- 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 atAudible’sBest of 2012. Poison Princess was the only one on the list I wasn’t familiar with. 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 meets a 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.
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 was 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 a 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.
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1/2 of the blogging duo at Books and Sensibility, I have been blogging about and reviewing books since 2011. I read any and every genre, here on the blog I mostly review Fantasy, Adult Fiction, and Young Adult with a focus on audiobooks.