Elise V.

A beautiful memoir

Revisado: 10-09-17

I want to write something smart and important, because this book is smart and important. The organization of the memoir is perfect, with seamless and seemingly effortless parallels drawn between past and present. The writing flows so naturally, and Alan's narration is just as natural, as if he is just talking to you and telling you the story of his life and what he's learned from it. As for the story itself - that he went through such a horrific childhood and came out as a successful and seemingly joyous adult is amazing and inspiring. Anyone who has suffered through something similar will find much to empathize and agree with as well as insights that might help them to see their own situation in a new light. I've been a fan of Alan's since seeing him in Cabaret on Broadway back in the '90s, and this book just makes me like him about 100 times more.

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Brutal honesty

Revisado: 10-09-17

One of the most honest memoirs I've listened to. I relate to many things Roxane wrote here, in more ways than I thought I would, and am left with much to think about in my own life and about the society in which I live. I truly admire how so many of the statements she makes are calling up her shortcomings or issues or whatever you want to call them, without resolution or that epiphany moment where she overcame them, as we generally look for in a memoir; instead she is just stating facts about how she lives today. That is a level of candidness you don't often see in memoirs, where the story generally revolves around the hardships the author has endured and how she overcame them. Instead this is an examination of one woman's trials throughout her life and up through the present day; the ways in which trauma can shape a life; and the problematic ways our culture, our families and friends, and ourselves deal with those who are different or imperfect.

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Not everyone has to be the guy who saves the world

Revisado: 06-05-17

What made the experience of listening to The Rest of Us Just Live Here the most enjoyable?

Excellent narration. Loved how each chapter started with a brief description of what the indie kids were doing--fighting the supernatural battles, saving the day--while the main characters went about being normal (well, sort of) teenagers--it really drove home the meaning of the title. Also liked how in several cases, what you thought was going to happen didn't--though to avoid spoilers, I won't say how.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Rest of Us Just Live Here?

Not so much a moment but a thing - I like the relationship between main guy Mikey and his best friend, Jared, a lot, particularly the way Jared looks out for Mikey when he's having an OCD episode. Really real and touching.

Which scene was your favorite?

Any with Jared and any sort of cat. I love how weird that little storyline is and how okay Jared is with the whole thing. Like it doesn't bother him at all that cats follow him around and literally worship him. I don't know, I thought it was funny.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

What Everybody Else Is Doing While the Superheroes Save the Day

(Okay, it's a little long for a tag line.)

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If you just read it, you're missing out

Revisado: 06-05-17

If you could sum up This Is Just My Face in three words, what would they be?

So. Freaking. Funny.

What was one of the most memorable moments of This Is Just My Face?

Her descriptions of her work as a phone sex operator. For real.

Have you listened to any of Gabourey Sidibe’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not, and in fact have seen only one of her movies/shows (and it wasn't Precious). But no comparison is necessary to know this audiobook is awesome. If you just read the book and didn't listen to the audioboook, you'd definitely be missing out. Her voice and style add a whole other dimension to the memoir.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I'm not sure "moving" was really the tone she was going for most of the time, but I did like the thoughtful ways she talked about her family--both the good and the bad parts of them. She acknowledges their flaws and that her ongoing relationship with them is a work in progress. That she still can say she loves her dad after what he put her and her family through is really remarkable and a testament to the kind of person Gabourey truly is.

Any additional comments?

Honest, thoughtful in places, and funny, funny, funny. A must-listen even if you're not a die-hard Gabourey fan.

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Written 38 years ago - still relevant today

Revisado: 05-26-17

Where does The Dead Zone rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's up pretty high, thanks to James Franco's narration. The story is great, but what he did with it really pushed it over the top (in a good way).

What did you like best about this story?

How scarily relevant the political part of the story is today, though Stephen King wrote The Dead Zone in 1979.

Which character – as performed by James Franco – was your favorite?

