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Narrated by Fiona Hardingham
Jane RogersUnabridged — 8 hours, 15 minutes
Narrated by Fiona Hardingham
Jane RogersUnabridged — 8 hours, 15 minutes
A rogue virus that kills pregnant women has been let loose in the world, and nothing less than the survival of the human race is at stake.
Some blame the scientists, others see the hand of God, and still others claim that humanity is reaping the punishment it deserves for years of arrogance and destructiveness. Jessie Lamb is an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl living in extraordinary times. As her world collapses, her idealism and courage drive her toward the ultimate act of heroism. Jessie wants her life to make a difference; but is she heroic, or is she, as her scientist father fears, impressionable, innocent, and incapable of understanding where her actions will lead?
Set in a world irreparably altered by an act of biological terrorism, The Testament of Jessie Lamb explores a young woman's struggle for independence. As the certainties of her childhood are ripped apart, Jessie begins to question her parents' attitudes, their behavior, and the very world they have bequeathed her.
Echoes of Kazuo Ishiguro's stealthy novel Never Let Me Go abound, but Rogers works with a more populist tool kit, nailing the tempestuous inner conflicts of a young woman as she discerns the full measure of selfishness required to be selfless.
—Jan Stuart
The novel does not set up an elaborate apocalypse, but astringently strips away the smears hiding the apocalypses we really face. Like Jessie’s, it is a small, calm voice of reason in a nonsensical world.” — The Independent
“Jane Rogers has captured Jessie’s voice brilliantly, alternating a teenager’s solipsism with a growing awareness of the wider world. Jessie’s self-conviction is both admirable and infuriating, and the reader is torn between her clear, unequivocal conclusions and the intricate, heartfelt compromises of her parents.” — Times Literary Supplement (London)
“A powerful dystopian novel…Long-listed for the Booker Prize, Rogers’ mesmerizing tale is frighteningly timely and bound to spark rich book-club discussions.” — Booklist
“Thought-provoking, smart, real, disturbing, and well-written...A compelling page-turner of a novel.” — Popmatters
“Echoes of Kazuo Ishiguro’s stealthy novel Never Let Me Go abound, but Rogers works with a more populist tool kit, nailing the tempestuous inner conflicts of a young woman as she discerns the full measure of selfishness required to be selfless.” — New York Times Book Review
“Beautifully and convincingly written, Jessie’s testament for posterity is truly moving, haunting…a rich, heavy read, full of provocative questions…” — Kirkus Reviews
Thought-provoking, smart, real, disturbing, and well-written...A compelling page-turner of a novel.
Jane Rogers has captured Jessie’s voice brilliantly, alternating a teenager’s solipsism with a growing awareness of the wider world. Jessie’s self-conviction is both admirable and infuriating, and the reader is torn between her clear, unequivocal conclusions and the intricate, heartfelt compromises of her parents.
The novel does not set up an elaborate apocalypse, but astringently strips away the smears hiding the apocalypses we really face. Like Jessie’s, it is a small, calm voice of reason in a nonsensical world.
A powerful dystopian novel…Long-listed for the Booker Prize, Rogers’ mesmerizing tale is frighteningly timely and bound to spark rich book-club discussions.
Echoes of Kazuo Ishiguro’s stealthy novel Never Let Me Go abound, but Rogers works with a more populist tool kit, nailing the tempestuous inner conflicts of a young woman as she discerns the full measure of selfishness required to be selfless.
A powerful dystopian novel…Long-listed for the Booker Prize, Rogers’ mesmerizing tale is frighteningly timely and bound to spark rich book-club discussions.
"Jane Rogers has captured Jessie’s voice brilliantly, alternating a teenager’s solipsism with a growing awareness of the wider world. Jessie’s self-conviction is both admirable and infuriating, and the reader is torn between her clear, unequivocal conclusions and the intricate, heartfelt compromises of her parents."
As a rogue virus kills pregnant women, Jessie Lamb’s world is teetering on the demise of the human race. Narrator Fiona Hardingham superbly captures 16-year old Jessie. While Jessie struggles with survival in a frightening world, Hardingham provides a tone of confidence and optimism that places the horrors around her in high relief. As Jessie questions her parents' motivations and heartbreaking compromises to deal with the new realities they face, she expresses her strong-willed independence and heroic plans for survival in a dystopian world. Thought-provoking and haunting. A.W. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
An idealistic young heroine makes a decision that will alter her life, and possibly the world, in Rogers' (The Voyage Home, 2004, etc.) eighth novel. It's not easy being a teenager in Lamb's futuristic world. Like many young people, 16-year-old Jessie is struggling to find her own identity. She's dealing with all of the conflicts inherent in a teen's life--love, friendship, relationships, parental control--but she's also surrounded by an ominous force that threatens the very future of humankind: a genetically engineered virus, known as Maternal Death Syndrome, which destroys pregnant women and their unborn children. Jessie's father, a scientist, is part of a team that is working to stop it. Jessie, who narrates the story, begins to question all the attitudes and values she and her friends have learned as children. In an effort to find herself, Jessie joins an activist group and becomes marginally involved in several causes. As she ponders her role in life, the world around Jessie is disintegrating into chaotic demonstrations over women's equality, genetic engineering, moral injustice and just about every other important social issue known to man. Each is treated superficially by both Jessie and the author, and ultimately these threads detract from what could have been a provocative story. As if Jessie doesn't have enough on her plate already, she also must deal with her beloved aunt's illness, a rocky event in her parents' marriage, a friend's assault, the betrayal of an older adult, and a sexual encounter. Amid the turmoil, Jessie resolves to do something to make her life meaningful, a move that her father and those around her try to prevent. With an emotional disconnect that is inconsistent with true teen behavior, Jessie tries to convince her parents, her friends and herself that her chosen mission is the right path for her--and that one person can, indeed, make a difference. A disturbing story that, in the end, somehow seems a bit shallow.
| BN ID: | 2940169900323 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 11/13/2012 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
