Julie S.

Extraordinarily well-written and narrated

Revisado: 02-22-25

This is not so much of a horror story--though there's plenty of gore--as it is a coming-of-age story of a young girl who is trying to make sense of the world around her. The narrator is pitch-perfect, exuding this matter-of-fact, naive tone while describing horrendous acts through the eyes of the girl called Little One. As the story unfolds and Little One discovers who she is and what she believes in, she also has to face hard truths about her mother.

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Keeps you guessing…

Revisado: 01-16-25

… even after the end, which failed to make horror/fantasy genre sense. Decent writing, good narration, and a unique story but the author just didn’t manage to pull it all together in the end.

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Started off strong ...

Revisado: 12-31-24

... but then became repetitive and drawn-out. This story could of been gripping and compelling if it had been told in half the time. The author, unfortunately, crossed this line--at least for me--of sounding like she was whining bc the last half of the book was seemingly an attempt to say the same thing (how much she hurt) using different words. For me, that dissipated and even normalized the brutality of the crime against her mother and the devastating effects on her life. I was not thrilled with the narrator's voice, but it wasn't bad enough to stop me from listening.

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An intimate experience

Revisado: 12-08-24

"Sonny Boy" encapsulates what memoir is meant to be and redefines "narration" of an audiobook.

I adored how Al did not so much as read but told his stories, and in his telling, when something hit him as funny, he'd chuckle--which made it even more authentic and funny. As many folks have said, you feel like you're sitting at a corner table of a cafe with Al, as he's recounting his life with passion, humor, and an abiding curiosity.

At the end, you'll feel like you've had an encounter with him and have a solid sense of who he is, his values, and how he moves in life. "Sonny Boy" is really a gift to us all.

I'll miss having his gravelly, seasoned voice in my ear during my afternoon runs!

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The Real Deal

Revisado: 10-24-24

If you’re a skeptic like me, I promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised. There’s a ring of truth and authenticity to this book that you can’t put into words.

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A brief journey…

Revisado: 11-29-22

… but a rich listening experience and a lesson in how to tell a compelling story.

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Astounding!

Revisado: 08-19-22

You don’t have to be a poetry lover to enjoy this tour de force. At times, I felt like I was watching a movie. If you appreciate fine writing, this is a must-listen.

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Great Companion to "Red Comet" by Heather Clark

Revisado: 08-16-22

I was more than halfway through "Red Comet's" 40 hours of audio and knew I had to listen to "The Bell Jar." Plath's writing and angst over female/male inequities hold up today. Don't rush through this if you enjoy great writing--I found myself pausing and just letting her words marinate. Plath's poetic mastery lends visceral descriptors of severe mental illness, suicidal ideation, as well as joy, hope, and infatuation. It's a tragedy that Plath went so soon for the lack of understanding of mental illness. I'm afraid not much has changed since.

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Not a Breezy Summer Read...

Revisado: 07-09-21

... but brilliantly and bravely written. I imagine Lacy paid a steep price for the retelling of an anguishing time in her life that she had come to terms with as much as one can in our broken justice system. Sexism, abuse, and sexual assault are socioeconomic-agnostic. Lacy acknowledges her privilege, which also serves as this beautiful background contrasted against the ugly underpinnings of what happened to her at such a tender age. Lacy found the words to feelings and philosophies, I have yet to sort out in my own life--and I'm 57! We were all trying to fulfill this one-dimensional concept of being a "good girl," an impossible human expectation that only exists in convents. This story is about what happens to a good girl, doing all the right things with trust and innocence intact falls into a trap that changes the trajectory of her life. And broken micro and macro systems that infuriate, but also the spark of hope from the few passionate people inside the system who are fighting every day for people like us. It may sound like a downer, but this is ultimately a story of triumph.

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Eloquently Written and Read

Revisado: 09-07-20

This is not an anthropological review of "Hillybilly" culture, this is a coming of age story from a wickedly-bright and insightful young man whose open eyes and heart enabled him to thrive in the rest of the world while not turning his back on his family, his childhood, or his people.

Personally, this was a gift because it gave me compassionate insight into the ways in which people who are not like me think, live, and survive.

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