Audiobook Review: Abandon by Blake Crouch

Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Pub. Date: July 7th, 2009
Length: 11 hours, 23 minutes

Genres: Fiction / Dual Timeline / Mystery / Suspense

Synopsis

On Christmas Day in 1893, every man, woman and child in a remote gold mining town disappeared, belongings forsaken, meals left to freeze in vacant cabins; and not a single bone was ever found. One hundred thirteen years later, two backcountry guides are hired by a history professor and his journalist daughter to lead them into the abandoned mining town so that they can learn what happened. With them is a psychic, and a paranormal photographer—as the town is rumored to be haunted. A party that tried to explore the town years ago was never heard from again. What this crew is about to discover is that twenty miles from civilization, with a blizzard bearing down, they are not alone, and the past is very much alive.

What Did I Think About the Story?

Okay, so this synopsis hooked me right away, and the idea of a totally abandoned ghost town and a search for what really happened made me need to buy this audiobook when I saw it was on sale. Add to that the fact that I really enjoyed the show based on the author's book series, Wayward Pines, and I just knew I was in for a treat. While I will say that the audiobook was good, it was definitely nothing like I was expecting.

The story goes back and forth in time, between the Christmas of 1893, when Abandon was a struggling little town still occupied by its townspeople, and 2009, when a small group of people (the ones described in the synopsis) set off to explore Abandon and to try and figure out what really happened in 1893. The history professor is an expert on the town and it has been his life's mission to not only discover what happened but to see if he can find a cache of gold bars rumored to have been in Abandon when everyone left. This back and forth style was excellent as the author often left off on a cliffhanger of sorts between switching timelines, keeping you drawn into the action and drama, while also advancing both stories at an interesting pace. Sounds good, right? Well, it was. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be.

I think my biggest "disappointment" (that word is a bit strong but is the best I can do) is that there were hardly any ghostly element involved. There is one point where the psychic starts having a breakdown of sorts, saying that there are too many voices calling out to her, but that's about it. Both storylines are more about intense greed and the horrific consequences that can result from that greed. Some of the characters are unbelievably depraved and do some horrifyingly cruel things, all led by their lust for riches, and I appreciated how vivid the author painted some of the terrifying and sad scenes (I felt like I could really see the people struggling in the snow storms and feel the claustrophobia of those trapped within caves). I also thought that, while the narrator did an excellent job voicing the characters, his narration was somewhat monotone and lacked the tension that the actions being described should have had (at least until the end...his voice grew in angst somewhat as the story neared its finality).

Abandon was a good audiobook, don't get me wrong.  It just wasn't a great one. Some of this feeling might stem from my disappointment in the fact that this wasn't the ghostly story I wanted and was expecting based on the synopsis. The past wasn't very much alive, other than in the 1893 storyline, which our modern characters obviously don't get to witness. It felt very grounded in reality and the here-and-now and, for our modern characters, the past ended up really being more of a side note to a robbery gone horribly wrong than the main driving force. I will also say that I thought the ending - of both storylines really - was surprising and quite sad. Overall, given the author's ability to transport the reader and vividly showcases the worlds he's creating, I will definitely read more by Blake Crouch. I think I just need to keep a very open mind about what the stories might actually be about.

What Did I Think About the Cover?

When I first saw the cover, I didn't notice the person peeking out between the wooden slats, so thought it was pretty plain. Once I saw those peering eyes I thought it was quite eerie! There's a lot of trapping and attempts at escape going on in this story, so it does fit it well.


My Rating: 3.0/5.0

I purchased a copy of Abandon for my own library. All opinions are my own. You can find more information about the book, including other reviews and links to where you can purchase a copy, on Goodreads HERE.

 

 



Audiobook Review: Center of Gravity by Laura McNeill

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers
Pub. Date: July 14, 2015
Length: 10 hours and 11 minutes

Genre: Psychological Suspense / Fiction

Synopsis

What if everything you think is true and real about your life is a lie?


Ava's life in the coastal South appears nearly perfect after her recent marriage to the powerful and handsome Mitchell Carson. She loves her husband and the family they have created. Even Mitchell's young son from a previous marriage, Jack, with his superhero ambitions, can't imagine life without Ava. Outwardly, Mitchell appears to be a caring husband and doting father, but as Ava soon discovers, there is a dark side to Mitchell Carson that she never imagined.

When Graham Thomas, a lawyer with a secret past, stumbles into Ava's life, everything changes. Mitchell's jealous streak emerges after an innocent encounter between Graham and Ava, and Mitchell soon convinces himself that Ava is unfaithful. When Mitchell starts divorce proceedings and a custody war, Jack is caught in the middle, which soon makes him question Ava's pure intentions. As Ava searches for a way to save her family, she begins to uncover her husband's secret past and capacity for unhinged jealousy and rage.

What Did I Think About the Story?

Center of Gravity ended up being so different from what I expected when I started listening to it. I expected it to be a behind-the-scenes look at a "perfect family" that isn't as  perfect as we first expect, however it was so much more! The reader (or listener in my case) gets to see inside the heads of these characters which, in the case of Mitchell, is quite disturbing.

The story is told through the point-of-view of numerous characters, namely Ava, Mitchell, Sam, Graham, and a court-appointed psychologist. I loved this as it gives such a rounded view of this disintegrating marriage and family and allows us to see the various characters grapple with the sometimes insane-seeming situation before them as well as view how they try to justify what is happening. In the case of Mitchell this is quite chilling as we discover, quite early on, that he's rapidly coming unhinged. I found it fascinating to see how far he would go - lying, scheming, planting false evidence, and so much more - in his quest to get what he wants and ruin Ava after he's convinced she's been unfaithful to him. Watching Ava try to rationalize what is happening around her (surely this couldn't be happening to her happy little household, could it?) as well as come to terms with the increasingly horrific facts she finds out about her husband was also so interesting.

With such a host of appealing (or disturbing) characters, my favorite would definitely be Jack. His point-of-view is so endearing and it broke my heart to watch him wrestle with loving his mentally abusive father, take care of his baby brother Sam, and try to figure out how to make his family whole again. He wants so badly to be like the superheroes he loves so much, which is a lot of pressure for an 8-year-old. He's such a sweet, smart, and brave little character and I just ached watching him go through so much at the hands of his own father.

The pace of the narrative was great as well. In the beginning the pacing was somewhat slow as this world slowly begins to unravel, but then it picks up and continues to build intensity, reaching near breakneck speed at the end. I found myself unable to stop listening until I could see how it would end and discover if all of our characters would make it out alive.

Being an audiobook I should comment on the narrator as well. Lisa Larsen was an excellent narrator and did a fantastic job of changing up the voices of the characters, which is especially impressive given the large cast. She also did a great job of altering the tension and pacing to keep the listener invested in the story and making it hard to turn it off.

Center of Gravity is a great peek into the home of a psycho husband who convinced so many - including his wife! - that he was the perfect family man. You won't be able to look away as the plot unfolds and the illusion of perfection tumbles down. I highly recommend it for those that enjoy a suspenseful listening experience!

