2.5/5

Genuinely, I do not know the point of this book.

I also did not like one of the narrators, I found her voice whiney (she was doing it on purpose, I could tell) and it drove me nuts, I got to the point where I started skipping chunks of her chapters. Sorry.

This story didn't really have a plot or a story, but it kind of did. It was so confusing.

If I had to give you a description of this book, all I could say would be "child stars and podcasts." But what was the actual story? What happened over the course of the book? I could not tell you.

I can kind of see what they were trying to do with this book, but it majorly missed the mark, making it quite boring and confusing. If your story is so slow and ambiguous that the reader doesn't even know what is going on or what they are supposed to be paying attention to, there's a problem.

And as a film girlie (film school), this was extra disappointing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

The audiobook’s production quality was excellent, with an immersive sound design that made it feel more like a true crime podcast or serialized audio drama than a traditional audiobook. The storytelling format was engaging and well-executed. However, I found the main character’s narration style difficult to connect with, which ultimately impacted my overall experience. While this aspect didn’t work for me, others may appreciate the unique approach and find it highly enjoyable.

4,5⭐️
Plausible, scarily plausible.
Master manipulator.
Had no idea where it was going but I had to find out. Terrifying look at how Hollywood can manipulate you.
The narration and production was EXCELLENT.

I am such a big fan of Anna Downes and her books so I thrilled to get an early audio copy of Break Me Down from Macmillan Audio on NetGalley. I couldn’t wait to get started and once I did I couldn’t stop listening. This dark Hollywood story is told through podcasts, phone calls and messages and a brilliant cast of narrators who do a fantastic job of bringing the story to life.

A former child star, Georgia Lane, is ready to get back in acting and finds herself in acting classes with mesmerising coach., Marianna. Georgia is draw in by Marianna’s methods and feels she is finally getting somewhere. How far will a teacher go to get their students to nail the scene? Marianna pushes her students to look deep inside for their past experiences and pain to get the right emotional response. Georgia’s boyfriend Henry feels that it is being taken too far but Georgia is completely under her teachers spell.

This story is an uncomfortable listen at times, with some really dark moments. The actors were amazing they all did such a wonderful job with all the different characters. I really loved the podcast that gave some background to Georgias story.

An added bonus is after the story ends.. and that ending was 🤯🤯🤯, there is an interview with Anna Downes and the actors which was so interesting.

Another fantastic Anna Downes book and perfect for audio. Her own experience in acting really did come through, though I hope she didn’t have these dark issues in her life.

Out on August 19th, you need to listen to this book. Easy 5 stars.

Narrated by Aimee Horne; Airlie Dodds; Alan Chu; Angela Tran; Anna Downes; Elisa Colla; Jeremy Waters; Lyanna Kea; Remy Hii; Taylor Owens; Yael Stone

This was a good listen. I enjoyed the effects it gave me graphic audio feels. The story was interesting. A little different than I usually listen to. Was a great mix it up kind of title.

A former child star down on her luck meets a man who sweeps her off her feet and promises to help her regain her stardom with a very special acting class. The Studio, and its mysterious instructor, specializes in breaking her students down to the ground before rebuilding them. But in what image?