Faithful

Guilt is a powerful emotion. It cripples a person mentally and physically. It tears apart a person’s self-esteem much more harshly than any bully. It is insidious and difficult to ignore. It has the power to bring a person to the edge and beyond.

In the opening pages of Faithful, Shelby experiences all of this. Hiding away in her parents’ basement, she does not consider herself worthy enough to live a normal life, let alone live. Drugs get her through her waking hours, and her mother’s presence prevents her from doing anything more permanent to ease her guilt. A funny thing happens though once Shelby is forced to interact with other humans outside of her family. It is this awakening, slow and filled with setbacks, that is the heart show more and soul of the novel. And what a novel it is.

Faithful is one of those novels that is both painful and healing. Watching Shelby suffer through the unimaginable guilt associated with being the person driving the car and walking away from the very same accident that put your best friend into a permanent vegetative state becomes its own catharsis for anything about which you might be harboring guilt. Shelby’s disgust with herself and refusal to consider herself worthy of a normal life makes it okay to feel the same. At the same time, her inability to truly give up on life provides an example of the importance of doing the same.

The truly important thing about Shelby is the fact that she is the epitome of faking it until you make it. It takes her most of the novel to recognize that she is worthy of anyone’s love or professional accolades, something everyone else figures out very early on in the story. However, even though she does not believe she is worthy, she still acts like she does. She dresses for the role she has been given even though she does not agree that it is hers to have. She never thinks herself worth the trouble, but she never gives in to her desire to give up entirely either.

Faithful is a beautiful novel. Shelby is so filled with self-loathing but still manages to live her life one day at a time that she becomes one of the most hopeful characters you will ever meet. The unconditional love she provides her dogs and the love she receives from her mother eases your own heartaches as you recognize the power and importance of such relationships. You do not just fall in love with Shelby, you become one of her biggest cheerleaders along her journey, cheering every minor success and encouraging the setbacks. Faithful reminds you that no matter how bad things get, there is always someone out there who loves you for who you are. It is a timely message and one that truly soothes the soul. show less

I'm a sucker for Alice Hoffman's style of writing, and this plot was my catnip. Traumatized and tormented teen/young adult who moves to New York City and gradually heals herself with the help of several stray dogs and an unlikely best friend...yeah, I'm there. Throw in not one, not two, but three love interests and a mysterious guardian angel, along with a very hopeful ending and I'm a happy girl. Faithful may not have the historical sweep of Hoffman's most recent efforts including [b:The Museum of Extraordinary Things|18144053|The Museum of Extraordinary Things|Alice Hoffman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392575125s/18144053.jpg|25491380] or [b:The Marriage of Opposites|23492741|The Marriage of Opposites|Alice show more Hoffman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438581390s/23492741.jpg|43082583] but it was more intimate and, to me, more enjoyable. show less

Shelby Richmond was behind the wheel the night of the accident that put her best friend into a permanent coma. Helene continues to exist, and for some reason people thing being in her presence can perform miracles of healing. People crowd Helene’s house, with her parent’s admitting them in lines. Shelby, on the other hand, is alone. She retreats to the basement, shaves her head, doesn’t speak, and attempts suicide. The only friend she has is the boy who she buys weed from, and she doesn’t consider him a friend. She doesn’t consider herself worthy of having a friend. But for some reason she follows him when he goes to pharmacy college, and slowly comes out of her shell, getting a job cleaning cages at a pet store. Unwillingly, show more she forms a friendship with a co-worker, even having the co-workers children- Shelby hates children- dumped on her one long weekend. Meanwhile, throughout this time, from accident to the end, she receives mysterious postcards with art on them and brief statements: Say Something, Be Something, See Something, Believe Something.

