glitchbane

Highly Improbable, and Very Annoying

Revisado: 01-27-25

The author seems to have forgotten that he could consult experts in aviation and in defense. What could have been a great book ended up as an eyerolling exercise. Are we really supposed to believe that a Russian aircraft could enter Finnish airspace without being challenged, if not shot down? I've enjoyed other books by Dugoni, but this one leaves me thinking he is catering to all the stereotypes of movies and series, which leads me to believe he is not writing books, but hoping for future screenplays. I don't watch tv or movies. I read books. And if an author pretends to write a book when they are really positioning for a screenplay it makes me angry.

One habit I cannot stand about this author is his propensity to extend sentences beyond what is necessary, and also to put adjectives in the wrong order. Is English his first language? But even if not, other languages have definite word orders. You would never say "I saw an old little lady crossing the street", for example. Dugoni is annoying in his frequent violations of this very basic language construct.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Pretty good plot, same old issues.

Revisado: 03-29-24

Throughout this series I was hoping that the author would improve and that the narrator (or her handlers) would improve. Neither happened. Having lived in Seattle for more than 25 years, and my husband for more than 40, the narrator's pronunciations of local places is egregious. At the very least, the producers should have prepped her on certain place names. That being said, the author's assumption that his readers are not very intelligent is insulting. Using vocabulary that is appropriate and then explaining what that word means is disconcerting and unnecessary. If the reader doesn't know what it means, they will look it up and learn. Another bad habit of the author is that, instead of expending the effort to describe a character, he constantly refers the reader to a comparison of his character to a presumably famous person, usually an actor. As a reader, and not a watcher of movies or tv shows, this is infuriating. I have to wonder if the author is capable of describing a person in such a way as to bring them to life without the crutches of this device. And if he can't, he isn't much of a ficton writer. Finally, this author doesn't know how to end a book. Just end it, for crying out loud! Don't beat us over the head by expounding about stuff we have already been told, ad nauseum.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Immature and Lacking Originality

Revisado: 10-29-23

If you are a touchy-feely emotional younger adult with an average intelligence and immature attitudes about sex (between the two main characters and the sister of one, not the victims/perpetrator) then by all means read this book. If you like books that are well written, researched and edited with a strong protagonist and clear conclusions, I'd avoid it. Read Dept Q instead. I gave this author two chances, and it was two too many. So many loose ends were not tied up I was left shaking my head. And if those loose ends are going to be chased in subsequent books I definitely want no part in it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Most excellent!

Revisado: 06-11-22

We listen to audible books every night, and have done so for years. It's a rare occurrence that my husband is as tuned in and actively talking about (and unfortunately sometimes, during) an ongoing narration. This was one of those.

As a child of southern parents and having spent much time in the south (living just north of SC presently, as a matter of fact) I do have to say that the narrator doesn't portray southern women very well at all. He makes them all sound harsh, old, and querulous. In fact, these characters whose dialog he so horribly butchered should have been heard in melodious, gentle tones.

However, the story itself was a marvel: well written, well plotted and mostly all ends tied up at the end. There were two little points that were never explained, but that's a quibble.

I enjoyed Matt Goldmans previous books, but this one was of a superior calibre than even those. At first I was dismayed that this was yet another in the current trend of novels about someone with short-term memory loss. I mean, really, can't authors come up with something new? But in most aspects it was quite original; the exchange of banter between Joey and Leila was delightful and each scene written in a way that was commiserate with its importance to the novel. The stories told by Marshall were wonderful and well narrated.

Well done, Matt, well done.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

When my eyes weren't rolling...

Revisado: 05-26-22

I listen to many, many series that are well written and well narrated. This is not one of them.

Mature authors understand there is more value in a faint illumination of horror as opposed to describing it in detail. If you love cats and children, avoid this book. If you appreciate real humor, avoid this book. If you survive the book as far as the ending, stay awake long enough to garner all the details, because I couldn't, didn't, and won't ever again.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Mindnumbingly Boring

Revisado: 04-21-22

We have been listening to this book for three evenings now and I want those hours back. I don't know what happens; I don't care what happens. The characters in this book are not the least bit interesting, and this book could be used as a textbook example for "tell, don't show". I've read shampoo ingredient lists that are more interesting than this book.

We enjoyed the series up until this sudden veering away from interesting plots and engaging characters. For the first time in a long time I completely agree with the other reviews saying "don't waste your time with this one."

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Mostly Terrific

Revisado: 06-15-21

Don't let those who rate negatively based on their political worldview keep you from listening to this book-- it's an interesting story based on a real incident (Ruby Ridge) and legitimately brings up some controversial issues. But along with that is a great plot, valid characters and a nice ending.

I did feel like the savant bionic man angle was a bit overdone. And some of the phrasing was not as polished as it could be. And Wyoming winters are not "humid". But still well worth the read/listen.

As for the narrator-- he can't do female characters, and doesn't differentiate a whole lot with the other characters. Still, he was able to fade out enough that the story took center stage.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Give the narrator a chance-- he's Balki!

Revisado: 09-28-20

I never like it when a series changes narrators, and at first I was taken aback. But after a while I got used to Pinchot's style and fell in love with it. His rendition of the bunyon woman's dialogue (can't remember the name) was absolutely hilarious and well done. The book itself was another wonderful installment in a wonderful series. I listen to (preferably intelligently written) audio books every single day and this series is one of the very best.

I don't often write full reviews but I felt like the narrator had been so disparaged in other reviews that another opinion needed to be out there.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Unbelievable -- really

Revisado: 04-15-16

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The bones of a good story are there, but it needs to be totally rewritten. The names are just the start. I am reminded of my junior high years when I would imitate romance novels and dream up what I thought were glamorous names.But beyond names, a character has to be believable. If any woman was as remarkable as Kitherina, she would surely not behave in one century like an empty headed spa queen and in another like a responsible yet overly annoying tomboy.

Would you recommend The Ruby Brooch to your friends? Why or why not?

I will recommend they stay far away from it. My friends and I enjoy writers with skill and nuance. If we are to suspend our disbelief we need plausible logic with which to assuage our cynical selves. There was no such logic offered in this book.The plot could have carried the book if only so many romance cliches were not used. Sex scenes were gratuitous and unnecessary for the most part. The "wisdom" pouring forth from Sarah's mouth made me roll my eyes and grit my teeth. The latent characterization of Elliott as some sort of second mother to Kit was absolutely ridiculous-- what was her adoptive mother doing when Elliott was supposedly being there for her all through her life?I got the sense I was reading a book that basically said, "This happened. And then this happened. And then this happened." It didn't flow. The references to Shakespeare and other literary figures as well as composers just sounded contrived. And a quote from Anais Nin? Are you kidding? I got the impression the author went to the web, looked up some likely quotes and then used them.

What three words best describe Teri Schnaubelt’s performance?

Imperfect. Mispronounced. Glib.This is not the worst narration I have heard, but the mispronunciation of "Ore-gone" was especially fractious. Any words ending with "ble" at the end of a sentence were sunk into a sort of unenunciated mumble that sounded almost as if the narrator were making fun of the words she was reading. As others have said, the Scots "accent" was not great either.

Was The Ruby Brooch worth the listening time?

It passed the time. I listened to the whole thing. Other books have been abandoned, so I guess I could say it wasn't a total waste of time. After all, I could do other things while listening.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 10 personas