Jitters: A Quirky Little Audio Book by Adele Park

Jitters: A Quirky Little Audio Book
by Adele Park
Narrated by: Adele Park, Susan Paige Lane, and 7 others
Straight to Audio Productions, 2010
6 hours 31 minutes

Publisher's Summary:
Nancy Neptune loves to stir up trouble – it makes for awesome radio. But even the Queen of Obscene is amazed by all the twisted things that go down in the polygamist community of Zion Flats.

For Sandy Wyman, a one-armed reporter, sharing a house with Nancy Neptune is like living in a dorm room on steroids. Seeking refuge from the chaos that comes from being within 20 feet of a person like Nancy Neptune, Sandy befriends a polygamist with a host of sketchy habits.

Nadine Mackleprang, a nosy neighbor, is trying to eat everything that isn't nailed down so she won't have to think about why her husband has left her for another man. When she learns that Sandy's polygamist pal is in danger, Nadine waddles to the rescue.

Join Nancy Neptune and her eccentric gaggle of girlfriends for an unforgettable tour through polygamist country in Jitters - A Quirky Little Audio Book.

Jitters is a full-length audiobook told in first-person narratives. Each chapter begins with a newscast on KNVL, the radio station headed by the notorious Nancy Neptune. Listen as a cast of 15 characters react to the events of the day.

My thoughts:

Most of you know how much I love lists, especially those related to awards. Jitters came to my attention when it appeared on this year's list of Audie Award Winners in the Multi-Voiced Performance category. It was up against some pretty stiff competition, including Room by Emma Donoghue. When I mentioned on dog eared copy's blog that I thought Room was a shoe-in, the author offered to send me a copy of Jitters. How could I refuse?

The story consists of a series of first-person narratives relayed by a full cast of extremely colorful, quirky characters. Each chapter opens with a KNVL radio news broadcast. The news always concludes with the latest Utah Jazz NBA scores, serving to ground the events in reality. One character's interpretation of the events follows. Let me tell you, the combination of shock radio and polygamy can lead to some very funny situations. Characters are basically stereotypes, further exaggerated by the narrator's voice (Nancy Neptune's over-the-top Jersey accent, for example). However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. These characters are far better suited to audio than text, and narrators make full use of their opportunities.

That said, Jitters was not what I expected.  I listen to audiobooks to fit more books into my life - while I drive, clean, cook, and walk the dog. Jitters was never actually a book, but a performance designed specifically for audio. Even so, it still made for a very entertaining six and a half hours!

Check out the trailer:

My rating:

Bottom line:
Jitters was not exactly what I was expecting, but still a lot of fun.

Giveaway:

The author generously included an extra copy to give away. If you would like a chance to win Jitters: A Quirky Little Audio Book, please let me know in the comments. The giveaway is open to US residents. I'll draw a winner on November 25th. Please include your email.