The teenage reader of this audiobook was woefully amateurish and lacking in reading or dramatic talent. I persevered with her flat and toneless reading for at least three-quarters of the book, but only because I found the narrative and characters compelling. Then I had to give up because I couldn't bring myself to listen to a reader who managed to make a good novel sound like a kid reading a Nancy Drew book at a sleepover. What a shame!

Just couldn't get into this as an audiobook.

This was.. okay. Given that it was nominated for the 2012 Pulitzer prize I was disappointed. I really enjoyed the portions that revolved around the protagonist's brother and his employment at the offbeat "World of Darkness" amusement park. The rest I could take or leave. It was, though, a fair portrayal of the struggles of making a living on the fringes of society in the offshore swamps.

The young reader could have used coaching on pronunciation, and the older one was pretty bad with accents. Not my favorite kind of story, but a good portrayal of a young woman dealing with traumatic experiences. I appreciated the deus ex machina ending.