Avid Listener

Can't get enough Holly!

Revisado: 09-07-23

Loved the book; loved the narrator! Will Patton will forever be the voice of Holly in my head, but Justine Lupe did a great job. Like most of King's stories, Holly is compulsively listenable. Not to be too demanding or greedy, I hope we get more Holly stories. I understand that there will be a story centering around Jerome. I look forward to that!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Great but should have been a free listen...

Revisado: 05-21-23

This is great and I don't regret spending a credit, but this should have been included in Audible's membership for free. It's far too short to be worth the cash price and not substantial enough to really be worth a credit.

That said, most of what's here just proves Christopher Hitchens correct: Religion poisons everything. We are largely a nation of idiots, the dumbest of whom are motivated authoritarians who make life more difficult for everybody--and the primary motivation is their imaginary friend.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Why is this ignored, and where is Vol 2?

Revisado: 05-05-23

A stunning, brilliant achievement, More stunning is how ignored it is, which I find surprising. It's very entertaining, if nothing else--by turns funny, infuriating, frustrating, and enlightening. I'll definitely read Volume 2, but I'm baffled why there isn't an audio version of the second volume. I'm guilty of nearly bypassing this one too--it's been sitting in my library since publication and it took me eight years to finally get around to it. I should have started listening day one--it's that good.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Darker Than Expected

Revisado: 03-08-23

Loved the weightier tone of this one as it dealt with life and death issues during the pandemic and the loss of family members. Still, there's much here that had me laughing out loud. My favorite segments are always those that are live with audience response.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Strong Finish

Revisado: 03-03-23

I’m sorry the series is over. I thought all three books were a lot of fun, and I never knew where the story was going. The reader was excellent; really made everything come alive.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

A Great Return!

Revisado: 03-01-23

I had no idea we were getting a follow up book, returning to Lovecraft Country. I heard nothing about it until the day it was published. So great to spend more time with these much loved characters. I look forward to further adventures. I love this one just as much as the first book in what I hope to be a long running series.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Scary and Topical

Revisado: 08-28-22

I came of age in the '80s, at the dawn of the now ubiquitous horror franchise. I went to them all: Friday the 13th, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. My decades as a horror fan have given me franchise fatigue. That sense of fatigue with sequel after sequel of usually dubious quality had me very skeptical about this follow up to the first Clown in the Cornfield. I liked the first one enough to give the second one a shot, but I didn't have high expectations. This was a complete delight. I loved it--even more than the first one. I found the story scary and topical, and the reader was fantastic. I know the target audience for this is young adult, but I'd recommend this one to all horror fans, regardless of age. If you find addlebrained conspiracy theorist "activists" as terrifying as I do, this book is for you. (If, on the other hand, you are an addlebrained conspiracy theorist, I'd steer clear of this one, as it will only trigger you.)

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Dated and Ridiculous

Revisado: 01-02-20

The book does in seven hours what the movie did in only two. All of the Book of Revelation nonsense is here--just more belabored. Added to the mix are sections where the Jews are blamed for the holocaust (we're told it is prophesied in the bible because they killed Jesus and broke their covenant with god--ugh), and obligatory Christian homophobia. It isn't a long book, but it overstays its welcome. The movie is fun campy trash with a great score that really sells the demon-kid trope, but the book is execrable.

As they say, there's nothing like a good horror novel--and this is nothing like a good horror novel.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 37 personas

Disappointing

Revisado: 10-31-17

I love Pullman's original His Dark Materials trilogy. Taking place ten years earlier than the start of Golden Compass (aka Northern Lights), we know from the outset that nothing too awful will happen to baby Lyra in the Book of Dust. Each potential peril has its tension dissipated because no matter what happens Lyra must end up living at Jordan College by the start of Golden Compass. Even readers who haven't yet tackled His Dark Materials will know Lyra is central to the story just by reading the Publisher's Summary of the first book.

Another issue that arises due to the story being a prequel is that it shows the start of the rise of the tyrannical Magisterium. This is an interesting aspect to explore (and very illustrative of the present political moment in the US and elsewhere) but made for a frustrating read (or, rather, listen). We're presented with a book where the action sequences have their tension thwarted at the outset because we already partially know how things must turn out, with an additional punch that no matter what our heroes do to try and undercut the rising tyranny, we know they won't be successful because the Magisterium is at the height of its power by the start of Golden Compass.

As to the story itself, I found it much less interesting than anything in His Dark Materials. I loved being able to revisit the Oxford that Pullman created in his original trilogy. I just wish I had come away more enthusiastic about the story. I hope Pullman has something unexpected up his sleeve for the rest of this new trilogy. The Book of Dust was disappointing, but I still look forward to the next book.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Either the Warrens are stupid or they think we are

Revisado: 10-31-14

Would you try another book from Gerald Brittle and/or Todd Haberkorn?

I don't know how much of the awfulness of the book is the fault of the author or narrator. Neither name would either repel or attract me from future listens.

What could Gerald Brittle have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

He possibly could have made this supposedly "True" story more believable. Nothing in the book gave me the slightest scare because none of it is believable.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Todd Haberkorn?

The narrator was fine, but I would have cast someone with a deeper voice to lend a more "sinister" tone to this horror story. Todd's voice was too light and friendly to convey much horror.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I am a complete non-believer in the supernatural, but I do like a good scare and am readily able to suspend disbelief. However, nothing about the Warrens' story rings true. Nothing is scary; it strikes me as so over-the-top as to be humorous.

Any additional comments?

I don't know why anyone would take the Warrens or their demonology seriously. Their tales lack credibility. They keep saying their cases have evidence, but they don't. All they have are over-the-top stories that paint them as heroes acting in the name of Christ. Nothing in the story would lead me to believe that their gods or monsters exist anywhere but their own minds.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña