OYENTE

Lauren Frantz

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Intriguing storyline that kept me hooked right up until the end.

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-20-25

Part crime novel, part supernatural, part psychological thriller, this book kept me guessing at exactly what happened and whether Anna was part of a murder cover-up, a woman haunted both literally and metaphorically, or insane. It kept me guessing the whole time and had a pretty satisfying conclusion. Mia Wasikowska is an actress I have enjoyed on-screen and her audiobook skills did not disappoint. Definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes to be kept on their toes!

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One of the best Beauty & the Beast retellings out there!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-28-24

I love a good fairytale retelling, and Beauty & the Beast is one of my favorite stories. This one did not disappoint! I love how the author brought in elements of the original (and some subtle nods to Disney) while still entirely making the story her own. Beauty’s pain from her past affecting her relationship with the Beast was heartbreaking to read but so well done. Often, it is the beast alone who needs healing but in this lovely story, we see two broken people healing each other. 10/10 would recommend!

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Wonderfully narrated, chilling yet heartbreakingly beautiful tale

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-15-24

I was unfamiliar with both the audiobook narrator and the writer prior to this story, but I may have to look into them after listening to this. The descriptions were so vivid I could practically feel the wind in my face and smell the salt marsh on the breeze. Haunting yet not gory or ghoulish. The narrator, too, had a lot to contribute to the audiobook. The emotion he put into it and his adeptness at switching between character “voices” as needed were brilliant. Highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good ghost story.

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Fun Pirate Fantasy Adventure…But more POTC Than Peter Pan

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-24-24

As a huge fan of Peter Pan retellings, I’ve read most of the ones out there. This one kept my attention. The storytelling and descriptions were great. I could see it all playing out like a film in my head. Likewise, the narrator for the audiobook did a good job of differentiating his voice for various characters. The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it wasn’t really as much of a retelling of Peter Pan as a new Pirates of the Caribbean style pirate adventure in general. There were some characters very clearly inspired by POTC, particularly Mama Laveau, who was very reminiscent of Tia Dalma (and also I’m sure by the actual real-life Marie Laveau). Likewise, Hook seemed more Jack Sparrow than James Hook. If you like OUAT’s version of Hook, then you might like this one. But for me, Hook and many of the other original Peter Pan characters just felt…off. Out of character. “Peter is actually evil” is frankly an overused trope in retellings but I will say I am pleased this author at least made him complicated and sympathetic and not just a straight-up monster. Some important figures like the Darling children didn’t even show up at all. Overall, it was fun but not quite what I expected.

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An In-depth Look at Important Extra-Biblical Texts

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 05-25-23

I have read all of Father Stephen’s books so far, and each one has provided great insight into the history and context surrounding the early church. Admittedly, I have very little familiarity with most of the texts mentioned in this book, so it was a bit much to take in. I’ll definitely need to reread it at some point, but it would be incredibly useful as a sort of overview/companion guide if someone were to read the original apocryphal work alongside the chapter(s) devoted to them in Father Stephen’s book. Looking forward to more content from him!

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Powerful story by a Woman in Love with God

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 05-18-23

On reading this book, two things quickly became obvious to me: (1) that Jackie is an incredibly gifted writer able to breathe life into words in a way that few can and (2) that this woman is all-in for God. Jackie’s vulnerability and openness in sharing her testimony here is both heartbreaking and compelling. Like the psalmist, she is brutally honest about her feelings and isn’t afraid to wrestle with the difficult things as she brings them before God. Thank you, Jackie, for using your gift and your story to share Christ with others.

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Takes a deep look at the historical, cultural, and linguistic details of the OT to make sense of difficult passages.

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-04-22

Been listening to Father Stephen’s podcast for awhile and decided to check out his book. While a lot of the content will already be familiar to those who listen to the podcast, for anyone who wants a quick overview of the context of the Old Testament and its violence, this is a great one-stop reference. Not quite as engaging as hearing Father Stephen and Father Andrew going back and forth on the podcast, but Father Stephen knows his stuff! Recommend it for anyone struggling to understand.

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Good, but not quite as good as expected.

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 09-24-22

I love Ashley’s true crime podcast, Crime Junkie, which is how I found out about this book. I was super excited, knowing how dedicated she is to doing her research and how much she genuinely cares about the victims of the crimes described in each case, so I admittedly went in with super high expectations.

Ashley is a good storyteller, and for a first book, especially, I think she did well here. Mystery fiction is hard to write because you want to drop clues without giving TOO many hints. I had my suspicions about several characters, and she did keep me on my toes for a good portion of the story. She also made the characters believable and likable/sympathetic. My heart broke for Margo as she interacted with her uncle, who sometimes loved her and sometimes couldn’t remember who she was because of his dementia. And Krissy…poor Krissy just had an awful time of life.

That said, I have a few points where I found myself feeling disappointed, some of which are merely personal preferences and some of which I think are more general.

For my personal preferences, I had two main quibbles: (1) I felt the use of profanity was a bit…overdone. I realize we’re all adults here and people do swear in real life but I guess I got spoiled to the show where words are typically censored, and I thought the language was a little gratuitous here. (2) The ending!! I HATE open-ended material. I need to know if [spoiler] is ever charged for their crimes and if [spoiler] makes it out okay after the confrontation near the end of the novel. In the words of Sheldon Cooper, “I don’t need sleep, I need answers!” It was hard coming to care about the characters so deeply only to find out we don’t get everything wrapped up in the end.

As for more general issues, firstly, as others have pointed out, this story has a LOT in common with the JonBenet Ramsey case…maybe a little too much in places. I was a bit disappointed the case wasn’t more original in some respects. Secondly, while it wouldn’t normally bother me too much in fiction, because Ashley usually does true crime, I was upset that Margo pulled a BIG true crime no-no to get the evidence she needed. If this had been a real case and anyone found out how the evidence was originally obtained by the “anonymous source”…it might have compromised the case. Granted, she was not law enforcement but still…she worked with them closely and illegally obtained evidence is basically no good in court.

Overall, not bad, but not quite what I was hoping for. Then again, it’s her first novel so maybe I should cut Ashley some slack.

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A Daring Retelling of Sherlock Holmes Full of Twists and Surprise

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-23-22

This radio drama-style retelling of the Sherlock Holmes story from Moriarty’s point of view kept me at the edge of my seat the whole way through. The plot was filled with little nods to the original while also being something entirely new and surprising. I will admit that I am a little disappointed that (spoiler) some of our heroes turned out to be not so heroic but I can forgive that often overused trope in villain retellings in light of the amazing cast and otherwise fresh perspective. Definitely recommend! I hope audible will continue to make more productions like this one in the future.

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Very Informative!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-19-22

I had never heard someone explain the historical context and meaning in so much detail and in a way that easily makes sense to the layman. Definitely HIGHLY recommend this lecture series for anyone who wants to get a better handle on how to read one of the most confusing and controversial books of the Bible.

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