Book Review: Roam by Erik Therme

Three strangers, each searching for something out of reach.

Sarah Cate, celebrating her twenty-first birthday, is pushed over the edge after car trouble strands her in the middle of nowhere with an angry, unstable boyfriend.

Kevin Reed, a troubled adolescent abused by a loveless father, roams the night in his black Camaro, looking to pay forward one of the few acts of kindness he’s ever received.

Scotty Mason, plagued by profound guilt and completely detached from his world, is haunted by the unshakable fear that something inside him is dangerously broken and cannot be fixed.

When their lives intersect in an unsavory hotel with a bloody history, all three will struggle to exorcise their personal demons, unaware that a bigger threat is looming . . . and waiting for the right moment to strike.

Like Joshua Gaylord and Daniel Kraus before him, author Erik Therme explores the angst of disconnected youth in his enthralling and powerful Roam. Therme’s darkly tinged novel is an unforgettable tale of three errant souls brutalized by life’s cruel circumstances, and a remarkable night of discovery and violence that will change them forever.

I received a copy of this book in audio format from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah’s twenty-one birthday is not as special as she expected. With her car broke down in the middle of nowhere and her three month boyfriend drunk and showing signs of becoming violent at any moment, she decides to start walking alongside the road. A car stops by and Kevin offers her a ride home. Later on they will meet again, and Sarah, desperate to find her friend Scotty, will make Kevin drive for many hours that night.

This is a complex story with complex characters. None of them is especially likable, but the tale born from their intertwined lives is one of extreme beauty. They all have baggage, which is subtly suggested, but their pictures are not complete, leaving some past and future events to the imagination of the listener.

There is also suspense, a dark figure creeping in the dark, and a completely unexpected twist at the end of the book. One could feel that the story is not complete, that we have just glimpsed a moment in these four people’s lives, like a photography of what was and what could be. It was a seed of a full grown tree, a mirage of that final twist.

Joe Hempel did a wonderful job, as always, narrating this story and bringing to life each one of the characters. One simply cannot go wrong with a book narrated by Hempel. He has a unique ability to transmit the characters’ emotions and make you forget that you are listening to a book, carrying you to a new world. Top notch narrator!

I absolutely recommend this audiobook to anyone who enjoys a well written story with realistic and complex characters.

Available at Amazon/Audible

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lomeraniel

My name is Elena. Since I was a little child I loved science fiction and fantasy, and I can’t resist a good novel. In 2015, while wait I started to listen to audiobooks and I discovered the pleasure in being able to read while doing my daily tasks, so there’s always an audiobook playing on my phone. If you see me with my Bluetooth headphones on, please be gentle, I get easily startled.

I live with my boyfriend, which I met during my six-year stay in Belgium, four cockatiels, eight lovebirds, and a hamster in Madrid, Spain; and I like to spend my free time knitting and sewing while listening to audiobooks.