AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ WHAT UNBREAKABLE LOOKS LIKE

BY KATE MCLAUGHLIN

NARRATED BY JESSE VILINSKY

SYNOPSIS ON GOODREADS⇣

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ SEX TRAFFICKING
⤏ SURVIVOR STORY
⤏ FINDING YOUR WORTH AFTER IT'S BEEN STOMPED ON & STOLEN FROM YOU
⤏ GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF RAPE, DRUG USE, AND ABUSE
⤏ SPLASH OF ROMANCE
⤏ AUDIO LENGTH - 11 HOURS, 18 MINUTES
⤏ I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY

MY THOUGHTS⇣

Jesse Vilinsky gave a wonderfully realistic performance and really brought Lex/Poppy to life...the MC's dialogue is choppy, with short sentences...but with the help of her narration it not only worked, it felt completely authentic given all the circumstances of the story.  

A raw, arduous look at the life of someone who is trafficked and held in a hotel only thirty minutes from her home.  This book is difficult to read at times, with graphic depictions of rape, forced drug use, and the degrading/warping of one's mind.  But, it's so damn indelible, it will gut you.  There is one particular memory of hers that literally almost made me throw up in mouth a little bit.

This book could have been a five-star read but unfortunately, it fell apart towards the end.  This is going to get <spoiler-y...but>...I felt like she made a complete turn-about in her recovery way to quickly and was ready to have sex all of sudden...what...that just felt like it was disingenuous to her recovery.  The romance between them was absolutely awesome...very well done, even, they or her (the author) just shouldn't have taken it to that level.  I apologize, I don't usually do spoilers of any kind but this had me a little pissed off.  I can't really bring myself to call this YA...despite most of the character's being teens.  Maybe, YA-ish, but even that's difficult.

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating ⇢ 5 STARS
Plot ⇢ 3.7/5

Characters ⇢ 4.5/5

The Feels ⇢ 4/5

Pacing ⇢ 3/5

Addictiveness ⇢ 5/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 5/5
Originality/Believability ⇢5/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 4.5/5

Romance/Chemistry ⇢ 4/5

Ending ⇢ 3/5

Summation ⇢ 3¾ STARS

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ OUR LAST NIGHT

BY TAYLOR ADAMS

NARRATED BY SCOTT MERRIMAN

SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ SUPERNATURAL - GHOSTS, DEMONS & A CURSED FIREARM

⤏ TIME-TRAVELING-ISH

⤏ THRILLER W/INTENSE PACING

⤏ HORROR-IF-IC & GORY

⤏ DEALING WITH THE GRIEF OF A SPOUSE

⤏ A PET SAVANNAH MONITOR (I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE)

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 8 HOURS, 33 MINUTES
⤏ KU LISTEN ON AUDIBLE

MY THOUGHTS⇣

The narration by Scott Merriman was decently performed...I just found his voice easy to tune out...he didn't keep me in the story...even when I had ear-buds in.  This is most likely just a personal issue for me, though.  Unfortunately, when you constantly fall out of a story it leads to not always knowing what's going on and less enjoyment of the story overall.  Especially when a story has a lot of technical time-travel-y jargon.  Plus the pacing was so intense...it was almost too intense to keep up with at times.  

Despite all that, the potential for a five-star rating is there and plenty of others have given that.  There are a lot of elements at play in this book...and the concept alone is intriguing enough to recommend this book...maybe, I would suggest reading over listening, but again, you may really like the narration...it is available as a Read and Listen on KU...so that's always a great possibility for trying both mediums. 

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating ⇢ 3¾ STARS
Plot ⇢ 3.8/5

Characters ⇢ 3.7/5

The Feels ⇢ 3.3/5

Pacing ⇢ 3.5/5

Addictiveness ⇢ 3.5/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 4/5
Originality ⇢4.5/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 3/5

World-Building/Twisty-ness/Mystery ⇢ 4/5

Ending ⇢ 3.8/5

Summation ⇢ 3¾ STARS

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ THE BEST LIES

BY SARAH LYU

NARRATED BY NANCY WU

SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ THE PRANKS OF PAPER TOWNS MEETS THE TOXICITY OF DANGEROUS GIRLS
⤏ THAT'S ULTIMATELY PREDICTABLE AF
⤏ YA CONTEMPORARY
⤏ A TOXIC FRIENDSHIP HEADED FOR DISASTER
⤏ TINY SPLASH OF DOOMED ROMANCE
⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 11 HOURS, 8 MINUTES
⤏ I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY

MY THOUGHTS⇣

If you like a story about the inner workings that will lead to a tragic downfall...all while knowing how it turns out in the end...then this might be the story for you.  For me, I wanted a twist that I never got, I literally just waited for it, all the way to the end...and it never came.

