May 15, 2012

Never Knowing



Fiction/Thriller
2011 Brilliance Audio
Reader: Carrington MacDuffie
Finished 4/27/12
Rating: 1/5 (Poor)




From the author’s website:

All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara’s home life was not ideal. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and find closure.

But some questions are better left unanswered.

After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother—only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.

What if murder is in your blood?

Never Knowing is a complex and compelling portrayal of one woman’s quest to understand herself, her origins, and her family. That is, if she can survive…

I read Stevens’ debut thriller Still Missing in December 2010. I thought it was quite compelling, so I was pretty excited when I got the ARC of Never Knowing. As usual, it languished on my TBR stack for quite some time, but when the audio version became available through my local library, I decided it was time to give the book a try. Honestly, I wish I hadn’t. It was awful. Flat characters, ridiculous dialogue, a predictable plot and a dreadful reader had me shaking my head with annoyance. Why in the world I stuck with this audio presentation for 12 hours (!!) is beyond me.


Final Thoughts: Don’t waste your money or time.


7 comments:

  1. Oh, I'm sorry to see this was a stinker for you.

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  2. Yikes!!! I read this one and liked it but not near as much as her first book! Sorry this was a bad audio experience!! I wonder why we both kept on with audio books that we hated??

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  3. Oh sad, I loved this book!

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  4. EEK! I understand your thoughts because based on my post, there was a LOT that I didn't like so much (characters and the repetition), but overall I still thought it was very good. However, I don't remember the book at all now. :(

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  5. This has been on my wish list at the library for a while but I keep hesitating to follow through and actually request it. I liked Still Missing but have heard that this one is not as good. I think you've convinced me to pass on this one. I have too many other books I really want to read.

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  6. Ugh, how awful. When will these sorts of stories stop?! We used the term 'allowed you to be adopted' rather than 'given up for adoption' - how I hate that term. 'Naturally born' - oh, does that mean adopted kids are unnaturally born. Honestly, the language still has a long way to go, doesn't it.

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  7. Kathy - Me, too. I'm not sure why I even bothered to finish.

    Kim - Really? Did you read her first book? I wonder if I would've enjoyed this better had I read it rather than listened. Oh, well. Too late now! ;)

    Joy - Very good? Really? I wish I had the same experience as you. Oh, well. I can't complain. I've listened to some wonderful books this year. Love my Nano!!!

    SuziQ - I liked Still Missing so much better! It was more suspenseful and somehow more realistic. This one was just one big dud, although I wonder if I would've had a different reaction if I'd read it rather than listened. A bad narrator can really ruin a decent book.

    Nan - Yes, I agree!

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