SANDSTORM

by Joyce Yarrow

Narrated by: Jennys Nunez

Production by: Multimedia Journey

Review by Rox Burkey

Coming of Age with a Twist!

Joyce Yarrow follows a young girl, Sandie Donovan, who makes choices partially based on circumstances of poverty, grief, temptation, and the influence of opportunistic individuals in this coming-of-age story. Her trip to Arizona opens her eyes and then rips apart memories of her childhood.

Readers and listeners will follow Sandie’s life as she matures following her father’s betrayal. Her survival instincts are honed to near perfection with people who cultivate her abilities to lie, cheat, and steal. An untypical female protagonist, Sandie is flawed but clever, imaginative, and loyal to a fault as she gets in and out of serious trouble in her adventurous journey called life. She becomes extremely relatable with her sad situation as she strives to overcome and change her destiny. Sandstorm is a compelling tale that tugs at one’s heart yet disturbs one’s sensibilities. Will her encounters in the theatre and with cosmetology provide salvation or ruin her forever?

The narration by Jennys Nunez felt stilted and slower than the tempo created by the author’s descriptions. In places, the voices were too similar to easily distinguish the characters. Some words had inconsistent accents. There were no technical issues with the delivery of the audio elements, but it took away from the story.

Fans of action and adventure will enjoy this story of the life and times of a young girl surviving along a path riddled with problems. It is relatable to people who make mistakes and eventually learn from them as they are learning to stand on their own. The ending was a surprise not to be missed.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-biased, honest review.