Faithful by Alice Hoffman

1 STAR

DNF 40%

There is no way I want to follow this character any more. Seriously, if you know someone like this, they need a mental health intervention. I am disappointed that this was categorized as Women's Fiction. This reads more like Young Adult or New Adult at best.

The main character is late teens when we first meet and psychologically devastated by events her senior year of high school. With the loss of her best friend she withers. This first part has intense Judeo-Christian ideology and symbolism, which makes sense considering the title, but unfortunately, I parsed it as in fidelity to their friendship. It's not the ideology I have issues with, rather the simplistic symbolism vehicle: miracles, angels, black and white, beatification, etc.

This book is enamored with symbolism, allusions to Snow White and direct reference to Red Riding Hood. The second part sees Shelby's view of herself through the ugly dogs she "saves". Perhaps there is some great transformative character via fairy tales or the abandonment here that will eventually play out, but the character is so unlikeable--I don't care.

This book needs a content editor. No one stays in the ER for a night, you get treated or go to surgery and then Recovery, and depending on how critical your injuries are ICU. A Psych ward is not going to pass that postcard along. Everything is vetted. Where is she getting the money? How can you describe someone as wearing a hat and bald, at the same time? Stepford wife? She's not even trying to be perfect; she's the anti-Stepford wife.

All this combined with the hackneyed there's a boy behind all this trauma, and stupidness, and everyone not knowing what their angel was really like smells like Eau de After School Special. No one sees or understands me! So, I shave my head and hide in my parents' basement. I hate myself so much I'll make the outside of me look like the inside. 

I'm too old for this. I was too old for this when I was Shelby's age.