What Did I Think About the Cover?

While I didn't initially think much of it, now that I've read the story I think it fits it very well. The build up of all that Mitchell has kept hidden - and the discovery of the lengths he will go to to get what he wants -  makes the narrative feel tighter and tighter until - snap! - it quickly unravels the many lies and lays bare the terrifying facts. I definitely appreciate it more after reading it!


My Rating: 4.0/5.0

 

I purchased a copy of Center of Gravity from Audible for my own library. All opinions are my own. Find more about the book, including other reviews and links to where you can purchase your own copy, on Goodreads HERE.

 

 

 



Audiobook Review: A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

Publisher: Christian Audio
Pub. Date: March 11th, 2015
Length: 9 hours, 48 minutes

Synopsis

A beautiful scarf, passed down through the generations, connects two women who learn that the weight of the world is made bearable by the love we give away....


September 1911. On Ellis Island in New York Harbor, nurse Clara Wood cannot face returning to Manhattan, where the man she loved fell to his death in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Then, while caring for a fevered immigrant whose own loss mirrors hers, she becomes intrigued by a name embroidered onto the scarf he carries…and finds herself caught in a dilemma that compels her to confront the truth about the assumptions she’s made. Will what she learns devastate her or free her?

September 2011. On Manhattan’s Upper West Side, widow Taryn Michaels has convinced herself that she is living fully, working in a charming specialty fabric store and raising her daughter alone. Then a long-lost photograph appears in a national magazine, and she is forced to relive the terrible day her husband died in the collapse of the World Trade Towers…the same day a stranger reached out and saved her. Will a chance reconnection and a century-old scarf open Taryn’s eyes to the larger forces at work in her life?

What Did I Think About the Story?

I absolutely LOVE Susan Meissner's writing and A Fall of Marigolds is no exception. I continue to marvel at her ability to present two seemingly unrelated narratives, in different times and, often, different places, that always somehow weave together with even the tiniest bit of connection. Being the huge historical fiction fan that I am I also love that she often picks unique perspectives and situations that I haven't read about before. In this particular novel she also presented a perspective on a more recent national tragedy - the collapse of the Twin Towers - causing me to be just as enamored by this storyline as the historical one (which rarely happens for me!).

As the synopsis says, in the past storyline Nurse Clara Wood is somewhat hiding out on Ellis Island in an attempt to put her life on pause and not really deal with the tragedy she witnessed when the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire blazed right in front of her eyes and took the life of the man she had just started having feelings for. The vast amount of the novel takes place in this storyline and the reader (or listener in my case) gets a great sense of the lasting trauma and heartache Clara experienced after this event, especially given the guilt she carries that her sweetheart's death was her fault. While I can't say that I exactly understood her continued love for the man who died (they hadn't even gone on a date) I did feel quite sad for the way she felt after the experience. The very idea of leaving the island causes her physical distress and I really enjoyed the fact that a chance encounter with a sick immigrant during her work on Ellis Island, combined with the support of a no-nonsense yet caring doctor, formed the catalyst to have her finally deal with what she experienced and to work to get past the terror and move on with her life.  It was also fascinating to get to see Ellis Island through her eyes when it was still in operation and to get a feel for the vast amount of humanity that came through its doors.

While the present storyline dealing with Taryn Michaels was much shorter and therefore less developed than Clara's, it was actually my favorite of the two storylines as I felt like I could almost viscerally understand and experience what she went through. Having actually been alive when the Twin Towers went down (I was in college and distinctly remember the school dismissing classes and walking into my apartment to see the second tower fall) I felt a palpable dread listening to Taryn's recollections of that day and was amazed at the author's ability to place me down on that horrified and gritty street as the world fell apart around Taryn and the others near ground zero. Listening to this, especially when Taryn relays her guilt (like Clara's) that her husband's death was somehow her fault, brought me to literal tears and made for an interesting driving experience as I fought to control my emotions. The way the author wrapped up Taryn's story, and how she incorporated the scarf so important to both stories into that conclusion, was wonderful and left me with such a hopeful, satisfied feeling about the story overall and the future these characters would have.

I can't forget to mention the skill of the narrator (Tavia Gilbert) as I've learned a narrator can make or break a story's overall enjoyment. I was amazed at the emotion Tavia was able to put into both storylines and I completely blame her for my tearful reaction to Taryn's recollections of 9/11. She nearly broke my heart with it, but then was able to bring the hope back into the story and leave me feeling quite satisfied. She was also surprisingly good at altering her voice for both main characters as well as the secondary ones, the women and men both, and each one truly had their own voice and personality.

A Fall of Marigolds further affirmed my love for Susan Meissner's books, which is great as I will be beginning her newest novel, A Bridge Across the Ocean, very soon and have really been looking forward to it. With this particular story I was amazed at how similar Clara and Taryn's experiences and emotions were even though they were generations apart and lived wholly different lives. I listened to this audiobook on a long trip home for the weekend and stayed completely glued to it until it ended. If you haven't read Susan Meissner's novels before I highly recommend them and think A Fall of Marigolds is a great place to start! 

 

What Did I Think About the Cover?

I think it's very pretty, although I find it somewhat plain compared to some of her other novels. I do like that she get to see the titular Marigolds as well as get a hazy peak at some buildings that I think might be Ellis Island. Overall a nice cover.


My Rating: 5.0/5.0

My Reviews of Susan Meissner's Other Books

Lady in Waiting
A Sound Among the Trees
Secrets of a Charmed Life
Stars Over Sunset Boulevard

I purchased a copy of A Fall of Marigolds for my own library. All opinions are my own. You can find more information on the book, including other reviews and links to where you can purchase a copy, on Goodreads.

 

 



Audiobook Review: Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Publisher: Audible Studios
Pub. Date: February 22nd, 2012
Length: 14 hours, 1 minute

Synopsis

When young, pretty Catherine Bailey meets Lee Brightman, she can't believe her luck. Gorgeous, charismatic, and a bit mysterious, Lee seems almost too perfect to be true.

But what begins as flattering attention and spontaneous, passionate sex transforms into raging jealousy, and Catherine soon discovers that Lee's dazzling blue eyes and blond good looks hide a dark, violent nature. Disturbed by his increasingly erratic, controlling behavior, she tries to break it off; turning to her friends for support, she's stunned to find they don't believe her. Increasingly isolated and driven into the darkest corner of her world, a desperate Catherine plans a meticulous escape.

Four years later, Lee is behind bars and Catherine—now Cathy—is trying to build a new life in a new city. Though her body has healed, the trauma of the past still haunts her. Then Stuart Richardson, her attractive new neighbor, moves in. Encouraging her to confront her fears, he sparks unexpected hope and the possibility of love and a normal life.

Until the day the phone rings . . .

What Did I Think About the Story?

Into the Darkest Corner is one of those books that seemed to always pop up on the "because you purchased this book you might also like..." list whenever I purchased or added a psychological mystery to my wish lists and, on top of that, it seemed to be well loved by those that had read it. Because of this when the ebook/audiobook combo came up on a great sale I knew I had to purchase it. From the description I knew this was going to be a case of psychological and physical abuse and manipulation but, having now read it, I'm amazed at how well the author not only portrayed the aftermath of this kind of terror but how she slowly unwound the story and kept the tension building until the very end.