It might sound funny, but for some reason, my favorite was Dr. Sam Weizack - a minor character, Johnny's neurologist. I just really liked his accent and voice. Franco really got the calm, patient, intelligent tone of a good doctor down.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! King stories are always pause resisters, and this one was no different. Even though I already knew the basics of the story, having seen the movie, I couldn't wait to get back to listening to find out what would happen next...and, honestly, to hear what turns the narration would take next. James Franco definitely kept it interesting.

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Heartbreaking. Devastating. Thought provoking.

Revisado: 03-23-17

Where does A Mother's Reckoning rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's definitely among the top memoirs I've listened to. It's just so interesting and so insightful without being grotesque. Sue approaches the tragedy her son perpetrated openly and honestly, bravely exploring the act itself and the thorny, knotty issues surrounding it, none of which have any easy answers.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There are no characters here, as it's nonfiction, but I will say Sue comes across as an intelligent, strong, and caring woman - none of which she really gets credit for as the mother of Dylan Klebold. As evidenced in many reviews of this book, she is often seen simply as a bad mother who is culpable for what her son did. This, we find out here, is not truly the case. The truth is a whole lot more complicated than that, and I applaud Sue for allowing us to peer into her life and see who she really is beyond the news coverage, to witness her own struggle to come to terms with what her son did while also grieving for his death and for the violent, sudden loss of the son she knew.

Which scene was your favorite?

Again, no scenes per se, as it's a memoir. But I did find it interesting to learn about Columbine from Sue's point of view - how she first heard about it, a minute-by-minute account of the tragedy as it happened, the scarring, jarring aftermath, and so on. She and her husband had to declare bankruptcy due to the many lawsuits brought against them by victims' families. They split up under the pressure. She had to go grocery shopping in a different town after the massacre, so she wouldn't be recognized. Little things you wouldn't think of that show just how pervasive Dylan's actions were not just in his and his victims' lives but in the lives of those he left behind as well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. It was compelling and informative, always leaving me wanting to hear more.

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I could not love this book more.

Revisado: 03-23-17

What did you love best about Wonders of the Invisible World?

The story, the writing, the narration. A perfect trifecta of perfection.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Aidan. His coming-of-age story - how he came to know himself, the world around him, and his place in it - is beautiful, so thoughtful and meaningful, translatable from the microcosm of his life to the macrocosm of society and the culture he lives in. He faces his vulnerabilities without fear and works to accept the people in his life and himself as they and he are. He doesn't know how strong he is until he's really tested, and then he finds out he's stronger than he ever knew possible. The perfect protagonist in every way.

Jarrod, of course, is a close second. Just 'cause he's so dreamy.

What does Michael Crouch bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His vocal characterization of Aidan is spot on - full of awe and wonder but also very grounded and real. He sounds like a young man who is unsure of himself at times but is striving to tell his story. Crouch also does nice but subtle accents for some of the characters who require them and does a great job of using different but always consistent voices for all the main characters, so we can tell them apart easily.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

Supernatural LGBT YA fiction is my new favorite genre. Who knew it was even a thing.

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The sequel I never knew I needed

Revisado: 09-29-16

What did you love best about Doctor Sleep?

I love, love, love how it brings Dan Torrance's life story full circle. His progression from a bad (understatement) childhood to a messed up young adulthood to finally finding his place in the world is extremely satisfying. King says in the book a couple of times that life is a wheel, its only job is to turn, and it always comes back to where it started--and that's exactly what this story does for Dan. By going back into his past, he is able to reconcile his present and his future and become the person he was meant to be. Doctor Sleep brings him from being the terrified and terrorized little boy at the Overlook Hotel--a time period he was stuck in not only in readers' minds all these years but in his own life--to a fully realized human being, full of compassion for and understanding of himself, his "gift", and the world around him.

What other book might you compare Doctor Sleep to and why?

