Pearl

By: Deirdre Riordan Hall

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

Run fast and run far, unless you're fearless. Unless you're courageous. I'm not, but I'd like to be.

Pearl Jaeger is 17 and homeless after drugs, poverty, and addiction unraveled the life she shared with JJ, her formerly glamorous rock star mother.

This moment of happiness is fleeting; someone will take it from me.

When tragedy brings a chance to start over at an elite boarding school, she doesn't hesitate. Yet the only salvation comes from an art teacher as troubled as Pearl, and she faces the stark reality that what she thought she wanted isn't straightforward.

I trace the outline of my reflection in a window. I am no more than a replica of my mother. This is not the self-portrait I want to paint.

Through the friendships she forms at school - especially with Grant, a boy who shows Pearl what it means to trust and forgive - she begins to see a path not defined by her past. But when confronted with the decision to be courageous or to take the easy way forged by her mother's failures, which direction will Pearl choose?

©2016 Deirdre Riordan Hall (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

She Did It Again!

After reading Sugar, I was skeptical about Dierdre Riordon Hall's ability to spin a story with that kind of emotional depth again. But, I am happily eating crow., today Pearl delivers in ways I was not always prepared for. I listened to this book twice. And it was even better the second time around. Pearl is the girl you find yourself rooting for, because she is born into the kind of circumstances that set her up for failure. Her fighting spirit is somewhere beneath the layers of pain that she carries around, visible to people who, themselves, are trying to escape their own painful experiences. The characters are realistic and relateable, as are the converging storylines. I will definitely recommend this book.

great story

I had a great time listening to the audio version of the book it was great

loved it!

you should also read Sugar by the same author. it was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

Another great story and performance

I read the book "Sugar" by the same author so was drawn to this one. I love the authors depictions of people as the flawed humans we truly are. I love the way the main characters grow through the storylines. The narration on this book was outstanding. I partially read this book and part listened. I pictured the characters different while reading. Unusual for me, the characters seemed more alive with depth when I listened. I usually preFeR my imagination. The story is based on young adult characters perspectives and I am near 60--I found a lot to ponder in this story. We never stop growing and the author portrayed this with beauty.

Just couldn't compare to her other stories

Honestly...this story was just weak compared to Sugar...there seemed to be less depth in the characters. Honestly pearl seems to be a more opaque version of sugar-they even share a hobby in fashion design but they just brush over it with pearl.

For awhile it seemed to be getting better and then it flopped-I wanted to quit several times but kept hoping it would pull through.

Just wasn't what I was expecting, might be better if this is the first book by Hall you read or listened to.