I love Lenny. A really lovely (and sad) well narrated story.

Thanks to the publishers for granting me access to an eAlc via NetGalley

Great audiobook, really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was a wonderful book. I really loved the story line . It was fantastic following the story of a boy lenny who's family is just falling apart and becomes some what neglected. This story is loosely based upon the story the little prince. I thought the author did a brilliant job at developing lennys character. The development of the characters which really made this story stand out to me. It I'd a dual timeline story which helps in understand now the characters and story line develop into this wonderful book. I thoroughly enjoyed how the book crested that wonderful sense of community at the end. Just how they all stood together to fight against a community issue. I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrator whos tone really brought out the wonderful sense of atmosphere that this book contains. I really felt a connection with the book straight away. I felt like the book was well written and had a good pace to the story. I recommend this book to all who love reading books about family dynamics especially those about how people are affected by war or family loss. There is also trigger warnings for PTSD and neglected children. 

Many thanks to the author and publishers for producing this emotional story. 

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/lenny-by-laura-mcveigh-saga-egmont-4-stars
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Lenny by Laura McVeigh is a modern retelling of The Little Prince. I really enjoyed it, although it left me in tears. It was captavating and a great read. I also particularly liked the audiobook narrator. The storylines of grief and loss were particularly hard hitting.

I received a copy of this audiobook from netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I had a really had time concentrating while listening to this book. The characters were 0kay-ish, but in the story nothing happens.
I'm currently 30% in but will DNF.

This book stood out to me purely because of the title which is the nickname of one of my oldest and ,most favourite friends. There’s no other similarities after that.

I’d like to rate this high and the many other reviews all appear to have highly rated it but it just didn’t do it for me. The audiobook left me not knowing what on earth was going on and whilst Lenny was endearing and the remaining characters were all complex and enjoyable I got almost to the end of the book before I followed it. And there are still some bits I am unsure of even now.

Overall it is an extremely imaginative and inventive modern age tale of the little prince but it just wasn’t quite for me.

What would you do if you had to choose between saving your family and saving the environment? Would you sacrifice your family for the environment or the environment for your family?

Roseville 2012: A 10-year-old boy called Lenny has been abandoned by his mother. His father has come back from war and is severely affected by PTSD. He is also unable to care for Lenny. The only people who love Lenny are Miss Julie next door and the librarian, Miss Lucy. Plus, there is a giant sinkhole that appeared overnight in Roseville. It threatens to take everything Lenny knows and loves.

Ubari Sand Sea 2011: A "sky-devil" falls off the sky and is rescued by a nomadic tribe. He doesn't even remember his name. Nicknamed "Goose," he travels with the nomads through the desert while an impending gloom threatens to engulf him. The boy Izeal helps him learn new words and brave the desert storms.

There are some books that make you laugh and cry at the same time. Lenny was one such book. The 10-year-old boy was just that - a 10-year-old. His thoughts, his words, and his actions were that of a young boy. He is neither precocious nor clever. He is just a boy living next door who worms his way into your heart before you realize it.

The strongest point of a general fiction book is its characters. That the characters stay with you long after the book has ended is a triumph for the author. No character, not even the secondary ones are two-dimensional.

I love character-driven books. Perhaps because they help me live their lives vicariously through their heads. I love thinking about what they will do next and an infinite sense of satisfaction when characters behave like normal humans.

Now, last but not the least, I must mention the narrator, John Chancer. He has done such a fabulous job of narrating the book that he deserves a special mention. He brings to life the different characters with their accents and voices. Even when there are four to five characters on screen, he manages to maintain their voices. The southern drawl can become comical if not done right. John Chancer does it just right.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Wonderful book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Saga Egmont Audio for the audio ARC.

A MUST-READ, and here's why: This story has old bones. Reminiscent of 'Where the Crawdads Sing' and "The Little Prince', a tale set across the globe and time. The characters are heartachingly realistic and ones you'll audibly root for (or boo against in their darker moments). While I found the story to take a bit to pick up momentum, once it gets going, it is one you won't be able to put down. Lenny, himself, is the most pure little soul that I just wish I could wrap up with love and give the life he deserves. Lastly, what I'm left with after finishing Lenny, is bittersweet. Life is complicated and more than meets the eye, as this story unravels you follow breadcrumbs to each characters eccentricities and begin to have a deeper understanding. In an all-too-human telling, this one will stick with you long after you put it down.

