Townie Audiobook By Neel Patel cover art

Townie

A Short Story

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Townie

By: Neel Patel
Narrated by: Alexandra Grey
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A sharp, haunting story about identity, connection, and trust built and broken, Townie is a spellbinding listen by the critically acclaimed author of If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi.

Townie is a brief yet dramatic glimpse at a blossoming friendship between two young women in a small college town - Amal, a transplant from LA, and Bridgette, a local 20-something who feels lost in her own life and becomes enamored with her new friend’s confidence. At first, the new relationship is intoxicating, and the two women spend every spare minute getting drunk on cheap liquor, party-hopping, and binging reality TV. But soon, a secret is revealed that shifts the dynamic, and Bridgette makes a choice she can never take back.

Please note: This audio contains strong language and descriptions of violence that some listeners may find upsetting. Discretion is advised.

©2021 Neel Patel (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC. LGBTQIA+ Creators Literature & Fiction South Asian Creators Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Short Stories

About the Creator

Neel Patel is the author of the story collection If You See Me, Don't Say Hi and the forthcoming novel Tell Me How to Be. His writing has appeared in Elle India, The Paris Review, Buzzfeed, and more. He lives in Los Angeles, where he writes for television and film.

About the Performer

Alexandra Grey is an actress, musician, writer, and activist. She recently starred as Parker Phillips on the CBS action/adventure series MacGyver, and portrayed Lucy Hicks Anderson in the HBO Max docuseries Equal. Other notable roles include playing Elizah Parks on the hit Amazon series Transparent and superstar singer Melody Barnes on the Fox musical drama series Empire, for which she also released several singles (Hollywood Records). Grey has also guest-starred on shows such as Angel of Darkness, How to Get Away with Murder, Drunk History, and the critically acclaimed ABC miniseries When We Rise, directed by Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black. Grey plays the title role in the upcoming feature film Gossamer Folds (Paperclip Ltd).
As a proud trans woman of color, Grey continues to use her platform to blaze a trail for her community. She appeared on the February 2021 cover of Out Magazine, and has been featured in articles in publications such as Variety, Deadline, and Forbes

Impactful Storytelling • Unexpected Plot Twists • Stellar Narration • Excellent Performance • Natural Delivery
Highly rated for:
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The characters in this play are lonely and afraid. I’m left feeling bereft for them. I have it 5 stars because it made me feel even though that feeling isn’t happy.

Gosh. Sad.

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I picked this story on a whim and I'm glad I did. It describes so many “friendships” you see between women in the real world, the twist makes it all worthwhile.

Great Listen

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That was not at all the ending I was expecting. It was so shocking. I liked the story overall but was really thrown off by the end.

Wow

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Powerful story about friendships, secrets, betrayal, jealousy, hurts and lies. Well written and well read. No spoilers in this review. Short story that will have a long impact. The cast of characters reflect the author’s knowledge of Middle Eastern people. Appreciate that the excellent narrator didn’t try to imitate their accents.

Multifaceted

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This was such amazing storytelling! You did that! I look forward to reading more of your work!

OBSESSED!

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I really enjoyed this. A tragedy that Bridgette didn’t feel more about the ending events. Loved the narration

Short but good

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I love short stories! and this did not disappoint . I would refer this as a short listen.

I love short stories!

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The narrator helped the story very natural. Something a friend from college is telling over Brunch.

This story is very short good

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Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

Neel Patel's short story "Townie" took me completely by surprise - it's a rare occurrence whenever a story can make me audibly gasp, & I was truly shocked by the ending of this.

Patel's writing was hypnotic, that's the best way I can describe the overall feel of this story. I was totally & utterly invested in both Amal & Bridgette & was really curious to see how their friendship would ultimately play out. Without giving anything away, all I'll say is I've never felt such a fast switch between empathy & hatred for a fictional character before. Queer friends, proceed with caution with this one - it's dark, but Patel succeeded in spades in telling an impactful, realistic story that showcases an uglier side of humanity. Highly recommend if you're looking for something that's short yet discussion-worthy. I'm looking forward to reading Patel's debut novel!

Hypnotic & Thought-Provoking

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I can believe how the plot twist made me go from intrigue to anguish and sad at the same time. This kind of story sticks with you because somehow we know they are still real.

We all should listen!

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