Beautiful and Terrible Things

A Novel

By: S.M. Stevens

Narrated by: Nicole Cash

A beautifully crafted story of friendship and self-discovery set amidst the harsh realities of today's world. Superb! Eileen OFinlan, author of Erins Children

Charley Byrne isn't really living. At age 29, she hunkers down in her apartment above the bookstore she manages, afraid of a 7-year curse. Then quirky activist Xander Wallace lures her out of social exile with the prospect of friendship and romance. Charley joins Xanders circle of friends diverse in their heritage, race, gender and sexual orientation. She thrives, even leaving her comfort zone to join protests in a city struggling with social justice ills.

But the new friendships bring back-to-back betrayals that threaten the bookstore—Charley's haven—and propel her into a dangerous depression. Can her friends save the store? And Charley?

Beautiful and Terrible Things offers a compelling portrait of modern American life in a major city with its vibrant culture and rampant social issues. At once enlightening and entertaining, it reminds us that friendship has the power to validate, destroy, transform, and save lives.

©2024 Black Rose Writing (P)2024 Black Rose Writing

Outstanding narration

Complex, beautiful, interesting characters brought to life so vividly by narrator Nicole Cash. The story of this group of friends was both heartwarming and heartbreaking, was a study of social issues (perhaps a bit overboard on that front) and a true celebration of love and friendship. I can’t imagine “reading” it any other way than by listening, as the narration was so compelling.

Beautiful book - a Must-Listen!

I just dove into the audiobook world with this amazing title, and wow, I was blown away! The narrator nailed it with the variety of accents and voices, making each character feel so real. I found myself looking for chores and laundry to fold just to have an excuse to keep listening. Hehe

What really hit me were the emotional scenes—seriously, I found myself tearing up! The way the narrator expressed the characters’ feelings was so powerful, and I could feel every bit of their joy and sadness.

This was my first audiobook, and it set the bar super high for anything else I listen to. If you're looking for an engaging and emotional experience, I can't recommend this one enough!

Stunning Performance!

This was an absolute pleasure to listen to from beginning to end. The characters felt so real and relatable. I was rooting for them all through their journeys. Many congratulations to the narrator for delivering such a beautiful performance. And to the writer for crafting a world of literary fiction that weaves so many important stories together in such a compassionate way.

Great book elevated by a tremendous performance!

This is a book that should be on every nightstand, dealing with difficult issues with empathy and authenticity. It’s what our country needs right now. The narrator brought the story and diverse characters to life - each one distinct and unique which allowed me to know them and feel as if I was a part of their group of friends. Highly recommend!

Thought-provoking book and gorgeous narration

BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE THINGS is a literary-fiction novel featuring an ensemble cast of twenty-somethings in a fictional American city. It explores issues of racial identity, sexuality, environmentalism, and more.

Nicole Cash’s narration was absolutely gorgeous. Her warm narration is a pleasure to listen to, and her character voices are delightfully distinct. I would gladly listen to more titles performed by her!

As for the story itself, there’s a lot going on between the cast of characters, and I struggled to identify the main conflict until I was well into it. Therefore, much of the time, it was difficult for me to feel connected. By the end, I was invested in the characters and found myself touched by their emotions and relationships. I also found the pacing improved as the book drew to a close. While the plot rambled more than I prefer, the characters are beautifully drawn—each one has a rich history, as well as distinct strengths and weaknesses.

I received a complimentary audio copy, and this is my honest review.

A Beautiful & Captivating Performance!

Sometimes you have a great story and not the greatest narration, and sometimes you have incredible narration, but not the best story. This was a *total package experience* blending a completely fascinating, character-driven story by S.M. Stevens, perfectly complemented by an emotional and complex performance from Nicole Cash. Cash's narration expertly brings the diverse cast of characters to life with distinctive voices and nuance, enhancing the novel's powerful themes of friendship, identity, and social justice. Her ability to maintain a steady pace and weave back and forth between various characters made it easy to really get immersed in this impactful story. This is one I won't soon forget - highly recommend to all!!

A Captivating Book

S.M. Stevens skillfully unveils the complex character of Charley Bryne, a woman with a troubled past who finds solace in the bookstore she manages. Her confidence, once robust, has waned, and she now seeks refuge in the store, her modest apartment, and a predictable routine that includes feeding the standoffish cat named Baggage. The arrival of Xander, an environmental activist, disrupts her solitary existence with his intellectual fervor and inquisitiveness about Charley. His influence leads her to meet his heterogeneous friends, setting the stage for a transformative journey.

The setting is painted with a broad brush of various colors and textures, depicting nearly any contemporary city in America. The people living in the diverse neighborhoods are threatened by the climate of suspicion, hatred, and prejudice on one side, with families, love, and hope on the other. S.M. Stevens uses her character diversity to give readers an inside look at a myriad of sensitive, emotionally charged topics, including racism, homophobia, transgender, environmental convictions, big business, mental health, and immigration, making it a compelling read for those interested in contemporary fiction and social issues.

As the story unfolds, the characters embark on an emotional journey. Unintended deception leads Charley to nearly succumb to her worst fears. These characters are not just words on a page but living, breathing individuals who make a difference for one another. Their journeys are profoundly moving, making this book a deeply emotional reading experience.
These six friends, Charley, Xander, Jessica, Terrance, Sunny, and Buwan, are brought to life by the consistent yet distinctive voices delivered by Nicole Cash's outstanding narration. Listeners will appreciate this masterfully written story's timely intonations, subtle accents, and perfect pace. Nicole Cash also delivers distinguishing supporting character dialogue with appropriate emotion, inflections, and sounds of their age. There were no issues with the audio performance.

S.M. Stevens' "Beautiful and Terrible Things" is a compelling book that will appeal to readers from all backgrounds. The story is engaging from beginning to end, and readers will find it challenging to pick a favorite character in this tale of hope, love, friendship, and identity.

I fell in love with the characters and their individual struggles and celebrations.

Wow!!! (Listened on Audible)
This book reminded me of “Friends”, but with a more diverse set of characters that dealt with major issues. Stevens was able to incorporate topics such as racism, homophobia, transgender, mental health, immigration, corporate America, and environmental issues, to name a few, and it didn’t feel forced…at all!

The last 2/3 definitely picked up, which I was grateful for as the beginning called for me to put it down and disengage at times. But I’m beyond thrilled that I kept with it.

I absolutely fell in love with the six friends and would love to be included in their friend group, if given the chance. I think this is due to amazing character development and the narrator, Nicole Cash. Nicole brought the huge number of characters, big and small, to life with her voice and how she depicted each personality. I actually felt like I could visualize them and see how they spoke and interacted with their mannerisms.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, I do NOT give them out easily, but Beautiful and Terrible Things earned each star by telling a story that interwove heavy topics, evoked feelings and emotions, and made me angry and satisfied many times over.

Thank you S.M. Stevens! I cannot wait for what is next to come from this author and I’ll be searching for anything narrated by Nicole Cash!

Absorbing Narration!

A character-centered story with a multitude of diverse voices, expertly rendered through Nicole Cash’s voice talents. I was so absorbed by the authenticity of dialects, accents and personal eccentricities that it sounded like a full cast performance. The author tackled a range of difficult subject matter with sensitivity, leaving the reader with challenging food for thought. I think this would be an excellent choice for book club discussions.

Love the story and narration!

This was one of the best books I've listened to in a long time. There were many characters to keep track of and the narration was so easy to follow with a variety of voices but none too overdone. I loved the development of each character and how we got to know them in each moment of their lives. This is a beautifully written book that I would highly recommend!