On the outside, this is a story of a toxic friendship gone bad.  On a deeper level...it's the story of someone who never got the validation they needed, that everyone needs really, and turned into someone who seeks control over anything and everyone that they can because of the one thing that they cannot.  

For me, Nancy Wu's narration wasn't necessarily bad...I just didn't gel with her nasally voice.

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating ⇢ 3 STARS
Plot ⇢ 3.2/5

Characters ⇢ 3.7/5

The Feels ⇢ 3.7/5

Pacing ⇢ 3/5

Addictiveness ⇢ 3.2/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 3.3/5
Originality/Believability ⇢3/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 4/5

Twisty-ness/Mystery ⇢ 2/5

Ending ⇢ 2.8/5

Summation ⇢ 3/5

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ THE LOST

BY SARAH BETH DURST

NARRATED BY CHARLOTTE NORTH

SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ THE LOST SERIES #1 OF NOTHING...SO FAR

⤏ THE REST OF THE SERIES ISN'T GOING TO BE PUBLISHED

⤏ WHY'D I LISTEN TO THIS...IF  BOOK #2 & #3 ARE NOT BEING PUBLISHED

⤏ AND YET IT'S A COMPLETELY UNIQUE CONCEPT

⤏ FANTASY/MYSTERY

⤏ FELT LIKE A MASH-UP OF SO MANY MOVIES/TV/BOOKS

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 11 HOURS, 4 MINUTES
⤏ I LISTENED ON AUDIBLE THROUGH AUDIBLE ESCAPE

MY THOUGHTS⇣

Race the Sands is the only book by this author that I've read/listened to and I loved it.  Unfortunately, I was about a third of the way through this unique story when I noticed on GR that it is a series...only it still hasn't been published yet, and this book came out in 2014.  I searched around on GR and the internet and near as I can tell HarperCollins bought out Harlequin and they decided not to publish it...but this was a few years ago and supposedly they gave them back to the author and who knows what's up with up the two other books now...😞

I read this through Audible Escape (free trial)...and basically, my rating is heavily influenced by the fact that the next two books are not ever coming out...or don't seem to be...it has been six years after all...but if they do, that'd be cool.  So, if Sara Beth Durst sees this post, could you please release the next two books already...especially if they already been written.

The narrator, Charlotte North, could use some help with varying voices...all her characters sounded the same...but otherwise she had good inflection...and I would listen to her again.

 

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating ⇢ 4 STARS  
Plot ⇢3.8/5

Characters ⇢ 4/5

The Feels ⇢ 3.8/5

Pacing ⇢ 3.5/5

Addictiveness ⇢ 3.8/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 4/5
Originality ⇢ 4.3/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 3.7/5

World-Building ⇢ 4.3/5

Ending ⇢ 2.8/5

Summation ⇢ 3½ STARS

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ THE FIRE BETWEEN HIGH & LOW

BY BRITTAINY C CHERRY

NARRATED BY GRAHAM HALSTED & EMILY WOO ZELLER

SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ ELEMENTS SERIES #2 (CAN BE READ AS STAND-ALONE)

⤏ CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE 

⤏ YA TRANSITIONING INTO NA

⤏ FRIENDS TO LOVERS

⤏ DRUG ADDICTION

⤏ RECIPIENTS OF THE CRAPPIEST PARENT AWARDS

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 9 HOURS, 3 MINUTES
⤏ I LISTENED ON AUDIBLE THROUGH AUDIBLE ESCAPE

MY RATING⇢ 3✰STARS✰

MY THOUGHTS⇣

My second book by this author, the first was The Air He Breathes...which I absolutely loved.  It ripped my heart out and put it back together.  This book didn't even feel like it was written by the same author.  I think this book lost me with the weird, oft times cheesy banter between the two MC's and their inner dialogue...their decisions didn't always feel authentic and I just couldn't relate to them.

