Georgia wants to make an acting comeback, so when she meets aspiring actor Henry who offers to hook her up with his agent, Georgia is all in. Georgia goes with Henry to The Studio for acting clases, which she loves. Then they are both invited to a more private aka “remote” location for classes. But, it’s obvious Marianna, the head teacher, only wants to manipulate them all.

The storyline started off strong and slowed down a bit for me at the end. Maybe I just wanted everything nicely wrapped up.j

I did enjoy the multiple narrators.

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #BreakMeDown in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley! It really took me a long time to get into this book. I loved the idea of it, just the execution fell flat. Sorry! I would try this author again in the future because I believe she has the write ideas, she just needs to pick up the pace a bit.

This one was not for me.
All the pieces were there, but didn't quite work together?
Psychological thriller, a cult, full cast dramatization, I'm baffled that this didn't come together better.
🤷🤷🤷
Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

I have really enjoyed Anna Downes previous books, and was really excited to dive into the audiobook for this one. The premise seemed really unique, but it didn’t totally work for me.
The story was fast paced, and there were some interesting twists, but I found myself confused and wasn’t connecting with the characters.
The audio performance, though was amazing! Multiple narrators, sound effects, podcasts and voicemails really brought the story to life.



Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

First things first girlllsss !!! If this story gets turned into some sort of televised or otherwise visually produced work, I nominate this song for its theme song bc it reminds me of Marianna!!! This story was SO fantastic and I feel like I was behind the scenes of actual actors honing their craft but also behind the scenes at a resort with a cult of loopy, vulnerable, and manipulated people starving for attention and validation. From the moment our main protagonist Georgia steps back into Hollywood or LA or what have you - she’s sitting there in the cafe and I knew I felt it in my bones that our male protagonist (arguably?) is up to no good. It was a typical behavior of a cultish recruitment scene… and omg the moment he started talking about his “acting classes” with such fervor alllllll my alarm bells were going off. The scene just devolves further and further and poor Georgia doesn’t know if she’s coming or going. And wow whichever of you played Marianna did so brilliantly- the whole TONE of the voice that bullshit spread so freakin smooooooothly that it’s swallowed like sugar, was so eerie! Towards the end I was talking out loud to Georgia saying noo girl look out why are you trusting alllll the wrong people??? It was definitely a scary and confusing scene so I get that and MAN what a nut job of a stage mother did she have? I’m still out on which “story” is even true (much like Georgia) and it’s scary to think of how much people can be easily influenced and how lies told over and over can become someone’s truths! This was a cautionary tale if I EVER heard one and it’s something I think many people can be highly entertained by but also can learn a bit about how manipulative people can be so they can hopefully see the signs if someone starts this BS in their life! Coincidentally I would “pair” this with the nonfiction I listened to recently called “The 13 power moves of dark psychology” by #lenasisco !
Huge thanks to @macmillan.audio for allowing early access to this fantastic production - on sale - I believe exclusively as an audiobook - August 19th! Highly recommend as it has a full cast of actors performing it! Don’t miss this one!

I was intrigued listen to this audio book due to it’s unique format of being narrated in first person and every individual character was narrated by a different person. Although that element was nice I found the plot line and format of this audio book to be extremely hard to get into, follow along and stay engaged with.

It’s an ironic concept that the plot centred around Georgia’s acting career and the acting and narration of this audio book was the roughest part. I’ve heard good things about Anna Downes thrillers but this was just not the vibe for me.

This book gives us a former child star (Georgia) who is trying to get her career off the the ground.

She is fortunate (so she thinks), to be invited to take classes at a super elite acting school with out of the ordinary teaching methods that drive their students to become better at that their craft.

However, the school isn't all that it seems and things quickly take a turn when Georgia's life starts to fall apart financially and socially. It seems that the teacher wants her to sacrifice more than she can give!

This book is a glimpse into the Dark side of acting!

The book was a bit slow for me and what I want from a thriller.
The characters were interesting enough, but I felt like they needed more development.
The plot was interesting. I thought it lacked a bit in structure but that was because there was so much woven into the plot such as: podcasts, voicemails, and recordings. However the pace, it was just too slow. I think that was my big issue.
However, if you want a slower paced thriller-type book, this is the one for you!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Listening to the AB on this book is painful. I’m not sure what the physical copy is like, but there are no chapter titles and you kind of have to guess what’s going on when the book changes. I do like the extra voice and sound additives to the AB, but overall, it’s extremely hard to follow.

