Binary Star

By: Sarah Gerard

Narrated by: Sarah Gerard

Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

The language of the stars is the language of the body. Like a star the anorexic burns fuel that isn't replenished; she is held together by her own gravity.

With luminous, lyrical prose, Binary Star is an impassioned account of a young woman struggling with anorexia and her long-distance, alcoholic boyfriend. On a road trip circumnavigating the United States, they stumble onto a book on veganarchism and believe they've found a direction.

Binary Star is an intense, fast-moving saga of two young lovers and the culture that keeps them sick (or at least inundated with quick-fix solutions) and a society that sells diet pills, sleeping pills, magazines that profile celebrities who lose weight or too much weight or put on weight, and books that pimp diet secrets or recipes for success.

©2015 Sarah Gerard (P)2015 ListenUp Production, LLC

Difficult Listen..

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

MMMMM...Idk....its very tragic...

What was one of the most memorable moments of Binary Star?

I think I will remember this whole book for quite some time...

What about Sarah Gerard’s performance did you like?

I had to settle into her narration...she speaks very fast...but it fits the story...the main character is very manic...

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

They should not make a movie of the book...maybe a documentary?

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

First off I must say this is very poetically written in a sad reaching out for help manner...It is about a very sad girl, who desperately needs help. She is starving herself, and wants others to hurt her...she does not feel worthy of living and she is taking control of her life by being very destructive of herself...She starves herself, takes diet pills, only drinks coffee and redbull...sometimes water.barely eats at all, and when she does she vomits...she rarely sleeps...and her boyfriend is an alcoholic...he tries to help her, but he is very messed up also...I think she may have died at the end...its kind of not specified...I could not listen to this all at once..I could feel this girls grief and had to walk away a few times...very heavy listen...

Thank You, Audiobookblast(dot)com

Quick, Intense Listen

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

Some friends.

What did you like best about this story?

The story feels extraordinarily personal. It's intense and powerful. It is a first-person stream of consciousness of a young woman struggling with anorexia, bulimia, and a dysfunctional, long-distance relationship with an alcoholic. It's not a light-listen by any definition. She TAs an astronomy class and the story mixes in star analogies with eating disorders and depression. Really interesting.

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

I have not. I don't think I would like hearing her perform anything but her own work. She doesn't give the characters distinct voices or anything. She isn't a professional narrator, but her voice was right for this story. The emotion and power came through in her performance. I enjoyed it.

Binary Star

What was one of the most memorable moments of Binary Star?

Binary Star is a book in many ways an unsettling. It is an incredibly important one. Gerard's style pushes the boundaries and, like her characters, constantly seems about to go extreme.

Very interesting stream of consciousness novella

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the imagery of driving through the desert.

Any additional comments?

This stream of consciousness narrative was really interesting. The writing style was unusual and very fluid. It was narrated by the author, and while you can tell she is not a professional narrator, I really cannot imagine someone else telling the story in a coherent way. I would highly suggest this, if you have any interest in flash fiction, short stories or beat writing.