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The Sound
by
When aspiring music journalist Ren Kingston takes a job nannying for a wealthy family on the exclusive island of Nantucket, playground for Boston's elite, she's hoping for a low-key summer reading books and blogging about bands. Boys are firmly off the agenda.
What she doesn't count on is falling in with a bunch of party-loving private school kids who are hiding some dark s ...more
What she doesn't count on is falling in with a bunch of party-loving private school kids who are hiding some dark s ...more
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Paperback, 310 pages
Published
August 1st 2013
by Simon & Schuster UK
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I lie down beside her and try to absorb everything she’s just told me about dead nannies, and about Tyler and Jesse almost killing each other over nothing. I’m glad I want to be a music journalist because I think I would suck at being an investigative one.No shit. The main character is so fucking passive it drives me fucking nuts. It is NOT ok to play a victim, it is NOT ok to take shit just because your mama told you to. You do NOT have to be polite to someone who treats you like crap. Fuck ...more

Eeeeeek. I'm so excited that it's less than three months until The Sound hits bookshelves (at least in the UK, Can and Australia). It's out in the US in summer 2014. This is possibly my fave book yet. I spent a month nannying in Nantucket when I was 17 and I based bits of the book on that (other than the serial killer part...obviously).
Hope everyone likes Jesse as much as they like Alex! :)
We just made a trailer for the book and it was so much fun (especially the part in the garage with Jesse!) ...more
Hope everyone likes Jesse as much as they like Alex! :)
We just made a trailer for the book and it was so much fun (especially the part in the garage with Jesse!) ...more

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Thank you Simon and Schuster Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.
After reading Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas, I never really expected any other murder mystery to 'wow' me. Because quite simply, Dangerous Girls threw my future expectations for this sub-genre sky-high. So, I can't really leave the full blame on The Sound, saying that this was a horrible book but I never really found my enjoyment in her ...more
Thank you Simon and Schuster Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.
After reading Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas, I never really expected any other murder mystery to 'wow' me. Because quite simply, Dangerous Girls threw my future expectations for this sub-genre sky-high. So, I can't really leave the full blame on The Sound, saying that this was a horrible book but I never really found my enjoyment in her ...more

I loved this book so much ohmygod.
The first few pages..

A few chapters in..

As the plot thickened..

At the end..

...more
The first few pages..

A few chapters in..

As the plot thickened..

At the end..

...more

Jul 15, 2012
Donna {Book Passion For Life}
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
for-review,
ya-contemporary-romance
The Sound is fantastic! I'm in such awe by Sarah Alderson's work that I've come to this conclusion; anything she writes I'm going to love and The Sound just proves my point.
Following a 17-year-old British girl, Ren moves to Nantucket for the summer nannying for a wealthy family. While there, she tries to mend her broken heart and move on with her life, so when the rich and popular kids take interest in her, Ren's happy to have some friends in a country where she knows no-one. However, while rent ...more
Following a 17-year-old British girl, Ren moves to Nantucket for the summer nannying for a wealthy family. While there, she tries to mend her broken heart and move on with her life, so when the rich and popular kids take interest in her, Ren's happy to have some friends in a country where she knows no-one. However, while rent ...more

This is not my first taste of Alderson's writing. I read Hunting Lila about a year ago, and though I was bored out of my mind, I recognized it was more of a 'it's not you, it's me' situation. I knew writing was not the problem and neither was her plotting, for, in both of my attempts at reading her novels, there has always been a truly fantastic story at the core of the book. Sadly, that potential usually gets overshadowed by a very unhealthy and bordering on pathetic obsession with boys by the
...more

Jul 12, 2012
Braiden
marked it as to-read
My namesake is in this book – an eight-month old baby – so you better read it with me!

Jul 14, 2014
Maria Kaye
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
romance
FIVE OUT OF FIVE SOUND STARS. MUST READ FOR LOVERS OF YOUNG ADULT/CONTEMPORARY READERS
Just a tease of the opening sentences of the book below hehe.
"I’m running, running blind. Into the dark. Into the woods. Ricocheting off branches, tripping over tangled tree roots, gripping my arm as I stumble on, sobbing. Are those
his footsteps coming after me or is it the wind? A bird? An animal?..."
The Sound by Sarah Alderson takes place on a very exclusive island in America. Our main character 17-year-old ...more
Just a tease of the opening sentences of the book below hehe.
"I’m running, running blind. Into the dark. Into the woods. Ricocheting off branches, tripping over tangled tree roots, gripping my arm as I stumble on, sobbing. Are those
his footsteps coming after me or is it the wind? A bird? An animal?..."
The Sound by Sarah Alderson takes place on a very exclusive island in America. Our main character 17-year-old ...more

"I refuse to be a cliche. I refuse, point blank, to fall for the hot moody guy with anger issues. Is my name Bella Swan? Am I the protagonist of every paranormal romance lining the shelves of Waterstones? No. I am not.
Also, unlike Edward Cullen, the voice in my head pipes up, Jesse most certainly hasn't fallen in insta-love with me and isn't torturing himself over the fact that he can't be with me in case he eats me."

(That is a buuurn!)
Sadly, I found the book itself somewhat lacking. I thorough ...more

May 20, 2013
♥ Innocent Lamb ~ Forever Reading ♥ - AKA Smarties
marked it as to-read
Shelves:
omg-i-can-t-wait
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think. my jaw. just hit. the ground.
Confession: I am a massive fan of Sarah Alderson's Lila series.
I'm so excited!!!!!!!! I'm kinda just tempted to just give this book a 5 out of 5 and save myself the trouble of doing it later but... I'll be fair and wait until after I get this book to read it before I change this to a 5 star rating.
*pout*
You should however, probably know that I shall be crossing my fingers and anything else I can possibly cross and hoping th ...more
I think. my jaw. just hit. the ground.
Confession: I am a massive fan of Sarah Alderson's Lila series.
I'm so excited!!!!!!!! I'm kinda just tempted to just give this book a 5 out of 5 and save myself the trouble of doing it later but... I'll be fair and wait until after I get this book to read it before I change this to a 5 star rating.
*pout*
You should however, probably know that I shall be crossing my fingers and anything else I can possibly cross and hoping th ...more

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Alderson's writing style and particularly loved her action packed (and totally swoon worthy!) Lila series so when I found out she was writing a stand alone thriller / romance set on Nantucket it went straight to the top of my wish list. Once again she has hit the ball out of the park and created a story that will have you hooked from the very first page and reading from the edge of your seat.
After a nasty split from her ex Ren is looking forward to getting away for the su ...more
After a nasty split from her ex Ren is looking forward to getting away for the su ...more

Ah! Okay. I was so excited for this book to come out. I had the highest expectations for it--and for Jesse.
For the first 35-40 percent of this book, it held my interest. I love Sarah Alderson's writing style and the way she creates her worlds and her characters. However, I was a little bit . . . bored. It held my interest and I didn't want to stop because it was very, very good. I just . . . I wanted to see more of Jesse in those beginning chapters. But after the first bit? Everything was happen ...more
For the first 35-40 percent of this book, it held my interest. I love Sarah Alderson's writing style and the way she creates her worlds and her characters. However, I was a little bit . . . bored. It held my interest and I didn't want to stop because it was very, very good. I just . . . I wanted to see more of Jesse in those beginning chapters. But after the first bit? Everything was happen ...more

I've had this book for a long time now, I picked it up because it was cheap and part of a deal (I know..) it had been sitting on my shelf since then with no motivation to pick it up and start it. I honestly thought I was never going to read it and it would stay on there until I got rid of it. But my English class got told we HAD TO READ A BOOK FROM THE SCHOOL LIBRARY over the two weeks off. Whilst browsing the shelves and finding nothing I fancied or could finish in that period of time I saw thi
...more

Ahhhhhhhhhh
This was such a great book, and as cliché as it sounds I really could not put it down. The intense plot andswoon-worthy intriguing characters left me wanting more. One of the things I really liked about this book was that, unlike many other YA novels, there was an air of mystery throughout the whole story and it wasn’t exactly predictable either.
Overall I rate this book a 5, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of action packed thrillers with romance on the sid ...more
This was such a great book, and as cliché as it sounds I really could not put it down. The intense plot and
Overall I rate this book a 5, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of action packed thrillers with romance on the sid ...more

(bites lower lip and whispers) I don't even remember what this book was about.
No, seriously, it's been, what? One and a half years (I think) and I stumbled across The Sound with the intention of reading it when I saw that I'd already rated it 3 stars and I don't even fucking recall rating it three stars. I don't even fucking recall picking up the bloody book! I'm terribly baffed.
(I'm sorry, I may have gone a bit overboard. No offence to those who enjoyed this book) ...more
No, seriously, it's been, what? One and a half years (I think) and I stumbled across The Sound with the intention of reading it when I saw that I'd already rated it 3 stars and I don't even fucking recall rating it three stars. I don't even fucking recall picking up the bloody book! I'm terribly baffed.
(I'm sorry, I may have gone a bit overboard. No offence to those who enjoyed this book) ...more

Jan 13, 2016
Jessica
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
romance,
teen-novels
I give this book 4.5 stars which round up to 5.
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It was a very exciting thriller. There were a lot of (slightly outdated but only because this book was published in 2013) pop culture reference which I enjoyed.
Jesse Miller was such a hottie. Like the scene where he meets Ren had me swooning over him.
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It was a very exciting thriller. There were a lot of (slightly outdated but only because this book was published in 2013) pop culture reference which I enjoyed.
Jesse Miller was such a hottie. Like the scene where he meets Ren had me swooning over him.

