Spare

How do you survive when your only purpose is to give your live to others . . . bit by bit?

By: J.M. Carr

Narrated by: Frankie Porter

Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

In the derelict house next door to a building site, Dawn lives with a young woman who says to call her Mum. Dawn loves the hole in the roof, where she can always see blue. She loves her book of birds and she loves Mrs Goring, the old lady who lives on the ground floor. But when Dawn's medicine runs out and Mrs Goring disappears, Dawn begins see the world as it really is. Next door, the new facility to hold children like her is almost finished. But Dawn wants to live. Can she escape, find Mrs Goring and the truth about her family before the doors to the Sparehouse open?

A dystopian mystery for readers aged 11 yrs and over, set in a world where one huge corporation sells everything, and in Britain, the NHS is a distant memory. The threat is grim, but hope is alive and well.

Is that enough to save a generation of "spares" like Dawn?

©2020 Janette May Carr (P)2021 Janette May Carr

Critic reviews

"This is a story of the evil mankind can do, and how even the least of us can fight it. Though it’s not entirely grim it’s dark enough, twisty enough, and yes, even innocent enough to keep one turning pages. The characters are beautifully wrought, the setting is created almost effortlessly and even the hardest heart melts for Dawn and her dilemma." (Goodreads)

Loved it!

Great story of a resilient young girl. She fight for herself and others like her. While some of the story is familiar to others out there you will find plenty of original story here. Narration by Frankie Porter was exceptional.

SPARE, A DYSTOPIAN THRILLER

A DYSTOPIAN THRILLER THAT SHOWS THE DEPTH OF HUMANITY DEPRAVITY. 1 CORPORATION SELLS EVERYTHING AND CONTROLS EVERYTHING.

ACCEPTABLE FOR TEENS AND OLDER.

NARRATOR IS GOOD AND EASY TO FOLLOW.

Thought Provoking and Terrifying!

Dawn is a sweet darling little girl with what appears to be a very short-term memory and guardians that are borderline abusive. Mrs. Goring, a neighbor, does her best to help Dawn but disappears mysteriously. Her search for Mrs. Goring, forces Dawn to learn what being a “spare” is all about. Life is about to become very complicated and dangerous for Dawn and her new friends.

The author, J.M. Carr builds a detailed and intense world in which children can be made and purchased as spares. Skillfully, Carr lulls the listener into assuming the story is about one thing but then does a twist and one discovers there is so much more to this story. Each essential character is slowly and deliberately developed. This is a story that will haunt the listener. The plot was smooth and the twists were well executed.

The narrator, Frankie Porter gives a solid performance relaying the emotions including the level of terror and determination Dawn experiences. His performance moves the story and keeps the pace established by the author.

While this story draws in the listener with the emotions experienced by the young girl and the mystery, the ideology behind a “spare” is something that will continue to pop up in your mind – good or bad, ethical, or unethical, as well as highlighting the fear that some parents experience and others pray against. This is a good listen.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook, it was clear and well produced.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.

Cute wholesome story

Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. A cute fictional story, a journey of perspectives, definitely a book that is enjoyable. The characters are lovely, and likable, and I like how the book is written with a lot of emphasis on perspectives of the main character, and them fighting with their own inner demons, demons imposed upon them externally. In its own way, this makes the book really relatable, and it is quite sad to see characters of such youth thinking such thoughts; kids are not all innocent and unknowing, they can be every bit as perceptive if not more. And then it's balanced with the innocence of every child, their love for sweets, forgiving nature, and the needs when nature calls. Narration by Frankie Porter is absolutely wonderful. She brought out the emotions very strongly, the innocence and confusion of the characters, their sadness and anger and frustration, alongside the pacing of the story as the events run parallel to each other. Her pacing is especially good and suitable, and really makes this a very enjoyable listen.

Absolutely gripping

I was given a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. It was absolutely the most gripping, story with a hint of cozy that I haven't seen in a while. I loved it. I bought the kindle book to read when I couldn't listen so I was totally absorbed in this one and was blown away. I couldn't put it down and Frankie Porter's narration was spot on. I reviewed this on kindle and facebook and I'm bringing right here as well. I enjoyed the subtlety of the story, it got hold of you until you didn't realize it. I really enjoyed this one and it kept up the pace, and was an awesome read start to finish. I'd give this one 5 stars all day. Happy reading guys. Enjoy. I'm doneand going to bed now. Enjoy yall.

Slow

Spare (2020, 2021) by J.M. Carr is a slow-moving, dystopian tale set in Great Britain that describes a society in which a greedy, powerful company has a solution for those who need medical transplants. The novel is presented entirely from the perspective of Dawn, an adolescent girl who questions her existence and the motivations of the people with whom she lives. However, Dawn’s presentation is all wrong. She is virtually illiterate but has the voice of a writer—including mastering similes. Narrator Frankie Porter’s pace is painfully slow. Not recommended. At my request, I was given this free audiobook and have voluntarily left this review.

Dystopian young adult book with a preteen heroine

This is a dystopian young adult novel told from the viewpoint of Dawn, a young preteen who questions who she really is and who are the women she is instructed to call Mum. It is set in the near future in England where a large corporation called Bonile controls all aspects of life. It is a fairly dark book but has some hope as Dawn struggles to escape. Dawn is a likeable young heroine who inspires sympathy. She is a Spare, brought to life to provide spare parts to others who are ill. Her character develops throughout the book, as do other characters when we finally learn who they really are. The narrator did a good job representing Dawn but I thought she read a little slowly. I received a copy of the audiobook from Story Origin in exchange for a review. It was an okay book, not really my genre. The premise was a good one though and it was well written.