Review

I thought this was a very well written and narrated book , it is very easy to follow with great characters , I really felt for the main character in this book and fell in love with her , please write a follow up book as I’d love to see her in the future

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Hard hitting!

Wow, this was a tough listen with what the character had to go through and her journey through domestic violence. So well written and narrated. It is worth your time to listen to this one. Thank you for an open and honest book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Brilliant!

An absolutely brilliant book that should be mandatory reading for teenagers! It tells the tale of Chloe and her summer romance with Kieran who over the course of the book begins to raise red flags.

It talks about surviving domestic abuse and recognising the signs without glamourising it in any way which I appreciated. The author does an excellent job at depicting an abuser and an abusive relationship without it feeling overwrought or fake - I found it very relatable!

Thank you to the author for a complimentary copy!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Heartbreakingly worth the listen

I received a free audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review.

When I first started listening to this book, I did not expect the very dark twists and lengths that this novel would go to, but, honestly, it was such an intensely good read. Masi did an incredible job of bringing the main character to life and you can’t help but feel for Chloe throughout the book.

Domestic violence is not an easy subject to broach, particularly in a novel for a younger audience, but Hoag does an amazing job at portraying the scenarios through her protagonist’s eyes. Not only do you want to reach into the book and protect Chloe yourself, but you also begin to understand the complexities within such a relationship and the internal and external turmoil such victims have to face. The last few chapters literally had me on the edge of my seat in shock and worry for Chloe.

I really recommend this book if you are a fan of novels by Holly Bourne or John Green.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Great great book a must.

I love books like these I love love love the kind that just have you glued from the very start, Christina Hoag absolutely did this for me in this book.

He was perfect. At first. The summer before senior year, 17-year-old Chloe starts an internship as a reporter at a local newspaper. While on assignment, she meets Kieran, a quirky aspiring actor. Chloe becomes smitten with Kieran’s charisma and his ability to soothe her soul, torn over her parents’ impending divorce. But as their bond deepens, Kieran becomes smothering and flies into terrifying rages. He confides in Chloe that he suffered a traumatic childhood, and Chloe is moved to help him. If only he could be healed, she thinks, their relationship would be perfect. But her efforts backfire and Kieran becomes violent. Chloe breaks up with him, but Kieran pursues her relentlessly to make up. Chloe must make the heartrending choice between saving herself or saving Kieran, until Kieran’s mission of remorse turns into a quest for revenge.

This would be a great way to catch young girls attention in high school age to spread awareness that domestic abuse doesn't just happened in older or married couples, it could happen to just anyone.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Interesting

Chloe meets Kieran whilst on a job for a local newspaper. What starts as a fun filled relationship soon turns into one where she is being manipulated and isolated from her friends. With her family falling to pieces around her, Chloe wants to help Kieran overcome his demons from his childhood. The story really showed how very subtlety someone can assert influence and control. When times are good you really want to believe in Kieran, when times are bad you want to shout as Chloe to run as fast as she can and not look back. Taking a tough subject I felt the author dealt with it sensitively and at times it made me feel uncomfortable, but that was important to the story as it made it much more realistic. An interesting listen.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

The book I would give my teen self.

If I could go back in time and give one book to my teen self this would be the one. I can see so much of my younger self in Chloe and the narrator's performance really helps to bring the story to life.

Spoilers from here on:

This is one of the realest and most personal portrayals of domestic abuse I've ever come across. I really empathized with Chloe and how she felt constantly walking on eggshells. I was really able to understand her motivation to keep the peace. I felt like some of the characters could have been fleshed out a little more but I think it lends itself well to how Kieran tries to cut Chloe off from her friends and family.

I really think this is a fantastic book. If you're going to give one book to a young woman in your life please make it this one.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

thought provoking

a well written story that should get through to anyone experiencing the same.
Good narration.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Interesting story and great narration

Girl on the Brink could be used as a great conversation starter with teens as far as red flags for abusive relationships. I also found the comments at the beginning very relevant (in 2020) about diversity being a lasting issue. Overall, I found the story to be interesting.

Angela Rose Masi was a new narrator for me. She really impressed me with her accents and dialects for the different characters, most especially the support group characters. I can't think of any other story I've listened to where the characters had such drastically different speech patterns. It made the characters seem more diverse. There was some room for improvement in the editing, but I liked enough other stuff about the performance to overlook it.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

My Heart

The narration of Angela Rose Masi, was perfect for the heart pulling book.

My heart and soul felt so deep in this book.

This is story of emotional abuse and it illustrates how easy it is for teens to become emotionally lost, even when they seem happy and appear to be doing well in life.

Chloe is spending the summer between her junior and senior year interning at the local paper. She meets Kieran. Kieran is charming and charismatic, and Chloe's never met anyone like him. When she falls for him.

In the beginning, their relationship is perfect. Kieran is older and wiser, advising her about her parents and showing her new things. But Kieran has a temper, and things take a turn for the worse. Chloe is forced to decide between saving Kieran and saving herself.

It was intense and a little challenging to listen .

Recommend

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!