• The Almost Moon

  • A Novel
  • By: Alice Sebold
  • Narrated by: Joan Allen
  • Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
  • 3.3 out of 5 stars (398 ratings)

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The Almost Moon  By  cover art

The Almost Moon

By: Alice Sebold
Narrated by: Joan Allen
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Publisher's summary

"When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily."

So begins The Almost Moon, Alice Sebold's astonishing, brilliant, and daring new novel. A woman steps over the line into the unthinkable in this unforgettable work by the author of The Lovely Bones and Lucky.

For years Helen Knightly has given her life to others - to her haunted mother, to her enigmatic father, to her husband and grown children. When she finally crosses a terrible boundary, her life comes rushing in at her in a way she never could have imagined.

Unfolding over the next 24 hours, this searing, fast-paced audiobook explores the complex ties between mothers and daughters, wives and lovers, the meaning of devotion, and the line between love and hate. It is a challenging, moving, gripping story, written with the fluidity and strength of voice that only Alice Sebold has.

©2007 Alice Sebold (P)2007 Hachette Audio

What listeners say about The Almost Moon

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Story
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Mother's day - sort of.

Having read Alice Sebold’s first two book a memoir “Lucky” about her own rape and “Lovely Bones” her first novel. Both are strong powerful works. “The Almost Mood “ is no less powerful and disturbing. Her lead is outstanding and the rest of the book haunting and seeking to understand what she had done and why. This is no books for the faint of heart or those who must judge others. This is an interior book with more revelation per chapter and you will ever expect. Alice - please keep writing!.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

DONT WAIST YOUR MONEY

What would have made The Almost Moon better?


What was most disappointing about Alice Sebold’s story?

it put me in such a funk, depressed and now unbelieveably annoyed...

Any additional comments?

I normal LOVE alice Sebold but im sad to say this was horriable... it put me in such a funk, depressed and now unbelieveably annoyed...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Shockingly Enjoyed

I got this because I love this author but was wary because of the subject. By the end I was loving the book and all the raw emotions and acts you could honestly see someone do after committing the murder of their own mother. I've already listened to it three times and find with each listen a new depth of emotion being portrayed by the author. It's raw and graphic but not too graphic. It's disturbing in a way that's not a turn off. But I feel it doesn't hold back and is honest, and that is what I truly enjoy about it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant!

Once again, Alice Sebold walks on the wild side, tackling the margins of conventional life and traditional storytelling. She continually pushes the imagination into the unthinkable and forces the reader to suspend disbelief and think outside the borders of quotidian reality.

A truly astonishing read. One I couldn't put down.

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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A sad but very poweful story

I know some people said this story was disgusting and awful, but if you have ever lived in a home with family members that are mentally ill it makes sense. I see it as a cautionary tale that if you choose not to take care of your illness it will come back to kill you, either by your own hand or by the child you have passed your illness on too. None the less a great read for those with an open mind.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

TOTALLY DISGUSTING & DISAPPOINTING..YUCK

What a shame that an author who could write the beautiful novel "The Lovely Bones" could lower herself to write such crap. This is a terrifyingly tragic story. I started the book 3 times---the third time I got in 2 hours and then removed it from my player and will remove it from my library. AN AWFUL PIECE OF JUNK!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

VERY Disturbing

I almost did not finish it. Obviously this daughter has many unsolved issues on top of mental illness that was probably inherited. I would definitely NOT recommend this book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Deep

As a caregiver to a mother with mania before she passed, whose father passed away, I understood and related to so much of the daughters emotions. I wouldn’t expect anyone without those connections to understand this book

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Horrible!

Depressing and horrible. I wish I hadn’t wasted my time. Don’t waste yours! I need to read something happy just to get this terrible story out of my mind. 🙁

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