Cover Image: How to Save a Life

How to Save a Life

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

How to Save a Life was a book I couldn't easily put down. Eva Carter succeeds in writing a story that makes you lose track of time, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. However, unfortunately what happened next was usually frustrating. The three main characters, Kerry, Joel and Tim, were medium-level annoying at best, and thoroughly detestable at worst, and their decision making and internal monologues frequently left me wanting to tear my hair out. (There was one moment when Tim threw a letter away where I audibly growled in annoyance - this character man).

I found myself rooting for Kerry and Joel from the start, but by the end of the book I was so tired of the ups and downs (and absolutely hideous communication skills) that I didn't care much how the book ended, I just wanted to reach the end. The ending was fairly satisfactory mind you, Eva Carter just took a while to get there.

Another slight annoyance with the book was the way in which Carter marked time passing, working almost every memorable event from the last twenty years into the story some how, from 9/11 to 7/7, the tsunami in Indonesia and even the rise of Zoella! These don't serve the story well, and for me just interrupted the flow of the story for me.

Nevertheless, this was a good read, and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a star-crossed lovers type book. I also did enjoy the whole premise of the book, and how it was executed.

Was this review helpful?

A truly lovely read. Following the lives of three friends from teens to thirties and the life sagas on the way. A really heart warming, heart breaking story.

Was this review helpful?

Beautiful writing. I was hooked!
A perfect read for the summer holidays.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

Was this review helpful?

This was a poignant read and as a doc it made me think about what could happen in 18 minutes. Here it affected all the three main characters for 18 years. it made me feel emotions, and with its different POVs. I got to delve into all their lives. The characters per se were not likable, but the writing reeled me in. It was a fun read, though contrary too, now that I thought about it.

Was this review helpful?

It’s not the movies. Hardly anyone survives in real life...ordinary people make the difference...time is the hidden element..."
*
It's the eve of the new millennium, and eighteen minutes is all it takes to change the course of the next eighteen years for teenagers Kerry Smith, Tim Palmer and Joel Greenaway. For eighteen minutes, Joel is dead, Kerry is performing life saving CPR and Tim is too shocked to act. As each struggles to move on from that night, their paths continue to collide as they discover what it means to live, to love and to find your calling. It turns out, there's more than one way to save a life...
*
"Imagine a room with a hundred people in it: a packed pub, maybe, full of people you know and care about. One by one, without warning, your friends and family members begin falling to the floor. Eventually, only six or seven are left standing. That’s the truth about cardiac arrest. Without immediate help, fewer than one in ten people will survive. It can happen to anyone, anywhere..."
*
I was instantly drawn to this book as cardiac arrest is my worst nightmare. My son is 5 years old and he was born with WPW SVT so he carries a slightly higher risk when compared to the rest of the population. I also have electrical heart conditions and cardiology is a big part of my life and my family's.
This book was absolutely amazing and I couldn't put it down. I was invested in the lives of all three as they played out over the years, highlighting the ripple effect of one life changing event and its impact from three different perspectives. I loved how each section comes with a warning page to raise awareness and the fact the author has her own experience of cardiac arrest when she was there and reacted in time to save her husband. Please go and read this book and also take some time to brush up on CPR because you never know when you might need to save a life...
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC. And thank you to the author for writing this.
*
"It’s ordinary people like us, not doctors, who are most likely to be there when the worst happens. At work, in the park, at home, even in the pub. A person’s chance of recovery depends on what happens next– starting with you..."

Was this review helpful?

Touching, yet sweet. Romantic yet not cliche. Are some of the characteristics that many romance novels fail to deliver. This book delivers. A sweet love story will stay with you for a long time..

Was this review helpful?

An excellent well-written book, believable storyline, full of twists and turns, good ending. It's an intricate plot with a really good ending.

Was this review helpful?

A love story that spans 18 years
A single moment that changes the coarse of three peoples lives
We follow three characters Joel,Kerry and Tim
They each tell there own stories in different chapters
A great read
Thanks NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

This was a truly delightful read. A rollercoaster of emotions but overall such a lovely storyline. I would highly recommend this to my friends.

Was this review helpful?

What a wonderful & soulful read this was! My own poor heart went through a wild emotional roller coaster with this book.

On the New Year’s eve of the millennium, when 17 year old football prodigy & rising star, Joel suffers a heart attack, it is Kerry who performs CPR, while Tim stands frozen in shock, even though both are ambulance & first aid trained. Little did they know, that these 18 minutes of saving Joel’s life, would go on to change theirs forever.

Primarily a character driven novel, the book alternates between the narratives of Joel, Kerry & Tim as we follow them through 18 years. The three of them truly become the “heart” & soul of this book. Each unique in their own ambitions & upbringing, fate has it, that their lives became deeply intertwined.

