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A review by chrissie_whitley
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
5.0
This is a novel about pain. Pain that is scarred, healed, or reopened. Oozing, crusted, throbbing, or aching. Pain from circumstances, fate, time, actions, words, or weapons.
Featuring an incredible cast of characters, sluicing through time and back again in such an organic way — conversationally, as though someone telling the tale has to add context throughout, sprinkled like breadcrumbs. And even though everyone ended up being who I surmised as the novel progressed, with a few surprises along the way, I had the best time with these people as they discovered everything for themselves. This is the exact type of a thriller that brings me back, again and again (most of the time in vain), in search of something as equally well-written and wonderfully conceived as this book. Apparently what I need are character-driven thrillers, the plot (obvious or not) is secondary — and the writing should be excellent.
Audiobook, as narrated by [a:Rosamund Pike|4244528|Rosamund Pike|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]: Pike has quickly, through only three performances, become one of my absolute favorite audiobook narrators. Having already been thoroughly impressed with her readings of both [b:Pride and Prejudice|28095737|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1449238155l/28095737._SX50_.jpg|3060926] and [b:Sense and Sensibility|41144776|Sense and Sensibility|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534280459l/41144776._SX50_.jpg|2809709], I jumped at the chance to grab this book on audio instead of in print. Once again, Pike handles the narration in such a perfectly executed way, that at times, I found it a given that I was actually listening to several different people speaking. Generally, I find that I don't like multi-cast recordings because the overall performance of each reader can and does vary a great deal. But with Pike controlling it all, the whole of the book is in the hands (voice) of a master. With the tiniest little change — speaking more or less with her teeth, changing her inflection, or altering where exactly the voices are originating in her throat, mouth, nose, etc. — Pike transforms each character into fully-fledged human beings. She understands the nuance of the story, the sentences, and the pauses. Such a phenomenal talent.
Featuring an incredible cast of characters, sluicing through time and back again in such an organic way — conversationally, as though someone telling the tale has to add context throughout, sprinkled like breadcrumbs. And even though everyone ended up being who I surmised as the novel progressed, with a few surprises along the way, I had the best time with these people as they discovered everything for themselves. This is the exact type of a thriller that brings me back, again and again (most of the time in vain), in search of something as equally well-written and wonderfully conceived as this book. Apparently what I need are character-driven thrillers, the plot (obvious or not) is secondary — and the writing should be excellent.
Audiobook, as narrated by [a:Rosamund Pike|4244528|Rosamund Pike|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]: Pike has quickly, through only three performances, become one of my absolute favorite audiobook narrators. Having already been thoroughly impressed with her readings of both [b:Pride and Prejudice|28095737|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1449238155l/28095737._SX50_.jpg|3060926] and [b:Sense and Sensibility|41144776|Sense and Sensibility|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534280459l/41144776._SX50_.jpg|2809709], I jumped at the chance to grab this book on audio instead of in print. Once again, Pike handles the narration in such a perfectly executed way, that at times, I found it a given that I was actually listening to several different people speaking. Generally, I find that I don't like multi-cast recordings because the overall performance of each reader can and does vary a great deal. But with Pike controlling it all, the whole of the book is in the hands (voice) of a master. With the tiniest little change — speaking more or less with her teeth, changing her inflection, or altering where exactly the voices are originating in her throat, mouth, nose, etc. — Pike transforms each character into fully-fledged human beings. She understands the nuance of the story, the sentences, and the pauses. Such a phenomenal talent.