Saddled with major depression, PTSD, insanely low self-esteem, and survivor guilt, Shelby is a mess at the beginning of the story. She grows slowly through the years, but she goes grow- life sort of forces itself on her. Even though at times I wanted to shake some sense into her, it was beautiful to watch her spirit unfold. Of course she makes mistakes- we all do. It’s a coming of age story, albeit slightly delayed as she finds out who she really is. Hoffman almost always writes stories that I can’t put down, and this one was no exception. show less

"In February,when the snow comes down hard, little globes of light are left along Route 110, on the side of the road that slopes off when a driver least expects it. The lights are candles set inside paper bags, surrounded by sand, and they burn past midnight. They shouldn't last for that amount of time, but that's part of the miracle."

There's a heat wave all over Greece at the moment I'm writing this review. I don't like summer and heat, I want to live in a place of eternal winter. Also, bright sun changes my mood and character completely and in this review, you'll probably see me obsessively describing my incoherent thoughts on how easily and readily I gave my heart to this book. It is one of the rarest of cases when I couldn't stop show more myself from reading the last chapter when I reached about 80% mark. I just wanted to know. This is how deeply I feel in love with Hoffman's novel.

After a horrific car accident, Shelby's life changes dramatically. She gives up on her dreams, she punishes herself in all ways imaginable and chooses to escape to New York. Not to start anew. She cannot do that yet, because she doesn't believe she is able or even worthy of a good life. She believes she's a nobody, a nothing, a monster. She practically begs for other people to see her this way. But they don't. Because some of us have faith.

The title is extremely poignant and well-chosen. "Faithful" to whom? To what? My answer is to everything. This is the reply I got from the book. To people, to a higher power, but most of all, to ourselves. It is the amount of faith in our abilities and value we gain through the children's love, through the animals' trust. Here, Shelby starts finding her way out of the darkness the moment people start trusting her. They have faith in her and she begins to look at herself under a different light. After trust comes faith and then love follows closely.

Love lies at the centre of the novel, along with faith. Love between a mother and a daughter. Love between a couple (beautifully depicted in Shelby and James). Love between friends, between animals and humans. Love that is firmly rooted in the past or the kind of love that comes out of nowhere, sweeps you off your feet and helps you find yourself a little sooner than you'd think possible.

"As evening falls, the wet street glows as if sprinkled with diamonds...There are bats in the tower of a church overlooking a small park. There's a sprinkling of gold -trigged stars in the sky.

What is it with stories and New York? What is it about this city that makes everything so poetic and special? Why does it turn me into a romantic? I don't know...I fell in love with Hoffman's descriptions of the city. They're marvellous, especially the ones about the evening streets. You'll also find a few but extremely poetic images of the Hudson.

There are certain well-placed hints of magical realism, with the postcards of an angel and Helena's supposed healing abilities. I think they're there to remind us that sometimes magic sometimes and beauty lies within our daily routine, within difficult choices, within the past. The narration is written in the present tense which is probably my favourite technique and it fits the story perfectly. And if by now you haven't been convinced that the writing is impeccable, I don't think I can trust you...

I read that it took Hoffman ten years to write Faithful and this definitely shows in the way the story is tightly put together, in the characters that are fully developed, in the interactions that are realistic and vivid. Dogs have a very prominent role in the action and Hoffman even manages to include references to Poe's Nevermore and to Gaiman's Neverwhere. I mean, come on...This is perfection.

Shelby is one of the most beautiful, most memorable characters out of all the books I've ever read in my life. You'll support her, get frustrated by her, cheer for her to succeed, cry and laugh. You will embark on an exciting journey. Call me superficial but James was...if he doesn't make your heart melt, if you don't fall in love with him as soon as you meet him on the page, then I believe you're heartless beyond repair. (Also, if the book is ever made into a film, I want Jonathan Tucker for the role. I don't know why but I pictured him as I was reading.) Ben, on the other hand, is irritating, a crying self-absorbed infant, competing with Shelby's father for the award of the most annoying character in the novel. To be fair, he has a few redeeming qualities, but I don't want to be fair today, I want to be emotional. See what this book did to me?

