Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” —Groucho Marx

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

A Life, Redefined by Tracy Hewitt Meyer--Review of AudioBook

Have you ever noticed how many firsts there are in life?     Countless firsts come at all stages in life.
We have our first tooth, our first tooth lost, first day of school, first day of work, first marriage, first born, first favorite book. first book on kindle and first audio book.

And there you have it.....my first audio book ever.
Will it be my last?   Probably not, but I will say, if my eyes fail me, audio will be the way I go.    It seems much easier than learning Braille, don't you think?

SYNOPSIS:

Seven years ago, an innocent act by Rowan Slone turned her life into a nightmare. Since the age of 10 she's lived with the burden of her baby brother's death. Now she is 17 and all she wants to do is graduate high school, go to college, and escape the loveless family she has endured all these years - the same family that holds her responsible for his death. But no one holds her responsible more than herself. When long-time crush Mike Anderson invites her to the prom, suddenly her future looks brighter. Rowan's younger sister, Trina, however, is determined to ruin her new-found happiness, no matter the cost. And when Rowan discovers her mother's long-held secret, she finds herself teetering on the edge of an abyss. Can Rowan find the strength to move toward the future or is she doomed to dwell in the past?

©2013 Tracy Hewitt Meyer (P)2014 Tracy Hewitt Meyer


FROM MY PERSPECTIVE:

First of all, I gave this audiobook a rating of 4 Winks.

I listened to this audiobook on my kindle and for the life of me, I could hardly hear it.    I am no techie so I'm not sure how to increase the volume.   And I  found myself disliking the narration of the story.    The narrator's voice got on my nerves and reminded me of a voice belonging to an individual I am not real fond of.

Now for the story itself.  The genre was Young Adult and I had read another story about pain and cutting.   Of course the theme of this story was a loveless family for many disturbing reasons and the secrets locked inside the mother's soul.   Ultimately this story was about the most dysfunctional family unit I have ever read about, let alone imagined.   For me it was easy to empathize with Rowen, the oldest daughter.   She was irritating at times with her desperation to leave her home life behind and escape with her sleaze of a car salesman boss.   Yuck!    Mike Anderson was a honey of a character.....the perfect senior soccer player, so sweet and from  a warm and loving home.   And Rowen's younger sister, Trina, was a real piece of work....absolutely the meanest person in Rowen's world.

I suppose cutting is no different than harming oneself by starvation, overeating, smoking or doing drugs or alcohol.....it's all harmful and reflects something way out of balance.  There were no redeeming characters in the Slone family, other than Rowen who needed to escape to normal so desperately.   She wanted to graduate from high school, stop cutting, go to college and live somewhere no where near her hometown.   She related much better to animals than she did to the people around her.

I did enjoy the psychology of this story and I enjoyed the ending.    Rowen had learned to accept help and love from others outside of her family.   Sometimes, you gotta take it where you find it.




Audible - http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/A-Life-Redefined-A-Rowan-Slone-Novel-Audiobook/B00K23Z91A/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl

Bio for Tracy Hewitt Meyer

Tracy Hewitt Meyer is a multi-genre, multi-published author of new adult fiction as well as adult paranormal and contemporary romance. She has a B.A. in English and a Master of Social Work, both of which feed her true passion-her love of writing. Born and raised in the beautiful state of West Virginia, Tracy now lives in the mid-east with her family, a goldendoodle, and a bearded dragon.



Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like. I received a complimentary copy from the author or the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.

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