Nina

Adolescence

By: Amy Hassinger

Narrated by: Mia Barron

Fifteen-year-old Nina and her family are struggling to hold things together in the wake of the accidental death of her brother several years earlier. Seeking refuge in art, Nina's mother has painted a series of nude portraits of her remaining child. As these haunting images go public, Nina is forced to deal with her burgeoning sexuality in front of a large and critical audience. With tension in the family at a breaking point, the portrait entitled Nina: Adolescence provokes a situation that will be either the engine of Nina's destruction or the catalyst that enables her to finally surmount tragedy.

In this mesmerizing first novel, Amy Hassinger captures the cruelties and passions of adolescence with eloquence, tenderness and a fearless sensuality. In Nina, she has created an unforgettable character and launched a stunning new career.

©2003 Amy Hassinger (P)2003 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"An unsettling and acutely sensitive debut." (Booklist)
"Tender and brutal... and very honest." (Chris Offutt, author)
"Stage and screen actress Mia Barron truly brings this troubled character to life in this eerily seductive narrative...an exceptional audio adaptation." (Publishers Weekly)

Ugh, painful, and breathtaking

This is one of the best audiobooks I've "read".
I'm so sad that the author doesn't have other books.
I went and bought the book so I could read it again more quickly.

Engaging and Dark

This is a good book. It's not always easy to listen to--not because of the narrator, but because it's painful to hear the story of adolescence, especially that of Nina, the main character. But it's worth listening to. The author does an excellent job of storytelling and the narrator does a good reading of the book. You cheer for Nina, you cry for her, you recognize parts of yourself in her...she's a very REAL character. It's not a light and fluffy read or listen--there's depth here.