None of us wants to make even the tiniest mistakes, but this is impossible. We're human beings. Even gods make mistakes and quite big ones. We're made to make mistakes and to learn in the process. Life isn't the silky cocoon our parents struggled to provide for us. Whatever few ugly experiences I've had taught me to think differently, taught me that there are people you need to discard without a second thought and people you need at all costs. In those moments, everyone need to have faith and trust in someone. In my opinion, this "someone" must be our self. And the rest will follow...

"Together they fight demons in New York City, of which there is an endless supply. Each time another one is defeated, the Misfit comes closer to forgiveness, a state of grace he never can quite reach." show less

"In February,when the snow comes down hard, little globes of light are left along Route 110, on the side of the road that slopes off when a driver least expects it. The lights are candles set inside paper bags, surrounded by sand, and they burn past midnight. They shouldn't last for that amount of time, but that's part of the miracle."

There's a heat wave all over Greece at the moment I'm writing this review. I don't like summer and heat, I want to live in a place of eternal winter. Also, bright sun changes my mood and character completely and in this review, you'll probably see me obsessively describing my incoherent thoughts on how easily and readily I gave my heart to this book. It is one of the rarest of cases when I couldn't stop show more myself from reading the last chapter when I reached about 80% mark. I just wanted to know. This is how deeply I feel in love with Hoffman's novel.

After a horrific car accident, Shelby's life changes dramatically. She gives up on her dreams, she punishes herself in all ways imaginable and chooses to escape to New York. Not to start anew. She cannot do that yet, because she doesn't believe she is able or even worthy of a good life. She believes she's a nobody, a nothing, a monster. She practically begs for other people to see her this way. But they don't. Because some of us have faith.

The title is extremely poignant and well-chosen. "Faithful" to whom? To what? My answer is to everything. This is the reply I got from the book. To people, to a higher power, but most of all, to ourselves. It is the amount of faith in our abilities and value we gain through the children's love, through the animals' trust. Here, Shelby starts finding her way out of the darkness the moment people start trusting her. They have faith in her and she begins to look at herself under a different light. After trust comes faith and then love follows closely.

Love lies at the centre of the novel, along with faith. Love between a mother and a daughter. Love between a couple (beautifully depicted in Shelby and James). Love between friends, between animals and humans. Love that is firmly rooted in the past or the kind of love that comes out of nowhere, sweeps you off your feet and helps you find yourself a little sooner than you'd think possible.

"As evening falls, the wet street glows as if sprinkled with diamonds...There are bats in the tower of a church overlooking a small park. There's a sprinkling of gold -trigged stars in the sky.

What is it with stories and New York? What is it about this city that makes everything so poetic and special? Why does it turn me into a romantic? I don't know...I fell in love with Hoffman's descriptions of the city. They're marvellous, especially the ones about the evening streets. You'll also find a few but extremely poetic images of the Hudson.

There are certain well-placed hints of magical realism, with the postcards of an angel and Helena's supposed healing abilities. I think they're there to remind us that sometimes magic sometimes and beauty lies within our daily routine, within difficult choices, within the past. The narration is written in the present tense which is probably my favourite technique and it fits the story perfectly. And if by now you haven't been convinced that the writing is impeccable, I don't think I can trust you...

I read that it took Hoffman ten years to write Faithful and this definitely shows in the way the story is tightly put together, in the characters that are fully developed, in the interactions that are realistic and vivid. Dogs have a very prominent role in the action and Hoffman even manages to include references to Poe's Nevermore and to Gaiman's Neverwhere. I mean, come on...This is perfection.

Shelby is one of the most beautiful, most memorable characters out of all the books I've ever read in my life. You'll support her, get frustrated by her, cheer for her to succeed, cry and laugh. You will embark on an exciting journey. Call me superficial but James was...if he doesn't make your heart melt, if you don't fall in love with him as soon as you meet him on the page, then I believe you're heartless beyond repair. (Also, if the book is ever made into a film, I want Jonathan Tucker for the role. I don't know why but I pictured him as I was reading.) Ben, on the other hand, is irritating, a crying self-absorbed infant, competing with Shelby's father for the award of the most annoying character in the novel. To be fair, he has a few redeeming qualities, but I don't want to be fair today, I want to be emotional. See what this book did to me?

