***** Overall ***** Performance ***** Story – review by Rox Burkey
S.M. Stevens skillfully unveils the complex character of Charley Bryne, a woman with a troubled past who finds solace in the bookstore she manages. Her confidence, once robust, has waned, and she now seeks refuge in the store, her modest apartment, and a predictable routine that includes feeding the standoffish cat named Baggage. The arrival of Xander, an environmental activist, disrupts her solitary existence with his intellectual fervor and inquisitiveness about Charley. His influence leads her to meet his heterogeneous friends, setting the stage for a transformative journey.
The setting is painted with a broad brush of various colors and textures, depicting nearly any contemporary city in America. The people living in the diverse neighborhoods are threatened by the climate of suspicion, hatred, and prejudice on one side, with families, love, and hope on the other. S.M. Stevens uses her character diversity to give readers an inside look at a myriad of sensitive, emotionally charged topics, including racism, homophobia, transgender, environmental convictions, big business, mental health, and immigration, making it a compelling read for those interested in contemporary fiction and social issues.
As the story unfolds, the characters embark on an emotional journey. Unintended deception leads Charley to nearly succumb to her worst fears. These characters are not just words on a page but living, breathing individuals who make a difference for one another. Their journeys are profoundly moving, making this book a deeply emotional reading experience.
These six friends, Charley, Xander, Jessica, Terrance, Sunny, and Buwan, are brought to life by the consistent yet distinctive voices delivered by Nicole Cash’s outstanding narration. Listeners will appreciate this masterfully written story’s timely intonations, subtle accents, and perfect pace. Nicole Cash also delivers distinguishing supporting character dialogue with appropriate emotion, inflections, and sounds of their age. There were no issues with the audio performance.
S.M. Stevens’ “Beautiful and Terrible Things” is a compelling book that will appeal to readers from all backgrounds. The story is engaging from beginning to end, and readers will find it challenging to pick a favorite character in this tale of hope, love, friendship, and identity.
About the Author
After many years as a business writer, S.M. Stevens found the time to pen her first novel when a pelvis broken in 3 places absolved her from housework and chauffeuring the kids around for several months. The result was her middle-grade novel Shannon’s Odyssey, written for adventurous animal-lovers. A year later, while in treatment for cancer, she wrote the first of the Bit Players series to fill the void of fiction for music and theatre-loving teens. The YA series now has three books, and appeals to all teens not just drama-loving ones. Her first adult novel (thankfully not prompted by another health crisis!) was Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, published in 2019. The story is a coming-of-age tale about two young women starting their careers in Boston while dealing with past and present demons. Her next novel, Beautiful and Terrible Things, will be released by Black Rose Writing in Summer 2024. For a taste of that, read the short story “Two Kinds of People” published on Smoky Quartz. You can also meet the characters through the novelette, The Wallace House of Pain (available on Amazon).
About the Narrator
Nicole Cash is a highly skilled performer whose training in classical music allows her to captivate audiences and connect people through the power of sound. She served as 3rd Horn with the Dallas Symphony, and Associate Principal Horn of the renowned San Francisco Symphony, until she was diagnosed with focal dystonia, a career-ending repetitive movement disorder.
The meandering road of recovery and rediscovery led Nicole to the art of audiobook narration, to which she brings the same keen sense of rhythm, intonation, lyricism, and drama.
Nicole delights in voicing the blood-curdling suspense of a dark thriller, the complex characters of literary and historical fiction, and the heart-warming nostalgia of a coming-of-age story. Her experiences as an African-American woman compel her to share the tangled theories and truths of social science and political justice tomes.
As the mother of two young children, Nicole feels right at home bringing to life all sorts of fantastical characters and creatures and finds great joy in being silly. Most often described as “warm, clear, engaging, and easy to listen to,” her voice is a hug that envelops the listener in whatever story she is sharing.
When away from her home studio on the North Shore of Long Island, NY, Nicole can be found creating custom cakes for friends and family, attempting to grow organic vegetables and herbs in her garden, skiing, camping, singing karaoke, and of course… reading.
2 replies to "Beautiful & Terrible Things"
Thank you for this insightful review!
Great to see you here. I hope you share this post with your fans. Honestly, it’s a Gutsy Novel.