Title: The Call
Author: Peadar Ó Guilín
Performer: Amy Shiels
Length: 7 hr, 25 min
Series: The Call, Book 1
Publishing Date/Publisher: September 1, 2016 by Scholastic Audio
Format: eAudiobook
Review: What a truly disturbing read. The twisted Grey Land that Ó Guilín has created is truly horrifying, but the capacity for human cruelty he puts on display is equally so. I have read several books recently with fairies as a theme, but none of them come even close to the darkness of this book. There were times when I felt my stomach turn while reading it, and yet I couldn’t put it down because I HAD to know what would happen to Nessa when she was called.
Nessa is a character to be reckoned with. She is intelligent, brave, and resourceful – with an indomitable will to survive. It is really refreshing to see a character with such a prominent disability reject the narrative that has been shoved down her throat by society. Everyone believes her disability is a death sentence, but she works harder and smarter to defy the odds by honing her strengths.
I was a little fuzzy about the history of the Sidhe and their banishment to the Grey Lands…I would have liked more information about that as context for their cruelty. Were they always so cruel? Was there ever a time they co-existed with humans? How was the Grey Land created? Maybe some of these questions are answered in the second book.
Amy Shiels was an excellent narrator for this tale. Her characterization of the Sidhe really upped the creep factor! I think the book got an additional 1/2 star from me for her performance alone.
Reader: Bekah
Rating:
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