AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Restless Waters by Jessica Park

RESTLESS WATERS Audiobook

Author: Jessica Park

Narrated by Arielle DeLisle

Music by Troy

Release date: November 2015

A storm is coming, and with storms come restless waters.

Pulled from the depths of catastrophe and depression, Blythe McGuire has learned to escape from her past while embracing the future. A future now entwined with the Shepherd siblings.

With Chris, she shares a staggering romance that kicks heartbreak’s ass.

With Sabin, she shares an intense friendship, one that’s becoming more complicated than either had expected. A friendship now being put to the test because Sabin’s brutal past still haunts him. Because trauma is the gift that keeps on giving without mercy.

Now Sabin is the one left drowning and struggling to breathe, and his turmoil threatens to send all three into dark currents they cannot escape. Even after going through her own hell, saving Sabin will take much more than Blythe had anticipated. Their connection and their love could help, but getting him to reach for her hand could be Blythe’s biggest challenge ever.

Review

I still remember how emotionally drained I was when I finished Left Drowning. It was one of my favorite reads of 2013, and I had high hopes that Jessica Park would continue the McGuire and Shepherds’ story, providing further insight into the close knit siblings and the people they love. Sabin was my favorite character in the text, and I wanted to know what happened to him as he worked through his drinking problem and fought against the darkness of his past that constantly threatened to swallow him whole. I also needed to witness Blythe and Chris’ relationship grow and solidify. They fought through so much, both individually and as a couple, in Left Drowning, and for that reason, I wanted them to find some peace with each other. But I also understand that life can throw curveballs and force people to confront underlying feelings and deal with a past that’s just too hard to completely escape from, and so I knew I was in for another emotional rollercoaster in Restless Waters because even though bad thoughts and feelings will no longer take any of the McGuires or Shepherds under, that mindset will definitely make them edgy and cause rough patches to rise up when they least expect it.

So much changes for the McGuires and Shepherds as they focus on their futures, and for the most part, the life adjustments are positive, but Sabin’s at a bit of a crossroads, and he’s drowning in feelings…in guilt…in regret, but instead of confronting those issues, he pushes them down and refuses to acknowledge just how messed up he feels, causing three relationships to be put in turmoil with an unclear perspective of how they can remain intact due to bitter and complex feelings.

It’s amazing to me how well Jessica Park captures Sabin’s character without providing his own perspective. Through Blythe’s intense friendship with Sabin, readers are able to see just how unsteady and tormented he is because Blythe feels their disconnect; she feels Sabin’s turmoil because they are a single unit, and it’s overwhelming, frustrating, and terrifying to witness his breakdown through Blythe’s eyes because she’s helpless to understand and fix what’s wrong with him.

The restless journey that readers experience in Restless Waters is extremely tumultuous and heartbreaking, but it’s also enlightening. Chris is steadfast in his love for his siblings and Blythe and he demonstrates just how strong of a man he is when both Blythe and Sabin need him to bring them back to themselves and to him. Chris refuses to let either of them drown, and he proves that by his words and his actions. Chris becomes their champion, and for readers, he becomes the beckon of light who will always guide and protect the characters that we have grown to love and cherish just as much as he does.

I absolutely loved listening to the audio version of Restless Water narrated by Arielle DeListe with music by Troy. I’ve never listened to a text that incorporates a singer amidst the words, and I have to say that the music added so much to the book. Sabin speaks through his lyrics and music; it’s his one safe place – one where he can expose himself and not feel completely stripped bare and that’s exactly what Troy’s music allows to shine through and it fits extremely well into the entire concept of the text and the characters.

Arielle DeListe’s narration is absolutely amazing. She brought Blythe’s every emotion to life in exactly the right way, and her adjustment in tone and inflection truly showcased the rollercoaster of emotions that Blythe experiences throughout the events of the text.

Hopefully, there’s more McGuire and Shepherds’ stories to come because they are definitely a family I would love to keep in touch with and see what’s happening in their lives.

