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Brown Girl in the Ring cover art

Brown Girl in the Ring

Written by: Nalo Hopkinson
Narrated by: Peter Jay Fernandez
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Publisher's Summary

It is the late 21st century, and due to the economic breakdown and rising crime rate, nearly every citizen has fled Toronto. The city is a slum, populated by the homeless, the poor, and criminals like Rudy, who uses the power of voodoo to help him control the booming drug market. But also left behind are people like Ti-Jeanne, who hope to use voodoo to help rebuild the city, even as Canada's privileged population turns to Toronto to begin harvesting human organs.

To uncover the future voices of science fiction, Time Warner Publishing sponsored a contest that attracted hundreds of submissions. Brown Girl in the Ring was the winning entry, announcing author Nalo Hopkinson to the world as a tremendous new talent.
©1998 Nalo Hopkinson (P)2006 Recorded Books LLC

What the critics say

"Hopkinson's writing is smooth and assured, and her characters lively and believable. She has created a vivid world of urban decay and startling, dangerous magic, where the human heart is both a physical and metaphorical key." (Publishers Weekly)

Why Audiobooks Are Great for Teens Who Don’t Have Time to Read

There’s more pressure than ever for our kids to succeed and stand out. They’re expected to get a part-time job, volunteer, and get extra-curricular experience, while balancing a schedule that’s already busy with school and homework. Canadian teens are losing the ability to listen to the world, but you can help your kids reconnect thanks to these suggested Canadian titles - which are perfect for teens who can't find the time to read. Discover why audiobooks are great for teens who don't have time to read on our blog, Audible Explore.

Explore more of this topic on the Audible blog

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What listeners say about Brown Girl in the Ring

Average Customer Ratings
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Profile Image for Emily Heard

Creolization Of Writing

it was a wonderful blend of Caribbean, African and especially surprising, Canadian culture and story telling. the characters were interesting and complex with very distinct personalities which is rarely seen nowadays. it also allows for adult characters to be more than pawns in a story, giving them a kind of agency rarely seen in modern literature.

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Would listen to this reader again

Reader was excellent but didn't quite nail all of the endings. Still a great, immersive listen.

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Eh, it's not bad.

The narrator mispronounces "premier" (as in the political leader of a Canadian province) as "premiere". One might think a professional would check on something like that- especially since the premier of the province is an important character who is referred to countless times. The plot is a little wooden but I loved the strong Caribbean cultural connection- it was a refreshing change from the usual Canadian fare.

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Pure pleasure

set in Toronto, blending the familiar with the strange; homeless, addicted, criminal bullies, politicians, resourceful community healers and organizers, there is more that is familiar than science fiction, but the spirit world brings both entertainment and wisdom to the story. at first I didn't like having a male reader but after awhile stopped noticing.

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Loved it

Love the dystopian and current and past cultural references. I couldn’t stop listening. Loved it.

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Profile Image for David Brown

How was this ever nominated for an award?

Quit listening after 2 hours. My book club is reading this and it seems everyone feels the same way. It starts out with super clunky exposition, all tell and no show, and while that aspect improves slightly, the story in not engaging. The characters feel cookie cutter, the protagonist's emotional swings are nonsensical , and most scenes are built around narrative convenience. All in all, it feels like a spec fiction title by someone who has never read any spec fiction. World-building is an art, but Hopkinson seems to have missed the memo. Lastly, the reader is far below the standard I've come to expect from Audible.

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5 people found this helpful