Candy

By: Justin M. Woodward

Narrated by: Stephanie Renee Clark

Excuse me if I'm feeling sentimental. I might die tonight. My name is Candy Tran. Before I was hunting down serial killers and feeding men to alligators, I was a normal, church-going, tax-paying citizen. Before all of this.

I've been given a chance to tell my story, so please, listen closely. This is going to take a while.

Candy is a wild, humor-filled, neo-noir romp across america. For fans of Chuck Palahniuk and films like Seven Psychopaths and Pulp Fiction. From the author of The Variant and Tamer Animals.

©2018 Justin M. Woodward (P)2018 Justin M. Woodward

Candy is a kick in the balls—but in a good way.

Candy. It used to be sugar and sweet, now it's blood and murder. That's what Justin M. Woodward does. He's that kind of twisted freak. And so is our heroine, she's just your typical girl but we watch her descend into a story of anarchy that only Woodward can deliver.

Expect serial killers, guns, crimes, murder and even a pink yo-yo with razor blades. I don't want to reveal anymore to you other than to say that it's filled with twists and turns you won't see coming. If I were to give you anymore beyond that, it'd be a disservice, as the way Woodward, writes is to dangle only a thread in front of you to keep you guessing and the pages turning (or the audio button playing in this case).

Now this great story demands a great narrator and Stephanie Renee Clark, delivers!

She amazingly fills the role of Candy in a way few narrators do, it was so natural that I can total believe she was the character herself.

An amazing story and an amazing performance all around!

Gifted Narrator!

"Candy" is a captivating, engaging tale whose strengths are plot and character. The novel is a commendably unique, quirky blend of genres: murder-mystery, science-fiction, and subdued horror; and within this blend, the author provides his audiences with mysteries and surprises that give a vitality to the plot. The story is completely absorbing, and is well-suited for adult road-trips (i.e., the story is not appropriate for children). The main character, Candy, is an edgy, charming, rough-hewn adolescent brought to life exceedingly well by audiobook narrator Stephanie Renee Clark. The collaboration between Woodward and Clark that has brought Candy to life is arguably the greatest strength of this production. Clark deserves high praise for the interpretation of the character--making Candy come alive, in voice, the way Woodward must have imagined. Clark also demonstrates a thoroughly impressive range of voices as she assumes the identity of numerous male and female characters, some with Mexican or British accents. What is truly remarkable about Clark's performance is the way she is able to capture subtleties of personality by means of her voice alone. She clearly has an extraordinary ear for the human voice in all its nuances. The range of personalities suggested by the voices engages listeners as much as the plot does. Particularly captivating--and I daresay endearing--are the voices of the psychologically fragile Christina and the affable Mexican truck driver. Clark is a gifted narrator whose talents promise to offer quality renderings of characters in any number of audio recordings.

Captivating Story

loved it, couldn't stop listening to it. I had to know what happened next. The narrator was also very good at changing the tones and voicing each character differently.

Tasty!

I listened to the whole book through, I couldn't get away from it!!! Justin has painted a very vivid adventure and Stephanie really brought it to life!!

Very fun ride!

Quite a fun thriller with some surprising plot twists! I almost wish it was longer so I could've listened to more of the story. The voice actress was incredibly talented and did a great job of developing Candy's personality! looking forward to book two whenever it comes out.

Hang on tight...

Justin M. Woodward serves up another interesting and genre-defying gem with CANDY, and it moves along like lightning.

At once funny, unnerving, and intense, this story seems to borrow elements from nearly every genre out there, but instead of creating a mish-mash mess, it works. Works quite well, actually. The story fires off like a rocket as Candy helps her boyfriend hide the body of another boy she had slept with, only Nick doesn't know this. The boy's older brother has escaped from jail, and in short order, Candy and Nick are being blackmailed. But by who?

NOTHING is what it seems in this book. Once you think you've got it figured out, Woodward jerks the rug out from beneath you and throws in one twist after another, all the way to the end. I had a lot of fun on this ride. The humor is well-timed, the tension perfectly builds, and the characters are relatable and likable. The dialogue works, too, and adds a lot to the humor.

Stephanie Renee Clark NAILS the narration and does a fantastic job with the work. I look forward to her voice in more to come.

Nothing is out of place in the story which would be a total mess if handled in less capable hands, but luckily, Woodward handled it beautifully. You can't go wrong with this gem, and I highly recommend it to anyone. 5/5 stars.

Huh?

I wanted to like this book, had to make myself finish it though, i guess i was trying to give it a chance to get better. The plot had so many strange turns that seemed to lead to nowhere! Ended the book bored and confused! Narration was decent, she tried, but the story just wasnt there!