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Poison Apples

From Author Jessica Park

Gah! I am so excited for the release of the Restless Waters audiobook! It’s always exciting when a book I’ve written comes to life in a new form, but this project snowballed into something more beautiful than I could have imagined. I wasn’t sure I was even going to do an audiobook, but then I reconnected with my fabulous Left Drowning narrator, Arielle DeLisle. Once she was on board, my enthusiasm for creating this version of my book soared. She understands my characters as well as I do, and she’s the only person in the world I would entrust to deliver their voices.

So, as thrilled as I was to have her attached to this project, there was one idea I had to present, and I wasn’t sure how it would go over with her…

Restless Waters includes lyrics from my friend and phenomenally talented musician, Troy. Beyond that, he actually wrote a song for me! Er, well, for the book. “Coward” is the powerful single he created, and everything about it reaches into my heart. More music from the book is available on his recently released EP, When The Lights Came, and he’ll also be releasing more music from the book soon!

So, I couldn’t imagine having these lyrics narrated… I mean, it’s one thing to read the lyrics in the context of the book, because it’s sort of the equivalent of poetry, but I felt sure something would really be lost if they were read aloud. More than that, we had an opportunity to do something incredibly unique and dynamic.

Because Arielle is a sassy rule breaker and a rebel, like I am, she agreed: We would ask Troy to record acoustic versions of his music to incorporate into the audiobook.

And then Troy agreed.

And then suddenly the three of us were working together seamlessly on this production! An indie trifecta, each of us bringing something different to this work, and all of us supporting and cheering on the other. It was an extraordinary experience.

Troy and I have been trying to work together for years (his former band, In Like Lions, is mentioned in Flat-Out Love!), and we finally got our chance. Troy is, without a doubt, the voice of Sabin. Nobody sings with Troy’s level of passion, emotion, depth, soul, and beauty. It was an honor to use his lyrics in the text of the book, but hearing his voice as Sabin’s in the audiobook is phenomenally moving, and I am so grateful for all the work he put in. Troy also narrates the chapter titles and opening lyrics, and I think it’s just perfect having him as Sabin doing those introductory pieces.

As far as the three of us know, an audiobook that incorporates music as the Restless Waters one does hasn’t been done before, so that’s another thrill for us! Listeners not only get to savor Arielle’s perfect narration (Man, does she capture these characters and all the ups and downs of the story!), but they get to hear what it would be like to be right there with Sabin as he sings and plays guitar.

We are so proud of this audiobook and terribly excited for fans of the Left Drowning series to take a listen!

Here’s sample from the audiobook with a scene that features Blythe and Sabin… and also an exclusive first listen to Sabin (well, Troy!) singing “City Lights.” Enjoy!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m5105qc5zxae6vc/citylights_excerpt.mp3?dl=0

From narrator Arielle DeLisle

Restless Waters was a project I held very close to my heart. The timing of how it came together for me — as a narrator and collaborator and fan of the prequel I’d recorded 2 years ago — was truly a beautiful experience for me. It’s one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on, ever. To say this was an intense recording experience would be an understatement! Not only was this thick with emotion and depth, which required a lot from me as a narrator, a challenge I absolutely loved, but it also is an exceptionally unique multimedia audiobook. I could not imagine a better suited team, all of us with our own personal connections to the work, and all driven toward the end-product being as great as we could make it.

Working with Troy and his producer, Dante, to get just the right feel and timing to allow the story to unfold around and on top of the music was a beautiful enhancement to this already moving story. I have a background in commercial production and was able to facilitate this collaboration, and Jessica and I were on the same page — if we break the rules of how audiobooks are produced, it has to have meaning and it has to be perfect. The script informs the narration, introducing the music adds dimension to the tone, and the blend of narration and music work together to create an atmosphere that you just don’t get when it’s only one piece or the other. I love what we’ve done and couldn’t be happier with how it all came together.

Read Restless Waters, Chapters 1-2

http://www.jessicapark.me/preview-chapters.html

About Jessica Park

Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.

Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicapark and Twitter @JessicaPark24

Connect with Troy