KKEC Reads

Growing Up

Revisado: 04-23-25

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke (Audiobook)
I genuinely hope that Shari Franke has nothing but happiness for the remainder of her life. Her younger siblings, too. The mental, emotional, and psychological abuse these kiddos have survived is horrendous.

I had no idea who Ruby Franke was or what 8 Passengers were until this case broke out. Then, like the rest of the world, I watched in utter horror and disgust as the truth was revealed.

Hearing Shari tell her story, including her internal dialogue, was heartbreaking. I cannot imagine what she has seen, heard, and experienced. It’s remarkable how she was able to cling to her LDS faith despite the abuses she survived.

This was insightful, poignant, and vulnerable. I hope it helped bring Shari some comfort and closure as she takes her healing journey. She is using her voice and platform to fight for change and prevent anything like this from happening again.

I would never have the forgiveness in my heart that Shari does. I would not be nearly as able or willing to find understanding where possible. Shari has grown into such a strong (mentally and emotionally) woman. I hope she is so proud of herself. She has survived and is working towards helping others thrive.

I genuinely hope the Franke children have nothing but happy, healthy, positive lives for the rest of their lives. These babies have overcome enough chaos. They deserve stability, love, support, and privacy.

Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Narrator: Shari Franke

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The Girls Are BACK!

Revisado: 04-17-25

Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn (Audiobook)
I love these characters so much. I fell in love with them in the first book (Killers of a Certain Age), and this picks up with the same charm and wit as the first book.

I love the historical tidbits woven into the plot. They are interesting and work well with the storyline. This story makes me want to travel; I want to see these places that are described so beautifully.

This book is action-packed, with many twists and turns. I loved how the story was told between the past and present and how things were described. Deanna is a brilliant storyteller, and she has created a bold, beautiful plot.

I loved every second of this audiobook. I love that Deanna took this story further. I hope that we get a third book, because I am not ready to say goodbye to Billie, Mary-Alice, Helen, and Natalie. Katy approved!

Publication date: March 4, 2025
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrators: Jane Oppenheimer, Christina Delaine

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Shark

Revisado: 07-01-24

Everything about this book was perfect. It is well written, has dynamic characters, and will leave you gasping for breath!

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Beautifully Done

Revisado: 03-12-24 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Jordyn Tells by Gregg Olsen (Audiobook)

Notorious USA LLC
Audible Release: February 27, 2024
Listening Length: 42 minutes
Narrators: Gregg Olsen
Genre: Nonfiction
KKECReads Overall Rating: 5/5
KKECReads Rating for Performance: 5/5
KKECReads Rating for Story: 5/5
I received a copy of this audiobook for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

I want to hug Jordyn. For all she has been through, she sounds happy. I am sure that is a choice she has to make daily, and I am glad she is thriving now.

This was intense, angering, and well-produced. It was intimate hearing the story from the survivor, with Gregg narrating along the way. Munchhausen by proxy, is something that baffles me.

I think the most well-known case is that of Gypsy Rose, but this happens to people who don’t get national media coverage, too. I had never heard of Jordyn before this, but she tells her story of survival with such honesty and vulnerability.

I love the way Olsen dives into cases. While this was a single case with a quick turnaround, the detail and dedication were evident. This momster series is heartbreaking and revolutionary.

No one imagines a mother harming their child for any reason. The woman who nurtured and protected you from the beginning, so these cases always seem to hit a lot harder.

I will have to listen to the other cases available in this series.

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Twisted!

Revisado: 01-19-24

This was so well done. It was fantastic having the different voices bringing the characters to life. It added more dimension to the plot.

This was a ride. A favor leads to tragedy. This is a staunch reminder that not everyone who stands with you is actually in your corner.

This novel took a deep dive into the relationships between. Husband and wife, mother and child, and friend to friend. Showing the good and the bad.

I loved the pacing of this novel; it flowed smoothly and kept me hooked. The narrators did a brilliant job bringing the characters to life and generating emotion.

The ending was quite surprising. I had my suspicions. This was engaging, terrifying, and impossible to stop listening to!

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Twisted

Revisado: 01-09-24

The twist in the book was excellent. I love getting lost in a Daniel Hurst thriller. How he creates these characters and storylines that hold you hostage is fantastic.

