Annette Romano and Susan K. Marlow are AMAZING!

*This review was written by my fourteen-year-old daughter*
I must admit, I am normally NOT a fan of audiobooks. Narrators tend to make me cringe as I hear it and think, “That just spoils the whole book.” But Annette Romano is SUCH an exception to my earlier thought. She captured my attention as she creatively portrayed Mr. Foster’s severity. Her version of Jed Hatton’s voice strikes me with the thought, “That’s good.” And get this—not only were my sisters and I drawn in, but so were my brothers! We laughed and listened to Annette as she made “Andrea Carter and the Dangerous Decision” come alive. It was is as if we were with Andi in the book! No one could’ve narrated “Andrea Carter and the Dangerous Decision” better. Thanks, Annette!

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2 people found this helpful

Exciting and Adventurous

Annette Romano does a superb job bringing the irrepressible Andi Carter to life. This audio version makes you feel like you are back in 1880, riding along with Andi and her palomino mare, Taffy, as they get in and out of scrapes and learn that God will never leave or forsake her. Andi especially needs to cling to this truth when she makes a decision that may cost her her life.

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1 person found this helpful

A great story for boys and girls alike

If you're looking for a clean story with lots of twists and turns on a thought-provoking character journey, this is the book for you. (And if you're looking for a narrator who can effortlessly portray a myriad of voices and tell a story with great inflection, this is the audiobook for you!)

I loved this book. Even though I'd read it when I was around Andi's age, listening to it again now (almost ten years later) made me appreciate all the more the depth of this story. Yes, Andi makes some more rash decisions (she's Andi and a Carter -- how can she not? :)), but she takes responsibility for them and, with the wise counsel of her mother and others, strives to do the right thing. (One thing that kept me on my toes -- and laughing -- throughout the whole story is the way Andi always finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Half of the calamities she finds herself in are no work of her own.)

The greatest way we see Andi step up and do the right thing, despite her fear, is when she offers to be taken as hostage instead of the one girl in the school who doesn't like her (and Andi doesn't like either). This decision in itself speaks of Andi's character growth and lays the groundwork for even more growth. From the race that nearly killed Mr. Foster to Justin's remedy for Andi's amnesia, I thought all the events and character choices of the story were realistic -- portrayed very realistically by the skilled Annette Romano!

I also really appreciated the theme of this book: whether it was the author's intention or not, I took away the empowering encouragement that God uses all types of personalities. The greatest conflict in the book takes place over Andi's personality. Mr. Foster, her teacher, thinks she's out of control and nothing like a young lady because she races her horse, plays baseball with the boys, and is mistakenly blamed for various kinds of trouble. While Andi does have plenty of tomboy tendencies, she also knows when to rein them in and show the good breeding of her family. A resolution is hinted at when Andi offers herself as hostage because she knows her "tomboy tendencies" will enable her to survive the experience. A full resolution is reached at the end of the book when Mr. Foster recognizes this truth, acknowledging to Andi that it was her personality (speaking up, offering herself as hostage) that saved his daughter's life. I appreciated the reminder that God gives us different personalities and backgrounds to equip us for our unique roles in His story.

Thank you, Susan K. Marlow, for another grand adventure, and thank you, Annette Romano, for another satisfying narration!

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2 people found this helpful

The narrator does much better in this book 😃

In the first book the narrator seemed stiff putting emphasis on the wrong sentences. But she feels more natural in this one. I LOVE the story! ❤️

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I'd say it's a typical decision

This is book #2 in the series.

Andrea "Andi" hasn't learned anything from what happened in the first book. She's still as reckless and selfish as ever. The author continues to make the non-white girls of Andi's age "good" while the white girl's of Andi's age "bad/mean" or unimportant.

As a character Andi can be fun but also unlikable. In one chapter she breaks a window but instead of fessing up she lets her "best friend" Corey take the punishment. She says she doesn't feel good about it but doesn't act on that feeling. Andi nearly kills her new teacher right at the start of the book and then Virginia (the teacher's daughter) is humiliated the first day of class because Andi failed to tell her about a snake in her desk and all Andi thinks is how mean the teacher is for being upset.

The non-consequence consequences continue on from the first book as well. Parents thinking that they can use Andi as a role model will be surprised because Andi rarely, if ever, takes responsibility for the trouble she finds herself in.

The entire notion of Andi stepping up to save Virginia is idiotic, especially given what happened in the first book.

All of that said, I'll try and find a copy of #3 I can borrow to see if anything changes.

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