Break Me Down is a competent thriller with a very slow burn, gradually building tension throughout. While some of the final twists didn't quite land, it's overall a good read for fans of suspenseful storytelling.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I listened to the audiobook release.

Georgia, former child star, returns to Hollywood to reignite her acting career.

Before she lands any jobs, she falls into an exclusive acting prep course and seemingly finds her place.

However, is her new acting family preparing her for a future career in Hollwood, or has she stopped into a cult.

Some nice twists and turns, and the full cast audiobook version really worked for this style of writing.

Break Me Down is a bold, immersive audio thriller with a unique and gripping premise that had me hooked from the very first minute. The story pulls you deep into the seductive, high-stakes world of The Studio—an elite acting school with a cult-like grip on its members—where ambition, obsession, and manipulation blur the line between art and madness. Georgia is a compelling lead, and while some characters were genuine and likeable, others were so manipulative or unhinged, it made the tension that much stronger.

The full cast narration and richly layered sound design elevated the experience to a whole new level. From fictional podcasts to voicemails and eerie background effects, this felt less like listening to an audiobook and more like living inside a psychological thriller. The suspense builds relentlessly, and the twists were both shocking and satisfying. I also loved the interview with the cast at the end—it offered fascinating insight into the characters and creative process.

If you’re looking for a binge-worthy, cinematic listen with depth, drama, and an edge of darkness, Break Me Down absolutely delivers.

Note: I'd give the book/plot 3 stars and the audiobook production 4 stars. Thus it'd be a 3.5-star average.

I'm not sure how to describe the genre of the story -- perhaps thriller? It's set in an acting school in California and involves an Australian childhood actor who is trying to revive her career, now that she's an adult.

The audiobook is similar to a radio play. There are multiple performers: the main characters as well as podcasters, reporters, and other secondary players. We also have strategic sound effects.

Georgia is new to Hollywood but not to acting. She was a successful childhood actor, whose career stalled around the time she reach adolescence. (We learn about Georgia's past through a podcast.) Now an adult and living in California, Georgia meets Henry while she's waiting for an audition. The two of them click almost immediately, eventually becoming a couple. Thanks to Henry, Georgia is accepted into a prestigious, exclusive acting school.

As the couple becomes more and more immersed in the school, we begin to see the cracks in the program, the acting coach, Georgia and Henry, and the other students. We begin to have questions: Is the school legit? Do the students have autonomy? Can the characters truly trust each other? Who exactly is the acting coach? (I don't want to say to much here for fear of spoilers.)

The story itself was interesting, and I liked the way we learn things through various media: podcast, news stories, telephone calls, notes, texts, and so on. I appreciated the creep factor, but I'm not sure I was completely invested in the event that occur near the end of the audiobook.

On the other hand, I really liked the audiobook production. It was refreshing to listen to, and I like the radio drama style. The voice actors were great, with no weak performances. The sound effects were well done, enhancing the mood without being distracting. I'd really love to listen to more audiobooks in this style.

I also really enjoyed the bonus material at the end of the audiobook. The author and several of the voice actors provide additional insight and context about the story and about real-life acting schools. Don't miss this!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
3.5/5!!!!! (rounded up)

I love an “audio only” and Break Me Down delivered a truly atmospheric and overall immersive experience. From a full cast bringing the characters to life, sound effects (from whooshing wind to feet hitting the pavement), urgent voicemails, news reports, and a podcast sidebar (with two really fun hosts), I was transported to the center of Los Angeles and taken along for the haunting and tense ride in which is The Studio. It felt like I was seeing a live action drama unfold before my eyes.

What worked for me what the overall message; art, in any form, has the power to heal, destroy, and transform those it touches. I also loved how palpable the feelings and emotions of jealousy, ambition, tension, rage, urgency, power, etc. were from all characters.

What fell flat for me was the execution of the plot itself; I was able to predict the general direction of the story and also the big twist (more like event) that brought it all together. All of the characters were morally gray, which is always a lot of fun, but even in the end, I didn’t find myself rooting for any of them… but maybe that was the point.

Either way, I still recommend Break Me Down as an enjoyable audio only, full cast immersive experience!

Break Me Down by Anna Downes is an immersive and emotional psychological thriller that flirts with the idea of cult-like indoctrination.

The production of this story was amazing. It is a curated audiobook with a full cast and packed with sound effects, which fully immerses you into the story. In addition to traditional narration, the story unfolds through various audio formats - podcasts, interviews, recordings from classes, voicemails, newscasts, and video clips. This method makes the story feel almost cinematic, as if you’re watching it play out in real time.

The story is a psychological exploration into manipulation, that quickly spirals out of control. It revolves around taking a deep dive into the lives of actors enrolled in elite acting classes. They are sacrificing everything to achieve greatness. In the words of the main character, Georgia, “If I’m going to do it, I want to do it properly. I want to be a real actor. I want to be great.” Under the influence of an abusive instructor, the main characters are constantly broken down and pushed beyond the edge, until their lives begin to unravel.

I give this audiobook 3.5 stars. The production was beautifully done, but the story did go a little too far into some of the acting scenes for my personal preference. It certainly helped build intensity, but it also made the story drag a little for me. But I definitely recommend listening to this riveting tale for its amazing presentation.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy!

Break Me Down by Anna Downes is a dark, twisty audio thriller about a former child star drawn into a dangerously intense acting school. It’s immersive, unsettling, and perfect if you love cult vibes and behind-the-scenes drama.

Georgia Lane, a former child star in Australia, moves to Los Angeles to jumpstart a new career. She meets Henry, also an actor, and he invites her to audit his acting class at The Studio, led by the enigmatic Marianna. Now begins a weird psychological experiment, told in narration by Georgia, podcasts, news stories, phone messages, scenes performed as training, letters and long pauses. Georgia’s past traumas bubble to the surface under manipulative analysis by Marianna. As Marianna’s control grows, we wonder what is gaslighting, what is false memory, what is true and what will be the result of “breakdowns lead to breakthroughs”?

Break Me Down is a master class in narration. Each actor fully develops their character but Yael Stone as Marianna excels, bringing the hypnotic, ruthless, domineering acting coach to life. I don’t think the written novel itself could possibly have the same emotional impact. If you have never listened to an audiobook, listen to this one. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Anna Downes for this audio AC.

Set amidst the backdrop of an acting studio, Georgia and Henry find themself mesmerized under the mentorship of Marianna, until they're not. When Henry finds himself questioning the motives behind the studio, he tries to get Georgia to see his view. Will she listen? The audiobook for this story was extremely well done. If you decide to read this one, be sure to listen to it! The cast do a phenomenal job executing every emotion - highly recommend!

This audio drama is full of raw emotion, carefully expressed in a way that feels genuine and thoughtful. The story is not always easy to follow, which makes it more absorbing rather than confusing. The characters come alive through their struggles and moments of quiet reflection, and the emotions never feel forced or exaggerated.

The strength of this piece lies in its subtlety—sometimes the silences and pauses speak louder than words. These moments add depth and make the whole experience more real. It’s not a story that tries to entertain lightly; instead, it invites you to connect with the feelings and the reality behind the words.

I found myself completely immersed, caught up in the unfolding events and the emotions they stirred. Even though parts of it were difficult, the honest way the story is told made it meaningful and rewarding to experience. The feelings expressed stayed with me, and I felt truly trasci­nated by the care taken in every detail.

This is a great audio drama and a fantastic way to get into audiobooks for anyone who hasn’t gotten into them yet. I loved all of the narrators and the story kept me interested. I knew there was going to be a twist but I just couldn’t figure out what exactly it was going to be. I love thrillers and crazy mysteries, so it was interesting listening to a book that gave cult vibes but it wasn’t obvious in a way my usual books are. It kept me guessing and made it easier to see how normal people can get into cults without necessarily realizing it. The discussion with the cast at the end was really interesting to listen to. I loved how they analyzed the characters and storyline, and gave personal examples of how the acting world has been for them.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Macmillan does an amazing job with their audiobook productions, and it was no different with Break Me Down. Truth be told, the audio production of this novel is the best part. Other than that, it felt like a whole lot of nothing was happening. I'm not even sure how to explain it other than to say I was extremely disappointed with the plot, pacing, characters, etc. This one definitely did not work for me.