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Of a Boy
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins
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Of a Boy
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Editorial reviews
This award-winning audiobook from Sonya Hartnett begins with the tragic disappearance of three children and doesn’t slow down until the unforgettable end. Of a Boy follows young Adrian as he spends his days worrying about everything from sea monsters to quicksand, but mostly he thinks about the three children who went for ice cream and never came back. When a young girl, Nicole, moves in across the street, Adrian’s life takes on a new trajectory. That is, until their curiosity leads them down a sinister path. Performed with a masterful empathy and vigor from veteran narrator Humphrey Bower, Of a Boy is an audiobook not quickly forgotten.
Publisher's summary
This book was published in the United States under the title What the Birds See.
Critic reviews
"Rarely is a sentence turned so well, a setting so remarkably established, and a plot so evenly polished as in this book." (School Library Journal)
"Hartnett's prose is beautiful, filled with piercing, original imagery that, like David Almond's, explores the savage, animal instincts in humans, especially children. The climax is shocking." (Booklist)
"As sharp and tender as a suspenseful novel can be." (Robert Drewe)
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What listeners say about Of a Boy
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Author John
- 12-19-11
Keep your children close at hand
Would you listen to Of A Boy again? Why?
Not likely. While the story read much like a made for television
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
Written with a detail for realism, the outcome was unsatisfactory. I needed someone in this story to root for.
What about Humphrey Bower’s performance did you like?
The inflection; the tension in the voice. This was well-done.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The tenuous nature of childhood attachments to things, and to people.
Any additional comments?
I was depressed for a week.
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