I had already been deeply moved by Amanda Nguyen’s activism before receiving the ALC of Saving Five, but nothing could have prepared me for the emotional depth of her memoir. I do not only praise the production of this audiobook, I deeply admire the narration done by Sura Siu, her job was outstanding. She put so much care and emotion to Amanda’s story. The closing segment, narrated by Amanda Nguyen herself, is especially amazing to listen, I'm so glad they added it.

It’s difficult to "review" a memoir like this based solely on content because it’s someone’s lived experiences, and Amanda's is one that should be read or, at the very least, researched by everyone. What I can speak to is how Amanda tells her story, through nonlinear timelines, insightful analogies, practical guidance and commentary for survivors and companions, and carefully integrated statistics and legal information, she crafts a narrative that is as informative as it is poetic and emotionally resonant
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She takes us on a journey through the stages of grief, from denial to anger. But her anger isn’t just for the things that happened to her, it’s a rage directed to the system. She lays bare a broken system that destroys rape kits, that gaslights victims, and that makes seeking justice a second trauma. 
And yet she also talks about hope....The hunger for it, the path back to compassion and the long, painful process of healing.

Amanda brings together all her selves, her five year old self, her 15 and 22 year old self, and her present self to show us not only what happened to her even before Harvard, but how she heal, how she felt the shame, the helplessness, the desperation to be seen as more than a "victim." and how she find herself making a decision that changed everything. 

This audiobook is more than a memoir, it's a testimony of pain and resilience. Amanda Nguyen paid an immense personal price to fight for justice—not only for herself but for others. For that, she is to be admired, honored, and above all, thanked.

I’m so sorry the system failed you, Amanda. Thank you for fighting anyway. Thank you for letting yourself dream again. They never should’ve taken your dreams away.

This is an honest review. And to the those who also experienced trauma, let me rephrase some of Amanda's words: I'm sorry the world has fail you, retaking the space that hurt you is hard, but you deserve to show yourself compassion, you deserve to heal and retake your dreams, I hope one day you can.