Jorge Novoa

Came for the Narrator, Stayed for the Story

Reviewed: 02-08-19

I love audiobooks... but I admit my low attention span makes it hard to stay focused on books read by certain narrators. Nothing wrong with what they do, I just find myself daydreaming and have to rewind the last few minutes, regardless of what is being reading. It’s takes a special kind of narrator to keep me engaged.

I sought out Gabra Zackman based on a recommendation by the podcast My Favorite Murder, who highly regarded her work on “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.” The hosts were right, her voice is quite soothing. She achieves great range without resorting to over-the-top theatrics, a subtlety that made me listen intently. (This was especially effective when quoting the few one-liners spoken by the Golden State Killer, each sending chills down my spine.)

It is because of her that I came across this book. I’m not usually a fan of fantasy, but I got hooked on this one just from the sample offered by Audible. She really made Lyra come to life, almost as if she were standing next to me, sharing her incredible adventures. I was also surprised by how different she sounded with each character, to the point I wondered if other actors were involved. Sufficed to say I am now looking forward to the next one in this series.

As for the book itself: Navigating the Stars tells the story of a 17-year-old girl who is having a hard time adjusting to the

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