**This book is described as "A modern reimagining of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry"

First off - John Chancer narrated the audiobook and did a fantastic job! Loved his narration.


Ubari Sand Sea in 2011 - First Libyan Civil War

A pilot falls from the sky. The people think he is a sky-devil, but soon wins the people over and makes a home with the little boy who rescued him.

2012 Roseville, Louisiana

There has been corporate damage, rising waters and a sink hole has emerged. Lenny's mother, Mari-Rose has abandoned him, and his father has come back from war suffering from PTSD and alcoholism. Lenny has made friends with two local women, Lucy Albert, the lonely town librarian, and Miss Julie Betterdine Valéry, a retired schoolteacher who is still waiting for her husband to return from the Korean War.

Ten-year-old Lenny is a sweet, courageous boy who wants to help those in his lives and those in his town. He wants to stop the sinkhole that threatens his town.

"For a man who wanders is free."

So how are the two storylines connected? You will have to read to find out. The characters in this book are interesting, flawed, and engaging. The two not so far apart, timelines are both impactful and strong. Lenny is so likeable, so brave, so kind, that I was rooting for him the entire way.

This book touches on many things: homelessness, war, environmental change, abandonment, friendship, courage, hope and family/what makes a family.

If you are thinking, but how does The Little Prince fit into this book? Wonderfully is all I will say.

I highly recommend the audiobook!

Thank you to Saga Egmont Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would say this is a reflective novel - we have a number of characters who move around and perform actions and even a tiny bit of suspense near the end, although the majority of this book remains virtually plotless - or at most this is a tale where not much happens. The joy of the book is in the heartwarming non-story material about quiet, kind, gentle people who are trying to survive and get through life; and if you have the audio version, the Narrator's soothing voice. Most of the book flicks between two close timelines and different places and in honesty I continued with the book to see how the two would converge; and because I was enjoying the narration so much. I was told once when I complained about a book lacking a substantial plotline that 'real life is plotless': For me, reading books that replicate sad normal life can be irritating - not so much for this book, which felt melancholy rather than irritating and if you are a person who enjoys the journey rather than the destination, this could be one for you. I found the end few chapters to be pretty confusing and difficult to follow - and it's not until the very end that you understand it showcases a medley of positive possibilities - and then finally heartbreaking, leaving me feeling profoundly mournful - I would have preferred one of the possibilities. I'm sure this book will have some great reviews - I prefer one with a bit more action, a more compelling plot and a happier succinct ending. Thanks anyway to NetGallery and Saga Egmont Audio - John Chancer the Narrator really brought this story to life.

Format: audiobook
Author: Laura McVeigh ~ Title: Lenny ~ Narrator: John Chancer
Content: 4.5 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

This is a story of a 10-year-old Lenny. His father, Jim, came back from the war and now suffers from PTSD. His mother, Mari-Rose, left. Lenny's elderly neighbor Miss Julie and local librarian Lucy Albert care about him and try to help him. Lenny is a slow-paced literary fiction set in Roseville, Louisiana, where a chemical factory causes an environmental issue.

We follow two timelines: Ubari Sand Sea (Libya) in 2011 and Roseville (Louisiana, US) in 2012. The novel deals with family, love, loneliness, and a few sensitive topics, like loss and grief. It is often sad but still a heartwarming story.

I enjoyed the narration of John Chancer, who made this story come to life.

