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Unlikeable Characters & Predictable Twists

Revisado: 03-20-24

I have read a handful of Freida McFadden books at this point and feel the twists are predictable. They aren't intricately woven into the plot or foreshowed in a meaningful way, and aren't even really twists so much as McFadden just leaving out information the character should have divulged and not revealing it til later.

One of the early reveals in this book is just blurted out randomly at the end of a chapter. The final twist at the end of the book is also an example of something that should have come up in the narrative naturally or could have been expertly foreshadowed, but since McFadden's method is less satisfying misdirection and more an overt omission of information, it felt disappointing.

I found none of the characters to be likable, which isn't an inherent problem for me, as not all people are likable, but I didn't feel there was enough of a plot to make up for not having someone to really root for. Halfway through the book I wasn't sure what exactly I was waiting to have happen. Just people getting caught? I don't even feel like justice was really served at the end and so the whole book felt unsatisfying.

The writing is okay but if you want a perfect example of a book that tells and doesn't show, this is it. There is a lot of filler text and unnecessary detail about mundane things. Scenes are depicted so that every step is spelled out for you. Instead of "My phone went off and I saw a message from whomever" it's "My phone dinged. I crossed the room and held it in my hand. The light from the screen shone in my eyes. I looked down and saw so and so's name. I moved my finger to unlock the screen." You get it.

I almost didn't finish it but I enjoy seeing bad people get their just desserts and that only kind of happened and it left me wanting better justice.

I personally was also uncomfortable with the subject matter. It made me feel like I needed a shower.

Some positives: I couldn't stand Addie as a character but I think McFadden accurately showed a young teen trapped in infatuation with someone older and my distaste for her is evidence of her being accurately written. The pacing of the book was good. Most scenes, even with the fluff, kept the narrative moving forward.

But I don't think those positives are enough for me to be able to give it a better rating. I understand why people enjoy her, but I think she's just not for me.

TLDR: Predictable twists that were less satisfying misdirection and more overt omission of information that would have naturally come up in the story. Unlikable characters with no overarching plot to make up for it. Formulaic writing that tells you everything and shows you nothing. Good characterization of an infatuated teen and good pacing, but not enough to hold the story together for this listener.

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Decent, but disappointing.

Revisado: 11-21-17

I liked this story, and I wanted to like it more because a heist on the moon sounded great. I had never read The Martian, but saw the movie (no comparison, I'm sure), but the premise sounded interesting enough I pre-ordered this book.

It was... good. But I found myself wondering throughout the book why I really cared. The protagonist found herself in a situation that, for me, was hard to follow, and ultimately, I wasn't invested in. The surrounding characters weren't fleshed out, certain ones were introduced early and then disappeared until a later convenient time. I was intrigued by the conflict, but ultimately, I didn't see much reason why I should be invested in this girl and her plight.

The science/physics added realism and I enjoyed it, but sometimes it felt like it went on too long and my attention-span shorted out. That's just a personal issue, however. But if you also find yourself zoning out during long-winded science ramblings, be informed.

The dialogue was abysmal. I understand it was written almost as if the character was retelling it to you in conversation, but it left a lot to be desired. Sometimes, the dialogue seemed more fitting a teen fiction, was surprising considering the protagonist was a 26 year old female who essentially had to grow up fast, living on the moon. There were a lot of cringe-worthy moments.

Rosario Dawson's narration was great. She had more range than I expected, and her accents, while starting to sound similar by the end, really helped immerse me in the story more.

TL;DR: Great narration, ample amounts of science/physics for realism, semi-interesting story, but lacked character development, a likable protagonist, and had too much mediocre dialogue.

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esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

Entertaining and that's about it.

Revisado: 01-26-17

This was a fairly easy story to get into, and overall did a great job of maintaining interest and keeping you interested as you came along for the ride.

I have a decent amount of 80s knowledge, but am no savant by any means. I am an avid gamer, so that helped with some of the details mentioned, but the amount of 80s knowledge that gets thrown at you can detract from the story. It felt forced like the author has all this knowledge and finally wants it to matter.

The writing is abysmal. It's filled with repeating phrases, monotonous narration, and endless lists of 80s tech, games, and movies. Having to listen to the scoreboard be read to me four times throughout the book got old, and usually a list of three authors or books would have sufficed but we often got ten or twelve. Sometimes it seemed like the references were thrown in for no other reason than nostalgia.

Wheaton's narration was enjoyable, with enough inflections to tell characters apart, but not too distracting either.

TL;DR: Entertaining story for predominately 80s/game fans. The writing is juvenile, with one to many superfluous references to the decade it's focusing on. Narration is performed well. Not winning any best writing awards.

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A fantastic narrator, but not the book I expected.

Revisado: 12-05-16

First, the narrator is excellent. Like with most audiobooks, it takes a moment to get use to this one, but once your settled he does a great job. Some moments he can seem to drone, but he did a great job flowing from one character to the next, dawning different, unique voices that made it easy to tell who was speaking, even when that character didn't show up for chapters.

That being said, I don't know how to feel about this book. If you are expecting page turning thriller about time travel and stopping the assassination of Kennedy, I'm here to disappoint you. A majority of the book is the years leading up to the assasination, and if you take the synopsis at face value, you may want to describe it as all filler.

I felt the ending was not satisfying if you viewed the book in this manner. At its core, 11-22-63 is a love story, nothing else. If you view it through this lens, then the previously mentioned "filler" becomes excellent narration as two souls become more and more in love.

However, I went into this book under the impression it was going to be about stopping the assassination of Kennedy, and I believe that is a mere side story in the grand scheme of things, one with a disappointing ending.

TL;DR: I have a love/hate relationship with King, and while his writing style never fails to impress and the narrator is great, the overall story isn't about Kennedy's assassination so much as true love, which wasn't why I chose to listen.

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esto le resultó útil a 15 personas

Quite the adventure!

Revisado: 09-02-16

For my first audiobook, I picked a stellar one. It might have ruined me for all other audiobooks. I didn't know it was a graphic novel originally, and while you could tell through the story, it was still a great listening experience.

It was a little hard to follow along with at first, especially for me having never listened to an audiobook before. But as you learn the characters and get deeper into the story, it becomes easier to follow along. After the first chapter or so, I didn't think I'd be able to keep up or understand what was going on, but it grew easier.

I really got to feel for these characters. It was a clever story, with enough drama, action, and romance to keep all parties involved. I actually got quite disappointed when I finished it. I would recommend to anyone. Sure, some of the actors or more stiff then others, but I don't feel that severely hampered my experience. A lot of the actors played their parts well.

TL;DR: Good, captivating story. Might take some adjusting to the narration and understanding what is going on, but it gets easier. The full cast creates a great experience.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas