Saving Zoe: A Novel

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Alyson Noel is the author of five young-adult novels. She lives in Laguna Beach, California.

One year after the brutal murder of her older sister, Zoë, fifteen-year-old Echo is still reeling from the aftermath. Her parents are numb, her friends are moving on, and the awkward start to her freshman year proves she'll never live up to her sister’s memory. When Zoë's old boyfriend Marc shows up one day with Zoë's diary, Echo doesn't think there's anything in there she doesn't already know. But as she gives in to curiosity and starts reading, she learns that her sister led a secret life that no one could have guessed—not even Echo.

Beautiful and full of life, Zoë was the glue that held her family together, and although the two sisters were as different as night and day, they still had a bond that Echo can't let relinquish. She becomes immersed in her sister’s secret world, blurring their lives, which forces Echo to uncover the truth behind Zoë’s life so she can start to rebuild her own.

“Alyson Noël finds the perfect balance of heartbreak and humor in this story about sisters, secrets and saying goodbye. I loved every minute of it!”—Hailey Abbott, author of the New York Times bestselling Summer Boys series

“Even though you know from page one where the story will eventually lead, Saving Zoë pulls off the amazing trick of keeping you guessing. You have to follow along with Echo, the good sister chasing the tail of the ‘bad’ one through the streets of darkest suburbia. Prepare to read this in one long sitting. Think Chinatown. Think Where are you going, where have you been? Think Veronica Mars.”—Maureen Johnson, author of Devilish

“Noel writes a smart and compelling story about life, love and loss that you won't be able to put down. Saving Zoë is a must-read.”—Cara Lockwood, author of Wuthering High

“In the aftermath of her sister Zoë's murder, Echo struggles to piece things together. Her parents hide behind work and prescriptions, school friends stare and whisper, and no one can reach Echo's inner sanctum of grief except Zoë's boyfriend Marc. When Marc produces Zoë's diary, her secrets tumble out: sex, drugs, true love, and ultimately death by an Internet stalker. Using the diary, Echo repairs her grieving family, eases Marc's guilt, and stops another sexual predator. Noël tells the story through the first-person narrative of Zoë's and Echo's diaries, using a conversational style that makes a quick read . . . These issues merit discussion, and Noël presents them without preaching or judging.”—VOYA Voice of Youth Advocates

“Fifteen-year-old Echo was a typical teen until last year, when her older sister was murdered. Now she is treated like a pariah by the other students, who whisper behind her back. She is struggling to come to grips with her grief and life without Zoë, and her parents are numb and have become overprotective. Zoë was the rebel, the bad one, while Echo has always been the good girl. While the killer has been caught, shadows still surround the possible role Zoë's boyfriend played in her death. When he gives Echo her sister's diary, it is her opportunity to find out what really happened. Reading the journal takes Echo into Zoë's secret world and interactions with people scarier than she ever imagined. The story reveals the hidden dangers of social networking on the Internet and date-rape drugs. Noël gets the message across without being preachy; readers will learn from it and enjoy the novel's suspense and intrigue.”—Sheilah Kosco, School Library Journal