None of us wants to make even the tiniest mistakes, but this is impossible. We're human beings. Even gods make mistakes and quite big ones. We're made to make mistakes and to learn in the process. Life isn't the silky cocoon our parents struggled to provide for us. Whatever few ugly experiences I've had taught me to think differently, taught me that there are people you need to discard without a second thought and people you need at all costs. In those moments, everyone need to have faith and trust in someone. In my opinion, this "someone" must be our self. And the rest will follow...

"Together they fight demons in New York City, of which there is an endless supply. Each time another one is defeated, the Misfit comes closer to forgiveness, a state of grace he never can quite reach." show less

I had been delaying reading this for I don't even know why any more. Because it was amazing. It's a wonderful story of learning to live again, and finding connections, and moving on and believing in yourself.

Before this book the only Hoffman I'd read was Practical Magic back in high school. I liked it well enough but didn't search out other books. Partway through this book, however, I went and bought three other books by her. Hoffman's writing is gorgeous. I have highlighted passages throughout the book that are beautifully written or profound, or both. I really look forward to exploring her other works.

This is a beautiful book. Shelby, the main character, is badly broken when we first meet her, and I loved seeing her become her own show more person throughout the course of the book. I just can't help but love a character who steals abused animals. I also enjoyed the little bits of magical realism, though they are fairly subtle except for the beginning. At the same time there was this push-pull with reality. Very very lovely. So very glad I read it. Once I started, it was very hard to stop.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. show less

Faithful by Alice Hoffman is a very highly recommended, heartbreaking novel about a young woman guilty over living. Two important facts right off: I sobbed like a baby for probably the last third to a quarter of Faithful and this is one of the best books I have read this year.

Shelby Richmond physically survives the accident that left her best friend, Helene, in a vegetative state on life support, but in reality there were two victims that night. Emotionally Shelby is just as wounded and absent as her friend. She was driving the car that night and suffers from survivor's guilt and overwhelming grief. She's attempted suicide and spent three months in a psychiatric institution where she was repeatedly raped.

Now it's been two years since show more the accident. Strangers are visiting Helene's bedside, saying that she has healing power, but Shelby's life has stalled. She's living in her parent's basement, smoking pot, and doing her penance for surviving. She's shaved her head, secretly cuts, and stopped living life. Her mother, Sue Richmond, has hope Shelby can recover. So does her angel, a man who sends her hand drawn postcards giving her simple directives like "say something" or "feel something" or "want something."

When her dealer and only friend, Ben Mink, wants her to move to NYC with him as he attends grad school, she goes. This opens her up to a world where no one knows her past. She's just a bald girl working at a pet store now. She loves Chinese takeout and dogs. She makes a friend. Slowly, we see hope for Shelby's recovery.

Admittedly, Faithful starts out dark and seems hopeless, but, if you were ever a lost teen or had a child who struggled, you're going to relate to this novel. If you have ever felt unworthy of love, of life, of success, then you are going to relate to Shelby. Hoffman captures Shelby's loneliness, flaws, heartbreak, missteps, and scars, but she also, carefully, captures her maturation, the importance of emotional connections, recovery, and, ultimately, hope.

Hoffman is an extraordinary, gifted writer. Faithful flows so smoothly, so perfectly, that I scarcely knew time was passing. The characters are all struggling in some way, but they are realistic. Shelby is especially a well-developed character. Once I started it, I was invested in the characters and cared deeply. My heart was breaking for Shelby and I wanted her to find her way. I wanted her life to get better.

I loved Faithful. Hoffman created an unforgettable character in Shelby and gave her life. When I finished the novel, after wiping away yet another round of tears, I knew Faithful would be on the short list for my top ten novels of the year.

Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

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