Shaky

by Katherine Craft, Rosa Salazar (Narrator), Mayan Lopez (Narrator)

Shaky is a sharp, soulful, and surprisingly romantic comedy about Nicole, a 30-year-old drummer whose wild-child lifestyle screeches to a halt after a shocking Young-Onset Parkinson’s diagnosis. Her plan? Keep partying, keep drumming, and pretend nothing’s changed.

But when she crashes back into her childhood home—complete with her no-nonsense mom and painfully put-together younger sister—Nicole’s carefully constructed denial starts to unravel. As old tensions flare and new romantic sparks fly, she’s forced to confront the one thing she’s been her future.

Messy, funny, and full of heart, Shaky is a story about losing control and learning to love anyway—your body, your people, and maybe even that one guy you swore you’d never catch feelings for.

Genres: Audiobook, Romance, Fiction, Music

Audible Audio

Published July 3, 2025

Reviews

[Beth Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent voice acting and production. Completely selfish and unlikeable main character. It’s one thing to be messy and complicated. But I feel like this was supposed to be a redemption story, and she kept throwing the lessons/opportunities for growth in the gutter every time she came close to an epiphany.

[Amancay · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on a younger adult, dealing with the chaotic realization of a debilitating diagnosis… and the impact on her life, her family, and her response…
Humor, drama, a fun dramatization!

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a fan of the audible "radio drama" style. I thought this one was overproduced. Characters not very likable.

[Rhyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queer rep: transmasc notable side character. Queerness normalized and in a positive light

LOVE LOGE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK. I listened at 1x speed (which is uncommon for me) and savored every millisecond of it. The story is incredible, the characters are interesting, and the humor is top notch.

It was so real and vulnerable regarding Nicole’s Parkinson’s and her life’s chaos in the early stage of diagnosis. I loved the character arch, the healing, the growth.. not just for her, but for everyone.

I loved how they called out the ablism and showed real examples of how that can look in concerts/the music scene.

And I especially loved how the “good guy” was an open trans man. His character wasn’t based around his queerness and he didn’t have some traumatic backstory for his queerness. He just was. It was a part of him, not all of him.

And can we talk about the music and sound effects? Especially for outro and intros of different parts of the book?! I felt like I was watching a sitcom or something; it was phenomenal!

[Meagan Lambrecht · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea of the story was good. The narrators were amazing but the FMC annoyed the f*ck outta me and I just straight up hated her. I haven't gotten that in any book I read yet, so that says a lot. 😂 The lack of romance was a big no for me as well.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Obnoxious. Somehow it managed to make the workday seem even longer and I listened to it on ×2 speed. Chaotic and unlikeable characters. A completely inconsiderate and immature main character. 30 years old and doesn't listen to advice from anyone not even her doctor whom I believe she wanted to sleep with even though he is married??? Had a random quickie with a store employee too at one point. The way she used people around her to help her get what she wanted was awful. Oh yeah, the crashing of her sister's car because she didn't take the side effects of medication seriously was just the most lovely way to show how little the main character cared for herself or anyone around her. Still not sure why I finished it.

[Shammah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This audiobook starts out with sex noises, a woman jacking off a man, and the f* word being said repeatedly; and the rest of the book isn’t any better. I wish I had skipped this one, and I will be avoiding this author in the future.

[Nicola Lester · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this on audible and it was a DNF for me. The voice acting was great as were the sound effects, and music. However I just couldn’t finish it as I found the main character so insufferable! I understand she is going through a lot and is in denial about it but she doesn’t listen to anyone ot take advice from anyone. Her morals are questionable at best and she doesn’t take accountability for anything. She drives against the advice of her doctors and crashes the car with her sister inside then takes no responsibility for her actions because all she wants to do is get to a meeting. I abandoned it at the point she laughed when her sister was fired.

[Katie Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the daughter of someone with an autoimmune disease (MS) and someone with their own chronic illness (Crohn’s) listening to this book I felt seen. I saw my own mother in Nicole’s mother. I saw myself in both Nicole and her sister.

As someone with a chronic illness I understand the rage and frustration. The concept of mourning the loss of who you used to be is one I’m familiar with and struggle with 7 years after my diagnosis. The seven stages of grief aren’t lineal. It jumps around happens all at once and no matter how well you’re functioning I don’t think 100% acceptance is ever possible. I was so angry and fought against my body so hard in the beginning.

Speaking as a family member of someone with a debilitating autoimmune disease it’s often overlooked how hard this is and the trauma the loved ones go through right along with the afflicted family member. You often become more invisible as the person with the illness. You push your own feelings down because you don’t feel you deserve to have them, you’re not the sick one.

When I went through my own diagnosis I was extremely lucky my mom’s MS had slowed down and she was able to be a huge support for me. I saw the toll that took on her though. Every day watching her daughter get sicker and not being able to do anything to fix it.

This book is a glimpse into what it’s like, I look forward to more representation for those living with chronic illness and their families,

[Alannah Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shaky is an honest and emotionally open exploration of grief, healing, and learning to live in a body and life that no longer feel safe. Katherine Craft writes with sincerity about trauma and loss, and there is a quiet strength in the way she shares her experience without pretending there are neat or easy answers.

The book is at its best when it sits with uncertainty. The reflections on fear, vulnerability, and the slow process of rebuilding trust in yourself feel genuine and relatable, particularly for readers who have experienced loss or ongoing anxiety. There is a sense of compassion threaded throughout, both towards the self and towards others navigating similar paths.

That said, the pacing can feel uneven, and some sections become repetitive, circling the same ideas without adding much depth. At times it reads more like extended journaling than a cohesive narrative, which may not work for everyone. I also found myself wanting a little more structure or insight to balance the emotional openness.

Overall, Shaky is a thoughtful and gentle read that will resonate most with readers looking for validation rather than guidance. A solid three stars for its honesty and heart, even if it did not fully hold my attention throughout.

[tianna ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5.

Audiobook on Audible. I love the voice acting and I appreciate the music throughout because of the way that it added to story atmosphere.

I am obsessed with books where the main character is an absolute train wreck. I think it’s just really enjoyable, especially for such a short narrative and and I really enjoyed this character, figuring out her life after her Diagnosis with Parkinson’s. The book depicted chronic illness very realistic way, and I appreciate how more books are talking about this now. It was light hearted, sweet, funny, and crass. I just really liked it and I fell in love with this little family.

The only thing I wish they would’ve given sister a bit more character development and also I felt like the plot line around the mom and her boyfriend was a bit flat at times and could have been polished up a bit better so that’s why it doesn’t get five stars from me.

[Shelley Martinez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very different sort of book/recording. It was less like a book and more like a series of sketches. The main character is not particularly likeable in spite of her Parkinson's. Her sister is even more tedious. It was like getting caught up in a bad TV series that you can't pull yourself away from because you can't figure out how it will end. Thankfully, it's quite short so I was spared a drawn out ending.

[Sylvie Rochon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shaky is the story of Nicole, a young musician who has Parkinson's disease. She is in denial about her illness and its ramifications. She is living with her mother and sister who are both struggling with their own issues. It's comical and the audiobook is full cast with sound effects.

[Emily Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good listen. Not my normal type of audio but still a good listen

[Mary Ayre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious comedy!

[Jamie Huston · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audio was excellent, the story was okay

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cutie story of personal growth and familial love

[Gail Radka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible only The music the voices all add to the drama and madness. I enjoyed this totally different look at Parkinson’s highly amusing but serious and sad at the same time.

[Madison Isley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so fast paced that I was confused a lot.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do think reading it would have been better than the audiobook. Because it just felt very chaotic and did not take me to a peaceful place

[Priscilla Reinart · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute. happy ending. funny.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and easy romance.

[Lexus Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

really fun and hilarious messy characters but the cover is misleading, the romance is very much the background.

[Nicole Restrepo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super interesting to listen too. Loved the texture. Loved the representation for Parkinson's. But Nicole was unhinged.

[Patty · Rating 2 out of 5]

performance was great. Storyline not so much.

[Chapter Pumpkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good palette cleanser! The way it's narrated is a little weird and you'll understand why when you listen to it but it got me through the drive to work so I'd say it was pretty okay.

[Laura Samborsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

absolutely laugh out loud in public funny! it had some heartfelt moments and you really felt instantly connected to the characters, they were so real!