Prom Night in Purgatory

Purgatory, Book 2

By: Amy Harmon

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Where does before end and after begin? Johnny Kinross is a boy from the 1950s, a boy trapped in time, and Maggie is the girl who loves him. By some miracle and against all odds, Johnny and Maggie are given a second chance at life and love. But Johnny is freed from Purgatory only to find himself in a totally different time and place, in a world full of strangers. One unsolved mystery becomes another, and Johnny and Maggie must unravel the past to have any chance at a future. Prom Night in Purgatory is the sequel to the love story that is unlike any other, where time is shifting and everything can change, and Maggie must fight for Johnny all over again.

©2012 Amy Harmon (P)2014 Tantor

amazing

absolutely loved it. recommending to all my friends. must read. love love love love love

What a series!!!

Amys talent as a writer is so gifted. The story keeps you engaged from starting to the last sentence. Not just the same story repeated. Love the characters and how the time weaves together.

A Sweet Conclusion to a Unique Story

I can always count on Amy Harmon to give me a deeply emotional, intricate romance and her Purgatory Duet was no exception. It’s hard to review a duet without giving away spoilers so I did this review of them together in a reel. I in no way spoiled the love story of Maggie and Johnny. Hopefully, I made it just intriguing enough for you to pick up and read this beautiful duet.

After being orphaned at 10 years old and living in foster care for the past 7 years, Maggie is finally reunited with a family member, Aunt Irene, in small town Texas. She begins her last year of high school desperately needing to be part of the dance team and to do that, she helps the janitorial staff clean the school after hours. Each night she cleans and dances her way down the halls to a plethora of 1950s hits but, one night she catches a young man watching her from a doorway…the only problem, she’s the only one who can see him.

Johnny Kinross died in 1958 after a scuffle in the new high school, at least he thought he did…but, something doesn’t feel right. For just over 50 years he’s been living a life of invisibility until he sees Maggie dancing, and she sees him. Thus begins the unique relationship of Maggie and Johnny, a story intertwined since before Maggie was born and a love story that transcends time.

The Purgatory Duet is filled with fantastic imagery of the past and present. I have such a fascination for the 50s era and this duet mixes those references with the present day relationships perfectly. This is a rich story with a heartbreakingly poignant happily ever after. It’s a perfect Fall read.

great story again

keeps you on the edge of your seat, I wish there were another book after! love these characters!

Time Travel in Texas

A slightly confusing but wonderful YA Paranormal Romance.

BOOK DETAILS:
Prom Night in Purgatory by Amy Harmon, read by Emily Woo Zeller, published by Tantor Audio (2014) / Length: 8 hrs 18 min

SERIES INFO:
This is Book #2 in the "Purgatory" duology.

**This review contains spoilers for the previous book.**

SUMMARY:
I wasn't sure that I wanted to read this. Sometimes I worry that it might be better to leave things the way they ended previously. But in the end I couldn't resist. My first time through, I wasn’t able to keep it entirely straight. But I enjoyed it enough to listen a second time. The issue is flashbacks, paranormal “dreams,” and time twisting.

However, and despite their issues in this book, the central romance remains a favorite.

CHARACTERS:
Maggie: Poor girl, she thought all her wishes had been granted; but life isn't usually that easy. She continued to fight for what she wanted though. When she told him that she missed the way things were between them, it really touched me.

Johnny: I really wanted to shout that he had suffered enough. And it was difficult to see him struggle to understand what had happened, and yet in a way it was harder to read about him the way he used to be.

Maggie & Johhny: When things are good between them, they're the best.

I still love Gus, and Maggie's grandma Lizzie is a wonderful addition. Although it is sad to meet people in the past who are already dead in present time.

WORLDBUILDING:
We get the interesting experience of seeing the modern world through the eyes of someone from the past (although I wish there was more of this) and also seeing the past through someone from the future.

PLOT:
As I said, it is very convoluted. We do finally get our conclusive ending this time though. Some good changes happen, and some not so good changes can't be undone.

HIGHLIGHTS / CAUTIONS:
--Prom night, especially the parts at the reservoir
--The reason Johnny's favorite color is pink. *smirk*
--Maggie's reasons for waiting

I COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT: The scene in which a nurse removes Johnny's catheter. / Mild swearing / Johnny's lax attitude towards stealing

OTHER CAUTIONS(?): Johnny romances a teacher (in the past) to try and get out of an assignment / A story is told about someone who interrupts a sexual assault. / Another woman experiences an incident of verbal & physical abuse

NARRATION:
Character voices differentiated = Yes, I especially like Lizzie's / Opposite sex voices acceptable = Yes / Accents = Still no real sense that they are all in Texas / Phrasing, Pacing & Pronunciation = Good / Emoting = Good / Speed = listened on 1.25, my usual

Unique take on time travel

I loved part 2! I felt it was more intricate and richly plotted than the first book. The love story also didn't unfold quite as easily as it did on the last one, which helped me believe in it more. But it also closed the circle with the last story and helped you understand perhaps why they did fall in love so easily. It also has a unique take on time travel which was fun.

Not as good as the first one

Good, but not as good as the first book in the series. Had I listened to this one first, I wouldn’t have purchased the second.

Great story

It was very unpredictable and exciting. It was interesting to see contrast of time and different lifestyle. The end was a bit rushed and I wish there was more in the end, showing more of their love story. But overall, I loved it!

Much more time warping than romance

I loved this book though it was really proactively warping time as compared to the gently romance set between two times of the first book.

I think the second book was to confused leaving too many pieces just hanging at the end. The lovers tale concludes in the last 2 minutes of the story and while there is an epilogue there is too much unexplained about other characters and time itself.

As a romance it is worth a listen.

Confused

Maybe it was just me but the ending left me confused??? It seemed muddled rushed and certainly not very clear.