Why Did I Listen To Hello (From Here) by Chandler Baker and Wesley King?
I know that some people are really resistant to reading contemporary books that include COVID. However, Hello (From Here) by Chandler Baker and Wesley King appealed to me specifically for that reason. Personally, reading about something I lived through helps me to process that thing. But, I know that everyone reads and processes and experiences things differently. So, if you are not about a book set during COVID, you may want to skip this one.
What’s The Story Here?
Hello (From Here) follows Max (Maxine) and Jonah who meet by chance at the grocery store on the cusp of the pandemic. Actually, they meet right at the time that toilet paper became a hot commodity. Max delivers groceries as she tries to save up money for community college classes after high school. Jonah’s dad is doing well financially as is his stepmom. Jonah has anxiety as well — which just gets worse because of the pandemic. However, the two keep connecting and we see them fall for each other – even in lockdown when they have to socially distance.
What Did I Think Of Hello (From Here) by Chandler Baker and Wesley King?
I liked the character of Max a bit more than the character of Jonah. It turns out, I just felt her struggles a little bit more. Her mom is a single mother and it is so hard to get by. They don’t have a lot of money to spare and Max has to think about contributing the bills and then paying her own way. Jonah did eventually grow on me, however. He does make some not great choices, but he’s a teenager and so I don’t expect him to be perfect by any means.
One part that I found myself very invested in was Arlo and Chester. I won’t go into super details, but that part was just heart wrenching. It hit me very hard — but also kept me very invested in this book.
How’s The Narration?
The audiobook of Hello (From Here) contains dual narration. Annie Q narrates Max’s chapters. Michael Crouch narrates Jonah’s chapters. I liked Crouch’s narration the best — I guess because I am very familiar with his narration style. Meanwhile, Annie Q was great when doing the voice for Max, I just felt like the male voicing was not ideal. Overall though, this was an audiobook that I would recommend. It doesn’t feel like it drags. It is 9 hours 35 minutes long.
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