Can I stop crying now?

My, what an emotional roller coaster! Something completely different that had me changing my allegiance from one person to the next. I asked myself who’s side was I on and in truth, I couldn’t be sure.
Not many laughs in this book but boy did it make me cry?
Beautifully narrated the became part of existence as if I knew the characters- they mattered to me.
I’m an aspiring writer and how I envy the skill and story telling of this author.

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WOW 😮

This book was simply one of the best book ive ever listened too! I really enjoyed the split story of both choices very cleverly written! The narration was really interesting it pulled me in.....almost like being inside her mind and l shouldnt really have been there....hearing all her raw unfiltered thoughts which made it very realistic.

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2 people found this helpful

anticlimactic

Firstly, Katie-Clarkson Hill’s narration is questionable. Her narration of the main character, Joanna Oliva, is good, often brilliant, but when it comes to other characters, her accents are mainly unconvincing and quite awful on occasion, for example Ed, Joanna’s co-worker. But much worse were the edits. I have about eighty audiobooks and on no other have I noticed any edits.

This isn’t a plug for my own audiobooks (honestly!) but when the narrator sends you the chapters, if any edits are too noticeable then you request that they re-do them. In this instance, particularly at the outset, there are numerous edits that are vastly different in volume and tone, that take you out of the moment and ruin the tension. These could be the fault of Katie-Clarkson Hill or Gillian McAllister or both, but they certainly should not have passed Audible’s quality control.

Secondly, story-wise, well if someone in a bar had been menacing and you thought they were following you subsequently, would you really opt to walk along a deserted canal towpath when there were other routes, far more public, available? I think not. That aside, the story is gripping, and at times edge-of-seat stuff, as well as giving information about the police, prison and justice systems that is revealing and shocking.

However, the main characters are quite unsympathetic, one really doesn’t care what happens to them – not what is recommended by teachers of writing. And personally I grew thoroughly sick of the narrator’s constant thoughts about her husband, Reuben, someone whom I grew to dislike quite quickly, as I did with all the other main characters, with the possible exception of Ed.

The ending section was not gripping in the slightest and more or less ‘degenerates’ into a love story. So disappointing when the author could have given detail of prison life, no doubt something she knows about, based on her police procedure knowledge.

There is so much superfluous ‘detail’ in the story – long descriptions of coffee stains, someone’s eyelashes, kitchen surfaces etc. etc. Most seemed to be there for ‘literary effect,’ rather than advancing the story in any way, shape or form, and most should have been edited out. I’m sure Sol Stein would have had a field day!

So, although the writing is generally very good, brilliant at times, I personally felt let down by the weak ending and I’d hesitate to recommend either the book or the recording. Half way through I thought, ‘I must get Gillian McAllister’s other audiobooks.’ Now I think I won’t bother.

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What would you do???

Loved the twisting storyline and the moral dilemma it gets you thinking about. Well paced and well read.

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5 people found this helpful

Not as good as normal

I love this author but this book wasn’t my cup of tea! Interesting story line and the end was ok, but didn’t find myself desperate to hear more! Which is how her books usually leave me!

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Hmm

Well I didn’t love it if I’m honest, but I didn’t hate it either. Not very gripping after the initial few chapters, also a bit confusing with the different tenses.

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Sliding doors meets crime and punishment

An excellent book, kept me gripped all the way through with many unexpected but believable turns. I could not be more different from the main character, but still emphasised greatly with her. Will definitely try other books by this author.

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Loved this story

A very moving story read beautifully. The narration really made the story for me. Not a murder mystery but a story of love and loss.

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What a great book 

What a emotional rollercoaster. This has to be one of the best books. I have listened to loved how it splits into both choices would highly recommend listening to this book 

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Absolutely loved this book

What a great story about how it would/could go either way. Makes you really think about what you would do in this situation after reading how it goes both ways :-/
Great narration too. Will definitely be looking for more from Gillian McAllister :-)

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