Natural Selection

A Short Story

De: Elin Hilderbrand

Narrado por: Erin Bennett

When her boyfriend bails at the last minute, a New York woman embarks on their couples’ cruise alone to find that maybe the person she was supposed to fall in love with was herself.

After a string of bad dates and no prospects, Sophia Othonos has finally hit the jackpot: an actual nice guy. When he suggests a romantic getaway, she’s sure they’re about to take the next step toward their future. A rustic cruise to the Galápagos Islands isn’t exactly her idea of a vacation, but Sophia is ready for anything…until her boyfriend has to cancel.

Now she’s all alone on a trip that was meant for two. Sophia finds herself at a crossroads about who she is, what she wants, and whether her relationship is really everything she thought. But if she’s going to suffer an identity crisis, at least she gets to do it amid the unexpected majesty of nature.

Eight days of wild, unobstructed beauty are enough to make anyone reevaluate their life. These islands are all about adapting to your surroundings—and change just might be what Sophia needs most of all.

©2024 Elin Hilderbrand. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Narrator Erin Bennett gives a great performance, delving into Sophia's ruminations with excellent pacing and varying tones that reveal her feelings about her life as it is now and how she got there. The Galapagos Islands become the force of nature that helps Sophia decide what her future will look like. The story is short, but the effects of Bennett's performance may persuade listeners to check in with their own lives and feelings.” —AudioFile Magazine

Never stop writing Elin!

immediately enjoyed this surprise short story from one of the best storytellers. Such an immersive yet intuitive, captivating quick story. Erin Bennett is the best Narration!

It was good......

This was good but it was not great. It was very different but predictable.
I do recommend it. And the narrator is really good.

Predictable

A whole credit for under 2 hours of story telling was disappointing as it won’t even cover three of my walks.

Good ending

Perfect length audiobook for a typical length flight to listen to & help pass the time much quicker than nothing.

Loved the main character's growth.

The book's short story format provided thorough development of the main character, Sophia. She is depicted as a real person – flawed but resilient and lovable. The vivid description of the Galápagos Islands has sparked my interest in visiting the location. Additionally, the portrayal of the disappointing accommodations on the boat was refreshingly believable. The final lesson about adapting left a lasting impression on me, making for a great ending to the story.

Too predictable

The reader gave it all she had to give and EH gave us some of her great internal dialogue which scratched the itch. but…. this story reads like a quick update with a few insta references added to an old draft, with 100% stereotyped characters and fully telegraphed plot not-twists. Elin, I’ve read a ton of your books and won’t stop. This story snack maybe will bring some new readers to her other far superior books.

Great details

I liked the book until the end. It was a very abrupt ending and seemed quickly put together with no resolution to the story

Short & Sweet

Short & sweet because it happens to the best of us with a good heart and a clear conscious. As “they say” the good one finish last.

I wanted more

When I read a short story I enjoy, I wish it were longer. I would have liked to examine a whole novel of NATURAL SELECTION.

Excellent short story

A lot of good writing and engaging plot are compressed in this short story. Very entertaining.