What a tremendous Argentine noir crime novel by Nicolas Ferraro! The reader (or, in my case, the listener) is introduced to action and drama from the first minute, and it never stops. While this is a crime novel, it is also a coming-of-age story of Ambar, who is stuck on a cross-country revenge trip with her father. Ambar craves a “normal” life but lives the opposite, filled with instability, crime, and uncertainty.

Narrated by Stacy Gonzalez, does a fantastic job. I couldn’t stop listening!


Thank you, NetGalley and Recorded Books Media, for the advanced audio copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Stacy Gonzalez who does a fantastic job!

So, this was a fun twist on a coming of age story. Ambar is 15 and moves around with her gangster father from seedy motels in different cities. The actual story was about a road trip to fulfill revenge for a violent act. The read balanced shocking, gritty, violence against a young girl's need to be somewhat normal and seen.

Definitely worth a read!

I wanted to like this one, I really did. It just didn’t capture my attention, and that feels ludicrous to say because of how violent and action packed it is. But something about it was hard to connect with.

This book took me a little longer to buy into. It jumped straight into drama and I was lost with the dynamics of the family. Once I got into the story I couldn't get enough. What a wild lifestyle of moving and running with your father who is into illegal activities and moving to a town where he is after revenge. I love how his daughter, 'Ambar, who is 15 realizes she has been here before and starts to piece together where her name came from and why her Dad's favorite scar is her name or is it?

The way this coming of age story is written with a gangster family - dad and daughter - no mom involved was refreshing and kept me reading. I love how Ambar was a kid at the arcade but an adult with guns, torture and decisions are hers to deal with as well. It was full of so many feelings - from love to regret to down right betrayal. Ambar just wants to have a normal life and feel like she is part of a community and not be left alone. She does make connections with people that help shape her and she starts to understand more who she is and helps her grow even more.

The ending was not what I was expecting but man was it satisfying. My favorite scar has such an impactful connection and man did she own that in the end and did not let her early life define her future life and is not the end of her story - we must choose the shape of our own scars from now on just like Ambar - Bravo Nicolas Ferraro!!

Thank you NetGalley, RB Media & Nicolas Ferraro for the ARC in return for my honest review!!!

My Favorite Scar is a literary coming of age story told from the POV of 15 year old, Ambar. Ambar is the daughter of an Argentinian gangster and the story revolves around how his violent criminal history impacts her life. Overall, it was a good read and I enjoyed reading a different perspective from the US, British, and Nordic crime that I typically read. I do think this book is misleading in the thriller and mystery genre. It is more literary fiction that just happens to include a character who commits crimes.

If you enjoy literary coming of age stories told from a non-traditional perspective, then I recommend listening to this audiobook.

Thank you @recordedbooks for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a sucker for a coming of age story but adding a tough, gangster type dad and a road trip for revenge and I'm 100% going to read it. This story is shocking and gritty, gruesome and filled with violence alongside a young girl's need/want to be somewhat normal. She often feels alone or left out and feels like she doesn't belong. I'm sure we have all felt that way at some point and this book makes that so relatable.

One quote in the book really stood out to me: "I think that from now on I'm going to be the one who choses the shape of my scars." Wow....well done.

If you like a messy, morally gray, coming of age story with family loyalty and a sawed off shotgun as a sidekick then you will likely love this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, RB Media, Recorded Books and Nicholas Ferraro for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Wanted to add a side-note, the title of this novel was so clever! Best title EVER with its connection to love and the way it demonstrates the endlessly strong bond between father and daughter in this novel. At least at FIRST, but that is not the end of the story!

An engaging and clever novel about a father involved in organized crime traveling across Argentina as he attempts to find who killed his cohort. With the author's attention to details, you feel almost as if you are in the car with Ambar and her father. Truly excellent!

Full of true "tough guy" bravado and posturing, a great noir story about the hard path of a rough life.

I loved it, my first book by this author won't be my last.

Trigger warning for violence.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book.

This book was good. Not bad and not great but good. I did find it default to stay interested but that’s a me issue not the book.