[Roxie Reviews]

Damanda and McEvoy make a great team!

Reviewed: 08-04-18

I very much anticipated this book, and I was not disappointed. There is no lull in the story; it picks right back up from where the first book left off. The pacing is so well-done it makes it almost impossible to stop reading (or, in my case, listening). You just need to find out what happens.

The reality of New America is a terrible and frightening one and, as I said in my review of ‘Salvation State’, it’s not too far-fetched to believe. I think that makes it even scarier. In my opinion, there is nothing more frightening than having your freedom taken away and being forced into beliefs without ever being given the chance to figure out what you think for yourself. No monster lurking in the dark can compare to a life like that.

Damanda’s writing style is easy to read, immersive, and consistent. He has found his voice, and it really comes across to the reader. He has just the sort of style I prefer: one that makes you forget you’re reading a story and instead feel like you’re there yourself or that a friend is telling you one.

Speaking of voices, the audiobook of this novel is read by the impeccable Jessica McEvoy. She really flexes her muscles with this book, putting on different effects/accents for different characters. I’ve been a fan of her work for a long time, but I was especially impressed with her work here. It was easy to keep track of who is who which is not always an easy thing to do with audiobooks, especially if you zone out for a few seconds. But McEvoy uses Damanda’s subtle character descriptions to make them distinguishable and individual.

Also, McEvoy has an extremely pleasant voice that makes binge listening easy. I’m sure we’ve all encountered audiobooks of which we can only listen to small chunks at a time because the narration gets monotonous, but that never happens when McEvoy is doing it.

I think Damanda and McEvoy make a great team. Together, they have brought a vibrant, chilling, and touching world to life.

I very much look forward to the next installment of this series.

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An intense and gripping story right from the start

Reviewed: 02-21-18

If you could sum up The Salvation State in three words, what would they be?

Frightening, believable, dark

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Salvation State?

The lamb ceremony.

Have you listened to any of Jessica McEvoy’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. As always, she knocks it out of the park. Her talent is complementary to Damanda's writing style; they fit together perfectly.

If you could rename The Salvation State, what would you call it?

The name is perfect. I wouldn't change it at all.

Any additional comments?

Wow. This book is intense, and it’s only the first installment. Rebecca and Daniel are two kids growing up in a bleak future wherein Christianity has taken over and taken a very wrong turn. Under the guise of righteousness, the New American Unity Church exerts a sinister control.

Rebecca, the daughter of a preacher, has always been faithful. She’s done what she needed to do to be a good Christian, but she’s also a typical teenage girl. She wants freedom that her society doesn’t allow her. When she gets caught skipping school, she’s branded a “bad kid” who needs to be remade. But she’s stronger, more clever, and insightful than they give her credit for.

Daniel, an atheist outcast, is deemed “bad”, too. When he ends up on the same island as Rebecca, forced to change his name, and have the gospel beat into him, he does what he has to do to survive, but he promises to stay true to himself.

This is a scary story. Not even so much because the Church makes for a terrifying villain, but because the world Rebecca and Daniel live in is not all that hard to believe. As far as dystopian futures go, this one is the most plausible I’ve read. And that is downright frightening.

Power corrupts, we all know that, and while religion in itself can be a very good thing, when it’s used for power and control by the wrong people -- people who don’t actually care about the compassionate root of religion but more about what it can do for them -- it quickly devolves into something evil.

Damanda has a way with horror. His writing doesn’t beat you over the head with what should scare you. It’s subtle, making the fear bubble over so much easier.

Jessica McEvoy, the voice actor who narrates this book, is truly a gem in her field. Her voice complements Damanda’s writing style perfectly. And her range when it comes to character voices often makes you forget that a single woman is telling you the story.

If you’re a fan of dystopian novels, you should definitely pick this up. Be prepared to possibly have everything you’ve ever been taught to believe twisted into a masterful scary story.

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[Roxie Reviews] | 'Donn's Hill' by Caryn Larrinaga

Reviewed: 09-05-17

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

Caryn Larrinaga tells a lovely story about a grown woman who is adrift in her life, struggling to find her place after losing everyone she loves. She only knows a portion of her history and longs to know more. She believes returning to Donn's Hill, a place she remembers visiting with her mother as a child, will help her do so. She has no idea what it actually has in store for her.

I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by Jessica McEvoy. Her narration is wonderfully done. Her voice is perfectly suited to this tale. She reads this exactly as I would have read it in my own head -- with perfect cadence, intonation, and emotion. She plays all of the characters impeccably, even the cat, if you can believe that. I have been a fan of McEvoy's for quite a while, and she never ceases to amaze me with her talent and her range. She is always able to convey the truth of human experience and emotion through the power of her voice. She's a real powerhouse.

The combination of Larrinaga's beautifully written characters, intriguing plot, captivating setting, and McEvoy's exquisitely done narration, this story comes alive. It's creepy yet endearing in the complexity of its humanity.

Read this review and more on my blog at roxiewrites (dot) tumblr (dot) com.

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