As a thriller/murder- mystery, this was horrible. As a contemporary romance, I give it 5/5. Love Sarah Alderson's writing + swoony men!
...more

Totally clichéd. Completely cheesy. Wholly predictable. Oh, and it has a love triangle.
So basically Not My Cuppa Tea.
But like all of Sarah Alderson books The Sound sneaks up on you, making you grin goofilyand start drawing I <3 Jesse's on your notebook before you even realize it.
And I totally appreciate the fact that Sarah Alderson accepts this book is extremely cheesy and makes full references to that.And poking fun at Twilight. Just the book we love to hate.
Character wise, nobody stands o ...more
So basically Not My Cuppa Tea.
But like all of Sarah Alderson books The Sound sneaks up on you, making you grin goofily
And I totally appreciate the fact that Sarah Alderson accepts this book is extremely cheesy and makes full references to that.
Character wise, nobody stands o ...more

It was a very different read. It was realistic, funny, mysterious and enjoyable. It was lovely and romantic, and can I just say I'm totally head-over-heels in love with Jesse Miller? He is amazing. And though the main character Ren didn't appeal very much to me in the starting, she grew on me and I ended up liking her a whole lot by the end of the book. I never liked Jeremy. I tried to like him, thinking that if Ren is with him, I should at least try to like him, but I swear I couldn't, and than
...more

Ren is an aspiring music journalist who runs a popular online blog. After a breakup she takes a summer job nannying for a wealthy family in Nantucket. The summer should be idyllic but the rich kids are hiding something and there is a serial killer targeting nannies. Summer is about to get interesting.
Initially, I had trouble getting in to this novel. It felt like I was watching an episode of gossip girl and every character was an American stereotype. Luckily, as I kept reading that feeling slow ...more
Initially, I had trouble getting in to this novel. It felt like I was watching an episode of gossip girl and every character was an American stereotype. Luckily, as I kept reading that feeling slow ...more

I was expecting to hate this book. After reading the first chapters the main character gave me the impression of a shallow teenage girl who is prejudiced about the people who surround her at Nantucket Sound. I guess laughs on me because as i continued with the story i realized her character has more depth and even though at first she decided to hang out
with the rich kids and stay away from the "scary outsider" she soon realizes her mistake.
Of course there is no need to say that after finishing t ...more

FOUR STARS.
One for Ren and three for Jesse. That boy.

...more
One for Ren and three for Jesse. That boy.



Having read and loved Sarah Alderson’s Lila series I was eagerly awaiting this book. I had it on good authority that Jesse was even hotter than Alex (big call!) and Sarah was absolutely correct. I am in total book boyfriend heaven with Jesse.
This is the story of Ren, a 17 year old English girl who gets a summer job nannying on the island of Nantucket for a wealthy couple from Boston. I love that the only experience she had with kids before this was that she used to be one herself. The big twist ...more
This is the story of Ren, a 17 year old English girl who gets a summer job nannying on the island of Nantucket for a wealthy couple from Boston. I love that the only experience she had with kids before this was that she used to be one herself. The big twist ...more

This is my first encounter of the written works of Sarah Alderson and I like to say to all those who may have told me to read them sooner that 'I'm Sorry' I didn't but thank you for recommending this author. She has an amazing style of you connecting with the characters and the suspense of the Nannie Murders. Sarah standalone mystery, romantic novel, The Sound is the perfect novel to introduce to a refreshing glimpse of a YA contemporary.
Ren took an opportunity to nanny a family for the whole s ...more
Ren took an opportunity to nanny a family for the whole s ...more

I’m a big fan of Sarah Alderson’s Lila series so The Sound was a book I was eagerly anticipating. I loved the synopsis, the gorgeous cover, and the promise of a contemporary thriller set against a beachy, summer backdrop. The Sound sounded like a book that I’d love but in reality it was a bit hit and miss for me, I’m afraid.
Like the Lila books I enjoyed the English girl in America storyline as Ren is nannying in Nantucket for the summer. I loved the setting and as always Sarah Alderson’s writing ...more
Like the Lila books I enjoyed the English girl in America storyline as Ren is nannying in Nantucket for the summer. I loved the setting and as always Sarah Alderson’s writing ...more