The story goes back and forth, from chapter to chapter, between Catherine's time with Lee and four year's later when she's finally starting to move on with her life. This slow, deliberate release of information, especially where it deals with the development and breakdown of her relationship with Lee, made it difficult to figure out exactly what happened to Catherine at the hands of Lee and what could possibly have caused the damage she was dealing with in the future storyline. You see things start to slowly happen - things moved around in her apartment, Lee showing up unexpectedly when she's out with friends, Lee dictating what she wears and doesn't wear - and you keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and then....the story switches into the near future and you know that something absolutely horrible happened but you just don't know yet what that is. This kept me glued to my headphones in the hopes that I'd finally learn the truth. And when I did...it was horrifying yet completely satisfying as far as thrillers go.

My absolute favorite aspect was seeing how the abuse Cathy experienced effected her psychologically. What she experienced was insidious and brutal and ended up causing her to have long term OCD and paranoia issues. I never thought about the fact that something like that could cause someone to develop severe OCD and the author did an exceptional job of detailing Cathy's rituals and showing how it not only affected her actions and feelings but those around her, especially Stuart who is a psychologist and tries so patiently to help her as a friend and, later on, potential love interest. The best parts were listening to her internally tell herself that she's being ridiculous - of course the door is locked! - but then hear her rationalize checking it one more time, then one more time again, and so on. This was just fascinating and something I was not expecting from the story.

The main narrator (Karen Cass) was great and did an excellent job of inhabiting the fun, outgoing, and promiscuous Catherine in the past as well as the withdrawn, jumpy Cathy in the present that had cut off all ties to her past and kept herself from forming any real relationships with anyone new. These are two very different personas and both came off as real and developed. Listening to this as an audiobook also made the violence and abuse, both physically and psychologically, that much more horrible and poignant and the narrator went a long way to making that the case. It should be noted that there is quite a bit of graphic violence, especially towards the end of the story, so anyone who is squeamish to that sort of this should be forewarned.

Into the Darkest Corner was a wholly entertaining if horrifying audiobook. It definitely kept me listening and made it hard to walk away as so many chapters left off on some new revelation or experience and I constantly felt the urge to try and go one more chapter. This being my first experience with this author I'm definitely interested to see what else she has to offer.

What Did I Think About the Cover?

This cover is okay but doesn't really give any feeling for the story. There's another cover that shows a door that's slightly ajar but still has the chain lock fastened that perfectly represents the OCD actions of Cathy and that always looming sense of danger.


My Rating: 4.5/5.0

I purchased a copy of Into the Darkest Corner for my own audiobook library. All opinions are  my own. You can find more information on the book, including other reviews and links to where you can purchase it, on Goodreads.

 

 



Audiobook Review: The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe

Publisher: Jennifer R. Kincheloe, Ltd⎮2016
Author: Jennifer Kincheloe
Narrator: Moira Quirk

Length: 12h 44m
Release date: Nov. 14, 2016

Genre: Historical Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis

It's 1907 Los Angeles. Mischievous socialite Anna Blanc is the kind of young woman who devours purloined crime novels, but must disguise them behind covers of more domestically-appropriate reading. She could match wits with Sherlock Holmes, but in her world women are not allowed to hunt criminals. Determined to break free of the era's rigid social roles, Anna buys off the chaperone assigned by her domineering father and, using an alias, takes a job as a police matron with the Los Angeles Police Department. There she discovers a string of brothel murders, which the cops are unwilling to investigate. Seizing her one chance to solve a crime, she takes on the investigation herself. If the police find out, she'll get fired; if her father finds out, he'll disown her; and if her fiancé finds out, he'll cancel the wedding. Midway into her investigation, the police chief's son, Joe Singer, learns her true identity, and shortly thereafter she learns about blackmail. Anna must choose - either hunt the villain and risk losing her father, fiancé, and wealth, or abandon her dream and leave the killer on the loose.

What Did I Think About the Story?

Reading the synopsis of The Secret Life of Anna Blanc, I was instantly drawn to it as it has so many components that I love in historical fiction: a look into the customs and culture of the time period in which it takes place; a resourceful, intelligent female battling against the set stereotypes of the time; some sort of drama/action/adventure to keep me interested.  I've also been hearing great buzz about this audiobook version and was delighted at the prospect of finding another delicious audiobook to make my commute less frustrating and boring then it typically is. I'm happy to say that I did enjoy listening to Anna's story unfold very much, even if I did have some issues with the main heroine herself.

Speaking of Anna Blanc (or Anna Holmes or Ami Amour depending on whether she was using one of her aliases or not), I'm sorry to say that I wasn't a huge fan of her as a character. She was quite selfish, impulsive, and arrogant and this all served to undermined her natural talents at detective work and obvious intelligence. She seemed to act without any regard for how her actions would effect other people and even destroyed the property of other people without seeming to care. She also came off as somewhat flighty at times, which made for a really odd dichotomy between her obvious abilities and her ditzy persona. She seemed shocked when people didn't take her seriously, but then did things over and over again that would  make anyone not take her seriously! I'm not sure if I missed something by this being a listening experience over reading the actual book but I just had the hardest time wrapping my head around Anna Blanc.

Now, that being said, I loved almost all of the other characters! Joe Singer was an amazingly charming character and the brothel girls were hilarious. Actually, there was quite a bit of humor amongst most of the characters and I found the banter to be very entertaining. The actual search for the killer of the brothel girls was interesting as well and I can honestly say that I had no idea who the killer was and was surprised when he revealed himself.

Even with the delightful secondary characters, my absolute favorite aspect of this audiobook would have to be the narrator, Moira Quirk. She was amazing! Her ability to change her voice and make every single character distinct was unlike any other narrator I've listened to before. She was easily able to express the humor and danger and romance wherever it needed to be and made me excited to keep turning it on to listen to a little bit more whenever I could.

Anna Blanc herself aside, The Secret Life of Anna Blanc was very entertaining.  While I didn't connect with this particular heroine I can see how others might really enjoy her contradictory nature and, regardless, her adventures searching for a killer definitely keep your attention.

What Did I Think About the Cover

I found the audiobook cover that I've included above quite plain, but the book cover has a fashionably dressed woman hiding her face behind a large hat and I find that cover to be much more fitting for the story.


My Rating: 3.5/5.0





Thank you to Audiobookworm Promotions for a free audiobook copy of The Secret Life of Anna Blanc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. Please see below for more information about the author, narrator, and the rest of the blog tour.

  



About the Author

Jennifer has been a block layer, a nurse's aid, a fragrance model, and on the research faculty at UCLA, where she spent 11 years conducting studies to inform health policy. A native of Southern California, she now lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two teenagers. She's currently writing book three in the Anna Blanc Mystery series. Book two, THE WOMAN IN THE CAMPHOR TRUNK, is coming out in Fall of 2017 from Seventh Street Books.

