Polarity in Motion

By: Brenda Vicars

Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly

Fifteen-year-old Polarity Weeks just wants to live a normal life, but with a mother diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, that's rarely easy. Her life gets exponentially more disastrous when her sixth-period history classmates start ogling a nude picture of her on the Internet. Polarity would never have struck such a shameless pose, but the photo is definitely of her, and she's at a complete loss to explain its existence. Child Protective Services yanks her from her home, suspecting her parents. The kids at school mock her, assuming she took it herself. And Ethan, the boy she was really starting to like, backpedals and joins the taunting chorus. Surrounded by disbelief and derision on all sides, Polarity desperately seeks the truth among her friends. Only then does she learn that everyone has dark secrets, and no one's life is anywhere near normal.

©2014 Brenda Vicars (P)2015 Red Adept Publishing, LLC

Quite Amazing & Eye Opening

This book addresses so many issues relavent to teens and adults today by using a story that kept me engaged & interested. (ie: lack of adult interaction & modeling to stop childhood meanness to the point of even engaging in it, internet/social media methods of bullying and the difficulties of finding the perpetrator, racial gender & intellectual behaviors that have become subconsciously ingrained, etc...) I hated to have to take a break because I wanted to know what happened next. It shocked me into awareness of some of my own "veiled unseen" behaviors. I am really glad I listened to it and am going to make my teenage daughter read/listen to it.

Captivating Story, Thought-provoking Messages

What did you like best about this story?

The main character of Polarity is self-aware, flawed, but strives to make the right choice. I found her likable and easy to relate to. Her growth within the story was profound, but happened naturally as she experienced things that widened her perspective. Every character felt real and fully-fleshed. Almost as a metaphor of her name, every character had good and bad qualities which made them seem real and helped me as a reader sympathize with all of them.

What about Caitlin Kelly’s performance did you like?

The voice actor did a great job. Every voice was distinct, and I knew automatically who was who. My only criticism there is that the "Texas" accent sounded more like the southeastern United States than Texan. I'm from Texas, so perhaps that's overly picky

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it. It was thought-provoking and layered and real. It deal with real, difficult issues, but didn't resort to using graphic violence or sexuality for a shock factor.

The main character of Polarity is self-aware, flawed, but strives to make the right choice. I found her likable and easy to relate to. Her growth within the story was profound, but happened naturally as she experienced things that widened her perspective. Every character felt real and fully-fleshed. Almost as a metaphor of her name, every character had good and bad qualities which made them seem real and helped me as a reader sympathize with all of them.

The ins and outs of the legal system, foster care, and public schools was interesting and eye-opening. Polarity is one of the more fortunate, with two assertive parents on her side, but she has her fair share of difficulty with a mother with borderline personality disorder.

The mystery of who took and posted the incriminating picture of Polarity was a great hook and vehicle for the message of the rest of the book. It kept me guessing and wanting to know, and it also made way for the main character to experience some of the hardships her less-fortunate peers did.

I also liked the small bit of romance in the story. It didn't overtake the story. It was natural and teenaged, but didn't resort to titillation the way some young-adult stories do. The writing of the romance, the mystery, the characters, and the real world issues was captivating.

The voice actor did a great job. Every voice was distinct, and I knew automatically who was who. My only criticism there is that the "Texas" accent sounded more like the southeastern United States than Texan. I'm from Texas, so perhaps that's overly picky.

MY HEART WENT OUT TO POLARITY!

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

I absolutely would...this was a deep and thought provoking story!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Polarity...she is a tough little lady!

What does Caitlin Kelly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Caitlin was awesome as always, she is a true professional, never any editing mistakes, and makes you believe in a story!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Polarity's mom has her melt down and told her she hated her....and also when they didnt believe Polarity....I really felt sad for her....

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

I loved this, I cried for this girl...This really hit home with me, Having a mentally ill parent is hard, and when conflict like this nude pic of Polarity arises it can trigger many different things...I felt bad for Polarity, but she never gave up...and the way this mystery played out, was something very special!

I recommend!! Great story and flawless narration!!!

A good YA series beginning

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

Yes, because of the mother's illness. I think it would help others out there to know it exists and not just in their family.

What other book might you compare Polarity in Motion to and why?

N/A

What about Caitlin Kelly’s performance did you like?

I have listened to quite a few books of Caitlin Kelly and I really like her tone and the way she brings a story to life. If I see she is the narrator I'd be more likely to invest in the book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, the length of this book would not allow this to be a one sitting read.

Any additional comments?

My heart broke for Polarity when her mother was in the throes of one of her delusions and told her daughter she hated her and wish she has never been born. That really tore at my heart strings and I had an immediate dislike for her mother. As Polarity softly stated "my name is Polarity" and repeated this statement brought her mother out of the delusion. This is one strong character for a young teenager. I can't even imagine The depth of damage this causes a child to hear a parent talk like this. I experienced so many different emotions, I'm thankful to have been a part of this story and to submit this review.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.

A Little too Clunky... A Little Too Neat

I am seriously conflicted about this book. I liked the family closeness, discussions about equality, mental illness, and the mystery of the photograph.
But the writing is clunky in places (people speak in a "gentle way") and everything ties up neatly while pretending to be messy.
Some important characters appear and disappear, and I would have liked to get to know them better. Racism and inequality are touched on, but only briefly, in a way that made me uncomfortable (possibly written from a place of privilege?).

The sleuthing of Polarity and Ethan and others went completely without the police's advice or knowledge. In fact, the police had little or nothing to do with any of it, which strained credulity to me.

That being said, this was not a bad book. The origin of the photograph was fleshed out in a unique way, and Polarity does grow in important ways. the narrator did a good job of emoting a wide variety of characters. But it's a light read that stretches a little bit too far.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing job!

Super proud of your hard work! Keep up the good work! I can't wait until your next book...

I liked it but I'm not crazy about it

I like it! I'm not crazy about it but I did enjoy it and recommend it to anyone who likes a young adult type of mystery/ love story. I think anyone who does read or listen to the book can definitely relate to Polarity on some level. "I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher."

Good, very compelling story!

I really enjoyed this book and listened to it every time I got in the car; for both long and short trips. It held my interest and had enough questions unanswered to keep you listening u til the end.

There is only one gripe I have and it’s based in my profession. I have worked in the missing and exploited children’s field for more than 20 years and, as much as I wholeheartedly support education about those issues, this book was not the place for it. The pieces on the statistics of missing children, particularly those of color, felt forced and so far beyond where this book needed to go. Also, the mention of “restorative justice,” pretending like the Mom in this story just happened to think up that phrase was irritating because that is a real topic for victims and too important to be thrown around so callously.

I wish I could think of this book without that gripe but unfortunately, it has stayed with me, so I removed one star. Otherwise, very well written and a great reader for the audiobook.

Fabulous read!

I loved the book! The handling of difficult topics like race, mental illness, class was masterful. I look forward to a sequel!

Sweet and sensible

Sweet and sensible story, more for young adults readers, but I enjoy every bit of it!