A little frightening in todays world. Brings home the things which may threaten our children. A must read for mothers

First, thank you to Upper Hand Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Saving Phoebe Murrow is a book about cyber bullying and the effect it has on a young teenager, Phoebe Murrow, (who is bullied) her mother Isabel, her friends and their community.

Saving Phoebe Murrow is a thought provoking and compelling novel witten by Herta Feely - one which stays with you long after you've read it. It kept me up late because I simply had to finish reading it. The subject is a scary one, especially for parents with school aged children and I don't doubt that it is one that keeps parents whose kids are being bullied, up late as well.

Phoebe is a sweet, kind and smart kid who is trying her best to fit in, while also doing her best to live up to her mother's expectations. Unfortunately, Phoebe can't handle the pressure of either. A few incidences occur and because of them, Phoebe becomes the victim of a cyber bullying attack which takes place on Facebook for everyone in her school and community to see. The aftermath of the attack leaves everyone in a state of complete chaos to say the very least, and creates a forum for some of Phoebe's friends to rally around her in a very endearing way.

For me, the characters were the best part of this story. Phoebe, Jess, Noah, Isabel, etc., The author, Herta Feely, did a superb job developing captivating roles - the lives of which you couldn't help but feel invested in. She created a couple of characters I disliked, one of whom was Phoebe's mother, Isabel. I disliked her immensely (with every fiber of my being) and for an author to do that with a character in a book - well, that was truly impressive.

I will say however, that I was left feeling unsatisfied with the ending. I did not feel that justice was served based on the severity of the crime, nor did I feel that the portrayal of certain characters made sense. It seemed to me that a few of characters went to extremes that didn't seem plausible, especially given their careers.

All in all, I think Herta Feely tackled a prevalent topic with grace and sensitivity. Saving Phoebe Morrow is a compelling book and the author's strong suit is her character development. 3.5 stars.

Enjoyed it. Believable characters with a relevant plot. The story unfolded at a nice pace. Would have liked to see if the mother received any punishment for her actions.

Every mother wants to protect her children and Washington, D.C. attorney Isabel Murrow is no different. She would do anything to protect her 14 year old daughter Phoebe from harm. But the world is a different place these days and Isabel has a demanding job that keeps her from being as attentive as she might like. She’s not aware of her daughter flirting online, or the rage that is building in someone elses mother until it’s too late. This is a harrowing and timely story about cyber bullying, and if you think the kids are cruel, wait until you meet their parents

Wow, I do not miss high school! Kudos to todays youth for having to conquer the social media challenges they will witness or experience. This novel is both thought provoking and frightening! I actually picked this book for the cover - so beautiful - and was surprised by how it sucked me in and then left me with mind-numbing, stomach turning feelings about how different this generation truly is for my kids.

Saving Phoebe Murrow is an exceptional read. I could not put it down. So many themes were tackled. To name a few there was mother - daughter conflicts, how much protectiveness is good in terms of parenting and how much is considered too much. Cutting and cyber-bullying are also explored not to mention morality. So many issues are packed into this novel, it is well worth the read.

Great book exploring the difficulties of growing up I this modern world full of technology and all that comes with it - the good and the bad. Would definitely read more by this author

I would like to thank Herta Feely, Upper Hand Press and Netgalley for giving me Saving Phoebe Murrow for my honest review.

Review By Stephanie

4.5 Stars

This is Herta’s debut novel. She tackles cyber bullying which as a parent scares the hell out of me. Now this book is totally a novel but was a total educational book for me. I totally recommend parents to read this and start an open conversion with their children…. ok off my soap box but I LOATH Bullyies!

Isabel is a working mother with her plate full. She is a lawyer, a wife and a mother of a 14 year old and 10 year old. She is also a very active mother in her daughter’s school. She is like every mother I know, she is trying to do it all and questions every discussion she makes. Isabel moves her daughter Phoebe to a private school hoping to escape the bullying from her old school. Sadly that is not what happens.

