The Boy from the Woods

By: Jen Minkman

Narrated by: Chari-Lynn Koppel

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

Julia has been in love with Michael for years. He's the hottest guy in school, and she can't believe her luck when they finally hit it off during senior prom. Her dream doesn't last, though: After a few dates, he callously dumps her out of the blue. Summer vacation starts with Julia feeling heart-broken and miserable.

But then she rescues Michael in the woods when he has a motorcycle accident in a heavy thunderstorm. From that point onward, her life is turned upside down. Michael has changed completely after the blow to the head that nearly killed him - and he wants her back. But why is he so different? And will she be able to trust him this time around?

Can the boy who broke your heart ever win it back again?

©2013 Jen Minkman (P)2014 Jen Minkman

Excellent Story Connecting Nature to Young Love

Any additional comments?

The Boy from the Woods by Jen Minkman is a story about love, forgiveness, friendship, and natural forces. The story centers on Julia and her friends who just graduated from high school in Europe. Like many young innocent girls, she succumbs to the charms of her high school crush, Michael, who dumps her the following day after taking her virginity. Several weeks afterwards, Julia accidently runs into him and he insults her and treats her like a stranger.

Up until this time Julia spent much of her free time daydreaming and writing songs (about Michael) in the forest behind her home. Shortly after Michael’s heartbreaking insults, she discovers Michael at the foot of her favorite oak tree unconscious and bleeding from a bad motorcycle accident. When he opens his eyes, he speaks her name almost reverently, and it’s as if he is a totally different person.

I really enjoyed the exploration into Celtic Druidism – the spiritual connection to nature. Many call this connection our “sixth sense.” It’s easy to adopt this philosophy and believe in the pulse of nature and the circle of life. The Boy from the Woods really demonstrates how everything in life is interconnected and dependent on each other.

I listened to the Audible version of this story. Despite a few obvious “page turning” noises, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. I loved it so much that I couldn’t stop listening after driving home from work one day. So, I went on a long walk – in the woods by my house -- to finish it. Great job!

Nice and unique story

I enjoyed this largely because it was so unique and I didn't know where the story was going. The performance was good and I couldn't stop listening once I started.

Great audio book

I loved this audio book! Especially once it really started going. That twist at the end was awesome. I had a suspicion. Great, story line and characters. Great job narrating

Excellently written story with perfect flow.

The Boy From The Woods by Jen Minkman is a coming of age story about sisterly love. I found it to be fun and exciting while full of suspenseful drama. In other words, This book has all the feels in a smooth read.
The Boy From the Woods is a beautifully written story. Each event unfolds at just the right places, giving just enough information to keep the flow perfectly. This twist toward the end give a new meaning to the title.
Overall, I give it 5 out of 5 stars. It was written and narrated extremely well. I will definitely look out for more from Jen Minkman.

The ending though...

I really enjoyed the story, but the ending wasn’t for me. I wasn’t expecting it to be so far fetched. Overall, not bad though.

Love this book!

I enjoy listening to YA books and I really enjoyed this one. It was not full on angst ridden teens but it has a great storyline and characters you will enjoy!

I have been given this audiobook for my honest review.

I tried..I really really tried

Just couldn't get there..and in the very first time of reading a book I gave up. I downloaded with Audible but the narrator I am sorry to say is the absolute worst...I am always one that will finish a book no matter what..this book killed that for me..honestly I went into Kindle books and read the last chapters..I could no longer listen the narration was killing me and I thought if I actually just read the book that may change my perspective. It did not.

Distracting narration

I would have loved this book more when I was a teen. As an adult reader, I was hoping for more lore and complexity. The narrator spoke in a strong choppy cadence that distracted me from the story.

Magical!

Author Jen Minkman has really outdone herself with this story. It really captures Jen's imagination and it shows her love for writing a great story. This story has everything you want in a story. Jen captures everything like love, nature, heartache, joy, and the mystical connection of nature. Jen has written a beautiful story that keeps you wondering and guessing from start to finish. I love all of the author's stories but this one touches you in such a way that you'll never forget this story. I believe that's what a great story should do. I don't care if you're not a fan of YA, once you read/listen to this one you'll change your mind.

Narrator Charli Lynn Koppel did a fantastic job with the telling of this story and I was immersed from the start. I even cried so much that I didn't know if I was ever going to stop. A wonderful story and a fantastic performance by the narrator. I definitely recommend you get this story to add to your collection.

Another great story by the author.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Boy from the Woods to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version, but I absolutely loved the audio version.

What did you like best about this story?

Everything. The author knows how to write a story that will draw you in and keep your interest.

What about Chari-Lynn Koppel’s performance did you like?

Great performance and an excellent job of telling a great story.

Any additional comments?

Would recommend and listen to this author's stories anytime.

Beautiful

What a wonderful story, so imaginative and sweet! I cried so much it hurts, poor Michael/tree.
It was like having a story in a story. It was fantastically written and so very interesting.i would highly recommend this book to anyone it’s just captivating.
The narration was mainly good, just a few lapses but it didn’t take away from the story to listen to it.