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Saving Alex audiobook

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Saving Alex Audiobook Summary

Days after Alex Cooper told her parents that she was gay, they drove Alex from their home in Southern California to Utah, where they signed over guardianship to fellow Mormons who promised to save Alex from her homosexuality.

For eight harrowing months, Alex was held captive in an unlicensed “residential treatment program,” modeled on the many “therapeutic” boot camps scattered across Utah. Alex was physically and verbally abused, and forced to stand facing a wall for up to eighteen hours a day wearing a heavy backpack full of rocks. “God’s plan does not apply to gay people,” her captors told her, using faith to punish and terrorize her. With the help of a dedicated legal team in Salt Lake City, Alex would eventually escape and make legal history in Utah by winning the right to live under the law’s protection as an openly gay teenager.

Saving Alex is a horrific yet uplifting story of identity, faith, courage, acceptance, and freedom that reveals what happens when religion goes too far and how a group of dedicated Americans and one young woman fought for her rights, including finding the strength and courage to be herself, and how her story has inspired countless others along the way.

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Saving Alex Audiobook Narrator

Luci Christian Bell is the narrator of Saving Alex audiobook that was written by Alex Cooper

Alex Cooper made legal history in Utah by winning the right to live under the law’s protection as an openly gay teenager. Now twenty-one, she lives in Portland, Oregon.

About the Author(s) of Saving Alex

Alex Cooper is the author of Saving Alex

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Subjects

The publisher of the Saving Alex is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Christianity, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), Religion

Additional info

The publisher of the Saving Alex is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062455291.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Rachel

March 04, 2016

This book is about Alex, who grew up LDS. When she came out to her parents, they kicked her out and then found a family in St. George, Utah, to convert her into being straight. Except that family wasn't licensed at all, and ended up abusing her physically, emotionally, and spiritually (and also, it's not possible to change a person's sexual orientation through bullying them). With the help of some friends she was able to escape her abusers and return to her family, but not without a huge legal struggle to ensure her safety. Part of that legal struggle was setting a precedent for other LGBT kids in Utah; during the case her opposition argued that encouraging her to be heterosexual was part of her parents' right to raise her in their religion, but by the end of the case they decided that was not the case (I think). Reading about her custody trial also helped me understand more about how the legal system works--it seems like more of a give-and-take until both parties are more or less satisfied or tired. I also feel more sympathy for victims of abuse who decide in the end not to press charges, as it seemed like a very stressful experience (Alex decided to get on with her life rather than press charges against the family that abused her).This book was horrifying, riveting, and emotionally draining. Five stars for being courageous and publishing this book. But I can't say I really enjoyed reading about this emotionally difficult experience, but I think it was good for me to realize what terrible things LDS exclusion of gay people can inspire. If you are an LDS parent, please decide now that you would never abandon your child or kick them our of your house because of their sexual orientation. You can hold a temple recommend and still love and support your children, even if they are queer. If you're an LGBT/QUILTBAG person struggling in the LDS community, my ears and heart, and possibly my spare room if it comes down to that, are open to you.

B.A.

March 15, 2017

The teacher that still lurks inside me fought a constant battle between rage and sorrow while reading this true story. I’m horrified that any adult would behave this way towards a child, despite the fact that I’ve seen and heard even worse. POTENTIAL SPOILERS: YOU'VE BEEN WARNEDI’m proud of Alex but ashamed of many of the adults in this novel, including her parents, whom I still find to be an epic disappointment. I don’t feel that sacrificing basic humanity and kindness is ever acceptable behavior, regardless of your religious beliefs. I appreciate how facts and statistics about the LGBT community were included, so it becomes clear that this was not just a rare or random act of abuse, intolerance, and hatred. From my perspective, the parents both belong in jail (as well as the Siales), and they should consider themselves lucky that Alex protected them, despite the fact that they never protected her. Their neglect and complete lack of support, even after finding out what she suffered, is appalling. This book will make you angry, sad, and hopeful. If it doesn’t, then you might need to take a long look in the mirror and reevaluate your life and perspectives. Pages: 256

Traci

January 30, 2018

Fuck the people who did this to Alex.Fuck the Mormon church. And any other "church" that condones hateful acts like this book tells about.Fuck her parents.Fuck Tiana and Johnny, whoever they really are.Fuck the people who looked past Alex and didn't say anything.Fuck any close-minded, hard-hearted BIGOTS (because that's who you are) who ever think that being gay, lesbian, trans, or whatever other shade of the spectrum you can and cannot imagine is meant to be anything but CELEBRATED for a beautiful, joyful gift.But on the other hand...Bless Delsy. Bless Jason. Bless Paul. And most of all, bless Alex, for being brave enough not only to live her story, but tell her story.If you can read this book and not be moved to anger, sadness, and a great need to help in SOME way... then I feel bad for you. I can't say that I loved this book because I don't love that books like this ever exist in the nonfiction section. But this book is important. And it is brave. And it is necessary.

Sara

March 20, 2016

An infuriating read. The Utah Cooper describes is chillingly close to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, a place where the semblance of happy family life and a seemingly sympathetic gaze mask unfeeling conformity, but it's her ability to find empathy for both her parents and captors--even while justifiably wanting to run the latter over--that makes this book both moving and enlightening. It's also a nice retort to the loons blathering about Sharia law in the US, as even after her escape, Cooper is forced to lock horns with a homegrown version in the Utah legal system. This is not John Krakauer writing-wise, but it deserves a spot alongside Under the Banner of Heaven and Emily Danforth's Miseducation of Cameron Post.

Sarah

July 12, 2016

There are so many things I like about this book. Despite how terrifying it is to consider that we’re still engaging in ridiculous and despicable things such as reparative therapy (I mean, SERIOUSLY?!), it’s awesome to know that there are youngsters out there bucking the system and working hard to make the world a safer place for us all. Alex Cooper went through some terrible things as a result of her choosing to be open about her sexual orientation. People she loved and trusted put her in danger and invalidated her identity over and over again. She was abused for months in the name of “cure.” And she has every right to be unspeakably angry, which she is. BUT she’s also insanely wise for such a young human. She’s able to recognize that her parents did what they did because they love her and that’s the only thing they knew to do at the time. She’s able to find peace in her own identity, even apart from her culture and her parents (who are making progress, but still haven’t fully come around to the idea that it’s okay for girls to like girls). What an impressive and inspirational person. Let’s all take a cue from Alex Cooper and start loving ourselves, speaking our truth, and respecting other people’s right to be who they need to be.

Eve

June 28, 2018

This was an amazing and emotional read, wow. My heart breaks for Alex, but I'm so happy that she's alive and well. This book made me feel such intense anger towards her parents, the Siales, and most of the community in St. George who did nothing. Alex's strength is remarkable, and her story is SO important.

Sam

June 05, 2018

This was a heart-wrenching read. The fact that this happens more often than not makes me so angry and disgusted. I felt so terrible for Alex and I was so relieved when she was able to get some justice. It is important for these stories to be told and to be believed.

Amy

February 01, 2023

I read this book years ago now, but I think about it almost daily…coming out as a Mormon was traumatic as an adult. Imagine being a child. And being shipped off to a “inpatient therapy” because your attraction is a sin. As a teenager struggling to be me - not yet anywhere close to coming out - i was sent to survival camp. My experience was better than most. When I came out as an adult my dad offered to send me to conversion therapy, but I declined. Had I come out a day shy of my 18th birthday, however, it would not have been my choice. Alex’s story isn’t an uncommon one, nor is it only a Mormon experience. Neither fact make what happened to her, or what has happened to countless others IN LICENSED INSTITUTIONS okay. I implore you to read as though it were you coming out. Put away your religion, your actual sexuality and all your preconceived notions about how much more promiscuous and risky the LGBTQIA lifestyle is and just put yourself in Alex’s shoes as you read her story. While Alex’s parents placed her in an unlicensed home with people who had worked in so-called licensed institutions her story is not that much different from stories of others who’ve been institutionalized (look up Straight, Inc - they’re big “specialty” is drugs/alcohol). Punishing, brainwashing and denigrating a person as immoral for their sexuality and/or sexual identity is the immorality. It is not loving. It is not kind. And it is not what Jesus taught. If you cannot reconcile this with parables like the Good Samaritan or the Adulterous woman then you, not the person you’re trying to “save”, are the problem. Banning books, banning gender affirming care and legalizing conversion therapy, among other things (ie banning the use of the word Latinx) are giant leaps backwards along with the overturning of Roe v Wade. They are not God’s way. They are man’s way. Man is the Anti-Christ, so perverted by their so-called Christianity that they’ve forgotten judgement day is the Lord’s, not theirs.

Sasha

March 17, 2021

TW | physical abuse, emotional abuse, mental abuse, homophobia, conversion therapy, victim blaming, gaslighting, use of the slur d*ke, suicide ideation, attempted suicidethis was a difficult yet satisfying book to read. satisfying because alex never giving up hope or faith and being able to meet so many people who helped her after being denied help over and over again was amazing. I've seen the film based on her story a couple of times and it's one of the most possibly triggering things I've watched but it's so important.

