Cover Image: How to Save a Life

How to Save a Life

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Member Reviews

The early chapters of this novel read like teenage fiction but as the novel progressed so did the style, which I thought was very clever, having the three narrators' voices mature as the narrative went on.

I found that the story dragged a little, and became repetitive with the characters re-assessing themselves at each encounter with each other. The development of Kerry, Joel and Tim's life stories was interesting, but I never felt I really knew or cared very much about any of them.

From being a novel following three people equally, increasingly Tim was absent and by the end he had no voice at all. It felt unsatisfactory not knowing how his story had developed.

I am torn between 3 and 4 stars, but on the basis that I was looking forward to getting to the end, and not liking the happy ending when it arrived, I have settled on 3.

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Kerry Smith is going to save lives--and so is her best friend, Tim Palmer. After years of working towards medical school, they are about to sit for their entrance exams. But on the eve of the new millennium, a classmate goes into cardiac arrest, changing everything. For nearly eighteen minutes, rising soccer star Joel Greenaway is dead. For nearly eighteen minutes, Kerry performs CPR on her long-time crush. And for nearly eighteen minutes, Tim is too shocked to help. And though they don't yet know it, those eighteen minutes will change the next eighteen years of their lives. Because as it turns out, saving a life doesn't always guarantee a happy ending.

As a nurse who has worked in emergency care, palliative care, and now intensive care, the book resonated well with me. This book gripped me from the minute I read the first line. There are hard-hitting issues covered in this book, death, addiction, guilt and of course forgiveness. You always think saving a life is a wonderful thing and you never think about what happened afterwards. This book was an eye-opener.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

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I received this book through Netgalley and the publisher.

I really enjoyed this book, I was hooked from the first chapter! It tells the story of 3 people, Kerry, Tim and Joel and each chapter is from their perspective. I loved the Greys Anatomy feel to it and I really liked following the characters on their different journeys throughout the book, secretly hoping for certain things to happen!

This is my first book by Eva Carter and I will definitely read more by her.

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I enjoyed the narrative and the perspective of one incident and the impact on three lives. It reminds me a little of "Fault in our Stars", only because I could see it appealing to a younger reader (I am ancient, just not in my head!), and being made into a film. Excellent characters with different challenges and family backgrounds, but one common thread and all with a little selfishness that presents itself at different times in the book. I really enjoyed travelling through their lives, and thought that the dates and year checks worked extremely well..so often, you read a book and the book ends before the story concludes to the satisfaction of the reader. Would I rave about it to my friends? No. If I saw it on a bookshelf in a cottage hired for a long week-end, would I say...go on, give it a go?Yes. An excellent holiday read, and a story that would prompt lots of discussions with your children about how would they react, would they know what to do...what if.

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I was offered the chance by NetGalley to read and review this book by Eva Carter ahead of its publication in May.

Synopsis....It’s nearly midnight on the eve of the millennium when eighteen-year-old Joel’s heart stops. A school friend, Kerry, performs CPR for almost twenty exhausting minutes, ultimately saving Joel’s life, while her best friend Tim freezes, unable to help.

That moment of life and death changes the course of all three lives over the next two decades: each time Kerry, Joel and Tim believe they’ve found love, discovered their vocation, or simply moved on, their lives collide again.

Review....From the opening pages I felt a real connection with these characters. The way their lives intertwined was told beautifully and I was kept guessing until the very end how it would all turn out for them all.

This book is so much more than romance though. It takes the very serious subjects of cardiac arrest and resuscitation and makes you think whether you would be prepared in that situation.

I thought the whole story was beautifully written. There are the three main characters, Kerry, Joel and Tim and every chapter was told from each viewpoint. I would recommend this book to others without a doubt!

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This is a well-written, entertaining romance and the characters are interesting, It is told in chronological order, with alternating chapters written from the points of view of each of the three main characters. The medical details are well-researched and accurate. My problem with it is that it should be half as long. Kerry makes the wrong choice so many times regarding Joel, for a variety of reasons, that it got to be too much for me and not really believable after the first couple of times. Her character also changed. The ending is predictably chic-lit style and disappointing.

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This book was so hard to put down, I read it over two days, have just finished it, and I’m missing Kerry and Joel already.
It was warm, emotional, funny, sad - and so much more. I am now going to search for more books by Eva Carter and recommend that you read this one

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This book is so much more than a story of romance and the characters lives. The author has taken very serious subjects - heart attack and resuscitation - and woven these through a fiction story, yet leaving the reader with a knowledge that they may not have previously had without first aid training to assist someone should they find themselves in that situation.

This book tells the story of Kerry, Joel and Tim, with chapters written from each parties view point. I was drawn in right from the start and for me found this a page turner as I wanted to keep reading to see what happened next.

I enjoyed the author's style of writing and will be keeping an eye out for future books by Eva.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Such a good story. It took me less than a day to read and, whilst it is a page turner and easy to lose yourself in the story, it is by no means a light read - there are some deeply troubling issues featured within these pages.

Well written, well plotted. Highly recommended. A great book for the summer.

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I zipped through this book in less than 24 hours - it's a really good read.
The story begins on the eve of the Millenium when 17 year old star of the football field Joel keels over with a heart attack. His classmates, Kerry and Tim, are first aiders so Joel is lucky and survives. But the events of that night have long-lasting repercussions.
The story of their lives over the next decade - a little more - is told through each of their perspectives.

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The plot grabbed me;
It’s nearly midnight on the eve of the millennium when eighteen-year-old Joel’s heart stops. A school friend, Kerry, performs CPR for almost twenty exhausting minutes, ultimately saving Joel’s life, while her best friend Tim freezes, unable to help.

Not the most conventional start to a love story, i was sure at first but as the characters develop a gripping love story evolves. Read this in two sittings. So Thought provoking as well, not my usual read but really enjoyed it. Would highly recommend.