About the Narrator

Moira grew up in teeny-tiny Rutland, England’s smallest county, which is fitting as she never managed to make it past five feet herself. Moira’s work spans the pantheon of the voiceover world: plays for BBC radio, plays for NPR, video games, commercials, television promos, podcasts, cartoons, movies and award winning audiobooks. She's won Multiple Audie Awards, Earphone Awards, as well as Audible's prestigious Book-of-the-Year Award. She has lately set foot in front of the camera again, appearing in “Pretty: the Series” and the Emmy-winning “Dirty Work.”

Buy the Book

Audible⎮Amazon

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc Tour Schedule

Mar. 1: Chapter Break (Review, Spotlight, Dream Cast, & Narrator Interview)

Mar. 2: Candid Ceillie (Review & Author Interview)

Mar. 3: The Bookworm Central (Review)

             Rolo Polo Book Blog (Spotlight & Music Playlist)

Mar. 4: Lilly's Book World (Review)

Mar. 5: The Desert Bibliophile (Review & Spotlight)

Mar. 6: A Bookaholic Swede (Review)

             terriluvsbooks (Review & Dream Cast)

Mar. 7: Working Mommy Journal (Review)

Mar. 8: The Maiden's Court (Review)

             The Bookworm Lodge (Spotlight)

             A Literary Vacation (Review)

Mar. 9: Babs Book Bistro (Review & Spotlight)

Mar. 10: Dab of Darkness (Review)

               Desert Rose Reviews (Review, Music Playlist, & Dream Cast)

Mar. 11: Literature Approved (Review)

              Spunky 'n Sassy (Review & Spotlight)

Mar. 12: History From A Woman's Perspective (Review)

Mar. 13: Jorie Loves A Story (Review)

               Bound4Escape (Review)





Audiobook Review: The Plague and I by Betty MacDonald (Narrated by Heather Henderson )

Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press

Pub. Date: April 8th, 2016

Author: Betty MacDonald
Narrator: Heather Henderson

Length: 8 hours 48 minutes

Genre: Humor, Memoir

Book Series: Betty MacDonald Memoirs #2

Synopsis

The Plague and I recounts MacDonald's experiences in a Seattle sanitarium, where the author spent almost a year (1938-39) battling tuberculosis. The White Plague was no laughing matter, but MacDonald nonetheless makes a sprightly tale of her brush with something deadly.

What Did I Think About the Book?

I have to admit that I had never heard of Betty MacDonald before listening to The Plague and I, her memoir regarding her experiences in a tuberculosis sanitarium and her sometimes serious/sometimes comical adventures in health and illness. I'm so glad I decided to listen to this audiobook as the author's world, told through this wonderful story and by a remarkable narrator, was really interesting and gave me a view into an experience and setting I never would have been able to experience otherwise.

The story begins with MacDonald's recap of the opposing attempts at health education and application between her father and grandmother as she and her siblings grew up. Her father was quite strict regarding exercise and diet while her grandmother sort of made up her own rules regarding health and illness and classified the children's illnesses into set diseases regardless of their symptoms. Ironically, in the end her most serious illness, tuberculosis, was inflicted on her by no fault or lack of discipline of her own.

The bulk of the story takes place in the sanitarium and it was fascinating learning the odd yet strangely effective treatments and rules employed to hopefully cure the many patients at The Pines. I was amazed at the humor MacDonald was able to demonstrate given her situation and what she was expected to do - or not do - in the name of a cure. They were made to spend the vast bulk of their time lying in a cold bed without speaking or coughing and without making any relationships that could hinder their progress. I'm so glad that MacDonald played a little loose with the rules and we were invited along for the ride.

My favorite part of the narrative would have to be the many quirky and therefore humorous characters MacDonald met at the sanitarium. Her roommates, especially the soft spoken Kimmy with the biting wit, made her time in bed as fun as possible. The other patients were a myriad of the absurd - from hypochondriacs to Negative Nancy's to unusually optimistics - and it was so fun watching them on their own journeys through this memoirist's eyes. The nurses and doctors were not very friendly (with the exception of a few) and their strict rules became almost comical as they seemed to think they were working with robots instead of social creatures like humans. This insulated world and its strange cast of characters were unlike anything I'd seen before.

The narrator (Heather Henderson) was excellent. My favorite qualities of a good narrator are their ability to alter their voice based on the various characters and to express the emotions appropriately that the author meant to express with their words. Henderson did an excellent job of changing her voice up based on who was speaking, which is amazing because there is quite an extensive cast of characters. I never had to guess at who was speaking and I really appreciate that when listening to an audiobook. Henderson also easily expressed the humor intrinsic in each line of the story and it kept the mood light and breezy when it could have easily taken on a darker tone.

The Plague and I was the perfect story for an audiobook. It's interesting, informative, and oh so funny. I'm curious to learn more about the author and am definitely planning on listening to more audiobooks by this narrator. All in all a very pleasant listening experience.

What Did I Think About the Cover?

Sadly the cover does nothing for me. It very plain and, other than having the picture of the author in the bottom corner, doesn't really offer anything of interest to look at. I'm not even a very big fan of the color scheme. So much more could have been done to make it appealing.

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

Thank you to Audiobookworm Promotions for a free audiobook copy of The Plague and I in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. Please see below for more information about the author, narrator, and the rest of the blog tour.

About the Author: Betty Macdonald

Betty Bard MacDonald (1907–1958), the best-selling author of The Egg and I and the classic Mrs.

Piggle-Wiggle children’s books, burst onto the literary scene shortly after the end of World War II. Readers embraced her memoir of her years as a young bride operating a chicken ranch on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, andThe Egg and I sold its first million copies in less than a year. The public was drawn to MacDonald’s vivacity, her offbeat humor, and her irreverent take on life. In 1947, the book was made into a movie starring Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert, and spawned a series of films featuring MacDonald's Ma and Pa Kettle characters.

MacDonald followed up the success of The Egg and I with the creation of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, a magical woman who cures children of their bad habits, and with three additional memoirs: The Plague and I (chronicling her time in a tuberculosis sanitarium just outside Seattle), Anybody Can Do Anything (recounting her madcap attempts to find work during the Great Depression), and Onions in the Stew (about her life raising two teenage daughters on Vashon Island).

Author Paula Becker was granted full access to Betty MacDonald’s archives, including materials never before seen by any researcher. Looking for Betty MacDonald, the first official biography of this endearing Northwest storyteller, reveals the story behind the memoirs and the difference between the real Betty MacDonald and her literary persona.

About the Narrator: Heather Henderson

Heather Henderson is a voice actress and audiobook narrator with a 20-year career in literary and performing arts. Her narrations include the NYT bestseller (now also a feature film) Brain on Fire; and Sharon Creech's The Boy on the Porch, which won her an Earphones award and was named one of the Best Children's Audiobooks for 2013 by Audiofile Magazine. She earned her Doctor of Fine Arts degree at the Yale School of Drama, and is co-curator of AudioEloquence.com, a pronunciation research site for the audiobook industry. In 2015, Heather was a finalist for a Voice Arts Award (Outstanding Narration, Audiobook Classics), for her narration of Betty MacDonald's The Egg and I.

The Plague and I Blog Tour Schedule

Jan. 11: A Page To Turn (Giveaway, Spotlight, & Audio Excerpt)
Jan. 12: Dab of Darkness (Review & Giveaway)
Jan. 13: The Pursuit of Bookishness (Review, Giveaway, Spotlight, & Audio Excerpt)
Jan. 14: terriluvsbooks (Spotlight)
Jan. 15: Kristine Hallways (Review, Giveaway, & Audio Excerpt)
Jan. 16: Blogger Nicole (Spotlight)
Jan. 17: Jorie Loves A Story (Review)
Jan. 18: Ali the Dragon Slayer (Review)
Jan. 19: The Bookworm Lodge (Spotlight)
Jan. 24: Never 2 Many 2 Read (Review & Giveaway)
Jan. 25: Country Girl Bookaholic (Giveaway, Spotlight, & Audio Excerpt)
Jan. 26: He Said Books Or Me (Review)
Jan. 27: Bound4Escape (Review)
Jan. 28: Working Mommy (Review & Giveaway)
Jan. 29: Avid Book Collector (Review, Giveaway, Spotlight, & Audio Excerpt)
Jan. 30: A Literary Vacation (Review)
Jan. 31: January Gray Reviews (Review)

Audiobook Review: The Cryptic Lines by Richard Storry

Author: Richard Storry
Narrator: Jake Urry
Publisher: Richard Alan Storry
Length: 4 hours and 13 minutes (unabridged)

Audio Release Date: March 16, 2016

Genre: Mystery

Synopsis

Set in a sprawling gothic mansion in a remote coastal location, somewhere in the British Isles, the elderly recluse Lord Alfred Willoughby is deciding what is to become of his vast fortune after his death. Whilst his head is telling him to leave nothing at all to his wastrel son, Matthew, his heart is speaking differently. After much deliberation, in a last-ditch attempt to try and show to his son the importance of applying himself to a task and staying with it to the end, he devises a series of enigmatic puzzles cunningly concealed within the lines of a poem – the cryptic lines. If he completes the task successfully and solves the puzzles he will inherit the entire estate; but if he fails he will receive nothing. However, from Lord Alfred’s Will it emerges that Matthew is not the only interested party. The mysterious old house holds many secrets, and nothing is as it first appears…

What Did I Think About the Story?

Every year when the seasons begin to move towards longer nights and cooler weather, my reading and listening mood starts shifting more and more towards the scary, dark, and mysterious. When I saw this cover and read the synopsis I thought it sounded like the perfect eerie mystery to listen to on my commute to and from work. I just can't get enough of gothic mansions and hidden secrets! While the story wasn't necessarily as "spooky" as I anticipated, it did present an exciting and twisty adventure that was full of family drama and revelations.

One aspect I found very well done was the attention given to building a truly ominous atmosphere around the mystery at the heart of the story. The setting being a dark, isolated, windswept mansion by the sea, slowly falling apart around its aging owner - a rich and eccentric sort of man - sets up the perfect backdrop in which to have characters skulking around corners and through family cemeteries. The house itself almost becomes it's own character with a sort of decrepit opulence and I absolutely loved following along as our two main characters, Lord Willoughby's son, Matthew, and his solicitor, Charles, explored it and the surrounding grounds. While it became clear pretty early on that this wasn't a ghost story, I did keep expecting to see something spectral pop up around every corner!

The grand hunt Lord Willoughby sets up for Matthew and Charles was also very well constructed. Setting the two on a task to find a sapphire, using clues with double meanings and a time limit in place to ensure they work quickly, the men must use all of their wits and resources to find the sapphire first. The man who finds the sapphire will inherit the Lord's entire fortune...the  man who comes in last gets nothing. And the clues left for them are anything but easy! Let's just say there are plenty of twists and turns, hidden passageways and secret rooms to discover and explore before the end is finally in sight.

What I really didn't expect, but still enjoyed, was how wrapped up in family this story and quest became. There's a lot of love and hurt, heartache and disappointment, floating around these characters and quite a few family secrets that are revealed by the end. I have to admit that I suspected the biggest reveal pretty early on but there were still a few that I never saw coming. There was also mention on and off about Charles's ex-fiancé and why she left him, but that plotline didn't seem to go anywhere and I'm not really sure it needed to be included. I'm also not sure I agree with all the choices the characters made, however the intentions and motivations behind these choices were easy to see.

I have to commend the narrator (Jake Urry) for his ability to keep the atmosphere tense and dramatic. I loved his voice for this sort of story (he sounded to me a lot like Vincent Price) and he kept things very low and ominous throughout most of the narrative. I was also impressed with his ability to keep the pace even and not rush or bog down the portions of the story that were more about the characters thinking about the clues then anything really happening. I would have possibly liked a little more variance between characters as it sometimes was hard to distinguish who was talking, but this was only a minor issue and I was really impressed overall.     

The Cryptic Lines was so much more than simply a chilling gothic mystery, although it did have a good bit of that as well. The mood and atmosphere was perfect for this time of year and I genuinely enjoyed trying to unravel the clues along with the characters. I recommend this for anyone who likes a quick, twisty tale about the lengths some people will go to for family.
  

What Did I Think About the Cover?

I think the cover is perfect for the story! It's got that dark and eerie vibe that hangs over the whole narrative. I love that the house, which is so essential to the plot, takes up such a large portion as well....it almost gives off a haunted house feel, although that isn't actually part of the story. All in all it's definitely eye catching when you're looking for something mysterious or spooky!


My Rating: 4.0/5.0

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Jake Urry. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it. Continue on below for more information regarding the author, narrator, and the rest of the blog tour.

 

 

About the Author: Richard Storry

 

Richard is the author of four published novels, with his fifth “A Looming of Vultures” due for
publication in 2017. Prior to writing his first novel, “The Cryptic Lines” he was very busy in the theatrical world: He composed the incidental music to Chekhov’s Three Sisters, seen in London’s West End, starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Eric Sykes, and subsequently broadcast on BBC4 television. His musical adaptation of “The Brothers Lionheart” premiered at London’s Pleasance Theatre, followed by a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival where it was voted Best Childrens’ Play. “The Cryptic Lines” has now been adapted for both the stage and screen.

Learn more about Richard on his website, and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

About the Narrator: Jake Urry





 

Jake Urry is a British actor and audiobook narrator, and also co-founder of Just Some Theatre. Since

graduating from an Acting degree course in 2012 he’s toured with Just Some Theatre as an actor and producer, worked on a number of commercial voice over projects and most recently started producing Audiobooks. Jake has produced over 10 titles since March 2016 and has rapidly found himself at home narrating Thriller, Horror, Mystery and Suspense titles. His audiobook work includes dark psychological thrillers White is the Coldest Colour and Portraits of the Dead by John Nicholl, occult mystery series The Ulrich Files by Ambrose Ibsen, and gritty Sci-Fi novel Shadows of Tomorrow by Jessica Meats.

