Wildflower by Alecia Whitaker | Audiobook Review

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Wildflower by Alecia Whitaker | Audiobook ReviewWildflower by Alecia Whitaker
Narrator: Alecia Whitaker
Length: 7 Hours 40 Minutes
Series: Wildflower #1
on July 1st 2014
Genres: Young Adult, Family, General, Girls & Women, Performing Arts, Music, Social Themes, New Experience, Social Issues
Pages: 320
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
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four-half-stars

The best songs come from broken hearts.Bird Barrett has grown up on the road, singing backup in her family's bluegrass band and playing everywhere from Nashville, Tennessee, to Nowhere, Oklahoma. But one fateful night, when Bird fills in for her dad by singing lead, a scout in the audience offers her a spotlight all her own.Soon Bird is caught up in a whirlwind of songwriting meetings, recording sessions, and music-video shoots. Her first single hits the top twenty, and suddenly fans and paparazzi are around every corner. She's even caught the eye of her longtime crush, fellow roving musician Adam Dean. With Bird's star on the rise, though, the rest of her life falls into chaos as tradition and ambition collide. Can Bird break out while staying true to her roots?In a world of glamour and gold records, a young country music star finds her voice.

Why Did I Listen To Wildflower by Alecia Whitaker?

Wildflower by Alecia Whitaker initially appealed to me based on the country music theme. Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols was fresh in my mind when I requested it – and I loved that book. Wildflower, however, is a bit more PG compared to Dirty Little Secret. And that is certainly okay. I was thrilled to find Wildflower on Hoopla and basically immediately added it to my I MUST LISTEN TO THIS list. Overall, I am glad, as this was the perfect listen after having to DNF a few audiobooks for not holding my attention at all.

What’s The Story Here?

Alecia Whitaker’s Wildflower is about this girl named Bird Barrett. Bird is part of the family band which travels all over the country singing and performing. They do this to cope with the death of her youngest sibling – Caleb. Bird is content to play her fiddle and sing off to side. One day, however, her father loses his voice and Bird has to take lead. There is a music agent in the audience. Bird gets discovered. She finds her star rising from there. Thus, Bird must contend with the effects of young fame on herself as well as her family. Meanwhile, Bird also is dealing with a crush on a fellow road musician called Adam.

How Did I Like Bird?

The main character of Wildflower is so incredibly likeable. This audiobook got me out of a short lived listening slump. Frankly, I loved Bird Barrett. She’s down to earth. She’s charming. She is absolutely the girl next door. In fact, Bird reminded me of Taylor Swift back when she released Tim McGraw. I loved that even though many of us cannot relate to Bird because of her fame, we could relate to her universal experiences. Who has not experienced that first crush and questioning your every move around them? Who has not experienced that joy of making a new close friend and the initial bonding? I just really found it easy to identify with Bird, even if she is a bit more squeaky clean than I am.

How Did I Like This Book?

It is quite safe to say that I LOVED Wildflower. I will definitely be aiming to read more books by Alecia Whitaker. I thought this book was refreshing and fun and different. I loved it as a palate cleanser read. It is one of those perfect summer kind of reads. It evokes guitars and BBQs and warm weather. The romantic tension within is super adorable. The family relationships are fantastic – as I rarely see such close families portrayed in the books I read. This is the kind of book I would recommend to people who are looking for a light read.

How’s The Narration?

The number one thing that won me over to Wildflower was the narration. First of all, the book is narrated by the author, Alecia Whitaker. Normally, books narrated by the author are a turn off for me. I prefer professional narration. Yet, it works for Wildflower. Alecia Whitaker has the country accent. Her voice is young and enthusiastic. It is the kind of voice that is exactly how I would imagine Bird Barrett sounding. In fact, I find myself disappointed that the other books in the series are not on Hoopla but I will certainly be searching out the audiobooks. You should 100% read this series via audio. Any other way and you are missing out.

Sum It Up With A GIF:

How I picture the main character of Wildflower by Alecia Whitaker

This GIF is how I picture Bird Barrett.

Other reviews of Wildflower by Alecia Whitaker:

Rather Be Reading – “nailed the flow and pacing.

The Book Scout – “it had heart and that’s what I liked the most about it

The Reading Date – “a fun and fast read with a lot of heart

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Peek Inside Wildflower:

four-half-stars
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April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.
About April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

Comments

  1. I’m glad you liked this one too, plus the sequel is definitely worth a listen. (Sorry it’s not on Hoopla, but maybe Overdrive?)

    I know what you mean about author narration but agree Alecia Whitaker was a hit here.

    Perfect gif for Bird Barrett 🙂

  2. Wow, am I the only one who think that’s an unfortunate name? Oo
    I like the sound of Bird, though. And I LOVE the sound of this -> “The romantic tension within is super adorable. ” haha (I live for adorable romantic tension)
    Lovely review, April, and I’m glad this book got you out of your slump 🙂

  3. I met the author at the Southern Kentucky Bookfest when I volunteered to lead their panel. She was fantastic, and I’ve been wanting to read this. Listening sounds like a great option!