3/2/14

Six 1/2 Parts, By, Stephanie Bond Narrator, Ann M. Richardson


Six and a Half Parts
Body Movers Series
Author: Stephanie Bond
Narrator: Ann M. Richardson 
Publisher Stephanie Bond, Inc.
3 h 33 min

Stephanie Bond's Body Movers Series Book 6.5, 6 1/2 Body Parts
Body Movers: 6 1/2 Body Parts

Photo of author Stephanie Bond
Stephanie Bond, Author
Photo of Ann M. Richardson and her dog
Ann M. Richardson, Narrator

A good narrator is able to fulfill the story an author writes and gives each a memorable voice that is unmistakable from author to author, Ann M. Richardson does this beautifully. Each character is distinguishable whether Ms. Richardson is narrating the Planting Dreams Series, a stand alone book like Glimmers or a classic like Greenwillow. In Stephanie Bond's, Six 1/2 Parts, Ms. Richardson is youthful, and upbeat sounding, like the protagonist, a youngish Carlotta Wren. She skillfully negotiates some awkwardly written lines in the book, smoothing them over so well that they are barely detectable. Ms. Richardson once again brings her own unique abilities to animate each character and flush them fully to life and realism.

Book Review for Six 1/2 Parts By Stephanie Bond


Carlotta Wren and her brother Wesley, grew up in a wealthy area of Atlanta, Georgia, giving little thought to where there next meal was coming from. Their parents Randolph and Valerie Wren, lived the good life enjoying their Country Club Set lifestyle. Raised in this ritzy, atmosphere Carlotta had little to concern herself with outside of her personal desires, going to college and ultimately marrying the love of her life Peter Ashford. A rosy future it was indeed. Then it all explodes and Carlotta and Wesley's lives are turned upside down when Randolph Wren is accused of investment fraud at the company he works for. Rather than face up to the charges he and wife Valerie, abandon everything including their children.

When Carlotta Wren wakens from a nightmare she's unable to return to sleep. The pain in her shoulder and the nightmare have made her restless. After taking a pain pill she checks on her brother and see's he's sleeping comfortably. She yearns for a safe place to snuggle up in but there really are none at least none in the townhouse she lives in now. Her thoughts are a jumble of her narrow escape from a serial killer and the unexpected appearance of her father. A father who vanished along with her mother ten years before. All those years of resentment building against her parents left her with unanswered questions. Why did they abandon them, where did they go, and how different life had been before the fraud charges. So many what if's, Carlotta seeks solace in the now not running Miata her father had given her when she was still in High School, she cherished that car and the good memories it brings her.

As she slides behind the steering wheel, and drifts into her memories she dozes off, later she suddenly awakens to find it's morning. Things look familiar but they are not the same, when she gets out of the car and realizes she's at her childhood home, Carlotta is speechless and shocked to find her mother looking as elegant as ever, her father is up and going on his way to work and her brother is asleep in his old bedroom.

Although confused she tries to remain coherent and calm while analyzing just what is going on. What she realizes is she has been in some mysterious way transported into another timeline, where her father was not accused of fraud, she did go on to college and married Peter and her mother was still the functioning alcoholic. Carlotta will at last find out first hand just what would have happened to her and her family if things had gone as they were suppose to. Nothing turned out exactly as she had spent the past ten years envisioning it. Bittersweet it is to actually have those what if's turn into realities.



No comments :