Gracie's Secret

By: Jill Childs

Narrated by: Alison Campbell

Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

My dearest daughter, I will never forget the day I nearly lost you. The day you learned the secrets that would tear our lives apart....

Time stops for Jen when her beloved daughter, Gracie, is involved in a terrible car crash. Pronounced dead at the scene, it's a miracle when paramedics manage to then resuscitate the little girl. The relief Jen feels at Gracie's recovery is matched only by her fury at the driver of the car - her ex-husband's new girlfriend, Ella. Jen has never trusted Ella, and now her worst fears have been confirmed.

But then Gracie begins to tell strange stories about what she heard in the car that day and what she saw in those moments near death. It's clear that there's something shocking hidden in Ella's past, but exposing it could tear all their lives apart.

An emotional pause resister that will take your breath away. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Lisa Wingate, and Kerry Fisher.

©2018 Jill Childs (P)2018 Bookouture

Sneaks up on you

For the first third I was waiting for something to happen and then it hooked me. It's an unusual story line. Try to purchase on sale as a credit might be too much. The narration was pleasant except when the child was upset. Then the voice was so high pitched that it was like nails on a chalkboard.

Overly dramatic

It’s hard to get to the heart of the book due to the overly dramatic theatrical performance by the narrator.

ONE SICK MIND

What a depressing waste of time and money! Then they are disturbed enough to offer more storues like this from the author!! What kind of disturbed person writes this crap...I listened for and wasted hours putting up with the annoying whine of the narrator only to have a sick, stupid endkng! GRRR, don't waste your tine or money! Or emotion for that matter!

A mother's love indeed

Description of thoughts of each character well done. The depth of a mother's love well portrayed. Highly enjoyed this book. Well done.

WOW!!!! ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT!!!!

WHAT A GREAT STORY!!!! THIS ISN'T YOUR REGULAR PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER, BUT ABOUT LOVE, HOPE, AND THE POWER OF A MOTHER!!!! I CRIED AND CRIED. THIS WAS A GREAT BOOK!!!! LIKE I SAID, IT'S NOT A NORMAL THRILLER, YES THERE ARE SOME TWISTS AND TURNS, BUT THIS IS MOSTLY OF A MOTHER'S DEVOTION TO HER DAUGHTER..... LIES PEOPLE TELL, AND HOW DESPERATE PEOPLE CAN BECOME IN THIS LIFE.

couldn't stop listening

Was able to figure out one of the twists by the moddle of the book but the ending catches you by surprise!!

I had high hopes but they're dashed

struggled to finish. I skipped ahead, like to the end from chapter 10. She was too obsessed with her daughter.

eh

I found this book to be dull. the story line barely moved. I tried so hard to like it but quit half way through.

interesting

very nice twist at the end but long narrative some times very slow but interesting

Poorly written

The obnoxious whining of the child’s voice and personality was a real deterrent for this book

Brilliant

Fantastic story
Wonderful narration
Kept you listening and not wanting to stop it
Great page turner

A good read

The narrator was very good. Good read for the summer although wasn't too keen on the ending.

Predictable story with annoying narration

I wish I hadn't bothered, from start to finish the story was so predictable. Gracie doesn't have a secret, I kept listening, in the vain hope that something (other than what I had assumed from paragraph one) would happen. Oh and the narration, dear god, it was like nails scraping on a blackboard, all in all a waste of a credit.

lovely story though a little slow

A lovely but touching story, very sad at the end, certainly took me by surprise.

Lovely story...

I enjoyed this book. It was beautifully written and the narration was excellent. The esoteric aspects may not be to everyone's taste but just accept the weirdness and you will enjoy the story. Characters are believable and the story kept me gripped all the way through. Thank you.

Weak

Weak story and The child voice was far too screechy I was disappointed overall -wouldn’t recommend

Exciting well written story

I enjoyed this story with its intriguing twists and turns. I love how the lives of the characters weave in and out of one another in the past and present. The author reveals the subtle twists bit by bit until the final plot is revealed. I did guess some of it sooner than she wanted me to, but this didn't detract from the story.

The narrator is very expressive, even to the point of overdoing the emotional voices of the overwrought characters, but this was better than some of the dull, flat narrators I have listened to in the past.

Matt appears in Jenny's life just after her little daughter Gracie is involved in a serious car accident. Jenny, recently separated from her husband, comes across as an incredibly emotionally fragile and vulnerable person, an obsessively smotheringly overprotective mother, even taking into account that Gracie nearly died in the car accident. She has no notion at all of discipline and just lets Gracie do as she wants, so grateful is she that Gracie is alive. She doesn't even seem to relate to her daughter as a proper person, baby-talking down to her in an annoyingly coochy-coo singsong, though Gracie seems mature for her age, with interests, opinions, thoughts of her own and the ability to hold a proper conversation. Jenny disbelievingly dismisses Grace's near death experience of heaven and meeting her dead grandpa as "just a dream". Gracie herself comes across like an obnoxious, disobedient, whiny brat with her irritatingly high pitched squeaky voice. She repeatedly runs away or wriggles out of her mother's arms, no doubt protesting the smothering embrace and lack of understanding of her experiences. One wonders how this kind of overbearing mothering will affect her as she gets older.
I won't reveal what happens as Matt and Jenny become emotionally close, or the final outcome, but it's really a great story.

Give it a miss

Predictable story however the narration of the 3 yr old was shrill and uncomfortable listening. Avoid.

Great

I loved it, so full of suspence intrigue and a story of a mother's love. Narrator excellent too

well worth a read

loved the book good twist. The narrator was excellent. I usually fall asleep listening to a audio book but this one kept me interested and awake