I wanted to like this book more than I did. It seemed like a promising story (hmm - too many of the fiction books I have picked up lately have the same feel to them). Plus, it had the name Alice in the title and somehow I have been attracting Alice books ever since I became engrossed in Lisa Genova's Still Alice. Sadly, David Lewis' Saving Alice was not so absorbing.
Stephen Whitaker is a man who lost his first love when a tragic accident ripped her from him just as he had proposed to her. As the back cover proclaims "losing Alice was the event that changed everything for Stephen." He marries his second choice, Donna, and has a daughter, Alycia, whom he adores. As Alycia begins to uncover the past which led to her name, Stephen supposedly finds himself at a crossroads, a second chance, where he must choose his future.
It sounded like a good story. Unfortunately, the main character seemed almost too weak. I think I never came around to liking him in any way. When you don't like the main character, it is hard to become absorbed in the reading. The tale played out predictibly enough. The daughter was appalled that her mother was not her father's first choice. Stephen's lack of commitment to his wife and daughter have driven them from him emotionally.
The ending veered into a dream scenario within a dream scenario and seemed too unrealistic. As I said, I wanted to feel more engaged, but never got there.
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