Written by: Cassandra Clare
Narrated by: Jennifer Ehle
Published by: Simon and Schuster Audio
Source: Purchased. Giveaway Provided by Simon and Schuster.
Release Date: August 31, 2010
5 stars - I highly recommend this audiobook and will listen to it again and again.
I will freely admit that I love audiobooks when they are done well. And anyone who has met me will tell you that I always have at least two to three audiobooks loaded on my iPhone at all times. Let's face it, any mom who spends as much time as I do shuttling my kids from ballet to swimming to scouts, not to mention the hours spent idling in the school's Pull Through Lane, needs a distraction. Audiobooks provide that distraction for me. They open up the story in a way that a paper book can't. I hear the characters. I can feel their emotion and interactions with others. The entire plot line moves at a different pace because I'm not controlling it. And I love every minute of a well narrated story.
So, let's talk about Jennifer Ehle, the actress who narrates Clockwork Angel. Did you know she played Elizabeth Bennet in the BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice"? Well, she brings us Tessa's American accent in such a lovely, subtle way. And she is amazing as Will and Jem. Those of you who adore audiobooks will get this comparison -- she gives a Jim Dale- like (he narrates the U.S. Harry Potter series) detail to each and every character in Clockwork Angel. Jennifer transforms into the character when she's reading their dialogue and that makes the entire audio experience understated and credible.
Imagine Will's line - "God in Heaven, what was that?" (page 291) ringing in your ears as surely as it rang in Tessa's. I know you are with me now, Mundie Moms, because we all remember that line, don't we?
If you are waiting to download the audiobook from iTunes or purchase it from your favorite bookstore, I encourage you to stop waiting and buy it now. Jennifer brings Cassie's characters to life and suddenly you are there with Jessamine as she wields that lethal parasol and you are walking the streets of London alongside Jem. Oh, I won't mention Will again. But, you may find yourself breathing irregularly when Will's whispering in your ear. It's a possible side effect. And I'm sure I'm not the only Mundie Mom who has experienced it.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster we have THREE Clockwork Angel audiobooks to give away. Fill out the form below to enter the contest. If you would like to hear a sample first, go to Simon and Schuster's site and just under the Description portion, there's a link for you to listen to an audio clip.