Carter’s character development is simply commendable. She makes sure of getting the reader fully invested in each of their stories, to love & care for them, cry, rage & laugh at their antics & cheering them for their accomplishments.

Obsessed with the need to “mend & fix” people, Kerry’s life seems to turn upside down many times over, after that night. Though, I was angry with her, as she kept falling in & out of love with Tim & Joel, her strength, will power & ability to push forward in life, no matter what, amazed me & I couldn’t be more proud of her at the end.

Tim’s cut-short & difficult childhood made him emotionally very vulnerable. I empathized with him & his struggles as he pursued his dream of becoming a doctor. I adored the friendship between Kerry & Tim & enjoyed the wild ride these two took me on.

Joel, perhaps the most affected person after the incident, finds it impossible to continue living without soccer. Thanks to Kerry again, he does turn a dark corner in his life, I rooted for him all the way.

It was so heartwarming to see these teenagers slowly mature, grow & become responsible adults, being there for each other at every turn.

Addressing issues such as PTSD, drug addiction & depression without overwhelming us, Carter emphasizes that it is the common people, who are the first responders, that can save lives with CPR and AED. Her beautiful writing is what makes it so engrossing & well-worth a read.

Thanks to NetGalley & PanMacmillan for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

What a book it had everything we had heartbreak, romance and the ups and downs of the characters in this book.

The opening chapter of the book kept you guessing was Joel going to live. We go through the years of the 3 people involved in the night everything changed for Joel, Kerry & Tim.

It kept me guessing would this book have a happy ending in the first place. I certainly could not put this book down wondering what their lives would be like over the years.

Enjoyed every moment of reading this book.

Was this review helpful?

Joel is the ‘it’ boy of a group of young adults, when he collapses at a New Years Eve party back in 1999. Kerry and Tim, also at the party, are St John’s cadets and they know CPR. It’s been taught to them for just this eventuality. Tim freezes and although his brain knows what to do, it’s as if his body won’t respond. However, Kerry’s training kicks in very smoothly, luckily for Joel. She performs CPR alone for 15minutes.

Joel survives his cardiac arrest, thanks to Kerry’s ability to think calmly and quickly in a crisis and the three move in and out of each other’s lives over the years. We can see how their lives are affected by their different reactions, the character it forms and their career path choices. I found Joel’s thread most interesting because to go from a victim of cardiac arrest to recovery is not easy. I felt the author depicted long term hospital care and learning to deal with a medical condition (just as he should be getting out there and creating his life) with a certain amount of knowledge and understanding. I liked the inclusion of a hospital manual for Joel to live by particularly authentic. However, once the initial chapters were over, I did find it almost too much of an easy read and found my mind drifting.

This is a light, easy read, concealing some big issues. It was enjoyable but, apart from Joel’s section, it was forgettable.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you! We've featured Eva Carter's How to Save a Life on National Book Tokens' rewards programme, Caboodle.

Was this review helpful?

This brilliant book has everything you need - likeable characters, a great storyline that keeps you interested and a love story thrown in for good measure 🥰 The story is told from 3 different characters points of view. Kerry, Joel and Tim. Just before midnight on the eve of the millennium Joel’s heart stops. That moment changes the course of all three lives. Definitely one id recommend! Thanks for the advance copy!

Was this review helpful?

The premise of this book was SO interesting and I couldn't have been more excited for this book.
Unfortunately my high expectations were met with a brick wall.
This book takes place over 18 yeras and, believe me, reading it felt like it. The idea is fascinating, but the execution is just plainly dull. Every chapter felt like a chore and every chapter was a hard decision to go on which I regretted later.

Also, never have I ever read a book with 3 POVs out of which I hated every single one.
Every character is unlikable with Tim being The King of Twats. I honesly couldn't stand him and hoped that maybe, just maybe, he'd die and relieve me from this misery.
Joel is a git and a horryble person to Kerry.
Kerry is a doormat and I loathed that.

This book is not a "heartfelt love story" as the blurb wants you to believe. It's a depressing book about destructive people that do not deserve a book being written about them.

Was this review helpful?

We follow Tim, Kerry and Joel over the span of eighteen years after Joel suffers a cardiac arrest as a teenager. Kerry and Tim being the individuals who provided CPR at the scene. Their lives continue to overlap through the highs and the lows, showing exactly what it takes to save a life in more ways than one.

Well done to the author, the storytelling in this was incredible. From the start up until the end, I was hooked and wanted to see how this would all end. The characters felt believable and I liked how they all had their issues but you were always rooting for them. The relationships were also portrayed realistically, although, I definitely cared about one more than the other. However, throughout most of the book, I did want to shake all the characters after they kept making poor decisions but hey, I guess that's life!