 

Learn more about Jake on his website, Voices, and Soundcloud, and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

 

 

The Cryptic Lines Tour Schedule

 

Oct. 23: Dab of Darkness (Review & Interview)
Oct. 24: My World in Words and Pages (Review)
Oct. 25: To Read Or Not To Read (Audio Excerpt & Spotlight)
Oct. 26: He Said Books Or Me (Review)
Oct. 27: Maureen’s Books Blog (Review)
Oct. 28: Desert Bibliophile (Review, Audio Excerpt & Spotlight)
Oct. 29: Never 2 Many 2 Read (Review & Spotlight)
Oct. 30: Bookaholic Banter (Review, Audio Excerpt & Spotlight)
Oct. 31: The Paper Pilgrim (Review)
Nov. 1: My Book Fix (Review, Audio Excerpt & Spotlight)
Nov. 2: Bound 4 Escape (Spotlight)
Nov. 3: Totally Addicted to Reading (Audio Excerpt & Spotlight)
Nov. 4: Books Are My Way of Living (Audio Excerpt)
Nov. 5: Highway YA (Audio Excerpt & Spotlight)
Nov. 6: Jorie Loves A Story (Review & Interview)
Nov. 7: Bedtime Bookworm (Review & Audio Excerpt)
Nov. 8: ShannonBookishLife (Spotlight)
Nov. 9: Book Journey (Review & Audio Excerpt)
Nov. 10: A Literary Vacation (Review)
Nov. 11: Avid Book Collector (Review, Audio Excerpt & Spotlight)
Nov. 12: Brooke Blogs (Review & Audio Excerpt)

 

 

 

 

 



Audiobook Review: The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza

Publisher: Bookouture
Pub. Date: February 12th, 2016
Pages/Length: 396/10 hours, 7 minutes

Synopsis

Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice…She is not the only one.


When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation.

The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in water around London.

What dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding?

As Erika inches closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is closing in on Erika.

The last investigation Erika led went badly wrong… resulting in the death of her husband. With her career hanging by a thread, Erika must now battle her own personal demons as well as a killer more deadly than any she’s faced before. But will she get to him before he strikes again?


A page-turning thriller packed with suspense. If you like Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Karin Slaughter, discover Robert Bryndza’s new series today.

What Did I Think About the Story?

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I subscribe to a number of daily emails that come in with ebook sales and deals and have found it just too easy to push the little button to buy books I didn't even know I wanted until the deal was too good to pass up! Add on an audiobook version for just a couple more dollars? Why, yes, that sounds nice, thank you! This is the scenario that led me to purchase and listen to the audiobook version of The Girl in the Ice.   I've found myself gravitating towards British crime dramas and police procedurals in the last few years, especially in regards to TV shows (Happy Valley, anyone?), and thought this sounded twisting and unnerving enough to keep me entertained on my long drive to and from work each day.  I'm so glad I gave it a try as I enjoyed it very much and recently discovered that this is just the first book in an Erika Foster series!

Erika Foster is quite the complicated character. We find out pretty quickly that a wrong move on Erika's part led to the death of her husband, which she's having a tough time recovering from. Jumping into work seems just the ticket to distract her, and her determination not to make mistakes in this newest case goes a long way in giving her the strength to push back against the thick and twisted bureaucracy she encounters due to the power and influence of the father of the victim found in the ice (more victims are to come, but I don't want to give anything away!).  Erika is not a woman to be messed with and I love that she led the investigation with brains, heart, and conviction even when male counterparts tried to undermine her and block her way. I loved her as a character, as well as the main detective working with her, Detective Moss, and really hope the two of them work together in future installments of this new series.

Great characters aside, I think my favorite aspect of the story is the time and detail given to the actual procedures and red tape that goes into police work. There are so many  intricacies and regulations that go into a police procedural, much of which I had no idea about, and the politics layered on top due to the money and power of the family being investigated made it all that much more interesting. I was amazed at all the work that went into discovering our murderer, not just forensically and logistically but on Erika's instinctual level, and I have a new respect for the detectives that solve this sort of crime.

As with any audiobook, the narrator can make or break my overall enjoyment of the story. The narrator of this story (Jan Cramer) did a great job of varying her voice between characters (which can't be easy with as many characters as we find here) and somehow alternating effectively between concrete police procedures and wild and unpredictable violence. She kept a good pace, depending on what was happening at any given point in the story, and I'm excited to see that she'll be narrating the next book in the series, The Night Stalker.

I will warn those that are squeamish that the murder scenes and some descriptions throughout can be kind of graphic, however I think any reader should expect as much given the book synopsis and the genre of novel. I, for one, appreciate this aspect when I'm reading a story such as this as it makes it more realistic and therefore more interesting to me as a whole.

The Girl in the Ice surprised me with its well developed characters and authentic feel.  While I had an idea in which direction our killer was going to come from, I can honestly say I didn't guess the actual murderer correctly and was excited when the killer was finally revealed. I'm definitely going to be reading the next installments in the series as I quite enjoyed Erika Foster as a character and am curious to see what other characters make it in as well. Pure grit and entertainment, it's sure to be a fun ride!   


My Rating 4.0/5.0

I purchased a copy of both the ebook and audiobook of The Girl in the Ice for my own collection and all views expressed are my own. Find more information about the book, including other reviews and purchase links, on Goodreads.

 

 



Audiobook Review: Windfallen by Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Tantor Audio
Pub. Date: March 10th, 2014
Length: 14 hours, 52 minutes

Synopsis

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You, the basis for the major motion picture, comes a breathtaking drama of two women whose lives entwine through a lovely English seaside house.


For Lottie Swift, Arcadia has always been magical. The breathtaking art deco house perched above the shoreline of the well-ordered village of Merham seems to stand still throughout the years. It has never changed, not really, but Lottie's fate and fortune have been inextricably linked with that of the beautiful house, and it will forever be fixed in her mind as a symbol of adventure, youth, and of loves lost and gained. Even as her life—and the house—fall into disrepair.

Years later another young woman comes to Merham. A designer hired to make over the now-empty Arcadia, Daisy Parsons seeks a new beginning, as Lottie once did. Fleeing a broken relationship and now facing being a single mother, Daisy finds refuge in the house, and something more—a love she thought she would never know again and a friendship unlike any she’s experienced before.

What Did I Think About the Story?

I've read a couple novels by Jojo Moyes (The Girl You Left Behind and Me Before You) and really enjoy her ability to whisk me away to either the past or the present with humor and heart, all while making me care for her characters and the ups and downs they experience. With Windfallen, I felt like I got the best of both worlds: a look into the past as Lottie Swift tackles the obstacles before her shortly after WWII as well as a present storyline showing Daisy Parsons tackling her own set of issues. What I wasn't expecting was the similarities between these two women and how their lives would become intertwined.

