Audiobook Review : Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

• Release Date : October 2nd 2012

• Audiobook Length : 12 Hours and 36 Minutes

• Genre : Paranormal/Mystic, Post-Apocalyptic

• Publisher : Simon & Schuster Audio

• Narrators : Emma Galvin and Keith Noobs

I've been hoarding Audible credits for a while, and while searching for a good YA audiobook, I turned at Audible's Best of 2012.  Poison Princess was the only one on the list I wasn't familiar with. My first though was "ookayy ?" I mean sure I'd seen the book with its business as usual brooding male/female in pretty dress Paranormal Romance cover, but I never thought much of it.

Wow, did I underestimate this audiobook. This is not your average girl meet mysterious boy. This novel is packed with tension, action an unforgettable adventure.

The novel tells the story of  Evie Green. A blonde Southern Belle whose well-off family, golden boy boyfriend and popularity hide that the fact that she is recovering from a summer at the psych ward;trying to get rid of  the voices and dark visions.

Throw in  new student Jackson Deveaux, a dangerous and  handsome gray-eyed Cajun boy, and this is looking like your average paranormal romance.... until a Flash comes and life as they knew it is gone, leaving nothing but a world of mystery and secrets all with Evie at the helm.

Now I know this sounds a lot like Fallen by Lauren Kate but it gets better because after the apocalyptic flash the setting becomes  a wasteland of cannibals, redneck militias and flesh eating monsters. Evie and Jackson find themselves caught up in a world of  Tarot cards, mysticism and an ancient prophecy that ties up into a cleverly crafted plot.

 I really enjoyed the relationship dynamic between Jackson and Evie. The character's attractions are based on their beliefs and feelings and not caught up in appearances. Yes, Jackson is hot, but Evie realizes that her attraction to him goes beyond that. She doesn't just swoon after him the entire novel and I appreciated that. 

Cole has a remarkably strong grasp on dystopian and paranormal elements. Her method of storytelling  is refreshing and I shouldn't have been surprised to learn that while this is Cole's debut YA novel she has written over 15 Paranormal  novels for adults. .

With that said Cole does have a bit of a way to go with teen "lingo, more so in the start of the book than in the end. I just wasn't convinced that actual teenagers talk that way  In the same vein I also find Jackson  to be more along the lines of an adult male character than a teen. Sure he  is almost 19 years old, but it felt like Cole as writing him in a slightly more "mature" manner than the other teenage males.

Let's talk about why this is one of Audible's Best  of 2012. I say it's all thanks to Emma Galvin's performance. Emma Galvin gives a stand up performance even when faced with performing a rough and tumble Cajun accent (which actually gets dropped as the story goes on) and a few other regional dialects . Her performance of a character named Matthew is standout . I don't want to give too much away, but it's such a unique tone and performance method. 

 Cole's Debut YA novel  features clever plotting, creative characters and  builds tension and mystery like no other.   There is so much to talk about when it comes to this audiobook, so I highly suggest you check it out. As for me, I will be checking out Cole's adult books to tide me over till the sequel.

A cool mix between paranormal, fantasy and post-apocalyptic elements, this book will throw you for a loop at ever turn. This is the first audiobook I've finished of 2013 and I think I'm off to a  great start.