Thanks to Saga Egmont Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

This book will stay with me for a long time. It is a tale of loss and being lost, but the redemptive power of love and being willing to see beyond the surface.
We meet two people in timelines a year apart - 10 year old Lenny, living in Louisiana with his father Jim in 2012 and a year earlier in the Ubari Sand Sea, Libya, a pilot (or "sky devil") who has crash landed and can't remember who he is or why he is there.
As the story progresses, and the timelines converge, we learn about how a group of Libyan nomadic people help the pilot to remember himself and have a lasting impact on him, while in Louisiana Lenny has to contend with living in a town that is falling apart, due to a crumbling economy, an environmental disaster nearby (likely due to the petroleum companies who have moved in) and, on a closer level, a family that has broken apart, with his dad barely able to cope, not to mind how to support Lenny.
The story is told through various lenses - Lenny, the pilot, and more briefly his father Jim, local librarian Lucy Albert and Lenny's elderly neighbour Miss Julie. Each person brings their own perspective, and through them all we build a picture of people who each have lost someone important, and with it a piece of themselves, but who cling to the hope that there is still good out there and life can be better, especially with the right people.
The novel "The Little Prince" is referred to frequently throughout this, and it is very evocative of the classic story. As I read elsewhere, what makes the Little Prince so special is (t)his ability to love fully and completely. In the end, it is love that gives meaning to all existence. Without it, man is lost and alone on the desert, much like the narrator until he encountered and befriended the Little Prince. It is an important meddage in general and especially throughout "Lenny".
This novel will give you hope while simultaneously breaking your heart.

A beautiful but heart shattering story about family, friendship, loss and love. There is two story lines. One taking place in the dessert, in Lydia, with a war pilot rescued by a nomads tribe. And the other one in Roseville, Louisiana, with a 10 year old boy homeless, abandoned by her mother and living with his father, who suffer from PTSD after returning from war. The parallelism with the classics , The Little Prince, makes this a very great story, even if the end let you a little confused. The audiobook is great, the narrator makes a beautiful work with Laura’s words.

I loved this book and the narrator was just perfect. I’m keeping a list now of good narrators because as I list3n to more and more audiobooks I realise what a huge difference they make.
This story was told in two locations with some shared characters. I won’t say more as I don’t want to spoil what was a fascinating listen. I do have to say that anyone who doesn’t just adore Miss Julie you don’t have a heart.

In a Nutshell: If you are looking for a book that will enthrall you and at the same time, shatter your heart, this is the one. It is all things good and all things depressing. I hated it and yet I loved it. (Go figure!)

Story:
False River, Louisiana, 2012.
Jim: A war veteran who is struggling with PTSD and unemployment.
Miss Julie: An old widow who can’t move about much and spends her days talking to her long-dead husband.
Lucy: A young librarian who has borne much loss early in life and still tries hard to make a difference in a disillusioned town.
What is common to these disparate characters is a little nine-year old boy named Lenny. Jim’s son; Miss Julie’s neighbour and friend; Lucy’s young customer at the library. Lenny wants to help out all these people, and even their town of Roseville, which is facing a bleak future after a sinkhole threatens to destroy it. Will Lenny succeed in his mission?
The story comes to us in the third person omniscient narration from two timelines: Louisiana in 2012 and from Ubari Sand Sea, Libya in 2011.

Where the book worked for me:
❤ Lenny is the perfect titular character. Unlike so many recent novels I have read, he is a 9 year old child who behaves like a 9 year old child. His chatter, his personality, his uncertainties, his bravery, all will end up ensuring that he stays in your heart long after the last page. In other words, I want to give Lenny a bigggg hug and shower him with all the love he deserves!

❤ This is a character-driven book all the way. And for a character-driven book to make an impact, you need well-carved, memorable characters. How the book delivers on this promise!!! Every single character, whether main or secondary, whether active in the narrative or only mentioned in passing, is etched beautifully, never leaving you in doubt about their motivations or actions.

❤ The writing suits the characters perfectly. Lenny’s dad has supposedly gone to "go fly planes, help some folk needing help." Miss Julie is “as old as the ancient bald cypress trees." I loved the way the characters’ personalities shone through the writing. It doesn’t go OTT on the descriptions at any point and yet you can visualise everything clearly.

❤ The town of Roseville is a character unto itself. It has a constant presence in the background, with its environmental damage, its unfortunate denizens and its insecure future. Through the town’s experience, the author delivers a stinging commentary on abusing nature and natural resources, and how humankind, in its quest to enhance the short-term bottomline, has forgotten its long-term security on this planet. We need to remember that it is we who need the planet, not the other way around.

❤ Usually, when two timelines are close to each other, the story ends up sabotaging either one of them. Not this time. Both the timelines are beautiful and have their distinct role to play in the overall narrative. I enjoyed both the timelines and found them equally thought-provoking.

❤ Though it is set just a decade ago, the story has a very old world feel to it because of its setting and characters. Yet, in some other ways, it has a very dystopian future sort of feeling because of the gloomy town environment. I found this unusual mix intriguing.

