Listen free for 30 days
-
Pay It Forward
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
People who bought this also bought...
-
Don't Let Me Go
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Chris Chappell, Cassandra Morris
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
Former Broadway dancer and current agoraphobic Billy Shine has not set foot outside his apartment in almost a decade. He has glimpsed his neighbors - beautiful manicurist Rayleen, lonely old Ms. Hinman, bigoted and angry Mr. Lafferty, kind-hearted Felipe, and nine-year-old Grace and her former addict mother Eileen. But most of them have never seen Billy. Not until Grace begins to sit outside on the building's front stoop for hours every day, inches from Billy's patio.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This is a really great book!
- By Edgar on 13-04-16
-
Have You Seen Luis Velez?
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn’t belong. Not with his mother’s new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father’s wife. Not at school, where he’s an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he’s tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who’s introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Easy listen, lovely story
- By Joanne Service on 07-03-20
-
Brave Girl, Quiet Girl
- A Novel
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd, Jess Nahikian
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 5
Brooke is a divorced single mom, financially strapped, living with her mother, and holding tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Then, in a matter of seconds, Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all Brooke can do is watch as Etta, still strapped in her seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night. Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teen who is all too used to darkness. Thrown away by her parents, and with a future as stable as the wooden crate she calls home, Molly survives day to day by her wits.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brave Girl, Quiet Girl
- By Kindle Customer on 14-06-20
-
Every Move You Make
- By: Deborah Bee
- Narrated by: Emma Gregory
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,004
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 925
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 921
A young woman turns up at a police station. She has been kept prisoner in her own home. Abused and tortured, her every move watched, her every thought controlled. Now she's finally escaped. That's what she says. But when the police arrive at the address she's given them, her story doesn't seem to add up. Her husband is missing, but his phone and wallet are still in the house. She says she's the victim, but what if she's not? What if the stories she's telling aren't her stories at all....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Deborah Bee is the cure for social isolation
- By sindydean on 19-04-20
-
The Carer
- By: Deborah Moggach
- Narrated by: Patience Tomlinson
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 642
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 564
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 563
From the best-selling author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Tulip Fever, a deliciously funny, poignant and wry novel, full of surprising twists and turns. James is getting on a bit and needs full-time help. So Phoebe and Robert, his middle-aged offspring, employ Mandy, who seems willing to take him off their hands. But as James regales his family with tales of Mandy's virtues, their shopping trips and the shared pleasure of their journeys to garden centres, Phoebe and Robert sense something is amiss.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Life is even messier than they imagined!
- By Rachel Redford on 11-09-19
-
The Familiars
- By: Stacey Halls
- Narrated by: Katy Sobey
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,498
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,254
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,246
Fleetwood Shuttleworth is 17 years old, married and pregnant for the fourth time. But as the mistress at Gawthorpe Hall, she still has no living child, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. When Fleetwood finds a letter she isn't supposed to read from the doctor who delivered her third stillbirth, she is dealt the crushing blow that she will not survive another pregnancy. Then she crosses paths by chance with Alice Gray, a young midwife. Alice promises to help her give birth to a healthy baby and to prove the physician wrong.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful book and beautifully read!
- By Rebecca on 07-08-19
-
Don't Let Me Go
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Chris Chappell, Cassandra Morris
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
Former Broadway dancer and current agoraphobic Billy Shine has not set foot outside his apartment in almost a decade. He has glimpsed his neighbors - beautiful manicurist Rayleen, lonely old Ms. Hinman, bigoted and angry Mr. Lafferty, kind-hearted Felipe, and nine-year-old Grace and her former addict mother Eileen. But most of them have never seen Billy. Not until Grace begins to sit outside on the building's front stoop for hours every day, inches from Billy's patio.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This is a really great book!
- By Edgar on 13-04-16
-
Have You Seen Luis Velez?
