Ray Jay Edwards

YOU are a Warrior, TOO!

Revisado: 12-28-22

I bawled my eyes out for the first half of this novel. Not because it's sad, but because it's SO BEAUTIFUL! Miss Emmons has captured the delicious yearning of youth and reminded us -- we older readers -- of how immediate, how vital our emotions are.

It was important that our peers understood where we were coming from, not for any superficial reason like, "Does he think I'm a good person," but because of the more fundamental reasons like, "Does he really HEAR me and understand what I'm trying to say?"

If the kids in this novel truly represent the future of the human race, I believe we're in for a much better future than what my generation was prepared to leave behind. ;P

I understand Tessa's fears and reservations, and I SO want to protect her! And I respect Weston's balls-to-the-wall approach to adversity! These kids remind me of what still works, no matter how old we get!

Love life. Live real. Admit love.

On a purely superficial note: Abbie Emmons' performance of both Tessa and Weston is definitive. For maybe 30 seconds, I was taken aback by her switching to a lower register to read as Weston, but after the first few words, I was ALL IN. I can't imagine anyone else properly reading this novel but the author!

This audiobook was a personal holiday treat for me: my brother and I have been through a tough year and a half, and I had taken a laborious job to make ends meet after a thoroughly tragic series of events. To be able to "escape" into the world of a blind girl and a legless boy showed me beauty that I had, sadly, forgotten exists.

Abbie Emmons made me laugh, made me smile, and made me FEEL like I haven't felt in years!

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A Refreshing Lateral Move!

Revisado: 07-26-22

We usually don't catch up with what's going on in Dresden's world until the beginning of the worst weekend of his life. So this straight-up Detective story is most welcome! The stakes aren't as mind-crumblingly dire as they have been the last few years!

I like Butcher's reading. I hesitate to admit that Marsters is better in many ways because that's like saying that I'll bet Butcher writes a better short story than Marsters. It's clear to me that Jim Butcher has learned a new skill, and learned it well, in my opinion!

Most importantly, to me, is that I had a great time listening to this!!!

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Such a fun escape!

Revisado: 04-07-21

Grabenstein pulled me right out of my IRL drama for a day and recharged my batteries with this whimsical, fast-paced gem! Genuine laughs and genuinely engaging!

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Deeper Than The Original

Revisado: 04-07-21

I love how Grabenstein chose to add a bit of philosophical depth, without at all diminishing the absurd humor, puzzle-solving adventure or straight-up charm of the first book!

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A Brilliant Heist Adventure!!!

Revisado: 04-06-21

This is not just a fun, smart, utterly entertaining heist adventure for kids, it's a straight up excellent heist adventure! The production values grabbed me right from the start, but very soon the writing and characters had me thoroughly hooked!

I am now about to buy two more Chris Grabenstein audiobooks!

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Inspired Insanity

Revisado: 04-05-21

Correia amps the lunacy up a couple of notches, while still telling a coherent story! (And when you're writing about interdimensional insurance agents and slinging pop culture reference every which way, it's downright shocking to imagine the term "coherent story" could possibly be applicable here!) Lightening-paced nonsense with its own, impeccable internal logic.

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Fast-paced and insanely imaginative!

Revisado: 04-05-21

I don't know what's more fun, Adam Baldwin's performance or the absurd concepts and actions Correia forces him to read! Too much fun!

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Not the whole story...

Revisado: 11-07-16

Well written and well read, but this isn't the entire movie. Luckily for me, I bought this after seeing the film. But this would be a disappointment to someone who hadn't seen the movie yet.

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A Fascinating Exploration of Character

Revisado: 09-09-16

Would you consider the audio edition of Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Tainted Canister to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, but I have difficulty imagining the medium would make much difference to this particular story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Holmes was my favorite character in this story. To explain why would spoil the ending.

What about Steve White’s performance did you like?

Steve White captured this particular version of Watson brilliantly, without failing any of the other characters in the story. His characterization for Mary was quite excellent, as well.

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

Yes! And because of its running time, I was able to!

Any additional comments?

For reasons that become obvious at the story's conclusion, this story is an fascinating exploration of character, and probably the perfect length for what it is. Had I invested more time with this particular story, I might have found it annoying. But the author seemed to recognize that this specific tale should be exactly this length. Absolutely worth a listen for any Holmes fans looking for a thought-provoking surprise!

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A Bit of Respect for the Working Detectives!

Revisado: 09-03-16

Would you consider the audio edition of You Buy Bones: Sherlock Holmes and his London Through the Eyes of Scotland Yard to be better than the print version?

This was my first exposure to the novel, but I can't imagine the voice in my head being any more enjoyable than listening to Dominic Lopez reading this! The narrator is spot on!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lestrade! In many adaptations (and some of Conan Doyle's own work) Lestrade gets underplayed as a foil for Holmes. But here, Lestrade comes off as an admirable man. I never would have guessed that Lestrade could be interesting as a lead character, but Marcia Wilson made him a hero in his own right!

What about Dominic Lopez’s performance did you like?

Mr. Lopez has a voice that is infinitely easy to listen to. Also, he gives each character his/her own "voice", but this never becomes distracting. The switches between characters and narration flow seamlessly, until you reach the end of yet another chapter and you look at the time and realize you need to go to bed eventually.

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

There are several moments that moved me, but when the detectives find Watson's notes and realize that he is writing a book about Holmes, and the way each of them reacts -- particularly Lestrade -- felt like a revelation! It felt like Marcia Wilson had figured out how to remain true to Conan Doyle's original vision, but also flesh out the world believably, and add a certain humanity (and likability) to characters whom we have never before bothered to consider in any depth.

Any additional comments?

I was a bit skittish about this concept. I feared that the author might be trying to rewrite or ret-con Holmes and his world. But I was quickly reassured that Wilson loves Holmes and his world just as much as I do, and surprised at just how much she was able to make me love ancillary characters I had always taken for granted!

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