A review by booty_jorts
Heathens by

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

A fiercely independent young woman makes the choice to submit to consensual non-consent in Heathens by Alta Hensley. The young woman, Storee, lost her father a year ago and is spending her days working jobs that she doesn’t like so that she can focus on her art in the evenings. Her father’s best friend, Lock, came into her life at eighteen and she immediately developed a crush that she has harbored since. Lock belongs to a dark and dangerous world and he has made it his mission to keep Storee out that life. When Storee’s best friend convinces her that their island home’s tradition of The Hunt, she unknowingly enters Lock’s world and there is no turning back. This book is filled with taboos including age gap, consensual non-consent, exhibitionism, voyeurism, stalking and more. Hensley weaves the story in a way that these topics are not only palatable but endearing and sexy.

The audiobook narrators were a great fit for this story. The gruff voice of Lock really drove home the age gap for me while the voice of Storee was obviously that of a younger woman but not a child. I was immediately drawn into the book by the narrators and found it hard to stop listening to. I appreciated the pauses between chapters, though they felt a little longer than necessary. Overall, the narration was solid and did the characters justice.