Night Road
Written by Kristin Hannah
Narrated by Kathleen McInerney
4/5
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About this audiobook
For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices. To hold on…to let go…to forget…to forgive.… Which road will you take?
For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close-knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.
Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm’s way. It has always been easy—until senior year of high school tests them all. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time Mia and Zach leave the house, she worries about them.
On a hot summer’s night her worst fears are realized. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.
Vivid, universal, and emotionally complex, Night Road raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.
“A rich, multilayered reading experience, and an easy recommendation for book clubs.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“You cannot read Night Road and not be affected by the story and the characters. The total impact of the book will stay with you for days to come after it is finished.” —The Huffington Post
Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah is an award-winning international number one bestselling author with over 25 million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her most recent titles, The Four Winds, The Nightingale and The Great Alone won numerous best fiction awards and her earlier novel, Firefly Lane, is currently a bestselling series on Netflix. Kristin is a lawyer-turned-writer and is the mother of one son. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle.
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Reviews for Night Road
1,118 ratings141 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a mix of positive and negative reviews. Some readers love the book, praising the beautiful writing, tragic storyline, and well-developed characters. However, there are also negative reviews that criticize the predictability of the story and the narration in the audiobook. Overall, the book is recommended by those who enjoyed the emotional journey of love, tragedy, forgiveness, and hope. While there are some flaws, the positive aspects outweigh the negatives, making it a worthwhile read.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5This was such garbage. I could totally predict what was going to happen. And once the big event happens I thought the book might pick up the pace, but it didn't. The second half of the book was a complete drag. None of the characters seemed like real people. I know the book was set around 2003/2004 in some parts but even back then I don't think teenagers dressed, behaved, or talked the way they did in this book. This book also needed more editing. There were many typos and places where Jude was referred to as Mother always with a capital M just out of nowhere not as a part of dialogue. The writing was so crappy anyway I don't know if more editing would've even helped that much. Kristin Hannah thought the reader needed to be reminded of Jude and Miles' wealth every time something about their house, cars, or bedroom came up. Every time Jude was in the bedroom we needed to be reminded of the expensive type of sheets she was sleeping on. Makes and models of cars and brand names of clothes always needed to be mentioned. It was so cheesy. This was my first Kristin Hannah book and I doubt I will be picking up any more of her work.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A bit predictable but a moving and relatable story about grief (for anyone who has met that demon), forgiveness and adversity. I enjoyed it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hands Down!!! This is one of the best books I have ever read....
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I finished this in two days it was so good. Really great heart touching story.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Absolutely loved this book and every other book by Kristin Hannah I have listen to as well!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent book on love and tragedy and forgiveness and hope.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was sooo schlocky. I liked it and resented it. It's as if Ms Hannah is really a tear jerking AI or at least a human narcissist playing on the heart strings of the reader during his/her/it's love bombing phase. Reader beware--it's CIA grade triggering
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A beautiful story for loss and forgiveness. So happy to have listened.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Prom King falls for plain Jane who falls on a sword for his family. Because teenagers are selfless like that…I don’t like Lifetime movies.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tells of 3 kids and their parents. The kids go to a party, drink & decide to drive. 1 dies, 2 are injured...someone has to pay for the death. It follows each of their life's and how they deal with grief & how they find themselves again.
Really worth the read!! - Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I spend my whole LIFE listening to the setting of the scene. Why do we care so much about every little detail of the 3 kids becoming friends? we DONT! Everytime something comes up, it's fixed way too easily. Oh so Lexi is scared Mia won't like she's dating Zac? Well would you look at that by just talking about it with her it's fixed. Then, the whole university plotline made me angry. If I had to hear one more time that Zac loved his sister dearly but loved Lexi too I would lose my mind. And then the whole accident... I can't believe it. The mother had considered Lexi as her daughter for many years but oh wasn't she quick to turn her back on her as soon as she knew she was driving. And put her in jail???? Like Mrs do you even care about your living son and the girl that made both of your irresponsible drinking-when-they-said-they-wouldnt children happy for all those years? You thought your drunk son killed his sister at first and you wouldn't do anything about it but as soon as you hear it's Lexi you call a lawyer up? Please. It an ACCIDENT. Lexi was basically forced to drive. Also why didn't they just walk home. This is so stupid to me. mia died because they couldn't walk a mile home? And at 3am intoxicated, Lexi didn't choose to go at a super slow pace ?