Unlike most novels I've read that deal with dual timelines, the first half of Windfallen deals exclusively with Lottie's coming-of-age story as she decides to stay in Merham after being sent to the country and out of London during the WWII bombings on the city. I quickly came to like Lottie as she navigated the uppity family she lived with that never quite accepted her as their own. I ached with her as she fell in love with someone not  meant for her (as well as felt for the boy who clearly loves her and which she doesn't feel the same for). She's a kind, forthright and sympathetic young character and I'm very glad I already liked her by the time we see her in what I think of as "Daisy's half" of the story as she becomes quite the crotchety and overly opinionated older woman. This is somewhat understandable given her life experiences, but still.

I wasn't as big a fan of Daisy's story but I did appreciate how she grew as a character during her time remodeling Arcadia House. We get to see her go from a battered and broken single mom into a strong woman able to face anyone - whether that be a brash boss, busybody townfolk, selfish ex-lover, or pushy babysitter - with confidence and determination. I also liked how she ended up influencing and helping Lottie as much as Lottie helped her. They both had so much in common, even given the very different circumstances they experienced, and it was interesting to see how both their stories would twist together and apart and ultimately resolve.

As I always do with audiobooks, I should mention that I enjoyed the narrator (Michelle Ford) and thought she did a good job of differentiating the characters. She did an excellent job of effectively expressing the humor in the story as well, and was able to shift between warring emotions clearly and with a good bit of impact for the listener.

Jojo Moyes has such a unique way of telling a story that I'm pretty much a fan for life. While Windfallen isn't my favorite of her novels I've read (that designation still goes to The Girl You Left Behind) it is still a great story full of heart, humor, and emotion.   

What Did I Think About the Cover?

I think it's very pretty, although I don't know if it really matches the story. I could be wrong but those trees look like they have fruit on them, and I don't recall there being any discussion of fruit trees. Otherwise, this could be Daisy walking through the overgrown gardens of Arcadia House. I'm a little surprised that the author's name is so big as well, although I imagine her name alone is a huge draw to the story. All in all a nice cover.


My Rating: 4.0/5.0

 

I purchased a copy of Windfallen for my own collection. You can find more information about the book, including other reviews and links to where you can purchase a copy, on Goodreads HERE.

 

 



Audiobook Review: Burying the Honeysuckle Girls by Emily Carpenter

Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Pub. Date: April 26th, 2016
Length: 10 hours, 1 minute

Genres: Historical Fiction/Mystery/Southern Fiction

Synopsis

Althea Bell is still heartbroken by her mother’s tragic, premature death—and tormented by the last, frantic words she whispered into young Althea’s ear: Wait for her. For the honeysuckle girl. She’ll find you, I think, but if she doesn’t, you find her.
Adrift ever since, Althea is now fresh out of rehab and returning to her family home in Mobile, Alabama, determined to reconnect with her estranged, ailing father. While Althea doesn’t expect him, or her politically ambitious brother, to welcome her with open arms, she’s not prepared for the chilling revelation of a grim, long-buried family secret. Fragile and desperate, Althea escapes with an old flame to uncover the truth about her lineage. Drawn deeper into her ancestors’ lives, Althea begins to unearth their disturbing history…and the part she’s meant to play in it.

Gripping and visceral, this unforgettable debut delves straight into the heart of dark family secrets and into one woman’s emotional journey to save herself from a sinister inheritance.

What Did I Think About the Story? 

I have really been lucky lately with my selection of audiobooks! The last few I've listened to have all been exceptional, and Burying the Honeysuckle Girls is no exception. In this exhilarating Southern Gothic story, the reader gets to learn, along with its main character, Althea, the secrets that generations of her family have fought to hide. There's intrigue, murder, suspense, some mysticism, and so much more all wrapped up in a deceptive package of Southern charm.

The chapters of the story go back and forth in time between Althea in the present time trying to piece together the missing and disconnected threads of her family in order to hopefully forestall the devastating lunacy that seems to befall all women of her family on their 30th birthday, and her great-grandmother, Jinn, in the past as she nears her own 30th birthday and begins to question the life she's been living. Hearing these two women telling their own stories in their own timelines, I couldn't wait to see how the threads would come together. When they did I have to admit I wasn't quite prepared for the shocking revelations and hauntingly sad realizations unearthed.

One of my favorite aspects of the story was the Southern Gothic/mysticism interlaced through this very real and dangerous search for why the women in Althea's family all seem to go crazy - and often die - on their 30th birthdays. There is a good amount of reality-based issues going on - drug use, infidelity, racism, murder - but there's also this delicious other-worldly feeling and element that was both beautiful and intriguing as it tried to fit into the homegrown beliefs and practices of the old South.

The narrator, Kate Orsini, had a wonderful Southern accent, although she spoke pretty fast at times until it almost felt that Althea was manic (which might have been the point, now that I think of it). She did an excellent job of keeping the pace building with excitement, especially as it rounded the corner to the surprising end. I was also impressed at how well she did differentiating the voices of the various characters, both female and male, so that it was easy to know who was speaking, which can't be easy. I'd be interested to listen to more books she narrates, but it doesn't appear she has done too many to date.

In the end I was completely satisfied with Burying the Honeysuckle Girls.  Althea's search unmasked not only her family's dark secrets but overarching questions for society at large, such as where the line between sanity and insanity falls and who gets to decide where that line is, how a patriarchal community,  made up of good ol' boys, can damage a society for generations, and how far political ambition and power can go before the crimes committed by those with power are unearthed. With a tight and exhilarating mad-dash for truth leading to a satisfying if bittersweet conclusion, Burying the Honeysuckle Girls was a surprise hit for me. I'm in awe that this is Emily Carpenter's debut novel and I'm really excited to see what she comes up with next!  

What Did I Think About the Cover?

I think it's beautiful! I'm from the South and there are few things I find more tranquil and sentimental than a dirt road overhung with a canopy of trees. There is something about that dappled light that gets me every time! I also remember having honeysuckles near my home growing up and they give off one of the most enticing smells I know. So, probably needless to say, the cover comes to life for me! And of course we have the young woman on the cover, who I think is probably Althea but could be Jinn or a number of other women. Her staring off down that road makes me wonder at all the secrets and possible horrors that might be hiding around the corner for her (I only mention the horrors now that I've read the story...I didn't think this initially). I would easily be drawn to this book, even without reading the description, due to this cover.


My Rating: 4.5/5.0

I purchased a copy of Burying the Honeysuckle girls for my own collection. You can find more reviews and links to where you can purchase the book on Goodreads HERE.

 

 



Audiobook Review: The End of Everything by Megan Abbott

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Pub. Date: July 7th, 2011
Length: 8 hours, 31 minutes

Genres: YA / Mystery / Crime Drama / Suspense / Fiction

Synopsis

Thirteen-year-old Lizzie Hood and her next-door neighbor Evie Verver are inseparable, best friends who swap clothes, bathing suits, and field-hockey sticks and between whom-presumably-there are no secrets. Then one afternoon, Evie disappears, and as a rabid, giddy panic spreads through the balmy suburban community, everyone turns to Lizzie for answers. Was Evie unhappy, troubled, or upset? Had she mentioned being followed? Would she have gotten into the car of a stranger?

Compelled by curiosity, Lizzie takes up her own furtive pursuit of the truth. Haunted by dreams of her lost friend and titillated by her own new power at the center of the disappearance, Lizzie uncovers secret after secret and begins to wonder if she knew anything at all about her best friend.

