Open Wounds

By: Brandon Ford

Narrated by: Alexandra Johnston

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

The first cut brings a wave of calm that immediately washes over her. The second, an incomparable bliss. The third, euphoria in its purest, most absolute form.

A twisted and often unsettling glimpse into the mind of an unwitting victim, Open Wounds tells the story of a young girl’s battle to maintain her safety and sanity after she is preyed upon by a savage predator. She finds only the slightest comfort in scrawling the details of her horrific tale onto the pages of a leatherbound diary. But when her living nightmare becomes more than she can bear, the only comfort she finds is beneath the blade of a paring knife. Night after night, she slices into her own tender flesh, while praying for some escape from a world filled with anguish and torment.

Before long, those leatherbound pages are dripping with crimson and soon, open wounds become ripples of scar tissue.

©2014 Brandon Ford (P)2020 Brandon Ford

Could be anybody’s daughter...

This book is not a mystery, it’s a tragedy. It’s a teenage girl’s coming of age gone terribly, horribly wrong. This book is graphic and could be very difficult to listen to for some. There are more than one rape scenes involving young teenage girls. There is drug abuse, child abuse, neglect and prostitution. You also get a glimpse at how a cutter is made.
As disturbing as this story is I believe it should be mandatory reading for anyone involved in child care, the education system or child services.
For me the ending was a little melancholy.
Alexandra Johnson does a great job narrating.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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Open wounds

This story was written well.The character was such a sad one,yet she is relatable.Her challenges are monumental and she nearly dies. Alexanfra Johnston was a fine narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Powerful and Fiercely Alive

Brandon Ford's Open Wounds is often discomforting yet I could not stop reading because the action is wild and Kate, the protagonist, is fiercely alive. I felt that I knew Kate personally and I couldn't put down the story until I knew what happened to her in the end. Did I say great character, did I mention suspense? Joyce Carol Oates said, "My belief is that art should not be comforting; for comfort, we have mass entertainment and one another. Art should provoke, disturb, arouse our emotions, expand our sympathies in directions we may not anticipate and may not even wish.” She could have been referring to Open Wounds. I switched between Kindle and Audible and enjoyed both.

Spectacular read!!

The wonderful details weave a sad, gut wrenching story that is easy to get lost in. This is the story for too many young people, the gritty reality of the book leaves you feeling helplessly enthralled. Brandon Ford is a gifted author, and this book, along with his many other books, are a must read!

Unbelievably Good!

After her parents divorce Kate Montgomery moves to a new city with her mother. Kate hasn’t had it easy, and it’s about to go from difficult to downright horrific. Open Wounds is a dark, tragic story of what can and I am sure often does go wrong when a teenage girl is neglected, improperly supervised, and left to raise herself by a parent that has enough issues to fill an entire subscription. It is an extremely well researched, well drawn, detailed, dark story that is definitely for adults only. Brandon Ford pulled me into this world and made me see every gritty, ghastly, haunting detail. My heart bled for Kate, and for her friend Marie. There were a few characters that I physically wanted to do evil things to, and a few that I wanted to reward. I won’t mention names for fear of playing spoiler, but you will have no trouble identifying them when you listen to this enthralling book. What really haunts me is that I have no trouble believing that this story is the reality for some people and that horrifies me to my very core. Thank you Brandon Ford for educating me on a subject that the world needs to be more aware of, and thank you Alexandra Johnson for bringing that story to life with such passionate, riveting narration. Five well earned stars!

Sometimes real life is more of a horror

Brandon Ford is a horror author of scary stories I've enjoyed in the past. Open Wounds is different, but that doesn't make the story any less horrific. The book shines a spotlight on abuse: emotional, physical, sexual. It's a spotlight many of us would rather go dark, as the subject of abuse is so very hard for so many. However, it needs to shine brightly to bring awareness to something which still happens far too much in our society.

The story is set in 1981. I was thirteen that year and I am so thankful I did not have to endure what Kate did. Ford was smart setting the story in this era because these kinds of abuse were even less recognized back then. Often, if a girl told what was happening, no one would even believe her. We're seeing this come out in the present time...that abuses were going on back then and no one believed.

I'll be honest. This story is very dark. I sometimes found it hard to continue because it was so disturbing and distressing. Plus, I listened to the audio book which made it even more real. The young voice of the reader made it seem like Kate was really relating the story. I had to keep listening though. I had to know how it would all end.

I love stories that draw me in, while still teaching a lesson along the way. I warn again...it's very dark, and those who are triggered by stories containing subjects of abuse and self-harm should probably avoid. For others, read it. Learn why it's so important to believe when someone tells you something bad is happening to them. If they're lying, fine, but if they're not, you just might save a life.

Sickeningly Brilliant!

Open Wounds is a roller coaster ride from which I am still attempting to recover. Brandon Ford weaves togethr a dark and detail-rich masterpiece that follows the downward spiral of a typical American teenager as she wends her way through the heights of hope and the depths of disappointment, despair, and destruction. Kate Montgomery's life story is one you will always remember yet wish you could forget.

An unsettling story

This book is rather unsettling contains graphical descriptions of difficult themes. It can be difficult to listen at certain times but the story told about how hard and cruel the world can be to teenagers is important. The lead character Katie is sympathetic and I truly felt back for all the bad things happening to her. My only slight reservation and I why I only gave it four stars for story was that I felt it was extended a bit to far and could have benefited from slightly less misery description and instead have developed the ending a bit more.

darkness within

The horrors endured while others turn a blind eye and go about their sad lives was unbearable. There were no winners and no justice, only existence on a different level. This one made me cry. This author can turn you inside out, and you keep reading and listening for more- obsession or addiction- both!!! I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest review. The narrator did a great job bringing it to life.

great listen

For a book I unintentionally downloaded, sorry about that (for o must have put on some ones code 🙄)... ok not sorry, for it was a well written, heart wrenching tale told by a great performer. The author did an excellent job of pulling in the listener and keeping their attention. I would read more from him.