I enjoyed the ending but I did find the final conflict was wrapped up a bit too easily and conveniently! I also liked how this gave you actual CPR tips throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with a copy to review

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Eva Carter, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC of How to Save a Life.

For me'; this book held so much meaning as my own father was saved by a defibrillator in 2011. Right place, right time. I loved the way the author includes some really useful facts about what to do in the event of a heart attack or cardiac arrest. That advice as well as supporting the fiction element of the book could really save someones life in future!

Kerry and her friend Tim are bringing in New Years Eve at the millennium. saying goodbye to 1999 and welcoming in the year 2000. Kerry is stood wishing she could kiss someone at midnight, mostly Joel who she's crushed on for years, when just before the stroke of midnight she sees Joel collapse whilst playing football with his friends, Kerry and Tim are both hoping to be doctors, so whilst Tim freezes in blind panic, Kerry starts resuscitation, giving Joel CPR until the ambulance arrives.

Without giving too much of the plot away, what follows is an emotional yet beautiful read of how one moment can chance people's lives forever, The life that was saved and the life that was lost, the romance, the unrequited love, the pain and the loss.

A beautiful book that was so much more than the predictable romance I was expecting.

Was this review helpful?

Rating 3.5.

"I interviewed a guru about positivity for a show last month, and he said that we often only realize we were happy in retrospect, when things go wrong. That part of the key to contentment is to take the time to notice, to be grateful.
So I say it in my head: This is happiness.”

It’s nearly midnight on the eve of the millennium when eighteen-year-old Joel’s heart stops. Kerry performs CPR 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 because sometimes saving a life is only the start of the story…

How to Save a Life is a story of three teenagers who, caught in the time-space of eighteen life-changing minutes, find themselves tied to it for the next twenty years.

At the centre of this complicated puzzle stands Kerry Smith - an aspiring doctor. Beside her is Tim Palmer - childhood friend and fellow medical aspirant. Finally, there’s Joel Greenaway - newest recruit for a football apprenticeship with the Dolphins FC who finds his professional career derailed when forced to come to terms with an irreversible heart condition.

I was deeply engrossed in how the story began and the events folded into one another. The book is narrated by these three key characters and peels away the accumulated layers of buried feelings. Kerry is stuck between the two and allows her life to take shape around them, disregarding her own dreams. I found the naivety and haste in making decisions on the part of all three troubling. Then again, not all decisions are perfect and it is their path towards growth that is the heart of this novel.

A sweeping coming-of-age romance, this is replete with drama, reality, and plenty of heart-stopping moments to keep the pages turning.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Pan Macmillan.

Was this review helpful?

This is a hard one to review - it could have been great, but I didn’t think it was. I’m sure lots of people will love it, but for me there were a couple of things that I found off putting.

⚠️ content warnings: addiction, alcoholism, chronic illness, death, death of a parent, drug use and abuse, terminal illness, miscarriage, infertility, infidelity

Eva Carter has a beautiful way of writing - I felt connected to and engaged with the characters and what was happening in their lives. I wanted to know more about them and really thought they carried the story.

However, the pacing is off. It’s a fairly long book for a romance, and it starts slow, following the characters every couple of months, but then the time gaps get bigger and bigger and I felt like I was missing so much of their lives.

I also felt like Carter tried to throw in as much drama and heartbreak as she could think of. There was barely a chapter where nothing went wrong and a lot of it felt like it was there just to make the book longer.

Was this review helpful?

If you like the concept of One Day and Grey's Anatomy, this would definitely be the book for you. This book follows three people and what happens after the inconceivable happens. How they react at that moment and the people that they become after the years have passed.

There is heartbreak, there is great joy that makes your heart soar and moments of humour in some corners. These are young people that make mistakes, make more ones, learn from them and grow from what they have learnt. It is a full cycle of life and that is what makes it unequivocally similar to real life and what we all have to overcome through our own challenges that are thrown at us. But also what life can make and develop our personalities according to our experiences, for better or for worse.

To be honest, I didn't really have much attachment to any of the main characters in this book. I think this was done deliberately, however. These characters all have their own stories and they develop and become their own people when they are not with the main protagonists. This allows us to see these characters differently and how they function, rather than the great machine of being in one group. It can be seen as interesting yet effective how this works.

I did enjoy this book, I loved the concept of how it started from one point in time and carried on throughout the years to see what happened to these particular characters. I wish I saw this technique a lot more in other books as it is intriguing to see what happens after the big event. Because that is real life, we have to keep moving, no matter how many mistakes we make, or how big they are, we still have to keep spinning that wheel so we can get to the next day.

Was this review helpful?