The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch
Publisher: Random House Audio (June 2010)
Audio Source: Personal Library
Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audio
Format Read: audio book
Narrated by: Allyson Ryan
Running Time: 9 hours 58 minutes
Synopsis from Goodreads: Tilly Farmer is thirty-two years old and has the perfect life she always dreamed of: married to her high school sweetheart, working as a guidance counselor in her hometown, trying for a baby. Perfect.
In fact, on the surface you might never know how tough things used to be. At seventeen, Tilly lost her mother to cancer, her father drowned his grief in alcohol, and she played parent to her two younger sisters more often than being a kid herself. Still Tilly never let tragedy overtake her belief that hard work and good cheer could solve any problem. Of course she’s also spent a lifetime plastering a smile on her face and putting everyone else’s problems ahead of her own.
But that relentless happiness has served her well—her sisters are grown and content, her dad is ten years sober, and she’s helping her students achieve all their dreams while she and her husband, Tyler, start a family. A perfect life indeed.
Then one sweltering afternoon at the local fair, everything changes. Tilly wanders into the fortune teller’s tent and is greeted by an old childhood friend, now a psychic, who offers her more than just a reading. “I’m giving you the gift of clarity,” her friend says. “It’s what I always thought you needed.” And soon enough, Tilly starts seeing things: her father relapsing, staggering out of a bar with his car keys in hand; Tyler uprooting their happy, stable life, a packed U-Haul in their driveway; and even more disturbing, these visions start coming true. Suddenly Tilly’s perfect life, so meticulously mapped out, seems to be crumbling around her. And she’s not sure what’s more frightening: that she’s begun to see the future or what the future holds . . .
As Tilly furiously races to keep up with—and hopefully change—her destiny, she faces the question: Which is the life she wants? The one she’s carefully nursed for decades, or the one she never considered possible?
My thoughts: This audio book was one that could easily be listened to while completing other tasks. was an enjoyable listen for the most part, but not something that I felt I had to stop everything and listen to.
Tilly was a small town girl, who I felt was a bit stunted and stuck in time. As the story progresses I both liked and hated Tilly, which I suppose is a sign that she was a well developed character. I loved the supernatural elements to the story. They were done in such a way that I could believe that something like this would happen.
I have to confess, I was nearly through the story before I “got” the title. I’m curious if that has happened to anyone else?
It has been awhile since I listened to The One That I Want, but I believe that Allyson Ryan did an excellent job portraying the different characters throughout the novel.
All in all, The One That I Want was a great escape from the day.
© 2013, Teresa. All rights reserved.
Sounds like one I would like.