The narration by Graham Halsted & Emily Woo Zeller was okay-ish...but not my favorite...that could have been due to what they had to work with...IDK.  While this book had some quotable moments, it sadly didn't work for me.  I should have skipped this book since each one seems to be a stand-alone.  

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating⇢ 3½ STARS
Plot⇢ 3.5/5

Characters⇢ 2.5/5

The Feels⇢ 2.5/5

Pacing⇢ 4/5

Addictiveness⇢ 3/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity⇢ 3/5
Originality/Believability⇢ 3/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening)⇢ 3.5/5

Romance/Chemistry⇢ 3/5
Steaminess to Story Ratio⇢ 20/80

Ending⇢ 3.7/5

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ THIS IS HOW I LIED

BY HEATHER GUDENKAUF

NARRATED BY BRITTANY PRESSLEY

SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ MYSTERY/THRILLER/SUSPENSE

⤏ INTENSE PACING

⤏ A TWIST...THAT'S NOT REALLY A TWIST

⤏ THREE SEPARATE POINT OF VIEWS

⤏ ALTERNATING TIMELINES WHERE THE TRUTH SLOWLY COMES ABOUT

⤏ ONE PECULIAR CHARACTER WITH SOME MORBID CURIOSITIES

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 9 HOURS, 59 MINUTES
⤏ I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY

MY THOUGHTS⇣

I knocked one star off the narration rating because this has three different point-of-views and should, therefore, have three different narrators.  I like Brittany Pressley, she's one of my favorites, actually, and my four-star rating reflects that.  She did try to make each woman's voice different from one another...but she shouldn't have had too.

On the surface...this book was an intense ride with a little bit of possible insanity thrown into it...but, when you finish reading and start analyzing it...you're bound to find some fault within, especially with that first twist...which really isn't a twist at all...almost like a form of an unreliable narrator.  I obviously didn't let the inconsistencies bother me too much, but if you look at other reviews, you'll see that it did.  Which I totally get...but I was too caught up in the ride to think on it much.  

Overall, if you're looking for a story to immerse yourself in and forget about the craziness going on in the world today, then look no further because this book totally delivered on that.

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating⇢ 4 STARS
Plot⇢ 4.5/5

Characters⇢ 5/5

The Feels⇢ 5/5

Pacing⇢ 5/5

Addictiveness⇢ 5+/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity⇢ 5/5
Originality/Believability⇢ 4.5/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening)⇢ 4.5/5

Twisty-ness/Mystery⇢ 4.5/5

Ending⇢ 4.7/5

Summation ⇢ 4½ STARS

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ LOCK EVERY DOOR

BY RILEY SAGER

NARRATED BY DYLAN MOORE

SYNOPSIS & BUY LINKS ON AUTHORS WEBSITE⇢

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ MYSTERY-SUSPENSE-THRILLER

⤏ FIRST-PERSON SINGLE POV

⤏ APARTMENT HOUSE-SITTING GIG AT THE BARTHOLOMEW

⤏ STRANGE LEGENDS & A SINISTER HISTORY 

⤏ A SET OF RULES NOT TO BE BROKEN

⤏ MYSTERIOUS NOISES...LOST ITEMS IN THE HEATER GRATES

⤏ DISAPPEARING HOUSE-SITTERS...WHAT IS HAPPENING???

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 10 HOURS, 27 MINUTES

⤏ I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY

MY THOUGHTS⇣

Dylan Moore was terrific...I believe this is my first time listening to a book narrated by her.  I kept thinking Drew Barrymore was narrating...her voice sounds quite similar to hers.

I haven't been reading/listening to mystery/suspense/thriller genre for all that long now...I would say I'm still fairly new to the different types of stories and still learning what I like best in this genre.  I do know one thing though, Riley Sager is an author I really like.  His books haven't disappointed me yet.

The tension or the what-the-f*ck-ness set from the beginning is palpable throughout the story.  I never saw that ending coming, totally waylaid, and I was too engrossed to think about the possible implausibility of it to let it affect my rating too severely.  

I would love to see Netflix make a show and call it From the Mind of Riley Sager and just make 10-episode seasons off each book.  

