hers but like any of her works, it is a story well-told and she is one of the best writers today, in my opinion.