What Did I Think About the Story?

I've never been a  huge fan of Young Adult novels, but when this Kindle/Audiobook combo went on sale I thought it sounded like an interesting enough audiobook to give a go on my commute to work. I've become quite a sucker for a good mystery, and the promise of finding out what really happened to Evie and what these characters could possibly be hiding was a huge draw. I'm glad to say the story provided me with hours of entertainment, as well as an interesting coming-of-age tale that I wasn't quite expecting.

I think the "big mystery" surrounding what really happened to Evie and the effects her disappearance has on everyone around her - especially Lizzie - and it's aftermath was well done if somewhat underwhelming from what I was expecting. It kept me listening as I was pretty sure what was unfolding was not the whole truth. Lizzie herself was such an interesting character, not only because the story is told from her point of view but because her growth outshines everything else for me, including Evie. This girl, who's in that awkward point in life when you're not really a girl but not yet a woman, thinks she knows so much about life but really knows so little and ends up making some horrific choices that change everything, all in the name of doing what she thinks is right for her best friend. I found it so sad to see Lizzie's magical illusions about her friend and her friend's family fall apart once she discovers the truth. Her innocence seems to disappear before the reader's eyes, and as everyone knows you can't un-know what you learn. This end of innocence ends up happening for more characters than just Lizzie, but it's Lizzie's struggle in growing up and facing the truths before her that I really enjoyed.  

The other big aspect that I enjoyed was the narrator herself. For me, a huge part of really enjoying an audiobook is the voice and talent of the narrator (or narrators if you're lucky enough to get more than one). The narrator of The End of Everything was phenomenal (Emily Bauer), having the perfect voice to represent a girl in her early teens. Beyond her ability to make me believe she was this young girl, she did an excellent job of keeping up a constant urgency and tension in her voice, making me feel like the strain and uncertainty always in the background of the story was going to burst open at any minute. 

At the end of the day, I found The End of Everything to be more of a coming of age story than a solid mystery. I did enjoy that we actually find out what happened to Evie, however it seemed somewhat anticlimactic compared to what I was expecting from the description. However I still found it quite enjoyable and I was impressed enough with the writing style of the author to have added more of her books to my wish list. 

What Did I Think About the Cover?

I like it, although I don't think it represents the story as well as it could. The colors are pleasant and I like the idea of one of our main girls (I like to think it's Lizzie) being sort of incapsulated in this silent world of water away from the realities actually happening around her, but I think I might be stretching to find meaning in the image.

My Rating: 3.5/5.0

I purchased the Kindle/Audible audiobook versions of The End of Everything for my own collection. You can read more reviews about the book and find links to where you can purchase your own copy on Goodreads. 

Audiobook Review: Locke and Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Publisher: Audible Studios
Pub. Date: October 5th, 2015
Length: 13 hours, 26 minutes

Synopsis

Audie Award Finalist, Original Work, 2016 

Based on the best-selling, award-winning graphic novel series Locke & Key - written by acclaimed suspense novelist Joe Hill (NOS4A2, Horns) and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez - this multicast, fully dramatized audio production brings the images and words to life.



A brutal and tragic event drives the Locke family from their home in California to the relative safety of their ancestral estate in Lovecraft, Massachusetts, an old house with powerful keys and fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. As siblings Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke discover the secrets of the old house, they also find that it's home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all....


Featuring performances by Haley Joel Osment (Entourage, The Sixth Sense), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Kate Mulgrew (Orange Is the New Black, Star Trek: Voyager), Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Stephen King (The Stand, 11-22-63), as well as a cast of more than 50 voice actors, this audio production preserves the heart-stopping impact of the graphic novel's astounding artwork through the use of richly imagined sound design and a powerful original score.


*Locke & Key contains explicit language and adult situations.

What Did I Think About the Story?

This is hands down the best audiobook I have ever listened to! There is so much to praise about it that I'm sure I'm going to leave something out, but I'll do my best to fully express just how wonderful it was.


The audiobook version of Locke and Key is a wholly immersive experience, with a large cast of talented narrators that give distinction and gravitas to each character, orchestrated music tailored to the particular vibes of each scene, background noises of every kind - gravel scratching underfoot, squeaky doors, conversations and whispers, bangs, bumps and shrieks - so you feel you are experiencing the story, not just listening to it. Beyond the actual story, this kind of production value was something I've never experienced in an audiobook before and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be disappointed by just about anything I listened to next.


Now, to the story. It should be noted that there is quite a lot of violence and explicit language (which is noted above), but, for me, this wasn't a deterrent as it fit the characters and the often horrific situations they experienced. We have a lot of teenagers and troubled people dealing with murderous spirits....what else would you expect?!


I was completely fascinated by the magical keys and doors of  the Locke House...they did everything from turning people into ghosts, animals, and other sexes/races,  they made people bigger, gave them the ability to control shadows, manipulated memories, fixed things that were broken....and so much more! I am absolutely enamored by authors that can create and wrap the reader in such intricate and involved worlds and Joe Hill has mastered this ability in Locke and Key.


The other aspect of the story I really enjoyed was that, along with the ultra-cool yet sinister house and all its magical properties, it is also the story of a regular and, in many ways, relatable family. After the "brutal and tragic event" mentioned in the synopsis occurs, the grieving family moves back to the family home. The mother soothes her grief with alcohol and the two older teenage siblings are forced to care for their younger brother. The older siblings experience teen angst and struggle to find love and friendship among a new set of friends while the younger sibling struggles to be heard and valued by those that think he's too young to do much of anything. Now, who can't relate to at least some of that?


The scenes are broken up in short segments, divided up with foreboding music and a deep-voiced narrator that explains background information and sets up the next scene, which was very different from any other audiobook I've listened to before. I believe this was done to maintain the graphic novel formatting and, in the beginning, did take some getting used to, but once I did I really enjoyed this aspect as it made it easier to find natural stopping places whenever I had to (unwillingly) stop listening to get back to real life. There's also a steady thread of humor that runs through the heavier story, which did do something to break up the horror and sadness that was more prevalent.


The Locke and Key audiobook is so much more than just a story you can listen to - it's a fully immersive production that could rival any play or movie and unlike anything I've experienced before. I'm not sure if there are other audiobooks like this out there, but I really hope there are. If you're not easily offended or too squeamish this is a wonderful way to experience a story. I recommend it to anyone looking to become completely lost.

What Did I Think About the Cover?

Given how much goes on within the story, it's somewhat simplistic. I can't really wrap my head around what I would prefer as so many elements would work, but I probably would prefer something dealing with the house, the kids battling the many magical things they encounter, or the keys. However I believe this is meant to be the main demon they encounter, so it definitely fits the story. The way the title is constructed is perfect and the fact that it looks like a drawing from a graphic novel also fits the feel and structure of the story very well.


My Rating: 5.0/5.0

I purchased a copy of the Audible audiobook version of Locke and Key for my own collection.  You can read more about it, other reviews, and find links to purchase on Goodreads HERE.