Waiting to be Heard

July 29, 2013
Amanda Knox, an American college student who was charged with the brutal murder of her roommate while studying in Italy, recounts her four years of imprisonment and the dizzying series of legal roadblocks to her eventual release in 2011. As the narrator of this audio edition, Knox sounds authentic, sincere, and vulnerable. In early portions of the narrative related to the crime scene and arrest, her emotions are muted, conveying the same deer-in-the-headlights reaction for which she was skewered in media coverage at the time. Yet, while recounting her experiences in prison after being convicted, when she grasped the gravity of the situation, Knox conveys her sense of desperation during a process in which the cards seemed hopelessly stacked against her. Her conversations with a sympathetic prison chaplain and with her deeply loyal family and close friends are especially moving. In her recitation of legal details, Knox falls into occasional lapses in pronunciation, but given the weight of the personal aspects of her performance, these flaws prove minor and don’t detract from the listening experience. A Harper hardcover.

September 1, 2013

Given the title, it makes sense for this book to be read by the author. While intriguing, Knox's account of her arrest and trial for the murder of her study-abroad roommate in Italy reveals that she was not only naive when the events occurred but a little self-involved (as many of us are in our early 20s). Listeners will wonder about the long-term effects of so much media speculation on her personal development--will she really be happy to settle down into a quiet life now that she is stateside again? Time will tell. Knox does a competent job in narrating her story; toward the beginning there are a few pauses and hesitations, but these drop away as she finds her stride. Her Italian pronunciation is very good, although her delivery can be a bit flat at times. VERDICT Recommended for libraries where true crime is popular, or where the case has been avidly followed. ["Obviously, this book will circulate. If nothing else, people who think (Knox is) guilty will want to hate-read this without generating royalties. Readers of The Monster of Florence will note that prosecutor Guiliano Mignini also appears in the Knox case," read the review of the New York Times best-selling HarperCollins hc, LJ Xpress Reviews, 5/10/13.--Ed.]--Victoria A. Caplinger, NoveList, Durham, NC

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