Owen

This is a wonderful coming-of-age story. The book follows Charlie, the young protagonist, as he gradually emerges from his timid shell and learns to "participate" in the world. It reminded me to muster the courage to truly be present in my own life instead of cowering in the safety of the homebody and wallflower roles. The narration was pretty good as well, however, he sounds like a "valley girl" when he narrates female roles, which is rather annoying. Overall, it was a great performance and superb story!

This is a great resource for individuals who are learning Spanish for the first time. It was boring to me since I already knew most of the words. I also listen to books on tape while I run and this book on tape has adjunct visual lessons, which I obviously was not able to view while running. But if you are a beginner who is willing to sit and listen, it should be a great way to build vocabulary but not necessarily a wonderful way to learn how to put together sentences. The narrators simply repeat a variety of vocabulary words according to category (e.g. body, food, animal).

I liked the story and the performance. However, the narrator sounded slightly young at times and didn't sound as tough/mature as I imagined Tris would despite her young age. Nevertheless, it was definitely worth a listen! I cannot wait to hear what happens next.

Cheryl Strayed writes with honesty and attention to detail. I enjoyed hearing about all of her Pacific Crest Trail adventures as well as the spiritual transformation that took place inside of her. Not only did this book make me want to go hiking but it reminded me that in life, if you want something, you simply must make it happen. This is what Cheryl did, and I hope to do the same.