‘Saving Red’ by Sonya Sones is an unabashedly riveting tale of Molly, a girl who has fielded her fair share of trouble, yet doesn’t back down in the face of what could be considered nothing less than overwhelming. Molly’s relationship with her parents is strained, to say the least, and she makes mention of her brother, Noah, who has disappeared from her life. At times readers may wonder if he disappeared in the literal or figurative sense, but it is made clear soon enough, compounding the issues that Molly is dealing with when she comes upon a homeless girl named Red.

Red is homeless, yes, but she is unwilling to accept charity, citing her oft-used phrase, “I better not,” to turn down any offer presented to her. Molly tries unflinchingly to provide Red with necessities, sometimes with help from Cristo, a cute boy Molly meets on a Ferris wheel. Whereas in some books the fast-paced nature of a 6-hour long in-person relationship would seem rushed and maybe even forced, Sones is at her best yet again, making readers see that Molly and Cristo share a connection at the tender age of fourteen that makes them eager and willing to get to know each other through texts, Facetime, and phone calls when Cristo leaves on vacation mere hours after happening upon Molly originally. Their relationship and ensuing troubles when Cristo seemingly disappears brings out the teen angst that any fourteen-year-old would have if in a similar situation.

Yet Molly doesn’t have time to worry about Cristo as much as she’d like to wallow when he doesn’t respond to her texts. She has to deal with Red and the voices that inhabit Red’s mind. By trying to help Red, Molly finds that her understanding of what happened when her brother Noah went missing comes to a head, and she has to focus on the ensuing internal battle that she feels, and which Red tries to help her come to grips with. Despite Red’s craziness, which Red fully understands she herself is dealing with, Molly can see the truth and wisdom in Red’s words, as she tries to help Molly cope with the losses she has sustained.

In ‘Saving Red,’ relationships are tested on all levels, including family, friends, and romances. Sones has a way of captivating readers’ attention and making them see the readers as nothing less than real people with real problems, who deal with them as only as those people could. They are all unique, independent, strikingly unsure characters who find their truth in their own ways as the story goes on. It is a testament to Sones’ writing style that she can capture all of this in short, to-the-point verse. The last few words of the novel leave room for a whole new story that Sones will hopefully write one day. Those last words should provide hope, making anyone’s heart leap – especially those invested in the outcome of Molly’s story.

You can find ‘Saving Red’ by Sonya Sones here.