Girls With Razor Hearts - Suzanne Young

I listened to the first book in Suzanne Young's YA series 'Girls With Sharp Sticks last year (my review). I quite enjoyed it and happily settled in with the newly released second book, Girls With Razor Hearts.

Mena and some of her friends discovered the truth about the  experiments and violence at their school, Innovations Academy, in the first book. They escaped and are now on the hunt for the Corporation, determined to take it down and free the girls still at the Academy. (Now, I am deliberately leaving out a few details in order to prevent spoilers.) They head to another school, hoping to make contact with an investor's child that reportedly attends this institution.

I had to shut down my default pragmatic thinking. I could see flaws in their plan (and had suggestions on alternates!) But without that flawed scheme we wouldn't have the plotlines that lead to ever increasingly dangerous places and people on the way to the final aha! So, my advice? Just go with it. And take note that the words futuristic and dystopian are good descriptors of this series.

I liked the cast of characters I met in the first book. And Mena is a great lead. You'll have no problem knowing who to dislike and suspect - although there are some that I'm not sure about. Are they working with or against the girls? The friendships between the girls are well depicted. And a blossoming romance is well done and well paced.

Gentle readers, there are some 'darker' matter in Girls With Razor Hearts. Some of it may be triggers for certain readers and listeners. I will say that the phrase..'but he's such a nice guy' was powerfully used.

GWRH does explore a number of  themes - bullying, sexism, classism, abuse and more. Perhaps a few too many more as I started feeling overwhelmed with the issues, feeling like they were taking precedence over the plot.

I did choose to listen to Girls With Razor Hearts. I was so very glad to see that Caitlin Davies was also narrating this second book. She did a great job with the first book and continuity is important with series. Her voice has created mental images of all the players. She uses a well enunciated, almost clipped, naive voice for Mena that is just right for the character and plot. Davies provides many different voices for the other players (including males) that make it easy to differentiate who is speaking. Her voice is clear and easy to understand. She uses her voice well, interpreting and presenting anger, fear, action and more. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of Girls With Razor Hearts.

While the girls found some answers in this second entry, there are still more questions and more 'baddies' to chase down. We'll see what book three brings!

A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes Holiday Blog Tour and Giveaway

I'm today's stop on the APA's A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes Holiday Blog Tour and Giveaway!

I absolutely adore audiobooks! I've always got one or two on the go. I listen to them in the car back and forth to work, family road trips, when I'm sewing or cleaning or when I can't sleep at night. And it's another way to find time to 'read'. I find listening immerses me in the story - often more that reading would have. Here's a few I've recently listened to....

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike. Narrated by Toni Frutin. (Such an amazing Scottish accent!) Historical fiction at it's best. "Philippa Gregory meets Game of Thrones in this sweeping historical fiction trilogy that breathes new life into the story of Camelot."Listen to an excerpt of The Lost Queen.My review.

Elevation by Stephen King. Narrated by the author himself. A novella that's a timely tale for anyone, especially at this time of the year. Not the horror story but you might have assumed, but some otherworldly, unexplainable elements. Uplifting, you might say! Listen to an excerpt of Elevation. My review.

And here's what I have cued up next.Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by&Beth Macy.Narrated by the author herself. I 'read' most of my non-fiction in audiobook format.Listen to an excerpt of Dopesick.

I loved the ensemble cast of Dry. And the premise? Closer to reality than you think...."When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, one teen is forced to make life and death decisions for her family in this harrowing story of survival." So good! My review.

Check out what the other bloggers on the 'A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes Holiday Blog Tour' are listening to....full schedule can be found here. #loveaudiobooks

And if you enjoy or want to try listening to audiobooks, I have an amazing giveaway for you today - 8 amazing titles to download courtesy of some great publishers. Enter to win using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US only, ends December 8th. The winner will be sent codes to download the books from libro.fm.

1. Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak,courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio
2. Spill by Leigh Fondakowski, courtesy of LA Theatre Works
3. How to Be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal Fleming, courtesy of Beacon Press
4. An America Marriage by Tayari Jones, courtesy of HighBridge Audio
5. Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton, courtesy of Tantor Audio
6. The Hunger Games: Special Edition by Suzanne Collins, courtesy of Scholastic
7. The Library Book by Susan Orlean, courtesy of Simon Audio
8. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, courtesy of Macmillan Audio

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Voices on the Road Blog Tour AND Giveaway!

I had someone ask me the other day how I found time to read so many books.Well, the truth is that I listen to a great number of books as well. I've always got one in the car for my commute back and forth to work. (And for those nights I can't sleep - one on the MP3 player as well) I find listening brings a book to life for me - I become immersed in the tale.

Lots of you will be travelling this weekend - car, bus, plane - or maybe you're the one doing all the cooking! Either way, an audio book makes a great companion. I've listed five that I've enjoyed below. AND make sure you enter the amazing giveaway I have for a fantastic selection of 10 audiobooks that have been generously donated by Galaxy Press, Hachette Audio, Harper Audio, High Bridge Audio, Macmillan, Penguin Random House Audio, and Post Hypnotic Press, Scholastic, Simon and Schuster Audio, and Tantor Audio. Enter at the end of the post.

And in no particular order, here are five of my favorite listens:

The Passage by Justin Cronin is the first book is this apocalyptic trilogy. The reader for all three entries is Scott Brick. Brick is a fantastic narrator. Or perhaps I should say performer. His voice is amazingly expressive. He narrates all three books.  Listen to an excerpt of The Passage. (My review)



Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series is a series I enjoy. I read the first book, but have since listened to subsequent entries. The Secret Place features readers Stephen Hogan and Lara Hutchinson. Their Irish accent creates vivid mental images of time and place. I enjoy the two readers - it makes it feel like you are listening in..... Listen to an excerpt of The Secret Place. (My review)

Matchup is edited by Lee Child. But here's the great thing - this is a short story collection featuring iconic characters from many authors. And it's narrated by many readers. The stories are great and it's a wonderful way to discover new readers. Listen to an excerpt of Matchup. (My review)



Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series is another perennial favorite of mine. Again, I started reading the series, but have transitioned to listening to them - in great part because of the reader. The Wrong Side of Goodbye was a fantastic listen. Narrator Titus Welliver has become the voice of Bosch for me - gruff, growly, tough. His interpretation of the character absolutely matches my mental image. Listen to an excerpt of The Wrong Side of Goodbye. (My review)

She Rides Shotgun is Jordan Harper's debut novel. It reads like a movie and narrator David Marantz's interpretation captured the feeling of danger and action that drives the book. Listen to an excerpt of She Rides Shotgun. (My review)

Check out other blogger's favorites on this Audio Publishers Association tour - full schedule can be found here. Want more? Keep up on social media -  Audiobook_Comm on Facebook and @Audiobook_Comm on Twitter with the hashtag #loveaudiobooks.

Enter to win a selection of ten audiobooks using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US and Canada, ends December 2/17.

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