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating ⇢ 5 STARS
Plot ⇢ 4.7/5
Characters ⇢ 5/5
The Feels ⇢ 5/5
Pacing ⇢ 5/5
Addictiveness ⇢ 5/5
Theme, Tone or Intensity ⇢ 5/5
Originality/Believability ⇢ 4.3/5
Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) ⇢ 5/5
Twisty-ness/Mystery ⇢ 4.7/5
Ending ⇢ 4.5/5

Summation ⇢ 4¾ STARS

 

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ HIDDEN BODIES

BY CAROLINE KEPNES

NARRATED BY SANTINO FONTANA

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
Hidden Bodies marks the return of a voice that Stephen King described as original and hypnotic, and through the divisive and charmingly sociopathic character of Joe Goldberg, Kepnes satirizes and dissects our culture, blending suspense with scathing wit.
In the compulsively readable follow-up to her widely acclaimed debut novel, You, Caroline Kepnes weaves a tale that Booklist calls “the love child of Holden Caulfield and Patrick Bateman.”
Joe Goldberg is no stranger to hiding bodies. In the past ten years, this thirty-something has buried four of them, collateral damage in his quest for love. Now he’s heading west to Los Angeles, the city of second chances, determined to put his past behind him.
In Hollywood, Joe blends in effortlessly with the other young upstarts. He eats guac, works in a bookstore, and flirts with a journalist neighbor. But while others seem fixated on their own reflections, Joe can’t stop looking over his shoulder. The problem with hidden bodies is that they don’t always stay that way. They re-emerge, like dark thoughts, multiplying and threatening to destroy what Joe wants most: true love. And when he finds it in a darkened room in Soho House, he’s more desperate than ever to keep his secrets buried. He doesn’t want to hurt his new girlfriend—he wants to be with her forever. But if she ever finds out what he’s done, he may not have a choice…

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ JOE IS BACK...WITH REVENGE IN MIND

⤏ AND HE IS IN FULL-ON KILLER MODE

⤏ HE EVEN DENYS BEING A SOCIOPATH

⤏ WHAT'S "LOVE" GOT TO DO WITH IT...

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 13 HOURS, 3 MINUTES
⤏ I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY

MY RATING⇢ 4½ ✰STARS✰

MY THOUGHTS⇣

Have you ever heard the song Bodies by Drowning Pool...I think it could be Joe's theme song.  Joe is back and he's really going off the rails this time.  Santino Fontana is also back voicing the harried thoughts of Joe...and his personification of this mind-warping, seriously delusional point of view is spot on.  I don't know if his way of narrating will translate well to other characters, as a lot of people didn't like his narration of Snow in The latest Hunger Games book, although, I didn't have any issues with it.  

This book made me laugh out loud so many times...and I flew through my night at work while listening.  Kind of glad that most everyone else at work also listens to their own stuff...so hopefully they didn't hear me.  

Joe gets taken advantage of by his latest love interest and chases after her all the way to LA.  He ends up having a difficult time tracking her down and gets hella sidetracked by Love...and the shenanigans ensue.  This is definitely one of those series that you should put some time in between reading/listening to each one...because being in Joe's head is a little exhausting at times.  Better if you do it in doses.  While there are numerous quotes that made me laugh out loud, I'll leave you with this quote because this one was really good...

“He snorts more cocaine, I could pull over and roll him out the door, but he's on so much blow right now that he would probably just turn into a roadrunner, catch up to me, and jump back in.”

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating⇢ 4.5/5
Plot⇢ 4.2/5

Characters⇢ 4.3/5

The Feels⇢ 4.5/5

Pacing⇢ 4.3/5

Addictiveness⇢ 4/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity⇢ 4.2/5
Originality/Believability⇢ 4.2/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening)⇢ 4.5/5

Raunchiness⇢ 4.5/5

Ending⇢ 4.3/5

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: DOOKU: JEDI LOST

BY CAVAN SCOTT

NARRATED BY Orlagh Cassidy, Euan Morton, Marc Thompson, Pete Bradbury, Jonathan Davis, Neil Hellegers, Sean Kenin, January LaVoy, Saskia Maarleveld, Carol Monda, Robert Petkoff, & Rebecca Soler

