Book Review | Tape by Steven Camden

Record a voice and it lasts forever…

In 1993, Ryan records a diary on an old tape. He talks about his mother’s death, about his dreams, about his love for a new girl at school who doesn’t even know he exists.

In 2013, Ameliah moves in with her grandmother after her parents die. There, she finds a tape in the spare room. A tape with a boy’s voice on it – a voice she can’t quite hear, but which seems to be speaking to her.

Ryan and Ameliah are connected by more than just a tape.

This is their story. 

Review

For the most part Tape was an enjoyable book. Things I particularly liked, was the split narration style, which worked really well on audio. I liked that each chapter had both narratives, switching back and forth rapidly. It kept the story moving along at a good pace, and kept me interested.

I love the idea of this story, and for the most part it was done really well. There was however one exception to this, and this thing bothered me so much that I had to mark down the book a few points. It, for me, took away the enjoyment.

What is the negative? Well, for me, it was the characters. Now, don't get me wrong, the actual characters were great, and I loved their individual storylines. I liked that each of them had their own things going on in their timelines, and it wasn't solely about the Tapes. However, the part that really bothered me, was their ages. The whole way through this book, they just seemed like they were older than they actually were. I think this would have been an easier read for me, had they been about sixteen, because at the ages they were supposed to be. I didn't buy it. Both characters, came across as much older, and I felt a bit disconnected from the story, because of the fact that I was trying to believe them as the age they were.

Overall, it was a decent book, and I did really enjoy the storyline.