Girl on the Brink

By: Christina Hoag

Narrated by: Angela Rose Masi

Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

He was perfect. At first.

The summer before senior year, 17-year-old Chloe starts an internship as a reporter at a local newspaper. While on assignment, she meets Kieran, a quirky aspiring actor. Chloe becomes smitten with Kieran's charisma and his ability to soothe her soul, torn over her parents' impending divorce.

But as their bond deepens, Kieran becomes smothering and flies into terrifying rages. He confides in Chloe that he suffered a traumatic childhood, and Chloe is moved to help him. If only he could be healed, she thinks, their relationship would be perfect.

But her efforts backfire and Kieran becomes violent. Chloe breaks up with him, but Kieran pursues her relentlessly to make up.

Chloe must make the heartrending choice between saving herself or saving Kieran, until Kieran's mission of remorse turns into a quest for revenge.

©2016 Christina Hoag (P)2018 Christina Hoag

Girl on the Brink

If you have been in a bad relationship you will see the signs, but innocent Chloe doesn’t know any better. This book was so scarily accurate I had trouble putting it down. I was waiting for something truly dreadful to happen to Chloe. I was waiting to see how far Kieran would go.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Hauntingly thought provoking

I have listened to numerous novels with a domestic abuse theme. What made ‘Girl on the Brink’ stand out from the crowd for me personally was the age of the main character. This is technically a young adult novel, but it should appeal to a much wider audience. There is so much potential for discussion here, it would be a great book to be shared and talked about between parents and teenagers, in youth groups etc.

17-year-old Chloe is about to start her last year at high school when she meets charming Kieran. Initially, Kieran seems perfect boyfriend material. Unlike other boys Chloe has come across, Kieran doesn’t just want sex, he is very attentive and fun to be with. He actually listens to Chloe, when she needs to talk about her difficult time at home. Her parents have recently separated and Chloe’s Mum is not coping well.

While some readers/listeners will soon pick up on the tell-tale signs of where Chloe and Kieran’s relationship is starting to turn sour, the story is ideal for introducing less experienced audiences to this difficult subject matter in a meaningful but very enjoyable way. Chloe is a brilliantly drawn character and it is easy to feel for her, but what made this really outstanding for me, is the fact that Christina Hoag’s characterization of Kieran made me feel all sorts of emotions, too. I was there with Chloe when she tried desperately to help Kieran. The push and pull between needing to save herself and wanting to save Kieran were done so well and really emotional.

Christina Hoag has evidently done extensive research into the topic. The novel is well written, the story is completely believable, characters and dialog felt realistic, and the cycle of abuse is portrayed frightfully accurately.

Possible spoiler: Unlike other domestic abuse stories I have read, this one doesn’t end when Chloe “frees herself”. I liked that it went further into the aftermath of it all. The support group meeting certainly provided a lot more information about domestic abuse without ever coming across as being preachy. My only minor niggle: while I realize that most domestic abuse is targeted at women, it would have been nice to acknowledge, within the support group meeting perhaps, that men can also be victims of domestic abuse.

The narration by Angela Rose Marsi was excellent. She had a young sounding voice that suited Chloe’s first-person perspective very well, but her male voices were equally great and very believable. There were no issues with the production of the audio.

This is the sort of novel that should be widely available in educational establishments, libraries, and homes across the country. Highly recommended!

Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.
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Wow, I loved this book

Definitely written for a teen/young adult in mind but as a mom of a daughter I would recommend this book for a dating teen. So much to relate to in being in a relationship with someone who is abusive, but the good times and loved shared is confusing. You think he will change, you are sure that you just need to love him and accept him more, and you begin to walk on eggshells unsure of what will trigger his anger. I would definitely read another book by author Christina Hoag and narrator Angela Rose Masi, who did an amazing job.

GREAT YOUNG ADULT BOOK

good book for young adults to understand how a relationship can go bad fast. well written.

Thought provoking

I received this book in hopes of an honest review.

This book definitely hit me in the heart and stomach. Domestic violence is more prevalent then many believe and I loved the fact that this book showed the ins and outs of it, the rationalization and the excuses. Sometimes I wanted to strangle Kieran and other times I wanted to shake Chloe. But I’m so glad they showed the truth behind it and this is a very good listen. Great narrator as well.

Memorable, heart wrenching story

This is a heart breaking story of emotional abuse and it illustrates how easy it is for teens to become emotionally lost, even when they seem happy and appear to be doing well in life. It shows how people are wrapped up in their own lives and just how easy it is to miss the signs that show our friends or loved ones are struggling.The circle of abuse, the effects that divorce has on self esteem and the human need to feel loved, are highlighted in this story.The narrator really brings the story to life, doing a wonderful job of all the voices and making you feel the emotions expressed.This is a book all teens and women should listen to, it really bring home just how easy it is to slip into and how hard to overcome that circle of abuse is.

Amazing, A Must Read

Chloe is spending the summer between her junior and senior year interning at the local paper. After her father and mother's separation, her father moves out and her mother is too busy self-medicating to notice Chloe. With her best friend at camp, Chloe thinks she'll be alone all summer. Then she meets Kieran. Kieran is charming and charismatic, and Chloe's never met anyone like him. When she falls for him, she falls hard.

In the beginning, their relationship is perfect. Kieran is older and wiser, advising her about her parents and showing her new things. But Kieran has a temper, and things take a turn for the worse. Chloe is forced to decide between saving Kieran and saving herself, but it might be too late for either of them.

I thought this book was amazing, a must read for any woman. It was intense and a little challenging to read at times, but it laid out the warning signs of abuse in a way that made it easy to spot without being preachy. It's wonderfully written. The way abuse is typically portrayed in movies, the abuse is constant and the abuser has no redeeming qualities. Someone watching would think, 'That could never happen to me'. Christina Hoag showed how it could, how the cycle of abuse could be used to keep a victim coming back, how Chloe's support system was slowly undermined, how an abuser could gaslight a victim into thinking the abuse was normal. It's portrayed so well in this book.

The narration was really spot on, and pulled me right into the story. I only listen to audiobooks while I'm at work, and I found excuses to keep working late so I could continue listening. That is the mark of a really good audiobook. I requested a copy of the book, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Informative and interesting

Girl on the Brink is a fantastic and shocking story. Chloe thinks she's found the perfect boyfriend, don’t we all though? So when Kieran shows her his true nature Chloe tries to help him because of his past. I really liked Chloe a lot. But Kieran is intense, he's suffocating and he's jealous. He uses his concern and affection to show Chloe that he's such a good and loving boyfriend, while she's the one with shortcomings. Ms Hoag has perfectly captured how abusive relationships start and how the victim is being trained to think and act in a certain way.

Girl on the Brink is impressive and very well written. Christina Hoag has made her story gripping and filled with emotion. Hoag breaks down all the signs of abuse. I loved the way she intertwines information with a great story and she's writing about warning signals in an informative and interesting way. Girl on the Brink is a story about an incredibly important topic and the writing is amazing.

The narrator was great too. She took this story and gave it feelings and really added to it.

too often

this book unfortunately deals with a very true problem that happens every day. women get abused physically, mentally and emotionally daily but believe that somehow they deserve it. very sad. unfortunately I have been there and by the grace of God lived through it. what needs to be remembered is that no form of abuse is ok whether you are a woman or a man.

Way too real!

It can happen to anyone. Control of your own life to being controlled. It happens slowly most of the time and, before you know it, you don't know how to get out of it. Chloe is just 17 years old when it happens to her. This is the first book I have had of Christina Hoag's and, I can guarantee, it will not be the last. Her writing style sucks you in and keeps you there without letting go. She is amazing. Her characters are well developed and believable and her ability to make you feel as if you are there, with the characters, as if you are a fly on the wall, watching it all play out is beyond exemplary.
I listened to the audiobook version of this and Angela Rose Masi is really good. She slows down the narration and conversation when it is necessary and speeds up with excitement when required. Her character voices are 'right on' and I had no problem knowing who was speaking by the sound of their voice. Honestly, it was as if I had a movie playing in my head while listening to the book.
I enjoyed this very much and would recommend it anyone.