Thank you Brilliance Audio for the ALC and Over the River PR, #partner, for the advanced copy of The Alone Time in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer / Brilliance Audio
Published: May 1, 2024
Summary:
For two sisters, confronting the past could come at a terrible price in a riveting novel about a family tragedy—and family secrets—by the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author Elle Marr.
Fiona and Violet Seng were just children when their family’s Cessna crash-landed in the Washington wilderness, claiming the lives of their parents. For twelve harrowing weeks, the girls fended for themselves before being rescued.
Twenty-five years later, they’re still trying to move on from the trauma. Fiona repurposes it into controversial works of art. Violet has battled addiction and failed relationships to finally progress toward normalcy as a writer. The estranged sisters never speak about what they call their Alone Time in the wild. They wouldn’t dare—until they become the subject of a documentary that renews public fascination with the “girl survivors” and questions their version of the events.
When disturbing details about the Seng family are exposed, a strange woman claims to know the crash was deliberate. Fiona and Violet must come together to face the horrifying truth of what happened out there and what they learned about their parents and themselves. Before any other secrets emerge from the woods.
My thoughts:
As a fan of Elle Marr’s books, I was excited for this one and wasn’t disappointed. This was an incredibly bingeable and intense story and I loved how complex and layered it ended up being. This is definitely a case where nothing is as it seems and the further you get into the story, the more you realize that. I’m always a fan of stories about sisters and the dynamics in the relationship between them and I think Marr shows us quite an interesting one here. They have a shared trauma that both bonds them together and repels them from each other.
This book kept me guessing as to where it was ultimately heading and I loved how suspenseful and atmospheric it was. There were quite a few unexpected twists and turns and I definitely did not see that end coming. For a quick read, this one sure is entertaining and thrilling!
Audio thoughts:
This is narrated by a full cast – Jennifer Aquino, Christina Ho, Naomi Mayo and Kenneth Lee – and they all did a fantastic job to bring this story to life. Their pacing and intonation were all spot on, making this a great book to listen to.
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