Audiobook Review: Lucy in the Sky

2¢ Worth: When I accepted Lucy in the Sky for review I was expecting a fun coming of age story from an honest male point of view. It was, but it was also so much more than that. There is all this unexpected depth and adventure. It starts with Gene, a fifteen-year-old boy in Milwaukee, telling us about the summer of '69 when his estranged cousin Lucy came to town and changed everything. The story is told with the same inner voice style of The Wonder Years. Except in this story, Winnie Cooper is a hot older hippie chick.

But just when I thought I had this story figured it out, it spun me like a game of spin the bottle. Lucy has some big secrets and Gene embarks on a dangerous life-changing journey and road trip to help her.

Whippersnappers: Gene is a horny teen so there is talk of certain body parts and woodies. As the story progresses there is sex, drug usage, and mentions of violent anti-war activism. There is also some religious ponderings and profanity. However, none of it felt gratuitous and our beloved Gene is a good guy through it all.

Wooed: One of my favorite parts of this story is that it really made me see 1969. In a way it's historical fiction. It opened my eyes to what it must have been like to be a teen then. It made me ponder how those things could shape a person. It helped me understand an entire generation a bit better. I feel like I get that summer and all it's complexities and contradictions way more now.

Warning: The ending is what Mr. Whimsy called a "dude ending". It wraps up all the strings but doesn't completely flesh it out.

Words aloud: It took me a minute to adjust to the author's fast-paced unpolished narration style but once I did I was hooked. I think it made the story more authentic and ultimately by the end of the story I was so convinced John was Gene that I had to remind myself this is a work of fiction. Mr. Whimsy said, "I wish all narrators read at that pace." If you find the speed is too much, remember your iPod allows you to adjust the speed on audiobooks.

Wrapping: I don't love this cover. Maybe if it was zoomed in a bit more à la Almost Famous.

Wholly: I really enjoyed Lucy in the Sky. It made an impression on me. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Audio is the way to go. All that inner dialogue rocks on audio. I also think it would make a perfect father's day gift for just about any guy. Mr. Whimsy dug it and I'm thinking my father-in-law would love it too. How many books can you say you liked and the men in your life would too?

Wind-up: Lucy in the Sky was written and narrated by John Vorhaus and is 6 hours and 42 minutes long. Audiobook rating: 4 stars. Narrator rating: 4 stars.

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