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn’t belong. Not with his mother’s new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father’s wife. Not at school, where he’s an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he’s tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who’s introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Easy listen, lovely story
- By Joanne Service on 07-03-20
-
Brave Girl, Quiet Girl
- A Novel
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd, Jess Nahikian
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 5
Brooke is a divorced single mom, financially strapped, living with her mother, and holding tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Then, in a matter of seconds, Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all Brooke can do is watch as Etta, still strapped in her seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night. Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teen who is all too used to darkness. Thrown away by her parents, and with a future as stable as the wooden crate she calls home, Molly survives day to day by her wits.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brave Girl, Quiet Girl
- By Kindle Customer on 14-06-20
-
Every Move You Make
- By: Deborah Bee
- Narrated by: Emma Gregory
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,004
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 925
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 921
A young woman turns up at a police station. She has been kept prisoner in her own home. Abused and tortured, her every move watched, her every thought controlled. Now she's finally escaped. That's what she says. But when the police arrive at the address she's given them, her story doesn't seem to add up. Her husband is missing, but his phone and wallet are still in the house. She says she's the victim, but what if she's not? What if the stories she's telling aren't her stories at all....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Deborah Bee is the cure for social isolation
- By sindydean on 19-04-20
-
The Carer
- By: Deborah Moggach
- Narrated by: Patience Tomlinson
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 642
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 564
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 563
From the best-selling author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Tulip Fever, a deliciously funny, poignant and wry novel, full of surprising twists and turns. James is getting on a bit and needs full-time help. So Phoebe and Robert, his middle-aged offspring, employ Mandy, who seems willing to take him off their hands. But as James regales his family with tales of Mandy's virtues, their shopping trips and the shared pleasure of their journeys to garden centres, Phoebe and Robert sense something is amiss.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Life is even messier than they imagined!
- By Rachel Redford on 11-09-19
-
The Familiars
- By: Stacey Halls
- Narrated by: Katy Sobey
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,498
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,254
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,246
Fleetwood Shuttleworth is 17 years old, married and pregnant for the fourth time. But as the mistress at Gawthorpe Hall, she still has no living child, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. When Fleetwood finds a letter she isn't supposed to read from the doctor who delivered her third stillbirth, she is dealt the crushing blow that she will not survive another pregnancy. Then she crosses paths by chance with Alice Gray, a young midwife. Alice promises to help her give birth to a healthy baby and to prove the physician wrong.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful book and beautifully read!
- By Rebecca on 07-08-19
Summary
Catherine Ryan Hyde’s international sensation, Pay It Forward, is the moving story of Trevor McKinney, a twelve-year-old boy who accepts his social studies teacher’s challenge to come up with a plan to change the world.
Trevor’s idea is simple: Do a good deed for three people and ask them to "pay it forward" to three others who need help. He envisions a vast movement of kindness and goodwill spreading beyond his small California town and across the world. However, when Jerry, a bum to whom Trevor gave his allowance, returns to a life of dissolution, the project seems valuable only as a lesson on the dark side of human nature. But ultimately Trevor is vindicated. At first people don’t know how to explain the odd dip in crime rates across the nation, but a journalist with a story of his own tracks down the source of the epidemic of random acts of kindness and makes Trevor a celebrity. Yet Trevor has problems closer to home: he wants his pretty, hardworking mother to see the softer side of his beloved teacher, Reuben St. Clair, a scarred Vietnam veteran who seems to come alive only when he’s in front of his class.
Anyone who has ever despaired of one person’s ability to effect change will rejoice in Trevor’s courage and his determination to see the good in everyone.
Critic reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about Pay It Forward
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Love audio
- 23-12-14
Would love this in practice!
If you could sum up Pay It Forward in three words, what would they be?
Great listen, and a fab concepts...I'd like to start paying it forwards but how?
Who was your favorite character and why?
The teachers...encouragement
Have you listened to any of William Dufris’s other performances? How does this one compare?
Fine
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Already a film
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. K. I. Richards
- 20-03-14
book film was based on.
having loved the film I searched for the book. I found it on cd but gave up on it because of all the different narrators reading the parts.