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This is quite a slow read about three individuals who are all impacted by the same event ant the turn of the millennium. Footballer Joel suddenly collapses and is noticed by aspiring doctor Kerry who resuscitates him, aided at the end by her best friend Tim. Joel survives but the life he envisioned is no more and he hates Tim (who it was assumed was the person primarily responsible for him being saved) and his life spirals from that moment. For a while Kerry is the one person he lets in and they fall in love however things go wrong when Joel realises just how much his life has been impacted and in turn Kerry’s future alters from what she had dreamt. We continue to follow the lives of all three over the course of eighteen years as they all adapt to life not being what they had hoped for. I found this dragged quite a bit and didn’t really engage with any of the characters, I think my biggest issue was that much of the focus on their lives seemed to dwell on the negatives. It is a though provoking read about how life can be altered drastically in a mere moment but if you want a light hearted read then this won’t be for you.

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How To Save a Life is an absolutely wonderful read that takes an 18 year journey involving you in the lives of our main characters Kerry, Tim and Joel.
It is New Year Eve 1999 Kerry and Tim 17 year old school friends since childhood are on Brighton Beach ready to welcome in the new millennium discussing their future as they both want to become doctors. Joel a 19 year old is on the beach with his mates having a kick around as they too await to bring in the new year. Joel is destined to become a professional footballer and can’t wait to join his club.
What occurs next is deeply shocking and very well described. How this event changes their live forever starts you on that journey.
With a depth that is staggering these three go through so much trauma, drama, love and other occurrences that will keep you turning these pages. As each year passes major events such as 9/11 etc are mentioned and I found myself realising how many I’d forgotten.
By the time I finished this book I felt completely drained but also so uplifted and happy. I’m going to re read it again soon, I did rush it somewhat as I just had to know how it would all work out.
This book deserves to stay on the best seller list forever, a total gripping read.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

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This book was honestly very gripping, and I forced myself to stay awake last night just so I could finish it!
Our 3 main characters experience a life changing event that propels their existences into an ever changing, unpredictable ride, and I could never guess what was going to happen next!
The only thing I did predict was the love pairing at the end, but that's OK, it was how I wanted it to end.
I did like the message that sometimes, what you plan for yourself career wise, isn't always what you want once you get it. Or what you imagined it would be. The fact this book spans from teenage years to mid 30's gives a good insight into how the characters grow and progress.
It does cover some pretty deep topics such as miscarriage, drug addiction, living with an illness, caring for a parent and bereavement. The author explores these topics in a way that they never became too heavy or upsetting, but you could still empathise with the characters and what they were going through.
I would highly recommend this book.

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I absolutely loved this book & couldn’t put it down. I read it all in one sitting! Highly recommended by me. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book

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I loved this book so much that I finished it in 24 hours! I felt really connected to the characters and found myself thinking about them long after the story ended, wondering what happened next.
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

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Well thanks to Eve Carter I managed approximately 2 hours sleep last night as I was so engrossed in this book I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting.

On Millennium Eve, Joel, Tim and Kerry's lives are changed for ever and they will always be linked by an event that happens that night. You will see them deal with mental health in so many different ways through subjects that are sometimes hard to read about but oh so important. At times you will feel as if you are each of them as you read what they go through.

I'm hesitant to put too much more as I really don't want to spoil the book but honestly it was brilliant, this author addressed so many issues that aren't talked about openly as they should be. You could tell the author either had experience of certain situations or really put the time in to research the book which in my opinion, you don't often see.

A must read of 2021! I know its early to say that but it really is!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this early copy and give an honest review about it.

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Wow. I don't even know where to begin with how much I adore this book. Its a whirlwind, a rollercoaster and a drama written to perfection. Before starting this, I knew nothing about cardiac arrests, CPR etc and whilst the story is so so much more than this you cant ignore the message that this book brings. With sideline stories of other illnesses such as pancreatic cancer (which has affected me personally) I really appreciated learning about this as well as falling in love with Kerry, Joel and Tim.
I like that the book has a long timeline, things change and move (as life does) and I think this adds to the book. Unexpected paths, and events shape the next moves the characters make.
The characters are so real to me. I half suspected this book might be a cheesy cliche rom-com but I was very pleasantly surprised to be wrong it offers so much more. An absolute must-read.

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What a rollercoaster of emotions this book was. It shows you how your life can change in an instant. Joel, Kerry and Tim's stories had me hooked from page one. A tragedy that keeps them connected to one another for years to come. Joel's story was the one I particularly loved. Eva Carter is a very good storyteller and made me really care about the characters. I was angry with them, sad for them, happy for them, but most of all, I wanted that happy ever after ending. I really had a love hate relationship with each of the characters throughout the book, but it made for good reading. I also enjoyed reading about the events in recent history that I remember. Following Joel, Kerry and Tim over the course of nearly two decades is a story I'm glad I read.

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Kerry Smith is going to save lives -- snd so is her best friend, Tim Palmer. After years of working through medical school, they are about to sit for theiir enterance exams. But on the eve of the new millinnium, a classmate goes into cardiac arrest, changing everything.

Kerry and t
Tim are doing St. Johns Ambulance training on New Years Eve when Joel goes into cardiac arrest and his heart stops for eighteen minutes. These eighteen minutes were to connect them forever. The characters are likeable and a little flawed. We follow the characters from when they were young adults and we get to know them a bit better as the years go by. This is a story of survival, friendship, grief, love and a bond that was sealed that New Years Eve. The chapters are told alternately by one of the characters. The story also covers addiction, depression and a few other health issues. Throughout the book there is instructions on how to give CPR which might help someone one day to save a life.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #PanMacmillan and the author #EvaCarter for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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