This was the first Erin Wade book I’ve either read or listened to, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. For the first forty-five minutes I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I wasn’t enjoying the narrator’s voice for Renny, she just seemed so childish to me. I didn’t like the pacing through the beginning, either; I felt like I’d missed something because of how abrupt some of the time-jumps were while setting up Renny’s background.
But then I felt like the book really hit it’s stride, and I was completely hooked. I realized why Renny came across the way she did – for all of the horrible things she’d fought through in her life, she truly was a child in some ways because she lost out on some important experiences and feelings while she was younger. I can completely relate to that, and when I finally recognized what was going on it changed my perception of the book entirely. The sometimes-abrupt jumps were understandable, as well, because there was some necessary information that really showed who Renny James is as a person.
The narration was enjoyable, and for the most part the characters were easily distinguishable from each other. During certain scenes with two women or two men it could get a little confusing as to which one was speaking, but overall it was very good work.
I can’t say that the ending took me completely by surprise; I’d guessed most of what was coming well before the conclusion. There were certainly surprises, though, and I was pleased that I didn’t catch on to everything right away.
In the end I’m very glad I listened to this book. I would recommend it to others, and I will certainly be looking at more of Erin Wade’s work in the future, both in print and on audio.