Win an ARC of How to Save A Life by Sara Zarr!

I love Sara Zarr. When I went through my whole YA renaissance/marathon reading spree a couple years ago, Sweethearts was one of the first books I picked up, and I didn't put it down until I got to the last page. And then I set about reading everything she wrote. Sara's books fall into the "serious/heartfelt" category of YA for me. When I want something that punches me right in the gut and then gives me a giant hug, I'll go for one of her books or something by Courtney Summers. [I just reread that sentence ... I promise, it's a compliment!]

So when School Library Journal sent me an ARC of How to Save A Life, I literally squealed with delight. It was already on my preorder list, and then to get to read it early? Lucky me.

Jill MacSweeney just wants everything to go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. You can't lose one family member and simply replace him with a new one, and when her mom decides to adopt a baby, that's exactly what it feels like she's trying to do. And that's decidedly not normal. With her world crumbling around her, can Jill come to embrace a new member of the family? 

Mandy Kalinowski knows what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, she knows she wants a better life for her baby. But can giving up a child be as easy as it seems? And will she ever be able to find someone to care for her, too? 

Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr delivers a heart-wrenching story, told from dual perspectives, about what it means to be a family and the many roads we can take to become one.

And let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint. Sara Zarr is a master storyteller. The two distinct voices in the story really felt like two separate individuals with intertwined stories (instead of how sometimes multiple perspectives just sound like the author looking through a different set of eyes). The only thing that bothered me about it was how much I wanted to be reading it in the winter in front of a fire with a cup of hot tea. The atmosphere just screams for that setting. It felt a little wrong to be reading it in the summer. But guess how I remedy that? By pre-ordering the book and then rereading it in November!

And here's the best news of all. I loved this book so much that I want to share it with you! All you have to do is fill out the form (yep, I'm all fancy now with Google forms!), and you're entered to win. And yes, you can still get bonus entries by tweeting about the contest, following the blog, or liking my Facebook page. You ONLY need to enter your name and email address to enter the contest. All the rest is bonus! Easy peasy!

Feel free to use this tweet to make it even easier (or get creative!): Win an ARC of How to Save A Life by @sarazarr from @laurenemorrill http://bit.ly/pcP8kJ




Contest closes Friday, August 5th. Contest open to US Residents only (sorry!). Winner will be selected via random.org