Three Halves of a Whole

De: M.E. Aster

Narrado por: Elysia Segal

"Andrew aspired to be that person who could fix everything. He wanted to save Riley from his doubts and fears...but he never quite knew how, and the passage of years hadn't changed that."

Andrew hasn't spoken to his ex-boyfriend Riley in almost two years, until one fateful night when he receives a phone call from the other man that he finds himself unable to ignore.

What will happen when rules are broken and a relationship that Andrew thought had died is given a chance of rekindling? Will things be different this time around...or will it all end in misery for a second time?

This book contains potentially upsetting topics, including drug use, depression, and suicidal thoughts and actions. Please listen with caution if any of these trigger you.

©2018 M.E. Aster (P)2021 M.E. Aster

Feels like a sequel or 1/2 the story

REVIEW OF THE STORY:
I won an Audible audiobook copy from the author, excited as I’d never read anything by her before.

Right away I was confused… During the first few minutes, I kept wondering if this was part of a series and I had missed an installment or two. The beginning of this book is literally a condensed summary of how the main characters, Riley and Andrew, met, fell in love, spiraled, then broke up. Usually, we actually get to READ about all of that, experiencing the slow burn or insta-love, yet all of that was completely skipped. Instead, this story doesn’t begin until several years after the couple has already broken up, after going through drug addiction, hospitalizations, loss, shame and more. Not only did the author bypass all of the fun parts (not allowing us to be there the first time they kiss, to enjoy the emotions as their relationship blossomed, to witness their first fight, etc.), by skipping years of their story, we don’t get any character development. We are told a short story about characters we know nothing about other than that brief, condensed summary.

Based on what I did hear, Aster seems to be an extremely talented and very, very eloquent writer. I was often impressed by the words used and how well they flowed. However, the way this book was put together was disappointing to say the least. If the story had been told in its entirety, I think it would have been something quite special!

REVIEW OF THE PERFORMANCE:
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Elysia Segal. I thought it was strange that the author chose a female performer to narrate a story about two men, she chose a fantastic narrator!!!
She delivered a flawless, compelling performance from start to finish!!!

A poignant, tragic love story

Three halves of a whole follows Andrew as he struggles to cope with the downward spiral of his ex-lover. The story gives a brief introduction into how Andrew and Riley fell in love before bringing us to the present where Andrew has been forced to move on, even though he still cares deeply for the struggling Riley.

This short audiobook is well performed, beautifully written, and achingly poignant—making you wish you could reach in and pull the characters from their tragic trajectory.

My only real critique is that I wish we got to spend more time with Riley and be present while he and Andrew fell in love before diving into the aftermath. Mostly we see through Riley through the lens of Andrew’s memories. But once I started listening, the story pulled me in and I flew through it.

Definitely recommend for those looking for a deeply emotional read that deals with grief, complicated relationships, and letting go. (Trigger warnings for substance abuse and suicide)

A delightfully emotional read

A short listen but certainly not lacking in plot, story, and emotion. Well worth the listen.