Beware the Cuckoo

By: Julie Newman

Narrated by: Joan Walker

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

They were reunited at his funeral, school friends with a shared past. A past that is anything but straightforward. A past that harbours secrets and untruths.

Karen has a seemingly perfect life. An adoring husband, two wonderful children and a beautiful home. She has all she has ever wanted, living the dream. She also has a secret.

Sandra's once perfect life is rapidly unravelling. The man who meant everything to her had a dark side, and her business is failing. To get her life back on track, she needs to reclaim what is rightfully hers. She knows the secret.

As the past meets the present, truths are revealed - and both women understand the true cost of betrayal.

©2017 Julie Newman (P)2017 Audible, Ltd

Pushback from negative reviews...

I read all the negative reviews disturbed by the content and treatment of subject matter. It is deplorable subject matter but I have to agree with the author's treatment of it. The depiction of of the clear sexual abuse/predator-prey relationship is graphic, true. And disturbs. But it should disturb. The facets of such a relationship are like a spider's web (metaphor intended) and the author's tale digging down deep into the victim's psyche is probably unavoidable. I strongly suspect the author was similarly victimized. The reason these filthy relationships are ILLEGAL is because of the frailty of a teenager's psyche. Kids are taking their cues as to what's "normal" from their environs and this poor girl was trying to fit in and becomes a chameleon to navigate her world at that time. Also the phenomenon of having one's natural boundaries impinged by a person in authority over her is real. People thus victimized literally don't realize they have the right to say no. And of course the predator knows this on some level, and takes full advantage.

I agree it is triggering and I wouldn't recommend for an abuse survivor who hasn't spent years in therapy. I definitely wouldn't want a teenager listening to it, even if they weren't victims, because they, like the protagonist, have that fragile, unformed, moldable psyche, and I think it would be possible for them to read this as normalizing this kind of behavior.

Also, Sandra's reaction to the victim as a "Lolita" is sadly typical of a victim's family who reveals the truth and isn't believed. This is, if possible, as damaging to the child, or even more so, than the original offense of the sexual predator.

All that being said, anything so inflammatory that causes people to talk openly (as we are doing in these reviews) can only be an improvement to the alternative (leaving dark deeds in the dark places in our minds). Telling is powerful. Light shed on dark deeds can be cleansing.

Bravo to the author for tackling a horrible subject.

I only gave this a 4 out of 5 because I'm still processing the ending. My knee jerk reaction so that there is no reparation a predator could make to assuage the damage, but (spoiler alert) it may be the victim's use of that reparation that brings her to be more fully empowered. I'm still weighing that matter.

Story is good, but reader is way too much!

The reader has unnecessary drama in her voice that competes with, rather than compliments, the story. Irritating dropping off of her voice at the end of sentences, too, so it's hard to hear, but, if the volume is turned up, her screeching is too much. Some of the story line is hard to listen to (too triggering for sexual violence).

Ah the Narrator

great story and even better narrator she hit those dialects with ease that kept the story alive kept me going as well I was yelling out loud because how sad is it to keep being the one getting abused and stepped on but that makes a great story again the narrator Id listen to her read a story anytime

Afrikaans

please re-record the Aftikaans wording, it is so terrible pronounced, is shockingly unrecognisable, its like murdering the language. the words that are recognisable sound Dutch not afrikaans

Very Hard Topic But Good

I thought this story was good, a hard topic to read about. For some more than others. But something good came out of it in the end. The writing was good. The characters were believable and I like the narrator. I recommend!

good book very realistic

like it nice story relaxing an interesting characters it make it an exciting story.

wonderful!!!

Loved it, though I wish Sander had gotten what she deserved!!! This novel was very well written.

it was a good read

The story is definitely a depiction of a young girl manipulated into performing inappropriate acts. The story is well written. The narrator not one of my favorites. Overall a good read

Reader almost ruined the story

It was difficult to follow character to character due to inconsistent voice inflections. Terrible performance.

Good story but, ...

Good story but I didn't like the passing by the child abuse and raping a young girl without highlighting that it's a crime and that there are precautions to such act. Bill did not get what he deserves