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Lights and Sirens is a story of love and friendship forged during intense medical emergencies. Sixteen-year-old Anni Sawyer joins the Twin Valley Rescue Squad, hoping to find meaning and redemption by saving the lives of others.
Lights & Sirens is a work of fiction. None of the places, characters, or situations are based on real encounters. However, the volunteer EMTs, who served on the Florham Park, NJ, First Aid Squad in the 1980s, were the inspiration for this novel. These volunteer first responders modeled what it means to provide essential medical services for their communities. They exemplified medical expertise, patience, and kindness. Volunteers continue to do amazing EMS work, both in New Jersey and throughout the nation.
Does the novel present a realistic picture of ambulance work? Yes, in part, but it also contains literary elements that you might not expect. I hope you will find itentertaining.
Reviewed by Robert A. Groves for Readers' Favorite
Lights & Sirens by Elizabeth Raum is a heartwarming tale about Annika “Anni” Sawyer, a quiet sixteen-year-old still dealing with her dad’s death. After seeing a poster in a store window for volunteers, Anni decides to join her town’s ambulance squad. At first, Anni wants to help people and maybe find a sense of purpose. But the job quickly teaches her that saving others is not simple or easy. It is hard work. She sees pain and loss up close, and those experiences begin to force her to face her own grief. Along the way, Anni grows close to the other crew members. There’s Ruby, Wilbur, and Jesse, a quiet EMT who loves poetry. In time, Anni learns that helping others cannot completely erase what hurts inside, but it can begin to heal her.
As I read Elizabeth Raum’s Lights & Sirens, the descriptive phrase that kept coming to mind was “heavy laden.” Anni’s story has all the feels. I cried, laughed, cursed, and did it all over again. My main takeaway was that life happens one moment or event at a time. Of course, some of the emergency call scenarios hit harder than others. This was especially true for scenes that involved Jesse. Anni’s personal connection with him was a high point of the book. Their friendship really illustrated what it means to show up for another. Drawing on Jesse’s love of poetry, the incorporation of his writing into the plot was a brilliant move that elevated the read. I highly recommend Raum’s novel to young adult readers who like characters with heart and who are experiencing personal growth.