Libby

May 02, 2016

Alex wanted to be a good daughter. She loved her mom and dad. She wanted to a good Mormon. She was brought up in the church by her mom and dad. But she was stubborn and troubled by doubts and thoughts because she felt different. She wanted to love other girls. One day, she told her mom she was gay. Then the nightmare began. Her much loved parents and her familiar and comforting Church had no room for a girl who loved girls Her parents decided she must be saved from herself. With the cooperation of her grandparents and the encouragement of the church, Alex was handed over, legally, into the custody of a couple who claimed they could alter Alex's sexual preferences. They claimed to be trained behavior experts who knew methods to "fix" Alex. Their methods included wearing a backpack made heavy with rocks and standing face to a wall to "Feel" the weight of her bad "choices" and to realize that she was deluding herself by believing she was gay. She was pinched, punched and beaten when she attempted to communicate with the world outside her tiny, tight-knit community. She resisted, but was worn down by despair, eventually attempting suicide, but her jailers had met resistance before. Though not the therapists they claimed to be, both had been guards in behavioral facilities. They made sure to impress on her that the police, the neighbors and everyone she might meet, knew them and would not believe her if she complained. Finally she realized that to survive, she had to placate them and make them believe she was cooperative. When they were sure of her docility, she was allowed to go to school, where she met a boy who knew a lawyer. What followed was a round of legal maneuvering that remade Utah law and set Alex free. This story was a chilling story of parental care gone wrong and the chilling indifference of society to the suffering of the "different" ones. Alex's sufferings are particularly poignant in that they were dispensed by those whom she loved most. The book is written very simply and perhaps this is why the methods of her keepers seem so chilling and terrifying. And yet, Alex's tale makes it clear that there is hope, that some people do care and that life, even after pain and terror, can be very sweet. I have to recommend this to any and all who are LGBT or who love someone who is LGBT. This book may horrify you, but it will also inspire you and bring you hope.

Maddy

April 01, 2016

Powerful. Alex's story is one everyone should know, especially any parent that feels their children's homosexuality is something they should fix. Something the CAN fix. If any parent is considering these abusive, disturbing conversion therapy centers they need to know what they are signing up for first.This book left me weepy, angry, and justified. It was hard reading Alex's story, her hopelessness is is palpable. You will feel a range of emotions as you live through her story. I was so angry with her parents, first and foremost. How a parent could do that is beyond me, but indoctrination is a powerful thing and it's best to place the anger with the Mormon church itself, but it's still shocking to think a parent is capable of doing this to their child.But besides anger, you feel so relieved and your sense of humanity is restored when certain characters come into her story. The friend from school, the teacher, the lawyer, the bus driver. There are times, whether it's depression or you finding yourself in a desperate situation, that you need people to help you, pull you out, and get you through it. Sometimes you are powerless. What I took from this, setting aside my anger, was a sense of hope, that there are people out there who can help, support, and love you. I want to personally reach out and hug each of these people who took Alex out of this horrible situation, the supporters who finally where able, in the end, to save Alex.

Kris

June 20, 2020

I am an ex-Mormon, and stories like this are part of the reason for the "ex" part. This is an all too common occurrence in the LDS church, and the church has fought against LGBTQ+ rights at every step, including the fighting the ban against conversion therapy for minors in Utah. These stories are appalling, and they are a contributing factor to the ridiculously high suicide rate for LGBTQ+ people in Utah, particularly teens. I'm glad Alex had the courage to tell her story, and I'm glad she was in a place, mentally, emotionally, and financially, to fight for some of these changes. I wish I could say that this was unbelievable. I wish I could say that I don't personally know people who would do these exact same things to their children. But I do believe it, and I do know those kinds of people. I have offered my home to teens and young adults I know who don't feel safe or accepted at home. The local youth homeless shelter near me (yes, that's a thing because so many Utah kids are kicked out of their homes for being gay) says that close to half of the kids who stay with them are LGBTQ+, and they have been kicked out of their homes. This is not a perfectly written book, and I think it would benefit from being further out from the experience as far as the story is concerned, but it needed to exist now. It needed to exist so that more changes could start to happen. And they will, even I have to personally drag Utah into the 21st century kicking and screaming.

Stephanie

April 15, 2016

This was a difficult story to read, but an important story to be told. It left me incredibly sad and angry. It highlights the dangers of indoctrination and wrong-thinking too many devoutly religious people fall prey to. Alex was a spirited and somewhat defiant fifteen year old girl who liked to sneak out of the house, smoke a little weed, and girls. When she informed her parents she liked girls their first reaction was to kick her out of the house. Then they shipped her to another state and placed her in the custody of a couple who ran an unlicensed home for troubled teens. This couple tried to 'cure' Alex of her homosexuality through verbal, emotional, and physical abuse, as well as through prayer and scripture readings.The theme that ran through this story was the importance of being able to be seen and heard and accepted as your authentic self. Alex often referred to her struggle with being invisible to others who were literally inches away from her, and of having her voice silenced. I am happy she was able to finally be seen and heard by telling her story.

John

April 16, 2016

Maybe I'm just being naïve, or uninformed, but this book stunned me, in that even in recent years people still believe that gays can be untrained (for lack of a better term) from their "lifestyle". What Alex Cooper went through is disgusting and shameful. And it's sad that she had to go through the legal system just to have what she should have been entitled to all along: the freedom to live her life as a gay person. I admire the people who helped her along the way, and am angered by her parents' attitude towards her. I just wished so much I could have had a daughter like her to tell her that I loved her and that she is a very cool person, and those feelings of mine would never change. I admire Alex too for her honesty about her outbursts and loss of temper at times. She is a person who is a real role model, and a courageous person who fought the good fight to have her freedom. This book was definitely a worthwhile read.

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