This week I have a very serious audiobook review. I read for fun and escapism, so in general I tend to shy away from these types of titles; stories on racism and hate crimes especially. This was one of my book club reads, so of course I read the book and I'm glad that I did. While this was a work of fiction, it truly brought incredible feelings of rage, sadness, and understanding to me. Read on and find out why not only did 'Stand Your Ground' earn a 4 bookmark rating, but also why I think it's the most relevant and emotionally driven book I've read this year.
Publisher: Touchstone | Recorded Books
Release Date: June 30, 2015 | September 15, 2015 (audio)
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: ebook: 369 pages | Audio Length: Approx 10.2 hours
Narrators: Suzzanne Douglas , Madeleine Maby ,James Colby
Source: Audible
Genre: AA Fiction, Fiction
Review Date: December 7, 2016
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: A black teenage boy is dead. A white man shot him. Was he standing his ground or was it murder?
Janice Johnson is living every black mother’s nightmare. Her seventeen-year-old son was murdered and the shooter has not been arrested. Can the D.A. and the police be trusted to investigate and do the right thing? Should Janice take advantage of the public outcry and join her husband alongside the angry protestors who are out for revenge?
Meredith Spencer is married to the man accused of the killing and she sees her husband and the situation with far more clarity than anyone realizes. What she knows could blow the case wide open, but what will that mean for her life and that of her son? Will she have the courage to come forward in time so that justice can be done?
Release Date: June 30, 2015 | September 15, 2015 (audio)
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: ebook: 369 pages | Audio Length: Approx 10.2 hours
Narrators: Suzzanne Douglas , Madeleine Maby ,James Colby
Source: Audible
Genre: AA Fiction, Fiction
Review Date: December 7, 2016
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: A black teenage boy is dead. A white man shot him. Was he standing his ground or was it murder?
Janice Johnson is living every black mother’s nightmare. Her seventeen-year-old son was murdered and the shooter has not been arrested. Can the D.A. and the police be trusted to investigate and do the right thing? Should Janice take advantage of the public outcry and join her husband alongside the angry protestors who are out for revenge?
Meredith Spencer is married to the man accused of the killing and she sees her husband and the situation with far more clarity than anyone realizes. What she knows could blow the case wide open, but what will that mean for her life and that of her son? Will she have the courage to come forward in time so that justice can be done?
Wow. Just wow. I can't say enough about the feelings that this title evoked. I found myself getting very upset and worked up about the racism that still exists in our society today. Beyond the blatant racism in the plot, the story was well written and I felt connected to the characters. The characters are imperfect and yet relatable.
I found the audiobook format very enjoyable. The narrators did an excellent job bringing the story to life. They added another layer of depth to the story. I was so immersed that I barely noticed that there was more than one narrator let alone three of them! I fully appreciate when the casting is spot on.
I liked that Murray could step into both sides of this story in a very real way and present it gracefully. I felt the pain of Janice after losing her son, yet on the flip side I understood the emotional torment of Meredith in knowing something horrible about her husband and the fear of what could happen if she were to expose what she knew. The story was well balanced and told in a smart way. The ending was realistic and I appreciated that. It wasn't a happy ending, but it felt true to the circumstances.
I believe this book is worth reading for everyone. Literally everyone. It's great for book club because it brought about lots of robust discussion.
Happy Reading & Listening,
~Tamara
I liked that Murray could step into both sides of this story in a very real way and present it gracefully. I felt the pain of Janice after losing her son, yet on the flip side I understood the emotional torment of Meredith in knowing something horrible about her husband and the fear of what could happen if she were to expose what she knew. The story was well balanced and told in a smart way. The ending was realistic and I appreciated that. It wasn't a happy ending, but it felt true to the circumstances.
I believe this book is worth reading for everyone. Literally everyone. It's great for book club because it brought about lots of robust discussion.
Happy Reading & Listening,
~Tamara
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| Get the Audible version here: 
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