AUTHOR: Anna Quinn
NARRATOR: Cassandra Campbell
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audiobooks
PUBLICATION DATE: January 30, 2018
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 6 hrs and 52 mins
GENRE: Mystery
ISBN: 9781538422366
Nora Brown teaches high school English and lives a quiet life in Seattle with her husband and six-year-old daughter. But one November day, moments after dismissing her class, a girl's face appears above the students' desks--"a wild numinous face with startling blue eyes, a face floating on top of shapeless drapes of purples and blues where arms and legs should have been. Terror rushes through Nora's body--the kind of raw terror you feel when there's no way out, when every cell in your body, your entire body, is on fire--when you think you might die."Twenty-four hours later, while on Thanksgiving vacation, the face appears again. Shaken and unsteady, Nora meets with neurologists and eventually, a psychiatrist. As the story progresses, a terrible secret is discovered--a secret that pushes Nora toward an even deeper psychological breakdown.This breathtaking debut novel examines the impact of traumatic childhood experiences and the fragile line between past and present. Exquisitely nuanced and profoundly intimate, The Night Child is a story of resilience, hope, and the capacity of the mind, body, and spirit to save itself despite all odds.
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for voluntary review consideration.
Quinn's debut is an emotional read, which I found it difficult to put down. I will definitely read more from this author!
Nora is a teacher, and she is startled one day to see a girl's face with blue eyes floating in her classroom. She brushes it off, not really sure what she saw. Nora and her husband spend every Thanksgiving at a lodge on the coast, and they take their six-year-old daughter Fiona with them. While there, Nora has another hallucination and hears a child's voice telling her to remember the Valentine's dress. She feels like she is having a nervous breakdown, but her husband Paul isn't really concerned. He just tells her to eat more! The problem with Paul is a different issue. Nora feels neglected by him and she thinks he is having an affair. Back to Nora: The neurologist runs tests and can't find anything wrong with her, but he suggests that she may wish to talk to a psychiatrist. Nora has no idea why she would need to, but she takes the doctor's advice. She doesn't really believe that it will help, but she figures that she doesn't have anything to lose.
What is uncovered during Nora's sessions was something that I wasn't expecting. This deals with
so at times it was very disturbing and difficult to hear. My heart just broke for Nora, and I loved Quinn's portrayal of David, the therapist, as he worked things through with her. Through David, Quinn explains to the reader what is happening with Nora's mind which I found both fascinating and gut-wrenching.
I've listened to other books by Cassandra Campbell, and I've always enjoyed her. She captivated me with her reading, and I was literally hanging on to her every word. At one point, I was moved to tears. Campbell handled the emotional content like a pro. Here is a sample of the narration:
4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR if you enjoy contemporary fiction. Thanks again to Blackstone Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook.
This book qualifies as:
#13 for my 2018 Audiobook Challenge
#3 for my 2018 New Release Challenge
#9 for my New Authors 2018 Reading Challenge
#10 for my 2018 Try Something New Challenge
#19 for my 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
#13 for my Blydyn Square Books 2018 Reading Challenge
#15 for my GWB Book Bingo 2018
Task #31 for my 2018 Reading Challenge (Linz the Bookworm)
#9A for my 2018 Literary Escapes Challenge
#3B for my Good Rule Reading Challenge
#43 for my Monthly Mix-up Mania
#12 for my 2018 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge
#12 for my 2018 A to Z Reading Challenge
#7 for my 2018 Platypire Diversity Challenge
Task #5 for my Goodreads Winter Seasonal Scavenger Challenge: The Northern Lights
#3 for my 2018 New Release Challenge
#9 for my New Authors 2018 Reading Challenge
#10 for my 2018 Try Something New Challenge
#19 for my 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
#13 for my Blydyn Square Books 2018 Reading Challenge
#15 for my GWB Book Bingo 2018
Task #31 for my 2018 Reading Challenge (Linz the Bookworm)
#9A for my 2018 Literary Escapes Challenge
#3B for my Good Rule Reading Challenge
#43 for my Monthly Mix-up Mania
#12 for my 2018 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge
#12 for my 2018 A to Z Reading Challenge
#7 for my 2018 Platypire Diversity Challenge
Task #5 for my Goodreads Winter Seasonal Scavenger Challenge: The Northern Lights
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This sounds excellent :)
ReplyDeleteThe narrator makes or breaks the audiobook for me.
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/