Review of Melt by Robbi McCoy, Audiobook narrated by Anastasia Watley
Since I’ve discovered Anastasia Watley in her outstanding performance of The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair, I’m a total fan. I don’t care if she reads the phone book, I’ll listen to it. Unfortunately, she doesn’t perform much lesfic so it’s always a treat to get an audiobook featuring her voice.
When photo-journalist Kelly Sheffield is offered a gig in Greenland, she sees the opportunity to reconnect with her former college crush, glaciologist Jordan Westgate who is working there for the summer. With the inhospitable Greenland landscape as a background, Kelly can only hope that Jordan’s heart will melt for her…
This novel has a complex plot, there are two main stories, the second chances romance that the book blurb describes, and a parallel coming of age story of Pippa, a young lesbian Greenlander who has psychic abilities. I didn’t read the blurb in advance but if I had, I would have been confused by the start of the book as this storyline isn’t mentioned.
One of the best parts of this book is the description of the landscape in all its splendor. The midnight sun, the barren landscape, the melting glaciers, the inhospitable life conditions are all very well depicted, almost in a photographic way. The novel starts with a bone-chilling hiking scene which holds the reader’s attention from the start. Ms. McCoy is a hiking enthusiast and you can see that she knows what she’s talking about.
I’m not an angst fan, I feel like life is complicated enough to add angst to my fiction reads. Unfortunately for me, this book has angst in some of its many manifestations: coming-out angst, fear of rejection angst, fight for survival angst, social condemnation angst, you name it. So, if you like seeing the characters undergo extreme anxiety and unhappiness, you’ll be happier than me.
I tend to be more forgiving with plot and storylines when I listen to an audiobook, especially if it’s read by such an accomplished narrator as Anastasia Watley. I think her performance raised my overall rating by one star. Her sultry voice is somehow perfect for the desolation of the landscape and the rawness of the emotions. She conveyed both perfectly and made my overall experience very enjoyable. As usual, her voices are distinct, even the male ones, and her narration pace perfect. Overall, 4 stars.
Length: 9 hours, 23 minutes
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