Audio Review: Tandem by Anna Jarzab

Author: Anna Jarzab
Narrator: Amanda Dolan
Series: Many Worlds #1
Title: Tumble & Fall
Length: 10 hrs,  58 mins
Publication: 2013
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Source: Audiobookjukebox
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Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

The first book in the Many-Worlds Trilogy, Tandem is a riveting saga of love and betrayal set in parallel universes in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems.

Sasha experiences the night of her life with her crush Grant, that is until he kidnaps her and she finds herself in another world and tons of trouble. Not trusting this perpetrator, she makes things difficult at first for him...then she learns that her survival depends on his guidance. Sasha has to impersonate Princess Julianna for about a week before she'll be allowed to go home but a sinister plot and hidden agendas may leave her lost. She eventually discovers her kidnapper, Thomas, who is Grant's analog, is a soldier and Julianna's bodyguard. Sasha gradually begins to trust and rely on him but she can't shake these feelings that are beginning to stir within her nor her jealous speculations about his relationship with the Princess. She also can't quite trust him either, he's little bit of a liar and he has a moment that after as much crap as Sasha puts up with him, he doubts her and it will cost him. Sasha is also conflicted by her affection for the Prince that Julianna has to marry because she feels she's betraying his trust. As her week begins to wind down, her hopes of home don't look as promising but danger looms in the background. Can she help Thomas save Julianna or will Aurora be lost to chaos?

This story's told from both Sasha and Julianna's perspectives. They are somehow connected and the reason is surprising.  Sasha is giving and considers others feelings but I found Julianna's character cowardly and selfish. I did enjoy how the story flipped between each girl, keeping the tempo of the story balanced. The plot's pretty cool and a refreshing take on time travel. I really like the world that Jarzab has created and look forward to the next installment because that ending, whoo! Full of deceit and twists this looks like a promising trilogy.


Audio: The narration by Dolan is good and found her interpretation of this work an entertaining experience. She does a good job of in her variations between the characters with her vocal inflections in a way that is realistic. The sound and production are clear and crisp without any distracting noises. I would definitely listen to Dolan again, she keep my attention that entire time and that's hard to do.