Ren Kingston is happy to leave England and her ex behind and spend the summer nannying for a wealthy family on Nantucket Island. She's sworn off guys and drama, but her plans quickly go awry when she meets the alluring Jeremy and his trust fund friends. Jeremy is sweet, but Ren is drawn to the locals, especially Jesse, who she's constantly being warned away from. Despite Nantucket being picturesque, there's darkness in the shadows. The previous summer a foreign nanny was found dead on the beach
...more

May 08, 2013
Jen Ryland
added it
Overall, I enjoyed this romantic mystery. The protagonist is great and the romance is sweet, though I thought that the mystery, if examined too closely, begins to unravel at the seams like a discount bikini.
I really liked Ren, the main character. She's a British teenager who's come to Nantucket to work as a nanny for the summer. That part of the story was really fun -- watching Ren navigate the world of the rich kids who summer in Nantucket. The romance was good too -- not surprisingly, Ren fall ...more
I really liked Ren, the main character. She's a British teenager who's come to Nantucket to work as a nanny for the summer. That part of the story was really fun -- watching Ren navigate the world of the rich kids who summer in Nantucket. The romance was good too -- not surprisingly, Ren fall ...more

The story sort of floats around and lacks direction. But I didn't care because this is Sarah freakin' Alderson and she's awesome.
Ren's a pretty cool teen. As cruel as it sounds, I appreciated her respiratory issues because I suffered a few asthma attacks at inopportune times when I was younger. Ren gets into a few sticky situation but I liked the way she powers through them.
Why am I asking him to meet me? Obviously it’s because my brain is suffering humiliation withdrawal symptoms and needs som ...more
Ren's a pretty cool teen. As cruel as it sounds, I appreciated her respiratory issues because I suffered a few asthma attacks at inopportune times when I was younger. Ren gets into a few sticky situation but I liked the way she powers through them.
Why am I asking him to meet me? Obviously it’s because my brain is suffering humiliation withdrawal symptoms and needs som ...more

Awwwww ... I just loved, loved, loved it!
When I started reading TORMENTING LILA, I was hoping for more romance between Lila and Alex but it suddenly came to a halt. What? That was all? I couldn't believe it but the ending led me to this book, THE SOUND. The moment I read the first few pages of THE SOUND in TORMENTING LILA, I knew I wanted to read this.
It was incredibly addictive and I couldn't tear myself apart from it. From the beginning to the end, there wasn't a dull moment at all that whenev ...more
When I started reading TORMENTING LILA, I was hoping for more romance between Lila and Alex but it suddenly came to a halt. What? That was all? I couldn't believe it but the ending led me to this book, THE SOUND. The moment I read the first few pages of THE SOUND in TORMENTING LILA, I knew I wanted to read this.
It was incredibly addictive and I couldn't tear myself apart from it. From the beginning to the end, there wasn't a dull moment at all that whenev ...more

I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it, but it also annoyed me heaps. There was a lot of stereotyping and way too many references to the same shows and situations over and over again (if I heard one more Bella Swan/Twilight/Gossip Girl comparison I was going to pull my hair out)
I thought there was going to be more to the mystery, but it wasn't that detailed. A few scares throughout the beginning and then a rushed ending. I'll admit I didn't see the "bad guy" coming, but that's becaus ...more
I thought there was going to be more to the mystery, but it wasn't that detailed. A few scares throughout the beginning and then a rushed ending. I'll admit I didn't see the "bad guy" coming, but that's becaus ...more
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Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and princess-obsessed daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. After several months in India, Singapore, Australia and the US, they settled in Bali where they lived for five years.
She finished her first novel, Hunting Lila (winner of th ...more
She finished her first novel, Hunting Lila (winner of th ...more
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“Also I kind of want to see what he looks like, because, frankly, his back is begging the question – what the hell does his front look like?”
—
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“I narrow my eyes at him. ‘Don’t try to take me on with sarcasm. I am the queen of it. I’ve studied it, perfected it. I come from a land where we own sarcasm and the use of it. There is nothing you can teach me about sarcasm.’
‘OK,’ he says, grinning up at me, ‘Professor Emeritus Sarcastus. You can own the sarcasm. What I meant was you might learn how to change the chain on a bike, for example.”
—
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‘OK,’ he says, grinning up at me, ‘Professor Emeritus Sarcastus. You can own the sarcasm. What I meant was you might learn how to change the chain on a bike, for example.”