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS⇣
Delve into the history of the sinister Count Dooku in this audio original set in a galaxy far, far away….
Darth Tyranus. Count of Serenno. Leader of the Separatists. A red saber, unsheathed in the dark. But who was he, before he became the right hand of the Sith? As Dooku courts a new apprentice, the hidden truth of the Sith Lord’s past begins to come to light.
Dooku’s life began as one of privilege—born within the stony walls of his family’s estate, orbited by the Funeral Moon where the bones of his ancestors lie interred. But soon his Jedi abilities are recognized and he is taken from his home to be trained in the ways of the Force by the legendary Master Yoda.
As he hones his power, Dooku rises through the ranks, befriending fellow Jedi Sifo-Dyas and taking a padawan of his own, the promising Qui-Gon Jinn—and tries to forget the life that he once led. But he finds himself drawn by a strange fascination with the Jedi Master Lene Kostana, and the mission she undertakes for the Order: finding and studying ancient relics of the Sith, in preparation for the eventual return of the deadliest enemies the Jedi have ever faced.
Caught between the world of the Jedi, the ancient responsibilities of his lost home, and the alluring power of the relics, Dooku struggles to stay in the light—even as the darkness begins to fall.

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ FULL-CAST NARRATION

⤏ WITH SOUND EFFECTS

⤏ SHOULD ONLY BE EXPERIENCED THROUGH AUDIO

⤏ OVERALL, THE STORY FELT LIKE IT WAS MISSING SOMETHING...

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 6 HOURS, 21 MINUTES
⤏ I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY

MY THOUGHTS⇣

I usually add the Kindle version of a book on my Goodreads since Audiobooks never have page numbers of the book.  The Kindle version of this book has 469 pages...because it's written like a screenplay.  So, if you're going to read this, I suggest you rethink that and listen to the Audio...because it's definitely made for that medium.  With a full-cast narration that is either dead on or comes really close to sounding just like the characters in the movies. It was mind-blowing, especially Qui-Gon Jinn...I had to double-check to see if Liam Neeson was one of the narrators...and he wasn't.  That crazy-good narration added to the special effects and this audiobook is an experience...even more so than other Star Wars Books.

However, the sound effects can be distracting at times...I often found it difficult to even follow along and I ultimately found the story lacking any real substance because of them.  I was, however, completely entertained despite not always knowing what was going on, and that had everything to with the narration.  

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating⇢ 5 STARS
Plot⇢ 3/5

Characters⇢ 4/5

The Feels⇢ 3/5

Pacing⇢ 4/5

Addictiveness⇢ 5/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity⇢ 4/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening)⇢ 3/5

World-Building⇢ 3.5/5

Ending⇢ 3/5

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ SANCTUM

BY SARAH FINE

NARRATED BY AMY MCFADDEN

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣

“My plan: Get into the city. Get Nadia. Find a way out. Simple.”

A week ago, seventeen-year-old Lela Santos’s best friend, Nadia, killed herself. Today, thanks to a farewell ritual gone awry, Lela is standing in paradise, looking upon a vast gated city in the distance – hell. No one willingly walks through the Suicide Gates, into a place smothered in darkness and infested with depraved creatures. But Lela isn’t just anyone – she’s determined to save her best friend’s soul, even if it means sacrificing her eternal afterlife.

As Lela struggles to find Nadia, she’s captured by the Guards, enormous, not-quite-human creatures that patrol the dark city’s endless streets. Their all-too-human leader, Malachi, is unlike them in every way except one: his deadly efficiency. When he meets Lela, Malachi forms his own plan: get her out of the city, even if it means she must leave Nadia behind. Malachi knows something Lela doesn’t – the dark city isn’t the worst place Lela could end up, and he will stop at nothing to keep her from that fate.

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ GUARDS OF THE SHADOWLANDS #1 

⤏ WHERE DO YOU GO WHEN YOU COMMIT SUICIDE

⤏ A VERSION OF HELL...

⤏ YA URBAN FANTASY
⤏ WITH A SPLASH OF ROMANCE

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 10 HOURS, 41 MINUTES
⤏ I LISTENED ON AUDIBLE

MY THOUGHTS⇣

Re-read/listen on Audio...the narration by Amy McFadden was not great...it was not only robotic-sounding but rather cheesy at times...and I know she has improved since this book came out because normally I'm okay with her narration.  While not the greatest narration I've heard...it's not the worse either and I'm still glad I gave this a try on audio.  I've docked a half star, though, for my rating, due to the narration.