Saving Phoebe Murrow was an amazing and heartbreaking story. I loved Phoebe and my heart broke for her. Herta’s writing was amazing, she really made me think. Bullying was one thing when I was in high school. It was notes and rumors and just mean girls you could kind of avoid….now a days cyber bullying is WOW..I have no words. The things that happened in this book at the hands of mean girls is terrifying. I highly recommend everyone to read this book and have a discuss with your children about kindness lets end bullying….again I will get off my soap box.

This is such a relevant and important topic in today's world that it should it should be read and discussed by any parent of teenagers and that is, how to protect them from cyber bullying on all forms of social media on all computer driven devices. It begs for more parental controls to try to help avoid what happened to Phoebe. Long before there were computers there has been bullying in school and out-sometimes driven by jealousy in girls or athletic capabilities in boys or even those considered "nerds" all of which is unacceptable and could lead to horrific outcomes. It certainly harms the victim's self confidence and feeling of self respect and in Phoebe's case caused her to harm herself physically and even contemplate worse. Her mother, a lawyer, sometimes comes across as a very difficult person to live with but is intent on trying to help her daughter any way she can. I found this story very thought provoking and dramatic but also very up-to-date. You may not like some of the characters (neither did I) but this is what's happening to our children in today's world.

I was very interested to read a story about cyber bullying, as it's something I've read about a lot in the media and can have devastating consequences. Ah, the awful teenage years. I did have a really hard time liking mother Isabel, who is pretty abrasive and controlling (not only to her young children) and judgemental, whether it's about someone's employment or how they look. Even towards teenagers, which is pretty bad. However, I do think that is kind of realistic for very strict parents. Oh, the problems of the privileged and wealthy... when you have to worry about your daughter hanging out in an iffy neighborhood with a group of friends one time instead of worrying about her walking through it on the way to school every day. This book deals with bullying and self harm and I think it does a decent job of making it true to life and makes you feel for the kids.
Isabel is a successful married woman with two children. Her daughter Phoebe has just entered her teenage years with all the trials and tribulations that come with that. Her younger son doesn't cause much trouble and isn't a large part of the story. Sadly, some of the adults in this story bully each other as much as the teenagers. I thought it was an intriguing comparison. We all like to think we grow out of our teenage immaturity, but sometimes we don't. Sometimes we get even more vicious. Sandy, who is the mother of one of Phoebe's friends, is an interesting character. Starts out being a bit sympathetic and gets less and less so as the story goes on, partially because she's been excluded from the women she's been trying to make friends with and is lashing out. No matter our age, it's devastating to just want to fit in and fail. The story starts out with Phoebe harming herself and her mom rushing to her. It continues with before this terrible event, detailing what's happened to this thirteen year old to cause her to act so drastically.
Easy read, interesting topic, well written. I burned through it in a day. I wish some of the characters had been a bit more likeable but we're seeing some of these people at their worst moments.
Thank you to Net Galley and Upper Hand Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a stellar read about the teenage tragedies that exists throughout our society. Gripping, riveting, and deeply disturbing on many levels. This one will stick with you for quite a while. Author Herta Feely does a excellent job of capturing the fragile relationships, peer pressure, and split-second decisions that our young people have to make in order to navigate the world. Front and center is Phoebe's loving mother and stout attorney, Isabel Winthrop.

Saving Phoebe Murrow was a good page turner about social media and the devastating effects it can have on teens.

Parts of it were a bit far-fetched but I thought the storyline regarding Phoebe and her peers was, in fact, very believable.

I am glad that I grew up at a time when you could talk with one friend at a time on the phone, and otherwise the problems you had at school stayed at school until the following day.

I believe that the mob mentality that can happen on social media is a very real thing. Social media has its benefits to be sure but creates it own hazards for kids and teens.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for an ARC of the book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Parts of this book were difficult to read, not because of the writing, but because I couldn't imagine how people could be so selfish and cruel to one another. The characters were beautifully, painfully complex; every single one had realistic motives for their actions and behaved accordingly. The pacing was timed perfectly, with each event unfolding at exactly the right moment. Even though some characters were horrible human beings, they were written in a way that you are still able to understand how they've ended up that way. My only complaint is that the last couple of pages seemed a bit rushed. But everything leading up to the very end was a well-written, page-turning experience that I would recommend to everyone, especially teenage girls and their mothers.