Simply, Mine

By: Jane Carrington

Narrated by: Erin Mallon

Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

The number-one best-seller in YA Literature Simply Mine is the debut novel from author Jane Carrington.

Best friends Meagan Davis and Jake Nichols were born on the wrong side of the tracks. Living in a rundown trailer park - her with a welfare-scheming, neglectful mother and him with a father wounded in the Gulf War and suffering from PTSD - they forge a friendship they think is unbreakable.

When Jake returns from spending the summer with his grandparents to begin their senior year, he realizes he needs and wants more. Meagan misreads his subtle hints and becomes terrified that she will lose her best friend. Prideful and too stubborn to admit her feelings, even to herself, they begin a game of jealousy that threatens to destroy everything.

And just as Meagan realizes her love for Jake - he gives up, thinking he has been wrong about her all along. She tries to push past her pride and reach out; he insists that things can never be the same. He begins an intense physical program to prepare him for the Army after graduation - a decision she feels is a mistake. Depressed and lonely, Meagan begins to piece her life together without Jake, taking refuge volunteering for a children's art program and discovers she wants to be a teacher.

While their career plans begin to fall together, the gap between them grows so wide that only an epic winter storm has the power to bring them together. Will they be able to repair the damage to their friendship and admit their feelings for each other?

©2011 Jane Carrington (P)2012 Jane Carrington

Love this Narrator!

Would you consider the audio edition of Simply, Mine to be better than the print version?

Yes

What other book might you compare Simply, Mine to and why?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Which character – as performed by Erin Mallon – was your favorite?

Megan. Erin Mallon really captures the voice of a teen girl. She has a believable and realistic quality to her voice. She portrays Megan so precisely, yet she can also diversify herself to fit the other characters as well.

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

When Megan and Jake were fighting, especially at the Halloween party.

Any additional comments?

The narrator can make or break an audiobook, and Erin Mallon truly outdid herself with this narration. She was able to convey male voices, and also distinguish between multiple female voices from varying age groups. I really enjoyed the clear, innocent quality to her voice, which was perfect for the protagonist in this novel. I will seek out books read by Erin in the future.

Good story of friends in love!

This is story about falling in love with your best friend, and having a hard time reconciling and admitting the change in feelings and in the relationship..on one or both sides. I have a soft spot for stories like this about friends who fall in love. It is pretty well written, and I enjoyed the characters. For me they were certainly fleshed-out enough to add some depth and allow me to feel as if I knew who they were. There is a lot of "teen angst" in this story, but it's well done if you like that kind of thing (as I do when the story is good). The narration was well done and fitting to the book.