“There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” ― Laurell K. Hamilton
Author: J.P. Barnaby
Narrator:: Tyler Stevens
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Run Time: 8 Hours, 5 Minutes
Rating: 5 Stars
Blurb: I can’t describe what it’s like to want to scream every minute of every day.
Two years after a terrifying night of pain destroyed his normal teenage existence, Aaron Downing still clings to the hope that one day, he will be a fully functional human being. But his life remains a constant string of nightmares, flashbacks, and fear. When, in his very first semester of college, he’s assigned Spencer Thomas as a partner for his programming project, Aaron decides that maybe “normal” is overrated. If he could just learn to control his fear, that could be enough for him to find his footing again.
With his parents’ talk of institutionalizing him—of sacrificing him for the sake of his brothers’ stability—Aaron becomes desperate to find a way to cope with his psychological damage or even fake normalcy. Can his new shrink control his own demons long enough to treat Aaron, or will he only deepen the damage?
Desperate to understand his attraction for Spencer, Aaron holds on to his sanity with both hands as it threatens to spin out of control.
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Review: To be honest, I was a little nervous about reading Aaron and even less interested in listening to the audio version. My problem is I really don’t care much about reading or listening to overly violent situations. According to the blurb, I was expecting to do a lot of cringing, but after reading the review by our very own Lisa, I decided to give it a try. At least I knew what I was getting into…right?
OMG…was I totally blown away!
As I listened to the first few chapters, I kept thinking…
Why is this kid still suffering?
Why is his mother coddling him?
Why isn’t Aaron in some sort of therapy?
As I got more involved in the storyline, all of sudden it dawned on me that this wasn’t so much about the trauma that led to Aaron’s problems but more about what was being done to help him recover from it. Instead of being upset, I found myself almost giddy with excitement as this young man took his first baby steps in order to reclaim his life!
For me, this was a well written story about recovering from trauma. J.P. Barnaby did an excellent job researching PTSD and its current treatments. I especially loved the fact that the doctor involved wanted Aaron to wean himself off the drugs he was taking in order to learn proper coping skills to deal with his PTSD symptoms. I haven’t been this moved since watching Good Will Hunting. Finding the right therapist does make a difference in the outcome of treating PTSD.
Anyway, Mr. Tyler Stevens did an awesome job in bringing this story to life. His presentation of the characters involved and the emotions expressed made this a very riveting story worth listening to. I came close to crying towards the end at what Aaron did with his mother, but the smile on my face wouldn’t let me. I know this is fiction, but I’ve know people who have PTSD, and any breakthrough is worth celebrating.
It’s a 5 Stars recommend listen!!! One note, though, I wouldn’t recommend it for those who may be sensitive to certain triggers since it deals with rape.
You can buy Aaron (A Survivor Story) here:
