Reviews

Saving Emma by Allen Eskens

Only show reviews with written explanations

colleengeedrumm's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

leahthebooklover's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

3.75

This audiobook was a quick listen. I enjoyed the story, but not as much as other Allen Eskens books I've read. The plot wasn't quite as complex as what I expect from this author, in fact some of the twists were pretty easy to see coming. His view of religion seems pretty negative, with the religious characters portrayed as either greedy hypocrites or crazy zealots. I also couldn't believe how careless Boady was with a key piece of evidence, after all, he's supposed to be some hotshot lawyer! This was my bookclub's selection and we got to hear the author speak about how he (almost accidentally) became a writer, his writing process, upcoming novels he's working on, and more. Allen Eskens is still a must read author for me.

bmlowry8's review

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

pages_and_cacti's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Saving Emma by Allen Eskens

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Boady Sanden must race to clear Elijah before it’s too late. This incredible novel once again has shown me that I need to read more from Allen Eskens! What a great story and it’s delivered flawlessly!

mindykaye's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

Content Warnings

jansbookcorner's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Allen Eskens is one of my favorite storytellers. I like the way he develops his characters and the pace of the plot in his books. I was excited to dive into his latest book and to reconnect with Boady and Dee. This book though didn't quite live up to my expectations. The writing, once again, was superb, but the story, especially concerning Emma, just fell a little flat. I can't give a specific reason, but it didn't have the depth I would have liked. But it still reached an above average read level for me.

Unrelated to the writing and story, I have to comment on the cover. When I bought the book, the clerk asked me if it was just him or did it have "Joker" vibes to it. I have to agree. I also don't like the font and huge writing that is becoming more popular. Overall the cover gave off a young adult book feeling to me. In fact if I hadn't read other books by Mr. Eskens, I'm not sure I would have picked this one up. I'm glad I did though.