This was a beautiful but sad coming of age story! I had a difficult time getting into this story but in the end it was well worth my initial struggle. Shelby is involved in a terrible car accident which leaves her best friend in a coma. How will she ever be able to forgive herself? The story unfolds as Shelby spirals into a deep depression and self destructive behavior. She pushes everyone who loves her away as she feels she doesn't deserve their love. As I kept reading I was cheering for Shelby to find and forgive herself. The story was enjoyable and taught many life lessons about redemption. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I was hoping for a strong follow up to the excellent The Marriage of Opposites. and was not disappointed!

This is Alice Hoffman at her best. I couldn't put this down. moving story. heartfelt and classic Hoffman.

When we first meet Shelby, the young heroine of Alice Hoffman’s latest novel, she’s in a very dark place. She holds herself responsible for a car crash from which she emerged unscathed but which put her best friend Helene into a coma. Her survivor guilt is so bad that Shelby can no longer function in the world, and the book follows her odyssey to find redemption and a renewed interest in living. The book certainly has its faults, not least the rather mystical elements of the story with reference to Helene, and there are some very definite missteps in the plotting, in particular a rape episode that could have been left out completely, but overall these are faults that can be easily overlooked due to the power of the story. Shelby is a character who gains the reader’s sympathy early on and we follow her journey with empathy and understanding. Yes, it’s all a bit whimsical and overly romantic at times, but it is a compelling and emotional narrative that I very much found myself caught up in and thoroughly enjoyed.

Three stars!

This was a lovely story! I'm not usually a fan of this type of emotionally tortured protagonist that struggles with being "unlovable," it's just not my thing. However, I found myself enjoying the story and Shelby's journey. I might have even caught myself tearing up at a few parts! Will be checking out more Alice Hoffman!

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This book I was very surprised with. It was one of those, ah, I'll give it a chance. I fell in love with the storyline. I was rooting for Shelby the whole time. I was glad I was on vacation because I could not put this book down.

Great read! The author tells a great story. I look forward to more from this author.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
Leonard Cohen

This is the quote on page 1. Shelby Richmond is seventeen when there is an accident while driving with her best friend Helene on Long Island. A young girl’s perfect life is turned upside down and inside out. And then, she just seems to go off the rails more and more. “Where is the light coming in?” you wonder.

Yet, slowly but surely, I became enchanted and fascinated with Shelby. There was an honesty, a truth, a doggedness about her. She didn't want to pretend, or be what she wasn’t. She wore her pain everywhere and all the time. And if that meant you didn't like her, that was ok. I like people like that.

I also love dogs, and there are some good dog scenes in this. And some kids, and lots of heartbreaking relationships. Faith and failure at humanity. Life’s hard knocks, and not being sure about anything, especially love.

“Life was beautiful, everyone knew that, but it was also bitter and bleak and unfair as hell and where did that leave a person? On the outs with the rest of the world. Someone who sat alone in the cafeteria, reading, escaping from his hometown simply by turning the page.”

My first Alice Hoffman, I loved the efficient, original writing style, her depiction of faithfulness, but most of all that she, in a truly desperate situation, wove scraps of hope, chinks of light that ultimately do connect to create beauty from pain. This book and my emotions while reading it will stay with me for a long time.

Thoroughly beautiful and highly recommended.

At first, Shelby has been hiding from the world, isolated in her grief. It manifests itself not just in her emotional state, but a physical one too: a drastic act of shaving her head and letting go of the pretty girl she was before. The way Hoffman describes her pain is achingly poignant. It felt believable. It wasn't over the top. It was real and raw. When Shelby receives that first postcard, it's what she needs to save herself. Just that push of encouragement: Do Something.

It's not an easy path for Shelby to find herself. Anyone who has ever experience an unexpected loss will understand the shattering experience; trying to make sense of something that simply doesn't follow the rules we constrain our lives to. You grapple with this new reality, feeling alone, as the world continues. Shelby's greatest obstacle is her own self-doubt. Anytime she moves forward, the doubt and guilt creep in to set her back. Yet in a way that same grief that undid her, also gives her strength.

In case you haven't figured it out, this is a character-driven plot. I cheered Shelby on with every new act of courage she accomplishes. I loved how she was fearless. The worst thing had already happened to her and so she was free of any kind of inhibitions. She's daring, but also kind. Some of my favourite scenes are most definitely any that involved her love of animals: dog lovers will rejoice as Shelby becomes a champion for the neglected. As Shelby finds herself again, she faces new challenges: breakups, work issues and a deepening relationship with her mother. Her ability to face these is a testament to her restored self.

The mystery of the novel is the identity of the postcard sender. I was afraid that it wouldn't be revealed as the book went on, but Shelby's trials and successes will keep you too distracted to notice. Although the premise of this book is a sad one, it's a feel good book. It has a hopeful and beautiful message. Sometimes horrible things happen. Only you have the choice on how it'll define you.

Shelby, as a teenager, is involved in an auto accident with her best friend, Helene, who dies of her injuries. Shelby blames herself and the guilt she feels causes her to behave self destructively. She feels unworthy of even the least bit of happiness and spends years punishing herself for this supposed crime. She can't accept the idea that she is worthy of love and so can't appreciate love when it is offered her.
This book is about the long painful journey of finding her way to self forgiveness.
Holding back these painful emotions causes her to be numb to even pleasurable experiences. She desperately wants to feel something. She sometimes holds her hand over a flame and is surprised to feel nothing. The kindness of many others has very little impact on her, and it is only later after she is partially healed that she realized how much she has been loved.
No one except Shelby blames her for the accident. There are many people who love her, but she can't see the good they see in her so she keeps them at arms length. Gradually, by trusting and caring for animals, and then people, she begins to forgive herself and heal.
People who have experienced strong guilt will relate to Shelby's thought processes and behaviors. If you are fortunate enough to have no such wounds, understanding Shelby's journey from self destruction to self forgiveness will help you understand the root of some of the mystifying behaviors of other people.
Note: I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

FAITHFUL is a sad yet hopeful coming of age story about a young woman dealing with grief and survivor’s guilt. After a tragic car accident, Shelby Richmond is able to walk away, but her best friend isn’t so lucky. Was there someone watching over her that night? Shelby is a troubled soul stuck in limbo when mysterious postcards start to arrive. The sender is anonymous and the messages are quite simple, but it’s just enough to nudge her forward, even a tiny bit.

I love Alice Hoffman’s prose, and the writing in this book is as beautiful as her others. Shelby’s character was difficult and not always easy to like, but deep down I knew she was good, partly due to her passion for rescuing misfit dogs! This is a story of healing, definitely pulled at my heartstrings. I had to grab the tissues a few times. FAITHFUL had a different “feel” to it than Hoffman’s other books I’ve read, though I still enjoyed it.

I received a free digital copy of the book from NetGalley.

The main character, Shelby, gets into horrible accident that all but kills her best friend. She is overcome with guilt, and deems herself not worthy. The book spans over a decade in time, where Shelby slowly stops existing and grieving, and starts living.
The book is written very well, and makes you care about the main character. I liked how Shelby's relationships were described, how they developed over the course of the book and how Shelby's view of herself and people around her changed with time. The story is very moving.

This book is okay. Certainly not the best book by this author. Especially after her two most-recently published books. But, if you are looking for a light read, and like animals, it is pleasant and an easy read.

Wonderful read! At the beginning I really didn't like the main character, Shelby, much, and had misgivings about the book. But I shouldn't have worried. Alice Hoffman always delivers. Practical Magic is likely to remain my favorite Hoffman novel, but right now Faithful is running a very close second. I'm going to be recommending this one to every reader I know.

Alice Hoffman is by far one of my favorite authors. She has a way of pulling you into her characters lives and letting you make friends of them. Every book she writes is totally different than any before. A unique storyteller and beautiful writer.
In Faithful she delivers once more a cast of complex and interesting characters that she weaves together in a tale of mistakes, heartache and self embarked loneliness. The story of Alice a teen who survived a terrible accident but is left to pay the penalty for the rest of her life and the people who love her but can't help her pain. Faithful will have you cheering right along for Alice as she finds her way in life.

Alice Hoffman is a favorite author or mine and ""Faithful" is another book to add to her successes.
The plot revolves around 2 close teenage friends who, while driving one night, crash, plunging one friend into a coma. The other friend survives and is thrust into a moral dilemma that will affect her forever. The aftermath is described so sensitively and realistically, causing the reader to ponder how she/he might feel if confronted with the same situation.
Hoffman does an amazing job of conveying the depth of despair not only the survivor experiences, but all those affected firsthand and peripherally. Between the unexpected twists and connections, the story leaves you with a sense of peace. Beautifully written!

This book was odd and twisted but sucked you in! I really enjoyed the story and was anxious to know how it ended! This book is a quick, good read!

The book jacket told me I would fall in love with the main character. By Chapter 8 I was HEAD over HEELS for Shelby. After being involved in a tragic accident her whole world falls apart. What made this story pop for me was as Shelby was going through the motions of living life with the lowest self esteem ever, she would do nice things (not by choice) that would recharge her self worth. She was an honest to fault character with a great support cast. She wasn't always nice and made some really stupid choices but she was totally human. I felt honored to meet her and yes I did fall in love!

Alice Hoffman is a prolific writer, having written at least thirty novels . I have read just three of them and it is apparent to me what a great story teller she is . Whether its historical fiction or a contemporary story like this one, her characters are real and relatable and I admire her ability to write across genres. While this felt YA at first , it became clear that what happened to Shelby and Helene could happen to anyone and how Shelby deals with it or didn't actually , could happen to anyone. Some have referred to this as a coming of age story but I see it more as a coming to grips story- facing the emotional trauma and depression that came for Shelby after a horrific car accident. It was a quick read. I read it in a day, and felt emotionally drained at times but couldn't stop reading. I felt for Shelby right from the beginning hoping she could forgive herself, care about herself as she deals with guilt, depression and lack of self worth.

Shelby's relationships - with her best friend Helene, with her mother, Sue (I especially loved this connection in particular towards the end), with Ben, with Maravelle and her children, and finally with James are central to her journey. These are characters you'll care about . And I can't forget about the dogs she saves or is it the other way around? There's a lot here - what it means to love, the depth of friendships, surviving the bad things that life sometimes deals us .

"Say something."
" Be something."
"Feel something."
"See something."
"Save something."
"Believe something."
"Trust someone."