Save Me by Jenny Elliott (review)

Hardened by the experiences of her single mother, Cara is in no hurry to find romance, but when she is thrown overboard while whale-watching and rescued by a very cute guy, she can’t deny the spark between them. David feels it, too, so they are devastated to find out that he is her new student teacher and therefore off limits. Meanwhile, Cara’s best friend, Rachel, is determined to find love, so when a sketchy boy shows her some attention, she immediately ditches Cara for Ethan and undergoes a sinister wardrobe and personality change. At the same time, an ethereally beautiful boy named Garren attaches himself to Cara, offering her support without arousing any romantic feelings. It soon becomes clear that occult forces are at work: Ethan and Rachel are demon-possessed through the influence of Amber, a girl who is seeking revenge on Cara. As Amber ramps up her evil plans, both Cara and David are in danger, but Garren has a plan to save them that ultimately reveals his true identity. Compulsively readable, with occult twists that will fascinate believers and nonbelievers alike, this romance argues that human lovers can triumph against malevolent supernatural forces only with the help of benevolent ones, offering an implicit (and sometimes explicit) critique of flirting with the paranormal in affairs of the heart. Unfortunately, the language is often annoyingly static and repetitive, and the book’s hints at an otherworldly connection between some violent transient orcas and the demonic forces on land fizzles to a convenient and obvious symbol before disappearing without comment in the final scenes. The pacing of the romances, descents into occult behavior, and rescue from same is nonetheless remarkably swift, making this a quick, undemanding read with striking moral clarity in its gothic elements.