Sometimes #MacMillanAudioMonday is the entertainment I need!

𝑩𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑲 𝑴𝑬 𝑫𝑶𝑾𝑵 𝒃𝒚 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝑫𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒆𝒔 is my #gifted #MacAudio2025 & @netgalley choice and is a full scale audio production that comes out August 19th (I couldn't wait!).

This is an audio only with sound effects and a full cast that follows a couple of young adults as they give themselves over to their acting coach. It is a steady decent into a tense and psychologically wrought climax, but inside of multiple formats of telling the story and timelines. I did get a bit confused at first, but once I understood the various techniques, I settled in and watched the train wreck!

This was a highly entertaining story, and yet, I am realizing that more is not always necessary for me. I do enjoy an occasional production like this, however, and this was a fantastic story for audio. If all the added sounds really pull you in, then be sure to keep an eye out or pre-order this one!

I did really enjoy the chat after the story with the author and several of the main narrators. These often give me a greater appreciation of the story and process.
3.5 rounded up.

This audiobook is so immersive. Lots of narrators and sound effects- you really feel like you are there. This is my first time listening to one like this.

2.5 stars rounded down.

I listened to the audiobook which had a full cast. Unfortunately, even a excellently produced program could not save this story.

The main narrator is the protagonist, Georgia Lane, a former child star now trying to re-ignite her career as an adult. Soon after arriving in Hollywood, she meets Henry and they quickly get into a relationship. He is an aspiring actor and is training at The Studio for elite training and he invites her along. She falls under the spell of the instructor and her life begins to revolve around The Studio at the expense of everything else.

Chapters are short and in addition to Georgia, we have podcasters hinting at juicy tidbits from Georgia's past career and her relationship with her mother, people leaving voicemails for Georgia, and news briefings. There is absolutely no plot and this is not a thriller. Georgia and her peers at The Studio are training for acting but they never audition for anything, land any roles or become famous. It was hard for me to understand why Henry and Georgia were both so enamored with The Studio and its instructor. Nothing happens until the end and even then, I did not care because all I thought was...what was the point of that?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this one but I also felt way too uncomfortable. The narration was absolutely perfect. They also added background noises and such. It was just immersive.
The ending was wow! Give this one a listen.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Anna Downes, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Looking for something new, I turned to this thriller by Anna Downes. After making a splash, a child movie star disappears into oblivion. Years later, Georgia Lane re-emerges in LA and hopes to make a comeback, but soon learns that the bright lights are much more difficult when the responsibilities shift. After meeting a caring man, they try to make a difference in their acting careers, but there are new wedges to pull Georgia away from others. This is the story of her struggles and how Georgia seeks to redefine herself in an ever-increasing tense industry. Anna Downes presents an interesting piece that is sure to impress some readers.

Georgia Lane was once a superstar as a child actor. Her cute face and standout Australian accent made her the most wanted child on the screen. Her fans loved her and there was never a moment a camera remained too far away. However, as she aged, things turned dark and Georgia no longer wanted to be the plaything of the tabloids. She disappeared from the limelight, entering a world of complete privacy. Years later, when Georgia makes the move to LA, she hopes to change the past and get into the fast-paced world of acting. However, now that she's got responsibilities all her own, the work is much more difficult and the spotlight is not as kind. LA is a city fueled by success and yet failure is just as prevalent.

Georgia meets Henry and they click immediately. She is eager to get to know him better and agrees to audit an elite acting class he is taking. There, Georgia meets Marianna, the head teacher at the acting school. Marianna takes a special interest in Georgia, taking the child-star under her wing and honing her skills while others have to take a backseat. Henry is one who voices resentment, which creates animosity and yet could damage the careers of those who speak out.

As Marianna puts forth some unconventional ideas, others begin to worry, but Georgia laps it all up. She is dedicated to the craft, no matter what others might say. Marianna's bond with Georgia grows and others find themselves on the outside, worried about the entire situation. Marianna has drawn the line and those who cross it are vilified. Georgia can do no wrong and has become aware that she is a star, with others surely full of jealousy. It is this tension that creates the wedge between Georgia and Henry, hurting their foundation as well as the world around them. How will Henry help Georgia out of this abyss, or has she decided that fame is a drug too addictive to give up? Anna Downes delivers something that readers can enjoy.

I enjoy authors who are new to me, as they provide a unique experience that adds to my reading journey. However, not all authors are for me, even if their dust jacket blurb sounds appealing. Anna Downes does well with her writing, creating a narrative that the reader can follow with ease. The story develops and keeps the reader in the middle of it all, gaining momentum in ways the reader can envision. The characters are varied, keeping the reader alert to find one to whom they can relate. Downes' use of a variety of those who grace the pages keeps the story edgy. The plot points are important to the story, adding some depth and angles to the larger narrative. The reader might be able to see where things are going, but they cannot predict each event. While the premise worked well for me, I did not feel a proper connection to the piece, sensing it did not check all the boxes that I needed to be impressed. Surely others will love this, but Downes did not captivate me as much as I would have hoped.

Kudos, Madam Downes, for a unique reading experience.

I enjoyed the multi-cast of characters and sound effects in this upcoming audiobook. After the story there is a fabulous interview with the cast.

Georgia is an X-child actress looking for a comeback in LA. She meets Henry an aspiring actor and out of desperation she eventually takes him up on The Studio … run by Marianna … a place to hone their acting craft. The Studio and its teacher aren’t fully what they appear and the psychological damage being inflicted twists and turns and is made better by the sound effects and fabulous voice actors. What is promised isn’t always what you get.

Great read & just the book I needed. 4.25 stars

Thank you Bianca at Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for early access to this book, it was fun & I intend to read more from this author.

This was my first graphic audio and it was definitely an experience, especially when I put on my good headphones. I definitely could have lived without the hour long chat at the end with the author.

This audiobook...wow! Probably one of the best performances I've listened to in a long time. It was like watching a movie in spots. It brought the story to life!

The story itself was focused on a former Australian child star trying to get back into acting while setting up a new life in California. She meets a young man who is taking acting classes with an elite coach. As the two grow closer and she becomes immersed in the elite acting school, her boundaries and sense of self start to break down, ultimately leading to tragedy.

This was a slower paced plot. One that took a while to get into and never fully brought me into its prose. The MC's were difficult to relate to, and their relationship never felt authentic to me.

I found the psychological aspects involving the acting coach and pupils interesting and would've been more drawn in had the plot build-up been better carved out. I also thought the information about childstars was fascinating and wish there had been more. As the plot progressed, I kept waiting for something explosive or shocking to happen, but it fell short for me.

The audio kept me going, and I would highly recommend it if considering this book. Thank you #MacMillanAudio and #NetGalley for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book did not keep me engaged and I had to DNF. I will definitely give the author another try in the future. Thank you for the opportunity.

🎧 Review: Break Me Down – Audiobook by Anna Downes

Break Me Down is a psychological thriller set in the high-pressure world of an elite acting school known as The Studio. The story follows Georgia Lane, a former child actor trying to reclaim her place in the spotlight. As she trains under the intense and mysterious Marianna, Georgia is drawn into a world where ambition, control, and identity blur.

Told through a full-cast performance with immersive sound design, the audiobook feels more like a dramatic podcast than a traditional novel. The format enhances the tension and draws listeners deep into the emotionally charged narrative. Themes of power, manipulation, and the cost of success are central as Georgia’s sense of self begins to fracture under the demands of her environment.

Thank you to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for the ALC!

The audio drama follows child-star Georgia as she moves to LA to make a return to acting. It starts from her first audition and follows her meeting different characters that will help (or harm) her career. We travel with her and her boyfriend, Henry, as he introduces her to his acting group. The Studio, run by Marianna, becomes the central focus of Georgia's comeback - and also downfall.

The pros: A very interesting way to tell a story with a full cast and more of a radio drama than read prose. I enjoyed the immersion and I think the voice actors did a great job. I enjoyed the many woven threads of podcast style, "video" clips, and narration, though it could at times prove to be confusing.

Also, after the audiobook ended, there was ~50 minutes of conversation between Ms. Downes and the voice actors which is worth a listen!

The cons: I wasn't a huge fan of the story itself. I wasn't invested in any of the characters, making Georgia's internal and external drama a little flat for me. The ending was VERY quick and I was surprised when it happened. Though I think it was a good story, it could have been more. One of the letdowns was the hint of something more creepy lingering in the group only to have it be a more mundane-sort-of-thing.

All in all, a fun listen if you need 7-8 hours to kill (not literally ;) ).

I loved the higher audio quality here (eg sound effects). It really brought a lot to the story.

I liked the story overall and now it was told through different mediums. I was shocked and also wasn’t sure how it was going to shake out. A true psyche thriller that kept me guessing

Wow this was a really cool audiobook. I had a little trouble following it and by the end was semi like.. what just happened. But, loved the true crime podcast viewpoint and all the different narrators!

This was the first audiobook widget sent to me, and it's from an author I have never read before so I was very excited!

First of all, I don't particularly care for dramatized audiobooks...it automatically turns me off but I thought I would give it a go. The storyline started entertaining but I found that it was much the same over and over, so I sped up the speed (which is never a good sign)...the book even ends and nothing happends....all it proves is how manipulating the Coach is and it felt that it was "culty"....

sorry, not my type of book but thanks for the ARC!

I love the idea of audio thrillers that incorporate sounds and different voices. I thought the audio was really well done on this one through the first 2/3rd. After that it dropped out a little with the variety of different soundscapes. The problem I had with this audiobook was the actual story. It was very boring and didn't feel like a thriller at all. The acting scenes were soooo long.

The narration in this audiobook was a highlight—engaging, emotional, and well-delivered by talented voice actors. Unfortunately, the story itself didn’t resonate with me. The premise sounded intriguing, but I found it hard to connect with the characters or feel invested in their journey. While the production quality was strong, the plot lacked the momentum and emotional pull I was hoping for. A promising concept, but ultimately not as gripping as I’d expected. ⭐️⭐️ for the story
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for the voice acting

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for this ALC, This is my honest review.

The audio production was phenomenal! Loved the full cast.

The story was really interesting for the first half and then rather lackluster for the remaining half. I found myself confused what was going on and not totally clear on the ending

Read Completed 6/14/25 | 2.25 stars | Book #88 of 2025
Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for approving the early audiobook copy via Netgalley.

I was drawn to this book because of its audiobook performance. Anything that has multiple narrators, an interesting audio production, and a podcast element is all going to immediately grab my attention. I was hoping that I'd still enjoy this book despite not having a real interest in a lot of books revolving around acting and the acting process, but I really wanted to give this unique concept a try.

There is an author's note at the end stating that she was inspired to write this after her own experiences acting, and that she also wanted to write it more like a script or a film with that in mind as well. I commend her for it, but I did not enjoy the script-like format. I do enjoy a full cast where the audiobook isn't alway "he said" and "she said", and the narrators just go back and forth, but this felt much more like listening to a play than listening to a book, and I honestly didn't like how that felt. Maybe this will hit more with the theater kids (even though I WAS in plays and musicals in high school...) but this just wasn't it for me.

Mostly, my big complaint is that I felt like there was no real plot. Things are happening, moving forward, but nothing is really answering a question or has a clear direction where things are going. The book is slow for the first 50% + . Georgia is the main character, having moved back to L.A. and is getting into her acting career again. She meets a guy who she ends up dating, and he introduces her to Marianna and "The Studio". That's a full half of the book. It's much more drama than it is thriller, and I'm getting a little worn out on "thrillers" that don't pick up until over halfway through the book. For me, there were far too many acting scenes where the characters are literally going through a whole scene and we witness the coaching process. There is a reason for it, and that is that Marianna is pushing her students way too hard and beyond what's ethical, so we get this cult-like mentality of everyone who is working with her, but I would have rather spent more time on the characters and the gaslighting than focusing SO much on the acting. I get it. Let's also have a real story with it.

Things picked up towards the end, thriller-wise, but it was far too little too late. I didn't like any of the characters. I wasn't engaged before that. I didn't know what the whole point of the story was still. Is the goal to get Georgia out of the cult? To take down Marianna? To have an acting career again? To take down someone else? To end with a murder and someone in jail? It was just a little floppy and felt like a love-hate relationship with acting instead of being an actual, fully developed book.

The plot didn't do it at all for me, and the book didn't carry it enough to make me interested in the acting or the cult. This was just a big miss for me.

Wow !! This audiobook was so well done. The narrators did such a good job. I felt like I was watching a movie/play. I loved that there were multiple narrators. This felt like an experience not just a book. You really get into the actor's heads and feel what they have to go through to pour their heart and souls into their crafts and how they can lose themselves in their roles. I highly recommend giving this audiobook a listen.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

the audio production of this is amazing. the narration and the Foley absolutely top notch. however the story itself does not live up to the production value and calling it a thriller is a reach few Olympians are capable of achieving.
This is a book about an acting cult. Anytime you encounter a group with "a super secret elite level that lives high in the mountains and doesn't communicate with the rest of us" you have a cult. But even the cult aspect of this was weak because people came and went. This is a story about actors trying to deal with trauma (and really just one actor in particular) and doing so very poorly. I will say that the identity reveal toward the end made a ton of sense and closed the loop on motives. The story has entertainment value because of the production quality, but it left me feeling disappointed.

thank you to NetGalley, the author Anna Downes, and Macmillan audio for my ARC of this audiobook.