I was so happy to find this version on audible, just one narrator who did a good job of performing the book. his female voices were passable because having a deeper voice it is harder for him to do them.
the only big difference from the film is that the teacher in the book is black.
if you like the film you won't be disappointed by the book. if you haven't seem the film I can recommend the book. good characterisation and plot.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Maggie
- 26-04-16
I haven't read a book by this author I didn't like
The book is almost always better than the movie and this one is no exception. So many details and dialogue that film just cannot capture. After reading this book, I downloaded several additional titles by Catherine Ryan Hyde - loved them all.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jerrilynn
- 16-02-16
Touching and Wonderful
If you could sum up Pay It Forward in three words, what would they be?
Innocence, Beauty, Tragic
What other book might you compare Pay It Forward to and why?
The only book that comes to mind is "Defending Jacob" by William Landay. The stories are in no way similar. The comparison comes to mind because to some extent you are expecting a happy ending, and well, though there is some joy in Trevor's accomplishments, the ending cannot be said to be happy. In fact I think it is the tragedy at the end that makes me select "Defending Jacob."
Have you listened to any of William Dufris’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have not listened to any other narrations by William Dufris, but I will say this, you hear every character as a separate voice. He is excellent at drawing the pauses where they should be so that the reader can take a breath with him. He is beyond excellent.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Where Wonder Begins
Any additional comments?
So I saw this movie years ago. The book as so often is the case, far outstripped the movie. Things that took me by surprise included:
1. This book literally had me bust out laughing on more than one occasion. It was fantastic to have such sarcasm and wit mixed into a story I would consider a drama.
2. I didn't remember things from the movie that were present in the book, like the enormity of the project, how it had taken on a life of it's own, that by the narrator's introduction tells you has changed the world as we know it.
3. I do not remember Trevor meeting Bill Clinton in the movie. That was a fabulous addition to the story.
This book was such a great story because it is the ideal of what we could be if we as a society chose it. The ending is sad, but I would still strongly recommend this book for any audience 13 and up. It may not be appropriate for a younger audience because there are some items a parent would not want to have to explain. One example, to illustrate, includes a transsexual who experiences a great deal of violence.
If you have seen the movie, definitely get the book. It's worth every minute.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dotty
- 20-11-12
Not at all trite
A better-than-you-think it will be book. Uplifting, and goodness knows we can all use some of that these days.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- ki
- 20-03-15
realism
was very read able ans realistic. can't miss a thing or will miss you. try it ..
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nancy Cohen-Vardy
- 04-07-19
Difficult to listen to the narrator
The book was a bit difficult to follow since it tracked several different stories and introduced many different characters during the course of the story. Two things bothered me about this book: First, it became too much of a fairytale three quarters of the way into the book and it became saturated with sugar. Too pat, too unbelievable and too "Hallmarky". Second, and more disturbing to me was the narrator who made all of the women characters sound like he was "putting on a mocking women's voice" for entertainment. I had a hard time making myself listen to the entire book because his women's voices were so disturbing. The main child's voice "Trevor", although not disturbing to me, it just not very well acted.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- psychodr1
- 13-08-18
Motivational
Not sure if this is a true story of this movement or made up. But either way, it is inspirational. It shows how one person can make a difference in this world. There have been a few through history but we can all make a difference to those around us. Narration was fine. And the story was enjoyable.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jodie Thompson
- 10-08-18
Emotionally gripping!
I couldnt get enough. a true emotional rollercoaster. imagine a world where people do pay it forward, what an amazing place that would be.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- D. Donohue
- 18-02-18
I'm speechless
I saw the movie years ago. I thought it was moving and well done. I now know it was nothing compared to what it could have been, what this book is. WOW. Just wow.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chuk Campos
- 18-12-20
Even better than the movie was....
I saw the movie when it came out. it became and remains my favorite movie. The book follows the movie to a large degree. Where it differs it's way better than the movie. The power of the story is so relevant and so important. It moves me more than ever. the book should be required reading in high school.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Necia
- 08-08-20
Accept the challenge.
A book so needed right now. Do you think it could be possible to make it happen?