Roam

By: Erik Therme

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

When Kevin finds Sarah stranded by the side of the road, he’s more than willing to give her a ride. Young, beautiful and distraught—she’s everything a single guy could ask for in a girl. What he doesn’t know is that she already has a guy: an abusive, drunken boyfriend who left her there in a fit of rage. And when that boyfriend comes back and finds Sarah missing, a simple ride will turn deadly.

Like Josh Gaylord and Daniel Kraus before him, author Erik Therme explores the angst of disconnected youth in his enthralling and powerful Roam. Therme’s darkly tinged novel is an unforgettable tale of three errant souls brutalized by life’s cruel circumstances, and a remarkable night of discovery and violence that will change them forever.

©2017 Erik Therme (P)2017 Erik Therme

A fun short listen...

Would you listen to Roam again? Why?

Eventually, yes...but it is quite short so it will take some time for it to not be so "fresh" in my mind

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Pretty much...Throughout this book, the listener is left wondering who is crazy or not, and there is obscurity and much speculation as to whether the actions are taking place in reality, a dream state, their imagination, or just a combination of all—even bringing in somewhat of a supernatural element to leave you questioning some of the characters’ sanity.

What about Joe Hempel’s performance did you like?

The narration is great with a clear distinction and portrayal of each character.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing extreme, but it was fun...no laughing or crying--just speculation

Any additional comments?

I love mysteries/thrillers, and I typically listen to more lengthy audiobooks than this one just for the sheer fact that I am a true audiobook “junkie,” and too much is never enough. However, I received this free copy in exchange for an unbiased review. So, I wanted to give it a shot, and I am delighted that I did. Overall, a fun short listen and I would recommend it.

Powerful

Sarah’s birthday isn’t going the way she expected when her car breaks down on the side of the road, trapping her there with her abusive boyfriend. Fed up with him, she decides to walk away to try and get help. That’s when she meets Kevin and realizes that her life could be so much different, better, without Matt. He doesn’t agree though. If he can’t have her, no one can.

The blurb grabbed me, and I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book. At first, I thought it would end up being a psychological kidnapping read, but it took an unexpected angle covering things like friendship, comfort, abuse, and a range of other topics which not only made this an interesting read but an insightful one as well.

I liked Sarah. She was a strong character, disconnected from the world around her whether it be her abusive boyfriend or her mother who wasn’t much better. If I were her, I would’ve walked down a dark road to escape too. Luckily for her, it was the best move she could’ve made. I also liked Kevin. He was upbeat, the perfect optimism to balance Sarah’s pessimism. Very cute ending.

Joe did a fantastic job of the narration. I especially enjoyed the scene with the man telling the creepy story in the lobby. I got literal goosebumps there.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

not what I thought it was but not bad

I thought when I read the book blurb I would be in for a book with a chase from the drunken boyfriend. Even when the drunk shows up the action lasts only a few seconds.

Roam

What made the experience of listening to Roam the most enjoyable?

Joe Hempel's narration is perfect for this audiobook.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Roam?

I like mysteries/thrillers/suspense books that carry all the way through the book and Roam certainly does that. From the beginning, when we meet Sarah and Marc to the very last page where a surprise twist is revealed, Roam kept me on my toes, wondering what was going to happen next. Very suspenseful and entertaining book.

Seems targeted to young readers

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This book is classified under Mysteries & Thrillers > Suspense but it reads mostly like YA Thriller. I say that because all the characters were one-dimensional teen stereotypes that lacked much depth. Sarah does dumb things throughout the book, Kevin's character kept feeling unbelievable. Scotty's character somewhat resonated with me, but not really. All in all, I didn't much care about any of the characters and that caused me to lose interest in the story. I guess I can recommend it to some of my colleagues for their teenage sons / daughters; that's about it.

Was Roam worth the listening time?

It wasn't for me. I would guess it would be worth it for young audience.

Any additional comments?

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author / narrator / publisher and am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review.

Intense Suspense

Four lives intersect on 21-year old Sarah’s birthday. It turns out to be the birthday from hell. Stuck on the side of a deserted road, Sarah starts walking home after both her car and her boyfriend Matt, break down. Walking away from trouble is a good idea, but there are other dangers lurking.

Roam is an interesting young adult thriller. It has many twists and surprises and author Erik Therme always had me wondering what’s going to happen next. I personally have a hard time with this sort of story. Suspense is high but I had no idea who the bad guys were and it caused me way too much anxiety!

Joe Hempel fully voiced this 4 ½ hour audiobook and he did a wonderful job just as expected. This book, while well written, was difficult for me to like.

This audiobook was received in exchange for an unbiased review!

Roams ... a bit too much

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
It was good enough to be endured. Joe Hempel works wonders for books that are less stellar than expected. As always, he can give the characters life when the writer doesn't.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
The ending was rushed and anti climatic. It was over in a blink and lacked serious details. Although it made it a shock, it seemed to be far fetched.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The story lines tried to blend together, but kind of felt clumpy. It didn't really flow. I didn't really connect with Sarah. With her background, she still made very faulty and dumb decisions. None of the characters felt real or tangible; it's easy to see where the author was heading and his intentions, but I felt more interested to finish the book "just because", rather than an urgent desire.

Any additional comments?
"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

That was one busy night

Great pace kept me entertained from beginning to end. I enjoyed the narration and the twist at the end. I did feel like it was a little bit of a pity party between the characters at times and the events of the evening seemed a bit far fetched but it was still enjoyable. I did like that the course of the book took place over a single night, made for a quick listen.


I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

Ends with a twist

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

Yes! It's fast paced, the story is excellent, and the narrator was great!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, it wasn't predictable and had a few twists that I didn't see coming.

Any additional comments?

I received a free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Not what I expected, but good nonetheless

I'm not really sure what I was expecting when I listened to this book. I think something paranormal or apocalyptic But when that didn't pan out, I settled into the story and was glad to see it all the way through. It was a relatively short book compared to what I'm used to, but I think it worked well as a shorter story.

Quite a few things that happened in the book that made sense at the end. One thing that didn't sit quite right with me was the feeling that the story was skipping around too much. At times, I wasn't quite sure who the story was about or why certain parts of the book were in any way relevant to the overall story. One example is when Scott went to pick up his girlfriend's birth control pills. Other than slightly going a little deeper into the character development of Scott, I can't really figure out what that whole scene was about. Another is some earlier mention of Scott's brother living with him and having a hard time dealing with the death of his father. Unless I missed something (entirely possible), that really didn't have any relevance to the story, and it turns out that Scott was much mire impacted than originally let on by the same death. Just a little weird and discombobulated in some areas.

The narration was wonderful. Joe Hempel did a great job!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.