Heroine: Frederique Marchand
Hero: Newt Tobias
Freya Barker, the author of A Change of Pace, deals with a serious matter that is often overlooked, cutting. As a teenager, I have struggled with it and learned to cope on my own. I remember how relieved I felt with every cut. I could feel all the tension leave my body. Despite what people may think, it's not a ruse to gain people's attention. On the contrary, people who cut usually go far out of their way to hide the signs and appear outwardly happy when they want to show people that nothing is amiss.
I like how Frederique and Newt handled the situation, not blaming her but trying to help her overcome it. When you start a conventional romance novel, it's a given that's the lead characters will fall in love with each other. What's novel, is how they go about it. No matter how many times a trope is repeated, the journey is always different.
Also, this is my first Audiobook. So, when I started listening I wondered if this is how all audiobooks work.
The book is told from two point-of-views:
Frederique's and Newt's. So, when it was Newt's turn of narration, every single dialogue (even for other characters) was spoken by the narrator who read the story as Newt, albeit with a change in tone. I have to find out if it's the same for all audiobooks. But every listener will agree that the narrators are quite talented. It is the way they are able to change their tone for each character.
Now that I have completed the book, I can't help but admire the author. It just goes to show that it doesn't matter how old you are. If the author knows what she is doing, we'll definitely be able to relate with characters who would otherwise have nothing in common with us.
Usually, I start from the first book of every series I read. I was lucky enough to grab an audiobook from the NetGalley shelf. On my own, I would never have picked up A Change Of Pace. Freya Barker has such a unique talent. She was able to spin a tale more real than any book based on a true story.