From my original review of the eBook...Definitely, something different, I really liked this imaginative story.  This is unlike anything I ever read before and in a good way.  It has a kick-ass heroine and a very likable hero.  It still holds true today and also I would add this is a great start to a series that I really enjoyed overall and while the second and third books don't hold a candle to the wonderment that this book has...they still complete the series really well.  With a dark, insidious setting, in the murky depths of hell...this story is YA Urban Fantasy at its best and most ominous.  

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating⇢ 3½ STARS
Plot⇢ 5/5

Characters⇢ 4.7/5

The Feels⇢ 4.5/5

Pacing⇢ 5/5

Addictiveness⇢ 4.5/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity⇢ 5/5
Originality⇢ 5/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening)⇢ 4.5/5

World-Building⇢ 5+/5
Romance/Chemistry⇢ 5/5

Ending⇢ 5/5

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ PURGATORY --2 BOOK SERIES

BY AMY HARMON

NARRATED BY EMILY WOO ZELLER

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE FOR BOOK #1⇣
The hallways are empty, the school day long over, the din of lockers and youthful laughter have dissolved into silence. It's as if the very walls are waiting. And then through the intercom, a song starts to crackle, the soundtrack of a forgotten life. And the band begins to sing - "Lovely Maggie falls for Johnny, a boy no one else can see. Heartthrob Johnny, 50s bad boy, trapped for eternity. Lonely boy and lonely girl, unsolved mystery. Maggie and Johnny, only high school sweethearts, because Johnny can't ever leave. Do wop, Do wop . . ."
In 1958, a rumble goes down outside the brand new high school in Honeyville, Texas. Chaos ensues, a life is lost, and Johnny Kinross disappears. But in 2010, someone finds him. Orphaned at the age of ten, 17-year-old Maggie O'Bannon finally finds a permanent home with her elderly aunt in a small Texas town. Working part-time as a school janitor, she becomes enmeshed in a fifty-year-old tragedy where nothing is as it seems and the boy of her dreams might vanish when the bell rings.
This volatile and mismatched romance is doomed from its start, as Maggie struggles to hold on to yet another person she is destined to lose. Secret love and hushed affection are threatened by outside forces, resulting in a desperate race to keep a secret no one would understand. Deeply romantic, funny, and tender, Slow Dance in Purgatory captures the heartache of a love story where a happy ending might be decades too late.

THE DETAILS⇣

⤏ TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE

⤏ CONTEMPORARY MIXED WITH SUPERNATURAL

⤏ CURRENT CENTURY VERSUS THE 50'S

⤏ YOUNG ADULT

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - #1-7 HOURS, 27 MINUTES

⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - #2-8 HOURS, 18 MINUTES
⤏ I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY

MY THOUGHTS⇣

I really liked this two-book series.  It's part modern-day mixed with the '50s and also part supernatural mixed with science fiction.  Amy Harmon can write some stories with swoon-worthy romances...and all of them different from one another.   I haven't disliked a book by this author yet...and I doubt that I will.

Slow Dance in Purgatory felt more like a ghost story...with dual timelines.  Prom Night in Purgatory had more of a time-travel/science fiction feel to it.  You could just read/listen to Book #1 and call it good but the story morphed into so much more in book #2...it really delved into the time-travel theme.  Her way of explaining the time-traveling/ghosting/space-time continuum or "the science of it all" felt just right for me...explained well enough without being bogged down with too much scientific-ness...just right for a romance story.

Narration by Emily Woo Zeller was actually pretty well performed...I don't always like her, it depends on the character she's reading for, I guess.  It could have used a male narrator for the male POV, though.

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration Rating⇢ 4/5
Plot⇢ 4.2/5

Characters⇢ 4.2/5

The Feels⇢ 4.2/5

Pacing⇢ 4.5/5

Addictiveness⇢ 4/5

Theme, Tone or Intensity⇢ 4.3/5
Originality⇢ 4/5

Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening)⇢ 4.3/5

Romance/Chemistry⇢ 4.2/5

Ending⇢ 4.2/5