No Ordinary Life

Written by Suzanne Redfearn

Narrated by Whitney Dykhouse

Faye Martin never expected her husband to abandon her and their three children . . . or that she'd have to struggle every day to make ends meet. So when her four-year-old daughter is discovered through a YouTube video and offered a starring role on a television series, it seems like her prayers have been answered. But when the reality of their new life settles in, Faye realizes that fame and fortune don't come without a price. In a world where everyone is an actor and every move is scrutinized by millions, it's impossible to know whom to trust, and Faye finds herself utterly alone in her struggle to save her family. Emotionally riveting and insightful, No Ordinary Life is an unforgettable novel about the preciousness of childhood and the difficult choices a mother needs to make in order to protect this fragile time in her children's lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Nov 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781713556268

Suzanne Redfearn

Suzanne Redfearn is the award-winning author of three novels: Hush Little Baby, No Ordinary Life, and In an Instant. In addition to being an author, she’s also an architect specializing in residential and commercial design. She lives in Laguna Beach, California, where she and her husband own two restaurants: Lumberyard and Slice Pizza and Beer. You can find her at her website, www.SuzanneRedfearn.com, on Facebook at SuzanneRedfearnAuthor, or on Twitter @SuzanneRedfearn.

Reviews for No Ordinary Life

[Christi Moore · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was awesome book. I highly recommend it to anyone that wants a great read.

[Joyce Harout · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

It baffles me when a FEMALE author portrays her protagonist as an absolute clueless BIMBO who is useless as a human. Except in this book, she's a mother, and she's responsible for other humans as well. I couldn't finish. I just couldn't finish this book. I was losing brain cells and fast. The book cover is very cute, hence the 1 star.

[Panni Sasvári · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story is not nearly as good as other Suzanne Redfearn books I’ve listened to. I found the plot unrealistic and the main character plane annoying. The voice actor is amazing though. She made the book enjoyable after all.

[Mandy Walsh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Couldn’t stop listening. Thought provoking on the life of child stars.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Faye Martin is a mother of 3 kids, her husband left her for another woman, and she is struggling to make ends meet, while dealing with her son's speech issues. When looking for a job, her 4-yr. old, Molly, dances in the street with a man, and someone films it - and it goes viral. She is then picked up by a talent agent, and cast in a very popular TV show. Faye enjoys the limelight, but soon realizes that child star fame is a detriment to her family. I didn't like what Faye did to control the situation, it was sneaky and dishonest. I don't believe it was the only way. This is the third book of Redfearn's that I have read in the last few days. Since I read them together, I noticed that she repeats a lot of the same things in her books - e.g. the smell of baby shampoo and how she hopes her kids will continue to use it, but she knows they won't. The cutesy language with "w" inserted into words to show a lisp for a 4-year old. I get that the child is young - I don't need to read it in every line that she says. And more.

[sunshine608 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book as it gives a glimpse into the lives of making a celebrity and the world of television shows. IT also gave a a great glimpse into motherhood and the lengths we go to not only protect our children, but to try to give them the world at the same time.

It felt like Faye was a mom from a my mom's group, someone who wasn't perfect but tried to be the perfect mother which I found all too real. I liked that she stumbled and fell and wasn't the perfect heroine but was real.
Loved this book and I could't put it down. Can't wait to read more by this author.

I recivied a copy of this title through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[nancyno5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

-----SPOILER ALERT------Suzanne Redfearn's novel on the dangers of being a stage mom and the impact stardom has on young children.This is a definite cautionary tale of how not to pimp out your child to Hollywood. This is what protagonist Faye Martin has chosen for her youngest daughter Molly, a precocious 4 year old who becomes an overnight sensation. While the book does come off as a cautionary tale of the evils of Hollywood, Redfearn also conveys the struggle a single mom to 3 kids experiences after her husband walks out on her. The protagonist Faye Martin is portrayed as a somewhat weak individual who, as one would expect, wants to do what's best for her children. The story is full of cliched behavior; the 12 year old daughter who begins to hang out with celebrity teenagers and gets in trouble, the father who comes back to make money off his children, the son who suffers from selective mutism but is able to rise to the occasion and becomes an overnight celebrity. These story lines were all very elementary.The heart of the story is Faye's metamorphosis. Redfearn shows how Faye has faced her challenges head on, climbs over the obstacles hurled her way and helps her family to survives. There were two items that bothered me in the book. I feel Redfearn had Faye handle Emily's rape entirely wrong. In my opinion I felt it was treated rather callously, no different than if Emily had fallen off a horse. I also could NOT STAND Redfearn's choice to make Molly's dialog reflective of her lisp. OMG it drove me nuts to read Molly saying things like: "Do you wlike it" or Hey Chwris Cwross. That was a definite turn off.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

No Ordinary Life by Suzanne Redfearn is about a child’s life in the motion picture industry and how it affects a whole family. Faye is applying for a job on the boardwalk in Santa Monica and she had to bring her children, Molly (4), Emily (12), and Tom (8) with her. Her husband, Sean is a truck driver. He disappeared five months prior and has not returned (or called). Molly, a precocious child, does an impromptu routine with a dancer (which people capture on their phones) and soon the video is a hit on-line. Faye soon gets a call from Monique Braxton of the Braxton Talent Agency. Molly is wanted for a Gap commercial. Faye sees this as a way out of their financial troubles (and an answer to her prayers). Molly does great in the commercial which quickly turns into a hit. Molly is then asked to audition for a popular show and gets the part. This is the beginning of a new life for all of them. But things are not rosy for the family. Emily is not happy. Because of the financial troubles, Faye moved the family in with her mother (in a small condo). Emily misses her friends and her old school. Then Sean comes crawling out of the woodwork (smells money) and starts making demands. What Faye thought was an answer to her prayers is turning into a nightmare. Will Faye make the right choices? No Ordinary Life gives you a peak at what life is like for families when one child is a star. The long hours, the lines, publicity, stalkers, etc. You may make good money, but it comes at a price. The authors writing style makes No Ordinary Life easy to read, but the content is extremely frustrating (not a relaxing book to read). I wanted to make Faye stop and think about her choices (as she kept making wrong choices). One thing about Faye that was annoying was she kept thinking about sex (a lot). Did she look sexy? Was she appealing to this person? Did they want to sleep with her? This went on through the whole book (and was really not needed). I started skimming (my word for speed reading) through these sections. I give No Ordinary Life 3 out of 5 stars. It was okay, but not great (she my personal feelings). I thought it was predictable (about life in Hollywood, the husband coming back for money, and the ending). I wish the author had been a little more creative.I received a complimentary copy of No Ordinary Life from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.

[melaniehope · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a very entertaining, inside look at life as a child superstar. Faye is a struggling mother of three who is left on her own after her husband does not return from one of his truck driving jobs. Her family is inadvertently thrown into instant Hollywood stardom after her 4 year old daughter Molly is discovered singing and dancing on a YouTube video. Faye is dazzled by the quick money and notoriety and signs a three year contract for her daughter to appear on a popular TV series. However, Faye just as quickly discovers how tedious and destructive show business can really be.I so enjoyed this book due to the inside look at how tedious, cutthroat and unfulfilling being an actor/actress can be. This book showed you the flip side of fame and fortune. How it can affect the other children that are not famous, but are now judged by how they look and what they say. At times, I thought Faye was very weak and naive, but the story was juicy and entertaining and well worth a read.I received a complimentary e-book via Netgalley.com