This was a heavy topic, but I felt it was handled well. Bullying is a challenging situation for kids and parents to go through. I did find Sara and Guy a tad overbearing for having a 15-year-old. It was not about how they handled the situation when they discovered Jacob being bullied, more so every other aspect of his life.

I devoured this book. It is fast-paced and chaotic in the best way. The moral dilemmas in this book were well done and allowed the reader to ask what they would do.

Personally, as a devoted (and crazy, as my niece would say) auntie, I can assure you I would go absolutely feral. While I may not handle things the same as in the book, I would cause quite the scene at the home of the bully.

I love Daniel’s worst so much. It is brilliant how such a kind human can write such dark, twisted stories. I’m ready for the next one, bestie!

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Freedom Looks Good

Revisado: 11-01-23

I want to hug Britney and tell her that nothing that happened was her fault. I also want to tell her family they are trash, and I hope they have the day they deserve forever.

While I understand why she didn’t narrate her book, I wish she had. But Michelle Williams did a fantastic job and portrayed Britney’s journey beautifully.

There were many things I did not know, and as someone who grew up loving this lady, I am both saddened and disappointed that she had to endure so much cruelty at the hands of people who claimed they cared.

I found this book to be honest, vulnerable, and hopeful. Britney shared so much of herself with her readers. She is also a lot more spiritual than I ever knew.

It’s like meeting her all over again. And while I am sad that she has no plans at this time to put out new music, I hope she is having the time of her life, loving her insta fashion shows and dancing videos.

I love that she is so proud of her album Blackout. That is my favorite record she has ever released. I bought it the day it came out and played it in my car for six or seven months. To this day, that album holds steady as a top for me—excellent writing, beats, lyrics, and danceability.

If ever there was a person who deserved to be blissfully happy for the rest of their life, it is Britney Spears.

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Well Done

Revisado: 10-18-23

This book was insightful into the person Paris Hilton is. She is more than an heiress, more than a pretty person living with immense privilege, and I found her story brave.

Paris centers her story around having ADHD. And the opening was well done. She continuously ties her ADHD in as the book goes on, but I love that she never made it her excuse. She wields it like a superpower.

Hearing about the brutal places she was sent as a teenager to “save her life” was hard. It’s wild to imagine a family with the resources the Hiltons have choosing to send their oldest child to Cedo schools to “sort her out.”

Hearing the awful things she lived through made me want to hug the little girl she was and tell her she was not bad. Or wrong. Or stupid. Or worthless. The fact that Paris is so forgiving and compassionate to her parent's reasoning, despite them refusing to talk about it, is incredible.

Paris Hilton is a badass. She has been through so many things she did not deserve, and she has come out on the other side.

There was a lot of name-dropping in this book, though it makes sense as Paris was the “it” girl of the oughts. It is such a significant transformation hearing her now.

The insight, experience, and heart within her as a woman, a brand, an advocate, a wife, a friend, a daughter, and a survivor is brilliant. I’ve never had strong feelings regarding Paris Hilton one way or another.

I’ve always known of her and have found some of her shenanigans ridiculous or funny, depending on the occasion. But I have a new respect for her. I applaud her for bearing it all on the pages of her memoir, and I truly hope she is nothing but happy for the rest of her life. She genuinely deserves it.

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Nope.

Revisado: 07-18-23

Not the book for me. I finished listening because I paid for the audiobook. I will not be reading the other two books in this series.

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Whoa.

Revisado: 06-24-23

Holy buckets. This was like Mean Girls to the max. The build-up was brutal, and the way Poppy was treated was genuinely heartbreaking.

The characters were all so well done, even though they were despicable. Annabel refused to acknowledge the past. It’s over, old news, and she isn’t bothered. Chloe is shallow and self-involved, living as a social media influencer. Esther and Tanya are also living their lives without regret.

But they all have secrets. This was such a twisted display of toxic friendship, bullying, jealousy, and how easy it is for someone to fall between the cracks and be forgotten.

The way this story was told was clever. Multiple narrators, with multiple points of view and alternating timelines, reveal the truth, past and present, with a twist that will leave you shocked.

This was brilliantly performed. Each of the narrators was fantastic, bringing their character to life and giving this story a realistic element that makes each twist more intense.

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