Maya's Notebook

By: Isabel Allende

Narrated by: Maria Cabezas

Maya’s Notebook is a startling novel of suspense from New York Times bestselling author Isabel Allende.

This contemporary coming-of-age story centers upon Maya Vidal, a remarkable teenager abandoned by her parents. Maya grew up in a rambling old house in Berkeley with her grandmother Nini, whose formidable strength helped her build a new life after emigrating from Chile in 1973 with a young son, and her grandfather Popo, a gentle African-American astronomer.

When Popo dies, Maya goes off the rails. Along with a circle of girlfriends known as "the vampires," she turns to drugs, alcohol, and petty crime--a downward spiral that eventually leads to Las Vegas and a dangerous underworld, with Maya caught between warring forces: a gang of assassins, the police, the FBI, and Interpol.

Her one chance for survival is Nini, who helps her escape to a remote island off the coast of Chile. In the care of her grandmother’s old friend, Manuel Arias, and surrounded by strange new acquaintances, Maya begins to record her story in her notebook, as she tries to make sense of her past and unravel the mysteries of her family and her own life.

I loved it! Maya is crazy lucky easy to love!

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

Already have! its a good story!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Maya's Notebook?

Vegas, Vegas was crazy Maya doesn't know how lucky she is to not have fallen to bigger pray. I think the moment I would remember is when she retells when she was in a homeless shelter and steals from a lady with a child... she took her last $5 to get a fix.

Have you listened to any of Maria Cabezas’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

yes, I think she portrayed Mayas character perfectly.

If you could take any character from Maya's Notebook out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I would have loved to meet Maya's popo as she calls him, He was tall dark and handsome He married her grandmother he was an astronomer a professor in uc berkeley, He accepted her grandmothers chilean culture with out giving up his. I love the way the meet, Nidia Visal has bras ball!

great story!!

I enjoy this story. I felt bad for Maya at times and at times I wanted to slap her. The narrator was easy to understand. I wanted her to have a more Latino accent but she did a great job. The resolution was super quick and I wanted to know a little more of the aftermath. I loved the plot!

A good story

Huge fan of Allende... different kind of story I’m used to from her, still I enjoyed this new style ...

some dark moments

this was was low to start but I really enjoyed the book. I liked that everything was wrapped up

Not Allende's Usual Standard

I usually love Allende's novels and was eager to listen to her latest work. It's okay, but it certainly doesn't match her usual standard. The story just isn't that interesting, and I'm surprised that she produced something so predictable and average. Maya's Notebook has received rave reviews on Amazon, and I'm left wondering what they read that I didn't. Dull and disappointing.