Cicada Spring

A Novel

By: Christian Galacar

Narrated by: Kevin Clay

Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

On a warm May evening in the spring of 1979, the people of Heartsridge, Massachusetts, are living the American dream. Families are gathered for barbecues. Kids are playing in front yards. Gardens are being kept. Meanwhile, Kara Price stumbles home through the woods, raped and beaten, her life shattered by a wicked act of violence, perpetrated by one of the town's most beloved and public figures.

Surrounding Kara is a cast of compelling and nefarious characters - a violent-tempered mayor who can do no wrong in the eyes of the town, a sheriff bound by the rules and plagued by a guilty conscience, a father bent on revenge, a serial killer in the midst of an identity crisis. And at the center of it all there's Kara, who just wants to move on with her life and forget everything that happened to her. But how can she do that when everyone thinks she is a liar who is only out for attention? With plot and emotion braided together by a careful hand, this haunted group of people all acting on behalf of their own interests begs the question: How far would you go to protect your own?

©2015 Christian Galacar (P)2016 Christian Galacar

Excellent suspense audiobook

It's not often that I pick a mystery novel, but this one could send me on a suspense novel binge. Good character development, a bit squeamish for me in some parts, and great narration. I'll be looking for more from this author and narrator!

This audiobook was given to me at no in exchange for an unbiased review, thanks Audiobook Boom.

Such a Well Written Novel... This one is a Film

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'd recommend this book to any Producer/Director looking for one hell of a story that needs to be adapted, turned into a script, and produced as one scorcher of an Indie Film.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Every one of the characters was so well developed by the author, how could anyone possibly have a "Favorite"?

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I think he could have spent more time working with the casting director, finding the right actors to bring their individual characters roles to life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were points where I'd suddenly realize that one of the character voices had distracted me so much, I'd completely missed the last ten to thirty seconds of dialogue. At those points I was moved to grab my phone, and press the "Rewind" button, to go back and pick up the story where I'd momentarily tuned out.

Any additional comments?

Kevin Clay has an amazing voice, and I could listen to it for days. (Wait... I think I just did... ) For the most part, I really enjoyed his work. But there is that small part that goes along with the most part, to make the whole part, that left me a little disappointed. There were character voices that didn't match the characters (like a highly competent Sheriff's deputy, with a voice that made him sound like a man who could barely be trusted with a broom, let alone a badge, a gun, and the keys to a car) Or women's voices that sounded pouty and depressed, when the dialogue wasn't pouty or depressed. There were times when I'd wished that he'd simply told the story in his own beautiful voice... Because, when he does that, he does an amazing job.

Good story

Good story. Performance would be a 5 had the narrator used more feeling in the voice.

Pulled me in from the very beginning!

“People protect their own. It’s human nature.”

Cicada Spring by Christian Galacar surprised me. This was far more than the standard mystery that I had expected. Hard to believe this was Mr. Galacar’s debut novel. Set in the spring of 1979, the author draws a meticulous picture of life in small-town America with its politics and allegiances and the “monsters” that live among us. This wasn’t an easy listen. At times, it was downright depressing. In particular, with respect to the rape culture, it addressed. In addition, there was a depiction of animal cruelty at the beginning of the book that was hard to stomach, and I actually started wondering whether this would be the right book for me. But I’m so glad I didn’t stop at that point.

Aside from that horrible scene, the plot and the characters pulled me in from page one. In no time at all, I felt fully immersed in this poignant story of small-town America and couldn’t stop listening. There is a lot going on with a serial killer on the loose as well as the alleged rape of a fifteen-year-old girl which splits the community.

For me, the strength of this cross-genre novel was firstly the extremely well-defined characters – even the subsidiary characters were really well drawn – and secondly, the complex plot with its thoughtful exploration of the intricate relationships within families and small communities.

If you are looking for something a bit deeper than your standard crime novel or serial killer thriller, give this one a go! The characters and their experiences remained with me long after finishing this audiobook. I look forward to exploring Christian Galacar’s other books.

The book is read by Kevin Clay whose narration – in my opinion – was of the no-frills, straightforward variety. There was just about enough variation between the characters to keep it from being confusing while some of the female voices were slightly off from the way I was imagining them. But there was nothing that I particularly hated or particularly loved about the reading. Hence, my in-the-middle 3-star rating for the narration. There were no issues with the production of the audio.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.

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Narrative of Rape Culture

If you could sum up Cicada Spring in three words, what would they be?

murder, rape, cicada

What did you like best about this story?

The author does a great job of bringing levity to some very dark and serious subjects. This is the perfect summer read without it being too dark. I thought that there is great commentary on the ugliness of rape culture in America, but it is very subtle and not at all preachy.

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely; you had to tear me away from listening to it. I listened to it every chance I had.

Any additional comments?

First, this book really surprised me; it has so much depth. Cicada Spring is a beautiful narrative portraying the ugliness that is rape culture in America. This is not your standard mystery/thriller, and I think the genre-bending qualities really add to this novel. I listened to the audiobook, and there were times that I forgot that I was listening to such dark subject matter, as it was brought with such levity and beauty (if that's at all possible). I was stunned to find out that this was a debut novel, as there aren't that many books out there that just blow my mind from the very beginning. I had been complaining about many books having endings or climaxes that were just too short and weren't suspenseful enough, and then I read Cicada Spring, and this book did not disappoint. There was enough meat there to keep me on my toes. I truly enjoyed the experience of this tale.

I listened to the Audible version of this book, and Kevin Clay did a great job narrating. The recording was very high quality and he did a good job of discerning between characters in dialogue; I was never confused with who was talking at what point. Because I listened to this book, I cannot comment on grammar/editing, although it seemed to read smoothly and eloquently.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something a bit deeper than your typical whodunit mystery.

I would recommend

I thought that the book did s really good job of portraying small town America and delving into what can happen when something isn't right. The characters were very well written. It was interesting to see the story from different perspectives.

Kevin Clay did a great job narrating. He kept you in the story with believable renditions and didn't pull you out with over the top voices.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com

Another winner with this author

Easy to follow and addictive to listen to. So many sub plots and every one of them kept us on edge. Such a good book and so realistic. I hope Christian Galacar is busy writing more books. And Kevin Clay is an excellent narrator.

Excellent First Novel

For a first novel, this is very put together very well. It involves dual stories that have common characters. Both story lines were interesting so it was like reading two novels in one. Overall a solid read. I have already recommended this book to friends who I know will enjoy it. Easily a 5 star but the narrator, though very talented in distinguishing characters, read at a very slow pace that took away from the story. This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.

Cicada Spring

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook

Boom.”


A mystery within a mystery within a mystery. Who is telling the truth and who is lying? This story drags you through the

dark places in a small town. It held me riveted to the very end. I want more from this author and narrator!!!!




The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.

A few twists and turns..

Would you try another book from Christian Galacar and/or Kevin Clay?

Yes.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

The story is mainly focused around, Kara Price, when her trust is broken by someone held high in the community.

The world that the author creates is set in a small town where "everybody knows your name".

It starts off with a rape of Kara at the age of fifteen-years- old, then the story moves on to blackmail by family members,
of Eddie by Harry, then jumps to the inner dialogue of a serial killer, which was a little too gritty for me.

The pace is fast and the characters are well developed but there was alot going on in it with a few twists and turns, It is also sad at times.

Kevin Clay did an excellent job with the overall narration and character voices.

Note:
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."