Kind Of A Big Deal by Shannon Hale | 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.

“So many strange and wonderful things happen at every twist and turn, you'll be happy to wander with Josie . . . Each book she descends into seems to teach her something, and even if it's not obvious where the story is going, we're in it for the long haul.” —NPR
From Shannon Hale, bestselling author of Austenland, comes Kind of a Big Deal: a story that will suck you in—literally.
There's nothing worse than peaking in high school. Nobody knows that better than Josie Pie.
She was kind of a big deal—she dropped out of high school to be a star! But the bigger you are, the harder you fall. And Josie fell. Hard. Ouch. Broadway dream: dead.
Meanwhile, her life keeps imploding. Best friend: distant. Boyfriend: busy. Mom: not playing with a full deck? Desperate to escape, Josie gets into reading.
Literally. She reads a book and suddenly she's inside it. And with each book, she’s a different character: a post-apocalyptic heroine, the lead in a YA rom-com, a 17th century wench in a corset.
It’s alarming. But also . . . kind of amazing?
It’s the perfect way to live out her fantasies. Book after book, Josie the failed star finds a new way to shine. But the longer she stays in a story, the harder it becomes to escape.
Will Josie find a story so good that she just stays forever?

Why Did I Listen To Kind Of A Big Deal by Shannon Hale?

I like that Shannon Hale has tried her hand at writing a variety of genres. Goose Girl was a fantastic read. Dangerous was okay too. Kind Of A Big Deal seemed ambitious and like it would blend a lot of genres. The concept of genre bending and blending is what interested me. And as you all know, audiobook definitely means sooner rather than later for me.

What’s The Story Here?

Kind Of A Big Deal is about Josie Pie who basically peaked in high school. She drops out to pursue acting in New York City, because she was a big fish in a small pond in Arizona. So, Josie thinks that she can just live the dream in NYC. As it turns out though, she crashes and burns. So, to pay down her credit card debt she takes on a nannying job which she is pretty good at. The job takes her from NYC to Montana. There, she decides to go out for community theater, even though she’s too good for it. Josie is truly struggling mentally – especially with how her dreams did not pan out the way she thought they would. She begins reading books to deal with it. The thing is though, the books come alive for her. As in, she’s actually in the story and pulled out of real life. Oh and there’s a side plot where she thinks her boyfriend is cheating on her.

What Did I Think Of Kind Of A Big Deal?

Unfortunately I just did not gel all that much with Kind Of A Big Deal. Maybe I was expecting something different and to feel more connected with the story. Instead, I just didn’t care all that much while listening. Josie certainly thought a lot of herself and got a much needed reality check. She was a character I didn’t like all that much and it wasn’t because of her complexities or anything. I just couldn’t relate. Maybe because I didn’t peak in high school hahaha, but yeah, this wasn’t the read for me, but that is fine! I am sure other readers will enjoy this much more than I did.

How’s The Narration?

The audiobook is narrated by Amanda Dolan. It is 9 hours and 25 minutes long. I listened to it slightly sped up. This was not my first rodeo with Dolan’s narration. I am used to her and think her narration is actually quite decent. If you do pick this up, the audiobook is a fine choice.

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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.

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