Magonia

By: Maria Dahvana Headley

Narrated by: Therese Plummer, Michael Crouch

Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

“Maria Dahvana Headley is a firecracker: she’s whip smart with a heart, and she writes like a dream.” (Neil Gaiman, best-selling author of The Graveyard Book and Coraline Aza)

Ray Boyle is drowning in thin air. Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak - to live. So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn't think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.

Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who's always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world - and found, by another. Magonia.

Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power - but as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war between Magonia and Earth is coming. In Aza's hands lies fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?

Neil Gaiman’s Stardust meets John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars in this New York Times best-selling story about a girl caught between two worlds, two races, and two destinies.

Don’t miss Aerie, the stunning, highly anticipated sequel!

©2015 Maria Dahvana Headley (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

A Beautiful story that speaks to the spirit

This story was so much bigger than I expected, I found myself laughing, crying, and cheering with its characters. I was constantly wondering if Magonia was real or a dying girls grab for control in an uncontrollable situation? I hope this book will become required reading for students who will use it to study the philosophy of life, death, first loves, loss, community, duty, family and so much more.

Good job

Well done. I was captivated the whole time. My only complaint being the whinny love sick parts, but if you speed up the reading you can bare it. Plus, this is a teen novel so i should expect that kind of gooey stuff. The book over all is very creative and I recommend it!

Amazing, imaginative fantastical story!

Great narration. No, excellent Narration. Loved the story, lots of feeling and thought. About to listen to the sequel!!

Too much teenage drama

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The plot is creative and the ending leaves room for more development of this interesting world. However, I was left with more questions than answers about the relationship between Magonia and earth, and also about Aza's relationship to both. It just seemed so far away from me, and too different to grasp.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Therese Plummer and Michael Crouch ?

Michael did a great job; but as for Therese, there are times I just wanted her to stop! She made every character sound like a ball of uncontrolled emotion. I understand that the characters were thrown into some pretty challenging situations, but I don't understand why they always sounded like they were barely holding it together. Aza's character was the worst, but I quickly realized that this was Therese's performance style when all other characters she represented exuded the same thing.

Do you think Magonia needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes and no. Yes because the world was so underdeveloped. She spent more time on the character development and the visual -- which was great -- but that doesn't help me connect to the world at a deeper level like I would have preferred, especially one so different as Magonia. No because I don't want to read another teenage drama at this level. If there could please be a little more depth beyond the barely pubescent teenage emotional state in the characters, I could enjoy it a little more.

Any additional comments?

Overall, I don't think I would read a sequel to this book. It was just like I put in my headline -- too much teenage drama. I don't think I can listen to one more recital of the number pi from the main male character, or one more iteration of ((()) ))(( {}{{{{}} symbols to represent words because of angsty, emotional, communication issues.

New and refreshing

Nice to listen to something that didn't try to conform to some one else's view of fantasy. This book paints a new world that draws you in and keeps you interested till the end.

fantastic YA novel!!

I cried harder than I have in years at the beginning and the end. This is so very tender and real. I got a little weirded out in the middle, but then remembered this is YA literature. If I had read this as a 14-y-o I would have loved it tremendously and not thought it weird at all.

It probably would still have touched me deeply if I'd read it, but Therese Plummer's narration was awesome! The breathlessness, the love, the youthfulness all are there in perfection. I could see her in myself a few decades ago, and in my students now. Michael Crouch does a fine job too, though his voice for the heroine is not as good as Plummer's, and he has a much smaller part to read.

Young love is still real love for all its immaturity. But this is more than Romeo and Juliet--it touches on, without really discussing, family love and adoption love as well as bonds of blood. It also caresses what it means to really know someone, someone's heart and soul, and recognizing these no matter what form someone has. It allows these many forms of non-sexual love to transcend all problems and situations.

The magical, fantasy aspects are something most young people dream about, and wish would happen to them. As I said, it got a little weird for me, but I got over it and thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was very emotional and uplifting.

Therese Plummer excels

Without any form of spoilers:
This story came to life through the exquisite performance of ms Plummer! There are actors on screen that convey less emotion.
Wonderful and a lovely story as well!
Recommended!

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING

I loved the reader! Such amazing voice. The emotions speak so well. I chose this book because the cover was beautiful and the story was very different. Such an amazing book. I honestly recommend this book to everyone. It speaks to your inner child who always wanted to fly!

Loved it!

This story captivated me from the start! I enjoyed the characters and the performances were amazing - full of emotion.

Awesome

One of the best reads for me this year in the category of fantasy. The author describes the world so well. i actually was thinking about it whwn i wasnt listening. Aza and Jason's character were very real to each other therefore making them so believeable. i like that as soon as i thought this was another (not that i mind) epic love story, it changes to war with another world.....and kinda of herself .
i cant say enough so again AWESOME JOB MARIA.