...Bookfanatic

...and I was really left in a quandary that first time around because I was so sure I was going to love this and it ended up just being ok…in the end after considering what I liked or loved about the story I was just confused why things didn’t resonate with me more, but it didn’t, so when I was presented with the opportunity to revisit this story in audio book format and after having some time and more than a few books between then and now it seemed like the perfect opportunity to find out if it truly was a case of it’s not the book it’s me…

And guess what…I’d have to say that for the most part it was definitely me. Overall I just felt more connected to the story and it’s characters. In spite of the fact that I had read this story before and I knew what was going to happen I found myself drawn into events almost as if I were experiencing them for the first time and I think this is very much due to the excellent narrations of Michael Stellman.

I felt that hearing the story on audio added depth and emotion to both the characters and the story grabbing my attention on a stronger level than just reading the story did originally. I’ve had this happen before and I have to admit if I had to explain exactly why some stories are more enjoyable as audio books than they were for me to read I don’t think I could really  give a definitive answer but I do know that for me it’s a thing. I actually have several stories that I’ve liked them, but when I read them they were just ‘ok’ for me, and then when I revisit them on audio they suddenly become a story that I want to revisit over and over again and believe me when I say that with many of them I have.

When I first read this story I found Josh tugging at my heartstrings but for whatever reason I didn’t feel that emotional connection that I tend to feel with a character in  his situation and while I still wasn’t feeling as strong of a connection to this character as I usually do, I found myself rooting for him wanting him to succeed, to find that bit of happy that would encourage him to keep trying, to want something more and better for himself and this actually made me happy because truth be told Josh doesn’t need someone to shed tears for him…he needs someone to have faith, believe in him and encourage him to keep going…keep trying. Fortunately for Josh, Mark found him and as it turns out this was equally as fortunate for Mark.

Mark is not a man without his own set of problems…living in a rented cabin in the woods while he licks his wounds and trying to avoid his loving but overbearing family while he does. Mark’s hiding from the world but Josh…he’s running, and his plan is that when he stops…he’ll stop forever.

‘Falling Down’ is a story about two men…each trying to escape a world that’s left them drowning in memories of the past…mistakes they feel they’ve made and what they’ve each lost. It’s about second chances, starting over, finding love and learning to not only love someone else but to love yourself.

Maybe it was a combination of listening to the audio and me being in a different state of mind but whatever the reason I enjoyed ‘Falling Down’ a lot more this time around and I’m really glad I took the time to revisit Josh and Mark’s story on audio.

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An audio book of ‘Falling Down’ was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.