Saving Ruby King

I was honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.

I went into Saving Ruby King having no idea what the book was actually besides the quick synopsis.

So, the majority of the book takes place in a church in Chicago's South Side. It deals with many topics such as religion, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, incest, suicidal tendencies, and gun violence. But it also deals with deeper topics like mortality and guilt. Lots of hard hitting topics smashed into one book, and it definitely worked.

Ruby King, the girl, cannot bare the thought of having to live with her father Lebanon after her mother is shot and killed trying to unlock their front door. Everyone knows whose behind her murder. She never could quite hide the scars and bruises Lebanon left on her. He fits the description of her murderer and everyone knows it. Ruby thinks she's tough, tougher than her mother ever was. She will not let Lebanon lay a hand on her, even if that means killing him herself.

Layla Potter, Ruby's best friend and confidante, will fight to the death to save her friend from suffering the same fate as Auntie Alice. Layla has an innate need to protect Ruby from everyone. Now, she is a tough cookie. She stands up to her father, the Reverend. She believes there is more to life than doing the bidding for someone like Lebanon. She believes there is a life outside the church that her father is downright oblivious to.

But there's a history between Ruby and Layla's dads. Once upon a time they were the best of friends. They would, and did, do everything together. They protected each other. They had secrets buried that could destroy the lives they built.

But the aspect that really got me, and got me a turned around a few times, was that their GRANDPARENTS were all friends. Which came with a whole slew of secrets they kept from their children and grandchildren. Forever, and to the end.

This book was actually really good for a number of reasons.

Besides being a debut author who happens to be black and a woman, it fits a new genre that I'm dying to read more of. Ruby and Layla are both in their early-mid twenties. It's hard to find books that tackle this many topics, let alone one that features characters my own age. It was amazing and heartbreaking to set foot into Chicago's South Side with Catherine Adel West's words.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for sending me an e-arc of this book!!

Saving Ruby King hits shelves June 16, 2020!

Looking for the rest of the series?

The Two Lives of Sara