The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder: Audiobook Review

Book: The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder, Penguin Audio, December 8, 2011

Genre/Format/pages:  Young Adult Contemporary genre, Audiobook provided by the publisher,  Audio length: 8 hours, 7 minutes, read by Emma Galvin. Also available in Hardcover (336 pages)

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars

More Info: Audible | LibraryThing | Goodreads | Amazon

Campbell (Cam) Cooper has been battling cancer for years, but now her doctor says only a miracle can save her now. Cam is realistic about her chances and starts to pull out her “flamingo list”, a checklist of tasks to perform before she dies. Cam’s mother says not so fast, and moves the family to Promise, Maine, a place where magical events occur, to try to find that elusive miracle.

Wow, I didn’t expect to read one of my favorite books of the year in December. But this emotional, bittersweet, yet surprisingly uplifting story took me on quite a journey. Going into the book, I worried that it would be too depressing. And though cancer is always looming over the story, there are many very funny, sweet, and touching moments that keep it from being too much of a downer. I felt invested in Cam’s story from the first lines and it kept me riveted all the way through.

Cam’s voice is one of the things I loved about the book. She’s sarcastic, tough, and accepting of her fate. She’s smart, loves animals, works in the kitchen at Disney World, and later at the vet, and doesn’t curl up in a ball of despair. She loves her friends and family and is protective of them and wants to see them happy.

The town of Promise is really special; from the community of new friends Cam joins, to Asher, the sweet guy who’s there for her when she needs him, to all the magical events that happen in the town. And the animals in the book really steal the show at times and contribute greatly to the magical feeling of the book. Cam’s best friend Lily, and hilarious Nana were also standout characters.

In addition to the Promise location setting, the story starts out in Florida, where Cam and her Mom Alicia have jobs at Disney World. It was fun reading the behind the scenes info about working for Disney, and the role it plays in her family’s life.

Emma Galvin, who is one of the best YA audio narrators around, reads the audiobook. She also narrated Divergent, and I had to shake off the feeling that Tris has cancer at first. But, seriously, this narrator has the perfect voice for Cam, and conveys her sarcasm and the necessary emotional range expertly.

If you are a fan of Before I Fall or If I Stay you will probably love this emotional and satisfying read. I can’t recommend it highly enough and look forward to reading more from this author.

Other Reviews of the book:

The Story Siren

The Paper Reader

Waking Brain Cells

The Compulsive Reader

Giveaway:

Enter to win an ARC of the book here. (Ends Jan. 8)

Watch the book trailer:

Ornament

12 thoughts on “The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder: Audiobook Review

  1. reutreads says:

    Lol about Tris having cancer. I can’t wait to get this from my library.

  2. brolee says:

    Awesome review – sounds perfect for me since I prefer to ‘read’ my YA fiction on audio book. Adding to my TBR list!

  3. Nicole says:

    So glad to hear you loved this one! It really was one of the best books I read in 2011.
    Happy reading!

  4. This sounds like a really good book. Have you read Before I Die by Jenny Downham? If you haven’t you should, but have the tissues ready!!

    1. Lucy says:

      I haven’t read Before I Die, but I’ve seen it pop up lately. Thanks for the rec!

  5. Stephanie says:

    I loved this one, too! Despite the depressing topic, I had to admire how full of life the characters all were. Wendy Wunder did a great job really layering them and making me feel close to them.

  6. bookchelle says:

    I’m so excited to read this! I cannot thank you enough for giving me a copy. You make this sound so amazing, I might have to bump this book up my reading schedule. Awesome review, as always.

    1. Lucy says:

      You’re welcome. I hope you enjoy it!

  7. […] Pingback: The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder: Audiobook Review « The Reading Date […]

  8. […] by publisher.Other reviews of The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder:Tripping Over Books The Reading Date GReads! The Story Siren//LinkWithinCodeStart var linkwithin_site_id = 778903; var […]

  9. […] The Probability of Miracles by Wendy […]

Leave a Reply

(Enter your URL then click here to include a link to one of your blog posts.)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.