I felt like I read like 5 books to get through this one. I don't understand how many people put 5 stars. I still hear Mia's mouse voice in my head and i got through this audiobook like 3 weeks ago - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wonderful book and wonderful characters. Highly recommend this to everyone!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It’s not that I didn’t like it, I found it to be predictable. It’s well written and I didn’t hate it.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Definitely in the vein of Jodi Picoult, but a better framing; instead of choosing to "resolve" an impossible situation by twisting the plot, as Picoult has, Hannah chooses to paint a portrait of what tragedy can do to a family. Not normally the type of book I'd choose to read, but if you like this sort of thing it's fairly well done.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is a very sad and emotional read but an amazing story. The last part of the book had me in tears. I have never cried so hard as when I was reading this book. Hannah being able to evoke such emotions is a sign of her excellent writing skills. If you need a good cry then read this book. Do not read if you are prone to depression.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The writing and description was very vivid, however it was not my cup of tea.
The first part of the book spent ages warming up and could have been concluded sooner, the second part of the book was just rife with description and not very much really happened.
All in all, boring, boring, boring. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I found "Night Road" to be a fairly predictable novel. While I was engaged and wanted to keep reading, I couldn't help but find myself predicting what would happen next, and not being surprised, except at one part! Of course, what was disappointing, was the ending of the novel. It was as though the author, Kristin Hannah, was tired or at the deadline. The abrupt and lackluster ending made the novel have a very disappointing ending.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My favorite Kristin Hannah novel!! So beautifully written and tragic, yet she sewed me up like she always does!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Didnt enjoy this as much as some of her other books. I did like it though. It dragged a bit in the middle for me but the end moved at a much better pace and I was glad I stuck with it. An accident on the way home from a high school party changes the course of lives of all involved as well as their families. The story deals with themes such as forgiveness, atonement, family relationships, and trust.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5So Angry with June. What a horrible woman! All fair with the world while her son was driving but with she found out it was Lexy so showed a terrible soul! Overall a great read!
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5It was not her best work. The story was predictable. I was hoping for more especially after reading The Nightingale.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5First off, I want to say that I really loved this book. The plot drew me in and stayed with me for days after I finished. The characters were well developed, and the story had many unexpected turns. Several times, Hannah wrote heartbreaking scenes that made me cry. That being said, I was disappointed by the dialogue that was written in this book. To me, it seemed stilted and unnatural. Perhaps this is something that will be changed before the official release of the book, but the conversations in this book were not well developed, in my opinion.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I love all of Kristin Hannah’s books, her words make everything seem real.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I received an advance copy of this book from St. Martin's Press. While the story's plot is not exactly original, the book is a quick and suspenseful read. I enjoyed it. Pine Island is a thinly veiled setting very similar to upscale, exclusive Bainbridge Island in Seattle, Washington. One seemingly perfect family is rocked by every parent's worst nightmare -- the death of a child. The circumstances before, during, and after this event also include a young high school girl and family friend, Alexa Baill. The themes of parenting, trust, grief, loss/pain, and forgiveness are explored in this novel. Aimed at women 25-45, this novel certainly provides enough material for a good book club discussion.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I couldn’t get far on this simply because the narrator was sooooo awful. Why does one teen girl sound like a normal teenager and another teen girl the same age sound like a 5 year old??? This narrator has done this before and now this is the last book I’ll listen to if she’s the reader. It’s ridiculous and EXTREMELY grating. If you don’t believe me just listen to the twin sister yourself, the narrator makes her sound stupid and robs the whole story of any credibility. As you can see I can’t even remember the plot the reader was that bad. Yuck!!!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I do not recommend reading this is you have lost a young member of your family to a car accident caused by drunken driving. For as sad and tragic as the book was, the ending was a little too perfect.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5If I had had this book in my hands, there are several times I would have thrown it on the floor. Jude Farraday, the mother in this novel, is annoying, self-centered, vengeful, and hurtful. It took her 369 pages (out of 385) and several years to forgive. I don't know that she ever faced up to how she messed up a life in a major way. The story itself isn't a bad one. I liked the other characters, and it was this that kept me reading the book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5#unreadshelfproject2020. Read this one is a day. First Kristen Hannah book I’ve read. She is a great storyteller. This novel raises so many personal questions about parenting, forgiveness, grief, and family. What a great read for book clubs. The conversation could take so many different routes. This is definitely one I couldn’t put down.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book starts too slowly, but gets better. That said, it was a bit "light" for me....like a made-for-TV movie. I did' however, want to see how it would end.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I received this book this book for free as an ARC from goodreads. I thought it was very well written and held my interest throughout the whole book. I loved all the characters so much that at about a third of the way through, I had to stop reading for a few days because I didn't want anything to happen to anyone. Once the tragedy struck, I was saddened by how much the mom changed. But I thought it accurately portrayed one way a person could react to loss and guilt. My heart ached for everyone, and by the last few chapters, I was crying over the emotions it brought up. It was a story of a mother's love, and how even the nicest person can change during a tragedy.