Well, The Shining, of course. :) Though it is different enough in many ways that it is definitely its own book, not just a sequel riding on its predecessor's coattails.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

Everything. EVERYTHING. Will Patton should narrate every book ever.

Real answer: His acting is incredible. He does a different voice for each character, and each is believable and consistent. He helps to give the characters an extra dimension, making them not your typical 2-D book characters but 3-D Technicolor people. The villains hiss, and the good guys...well, they sound brave when they have to be, but Patton is also able to express their flaws and self-doubts with self-effacing sincerity. The exciting parts of the narrative are loud and fast! And the more philosophical parts are lower in volume and in tone. He truly makes it like watching a movie in my head.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

Will Patton + Stephen King = my OTP.

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I! LOVE! THIS! BOOK! SO! MUCH!

Revisado: 07-07-16

Where does Lily and the Octopus rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Out of all-time audiobooks....in the top ten. Out of audiobooks I've listened to this year, in the top five.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lily and the Octopus?

I can't say, because it would give away part of the ending. You'll know it when you get to it, and actually could probably guess it's going to be the outcome all along. I'll admit I shed a real tear or two.

What about Michael Urie’s performance did you like?

His performance is excellent! He had just the right sarcastic, detached tone for Ted's narration, though as we learn as the story progresses, that detachedness is hiding some very deep emotions, which Urie also conveys perfectly. I thought in the beginning that his narration style might be a little too...aloof. But then I realized, that is actually Ted's voice. He tries hard to be unemotional, to deny how he really feels so as to avoid facing truly painful situations in his life, and Urie's narration really does convey that very well.And his Lily voice is THE! BEST! Exactly how a small, excited-about-everything dog would sound. I often found myself replaying her lines and even shared one with my FB friends, it was so funny. (Thanks, Audible Clips!)

If you could rename Lily and the Octopus, what would you call it?

Oh, I'm bad with titles. I used to work as a ghostwriter--writing entire books--and could never come up with titles on my own. And I think Lily and the Octopus is such a great title! It conveys not just an important part of the plot but Ted's refusal to focus on his own feelings, instead projecting them onto Lily and her octopus; though the story is really about him, he makes it all about them instead. Do I have to change the title? :)

Any additional comments?

Listen to this book! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel very satisfied at the end. What more can you ask for?

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Have you ever been a 14-year-old girl?

Revisado: 03-22-16

Where does Tell the Wolves I’m Home rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's definitely in my top ten. Probably in my top six.

Who was your favorite character and why?

June. I know some listeners don't like her because she seems...well, kind of insipid, but she's not. She's just so incredibly naive and sheltered that she has no "bigger picture" of how the world is. She can operate only on her own point of view, which is still quite childlike despite her age. She has a slight awareness at times that the way she thinks might be off base but seems reluctant to delve into that idea in any depth most of the time - which in itself shows some self-awareness, but let's not go down that rabbit hole. Overall, I like her because I feel like she is a true, cringe-worthy example of an awkward and - I'll say it again - naive teenage girl, the kind I think I was too at that age. So I relate to her in a lot of ways.

What about Amy Rubinate’s performance did you like?

I'll tell you honestly, I didn't like her at all - at first. I thought she was too dramatic; her tone of voice and inflections actually sounded to me like some sort of Saturday Night Live caricature of a teenage girl. But as the story went on, and I got to know June better, I saw how much this voice fit her. Because she IS too dramatic. She's a tremendously naive 14-year-old girl with far too much alone time, leaving her to make lots of bad choices. She lives in her own little fantasy world, to an extent, and as such Amy Rubinate's sort of overdone narration fits her perfectly. Hers is truly the inner voice of a 14-year-old girl - or at least the kind of 14-year-old girl June is. Which, as I've already mentioned, is sort of the kind of 14-year-old girl I was, too. I probably sounded just like her.

If you could take any character from Tell the Wolves I’m Home out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Greta, June's sister. I feel like she's got some good secrets she might share. She's messed up, but I like her ferocity.

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