The Drowning Girl cover art

The Drowning Girl

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About this listen

Award-winning author, narrator, and screenwriter Neil Gaiman personally selected this book, and, using the tools of the Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX), cast the narrator and produced this work for his audiobook label, Neil Gaiman Presents.

A few words from Neil on The Drowning Girl: "As with all "Neil Gaiman Presents" titles, it's very important to me to find the voice that comes closest to the voice in the author's head; for Caitlin, for this book, that was Suzy Jackson. It was not until the second round of auditions that we found someone who sounded young but not naïve, someone who could catalogue the sharp detail of Imp's carefully observed daily life but also convey the blurred edges of her reality. Caitlin and Suzy kept in touch during the recording, and the result is a reading that is precise but not "stagey", a literary but accessible reading of the novel."

India Morgan Phelps - Imp to her friends - is schizophrenic. Struggling with her perceptions of reality, Imp must uncover the truth about her encounters with creatures out of myth - or from something far, far stranger....

Winner of the 2013 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel.

©2012 Caitlin R. Kiernan (P)2012 Caitlin R Kiernan Dark Fantasy Fantasy Genre Fiction Psychological Fiction Paranormal Ghost Haunted
All stars
Most relevant
sometimes confusing with the skipping storyline. maybe easier to read. interesting though looking through indias eyes.

confusing and interesting

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I enjoyed this. Neil Gaiman was dead right, in his introduction, when he spoke of how suitable the narrator was. She made the story come to life. As for the story itself it is a fascinating (and, I have been told) extremely accurate look into the mind of a schizophrenic. I feel this detracted from the story ever so slightly, leaving this reader a little unfulfilled at the conclusion. However, this should not be seen as a massive criticism as I really did enjoy the book as a whole. I felt for the characters and the situation was brought to live in a vivid and engaging fashion. I will be seeking out further work by the author.

An excellent insight into the schizophrenic mind.

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Imp is schizophrenic, it runs in the family, and has caused her mum and gran to commit suicide. When Imp starts obsessing over a painting of a drowning girl, and its relevance to the original telling of the fairytale Red Riding Hood; the listener is left to decipher what is real and what is mentally evoked imaginings.



I found this quite distressing, as Imp was in so much turmoil, and having a knowledge of OCD, those sections were painful to listen to as the author had obviously really done her homework.

Real or not?

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Firstly I'll hold my hand up and say that I did not listen to this book all the way through. And that, unfortunately, is the point. I got bored listening to the same thing over and over again, the seemingly endless circles that the protagonist moves in. I appreciate that it reflects the mental health issues that this character experiences but it left me screaming "Just get on with it." It felt like a visit to an elderly relative in the throes of dementia; the same questions being asked over and over, the same conversation being had every time. It had me pleading for something to happen...until I finally gave up. Which is a shame as it is well written and performed beautifully. However, it just not did work for me.

Drowning in repetition

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A great performance of a very sad, very melancholic story about hauntings, legacy, obsession and death.

Heartbrealingly beautiful

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