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A review by saarahnina
Saving Gracie by Terry Lee
5.0
So Adorable....I can't find a fault with this audio book.
The story follows a young woman, Gracie, who has a lot on her shoulders, life is tough. Now, throw a control freak of a mother into the mix and you get quite a huge burden of stress.
This is what Gracie has been dealing with for all her life, it has resulted in low self-esteem and great vulnerability. But this she only discovers when she is faced with the death of her mother: Kathryn (Queenland as she becomes known in the 'next world'. And this is where the story really starts: with Gracie taking control of her own life. But of course, a control freak of a mother cannot resist the temptation to remain in control of Gracie's life, even if her being dead is quite the hindrance. So Queenland pursues Mission: Saving Gracie. Surprisingly, there are few disasters but there definitely are valuable moments of self discovery.
I have weirdly become quite fascinated with books which explore the 'beyond death' culture. It's always so interesting to read (or listen, in this case) about a writer's thoughts on the subject. In this book, Terry Lee describes a pleasant environment with friendly (but sometimes annoying) dead people. I must say of all the dead people, Ruby had to be my favourite. Michelle Babb, the narrator of the audiobook version, executed the character so humorously. I think this character was enough to make this book so adorable.
In equal measure, I liked Gracie's journey to finally be able to stand on her own two feet, to adapt the 'mother' role for her children, to step out of her comfort zone and help another helpless person. As well as, her strength in coping with a distant husband. It was appreciated to find that my feelings regarding her husband were so very wrong. Be warned though, there are some teary moments- obviously with the passing of her mother's death but other moments when we realise how Kathryn became so controlling.
The narrator, Michelle Babb, was wonderful with this book. The characters were performed excellently, and she certainly nailed the Ruby character. I have to say that this was one of the books where I can only recommend the audio book version, it is far more enjoyable. And with the flitting of character perspectives, between mother and daughter, it is definitely more helpful in making sense of what is going on.
I received the audio book for review.
The story follows a young woman, Gracie, who has a lot on her shoulders, life is tough. Now, throw a control freak of a mother into the mix and you get quite a huge burden of stress.
This is what Gracie has been dealing with for all her life, it has resulted in low self-esteem and great vulnerability. But this she only discovers when she is faced with the death of her mother: Kathryn (Queenland as she becomes known in the 'next world'. And this is where the story really starts: with Gracie taking control of her own life. But of course, a control freak of a mother cannot resist the temptation to remain in control of Gracie's life, even if her being dead is quite the hindrance. So Queenland pursues Mission: Saving Gracie. Surprisingly, there are few disasters but there definitely are valuable moments of self discovery.
I have weirdly become quite fascinated with books which explore the 'beyond death' culture. It's always so interesting to read (or listen, in this case) about a writer's thoughts on the subject. In this book, Terry Lee describes a pleasant environment with friendly (but sometimes annoying) dead people. I must say of all the dead people, Ruby had to be my favourite. Michelle Babb, the narrator of the audiobook version, executed the character so humorously. I think this character was enough to make this book so adorable.
In equal measure, I liked Gracie's journey to finally be able to stand on her own two feet, to adapt the 'mother' role for her children, to step out of her comfort zone and help another helpless person. As well as, her strength in coping with a distant husband. It was appreciated to find that my feelings regarding her husband were so very wrong. Be warned though, there are some teary moments- obviously with the passing of her mother's death but other moments when we realise how Kathryn became so controlling.
The narrator, Michelle Babb, was wonderful with this book. The characters were performed excellently, and she certainly nailed the Ruby character. I have to say that this was one of the books where I can only recommend the audio book version, it is far more enjoyable. And with the flitting of character perspectives, between mother and daughter, it is definitely more helpful in making sense of what is going on.
I received the audio book for review.