❤ The story covers many dark and depressing themes. The struggles of helplessness, hopelessness, depression, loneliness, financial difficulties, and homelessness come out strongly, and balancing out the gloom are the ideas of courage, loyalty, and friendship. The book handles all these elements beautifully.

❤ If you are a fan of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s ‘The Little Prince’, you will love how it has been used in this story. The entire narrative becomes stronger though this allegorical reference to what was already an allegorical novel.


Where the book could have worked better for me:
I can’t think of anything which I didn’t appreciate about the book. But it might be a tad slow if read. Then again, it’s literary fiction, which is supposed to be slow. I heard the audiobook, which helped keep the pace going, and I also was in the mood for a reflective read. So no complaints about anything from my side.


The audiobook experience:
The audiobook clocks at a little more than 9 hours and is narrated excellently by John Chancer. How beautifully he narrates the characters! Without sounding caricatural, he manages to create a distinct personality for each character. I simply loved his performance.
For the first time ever, I found myself crying while hearing an audiobook. The credit (or blame, as you see fit) for this is distributed equally between the author and the narrator.


This book isn’t for everyone. It’s very literary in its essence and will disturb you if you aren’t in the right mind-space to read it. But I do hope you pick it up, and at the right time, so that you may have as mesmerising an experience as I did. The human in me is broken-hearted but the reader in me is enthralled. It was the perfect introspective read, making you contemplate both the external natural environment and your own internal environment.

One line from the book that hit me hard, and describes the book aptly:
“A story can end all sorts of ways...happy, sad, and sometimes, it doesn't end at all, it's just beginning.”

4.75 stars.

My thanks to Saga Egmont Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “Lenny”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

This book intertwines two stories that explore grief, loss, and loneliness from two very different points of view. While it feels very sad at a lot of points throughout the story, it still leaves you with a heartwarming feeling. The characters we're believable, descriptive, and flawed. While the story definitely moved slowly, it felt evenly paced and made the transitioning POV easy to follow.

There are two storylines in this beautiful family story of love, loneliness, grief, and loss. One is of a pilot who falls out of the sky in the desert in Libya in 2011 and the other is of lonely and neglected 10 yr. Lenny Lockhart in his hometown of Roseville taking place in 2012.

The single narration, done by John Chancer, was well done. Chapters were announced and I was able to differentiate between the different characters as they spoke. Chancer’s recital kept me so engrossed in the Roseville/Libya saga that I listened to it in just one sitting!

The grandmother in me just wants to throw my arms around Lenny and give him a much-needed hug. When his dad, Jim, returns home from fighting in the war his mom (I'm so upset with her I won't even post her name here) abandons Lenny stating that it's Jim's turn to take care of the boy. I'm not judging here, just reacting to Lenny's situation!
With the help of Lucy, the librarian, and Miss Julie, his elderly neighbor, Lenny is barely able to function daily as his father, suffering from PTSD, searches for a job and gets drunk nightly.

McVeigh's novel, although sometimes sad, has great moments of kindness and love, giving us life lessons in caring, consideration, and compassion. She has created well-developed characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses which makes this a hard novel to put down. One of my favorite audiobooks of 2022!

My thanks to #NetGalley, Saga Egmont Audio, and the author for allowing me to listen to Lenny for an honest review.

Lenny is a novel that explores the impact of family and friends by switching between two timelines of war, loss and hope. In 2011 a pilot falls from the sky in Libya while in 2012 a small town Roseville, Louisiana , faces the degradation of their economy and environment. We follow 10-year-old Lenny, his family and their neighborhood as they try to navigate their lifes.

I really enjoyed the small town vibes and the relative mundanity of the story, showcasing the magnitude of these lifes and topics. The story kept me company while working around the house and Lenny, Jim, Lacey and July (I'm not sure about the spelling here since I only listened to the names). I mostly just wish we'd been able to hear more about the people and time in Libya.

Listening to the narrators voice, tone and style, I was strangely reminded of the narration in the movie 500 Days of Summer. Although I loved the movie, considering the different topics in the two stories it was a very strange sensation to hear the voice and let go of the romantic comedy sensation and focus on the topics being told.

Overall I think this would really suit readers who enjoy American narratives and small town stories about intersecting lifes. Thank you to Saga Egmont Audio and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy.