Shine, Shine, Shine

Generally, I'm very kid book and product focused on Comic Book Mom, after all we love the toys, games, programs, and vids just as much as our little superheroes do... but ever-so-often, I feel compelled to share something that is a little less for the kiddos... so, we interrupt this comic book moment to discuss Shine Shine Shine on audio.

Shine Shine Shine the book is phenom, but the audio version is truly where this clever fantasy novel, well... shines!

The novel is a unique love story, an adventure between worlds, and a powerful commentary on what it means to be human. The main character, Sunny wants, more than anything, to be “normal.” She’s got the housewife thing down perfectly, but her husband Maxon, a genius engineer, is on a NASA mission to the moon, programming robots for a new colony. When an accident in space puts the mission in peril, everything Sunny and Maxon have built hangs in the balance. Dark secrets, long-forgotten murders, and a blond wig all come tumbling to the light. And nothing will ever be the same.…

This riveting, unconventional tale in the audio version also contains original music from the author featuring the characters, which is rightfully described as "home-made punk pop."  Here's where getting the audio simply takes the book to a new level of eclectic interest. The music consists of songs Netzer’s characters would have been listening to at various points throughout the plot, and songs that further express the emotions Netzer describes on the page.  (Plus there's a bonus interview with the author and narrator that is quite insightful.)

To be blunt, Shine Shine Shine is an audio book experience you will either love or hate.  There are difficult scenes in the book that will either provoke immediate reactions, but then again, they are all-too-real strong characters with depth presented in this artful, heart-tugging tale. Likely because you are reading Comic Book Mom, you are a quirky nerd and will be immediately enchanted by the weird, hard-to-describe-or-fit-in-a-genre, emotionally-gripping-ride. 

I admit, I also had a little bit of a David Bowie moment while listening to some of the novel, "and the stars look very different today..."

Disclosure:  I received a copy of Shine, Shine, Shine for review purposes, but if I didn't have such an unusual, memorable experience listening to this audio, I would likely skip sharing my thoughts.