Jessi

Unique setting, captivating characters, absorbing

Revisado: 07-02-20

"The Bone Houses" is a haunting and absorbing novel. The characters are enjoyable. I really enjoyed the enduring sibling relationship. The goat is also fantastic.

The annoying part? The narrator didn't enunciate places well. I couldn't understand what they were. Catthhttthh City? It sounded like a drunken slur, and I got more annoyed the further the story progressed. The narrator otherwise had a very lovely vocal cadence.

Enjoyable story with a unique setting, captivating characters, and a surprising journey. However, go with the print edition if you want to know what the locations are actually named.

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Overly layered mystery, not enough history.

Revisado: 06-20-20

I was so intrigued by this novel. Ancient history meets modern mystery? YES! Sign me up!

However, the modern mystery is a bit convoluted and goes on too long. One person goes here, they eat food, another goes there, more food eating, one gets shot for no reason, lengthy descriptions of food, another starts torture shooting someone, someone goes clothes shopping, women get raped (fade-to-back or mentioned), etc. The threads between the stories became more frayed as the modern elements kept adding unnecessary layers.

I wasn't a huge fan of the main characters. India is smart, but she's also immature. And everyone asks really dumb questions. When its clear someone is about to get shot, there's the typical "what do you plan to do with me?" "you're not really going to shoot me are you?" multiple questions of this nature until you want to smack the character over the head to see how dense they truly are. Some trimming of throw-away lines would have been welcome.

I'll probably Audible "read" more of the series because Egypt is on the horizon (book 3) but I hope the plots of future novels are tightened up. This is a genre I really enjoy, and I hope there's more character depth in book 2.

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Does life make more sense thru storytelling? Yes!

Revisado: 06-11-20

Sometimes to understand the challenges of life and messy families, you need to tell a story to make sense of it all. With a love of books and reading at its core, "The Library of Lost and Found" has a lot to share. It starts with a mystery and ends with a family finding itself again.

The Audible narrator did a fantastic job conveying the nervousness and emotions of the main character. Her voice was so expressive as it explored our main character's thoughts. Reactions were at times hilarious and other times heart wrenching. Male voices, though, weren't as well realized.

This is a tale of acceptance and rediscovering yourself. Enjoyable character-driven, heartfelt plot that will keep you turning the pages (or listening, in my case).

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Magical narration makes the story come to life!

Revisado: 06-05-20

What a charming tale, and so well narrated on Audible. The voices were beautifully realized as the story unfolded. How I loved Fyrian! The characters voices were so well distinguished and really brought out their personalities, making me love the story even more!.

A sweet, heartfelt middle grade fantasy with great characters, mystery, magic, mayhem, all wrapped up in lovely prose. Recommended.

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Some true Star Wars gems that will stay with you

Revisado: 05-28-20

There are some excellent stories and some pointless stories, some that have no meaning or impact. For me, there were too many cantina stories. They were more observations about what was happening around them than actual character moments. So when we finally got off Tatooine, I was relieved. Its too saturated.

Some stories do a great job with the anticipation of what's to come. In "Raymus," the Tantive IV is jumping to hyperspace and trying to make it to Tatooine on its last legs. You felt the sacrifices the characters were resolving themselves to.

There are very heartfelt stories like "Eclipse" where we get a glimpse of Alderaan and Bail and Breha Organa's final moments or "Time of Death" which reveals Obi-Wan's last moments while he reflects upon moments watching Luke grow up on Tatooine.

There are some cool side stories like "Trigger" with Dr. Aphra or the Emperor's rhyming iambic pentameter "Palpatine."

Some stories have a great sense of humor like "Born in the Storm" with the sarcastic stormtrooper who can't wait to ride a dewback and "Whills," which is a great closer story and reminds us all not to take things so seriously.

My favorites would definitely be "There is Another" and "Master and Apprentice."

The Audible version is quite enjoyable. It includes Star Wars sound effects and music, so I really enjoyed the narration plus its movie-like background sounds. I'd recommend it in this version, especially for the poignant stories involving Obi-Wan and Yoda. However, there's lots of nonsense stories that might make you give up before getting to the really good stuff. The real gems took me to places hovering around the known but also exploring the unknown.

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Unexpected adventure & compelling main character

Revisado: 05-28-20

While I really liked the story, I didn't like the Audible narrator. I felt she completely rushed through the prose with very little color to her voice.

This is a story about a sheltered girl trying to find her path but has no clue about the world and its people outside her mountainous home. She's understatedly courageous while also very humble and kind. I found her to be a compelling lead undergoing a large amount of character growth which propels the plot forward. This is a unique world with hints of magic yet to be explored. Recommended.

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Emotionally rich, complex storyline & characters

Revisado: 02-07-20

What I loved about this book was how unpredictable our main character Jude was. She's a mortal in a fairy world. To say she's got issues is an understatement. She's been raised by the man who murdered her parents but whom she's grown to love as a father (not to say he's especially kind or loving, but that he's trained her and supported her despite not being related by blood). Jude wants to become a knight and serve the high king, but there is resentment and, at times, life-threatening cruelty at the hands of her fae classmates. Jude tries many things in her journey to overcome her disadvantage at being mortal. She tries to be cruel and learns the consequences. She tries to follow the rules and sees consequences there as well. So when her one chance at finally standing as a member of the court is dashed, Jude finds herself with the most unlikely of allies in a quest to prevent war between the fairy and mortal worlds. Jude will never do what you expect, and that makes her the most compelling POV for this story.

This book is very thoughtful in a spell-binding way. Jude weighs all her choices and makes intentional choices. She makes mistakes and owns up to them. The world itself is a juxtaposition of beauty and brutality. Jude embraces all these things and more before she finally learns what matters most to her.

I'd also like to add that the quality of narration in this Audible reading is FANTASTIC! I was completely drawn. I could feel the anger and sadness and joy conveyed with by the depth and quality of Caitlin Kelly's voice. I'd listen to anything Caitlin Kelly reads!

Very surprising story with lots of difficult choices, emotional richness, and compelling characters. Holly Black is a talented author who has an enchanting way with words.

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Diverse characters in a wickedly fun tale.

Revisado: 02-07-20

Very surprising re-imagining of The Little Mermaid. Our main characters have done terrible things which effects the way they interact with their magical world. There are myths that enrich the settings our MCs travel through. Diverse characters enliven the narrative.

The narrators are perfectly cast. Lira can be silken and alluring as well as sharp edged and dangerous. Elian reminds me a lot of Flynn Ryder with his sarcastic twist to his words. However, when the narrator for Elian would do female voices, it made me cringe. He made them sound like taut old women voices. The narrator for Lira was able to diversify her voice more successfully.

There are laugh out loud moments and heart-rending moments sprinkled between adventures on the high seas and higher mountains. Well developed characters within a dark and wickedly fun tale of mermaids, sirens, pirates, and princes. Enjoyable audible experience!

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Honest and heartfelt journey

Revisado: 02-07-20

Its more than just about the White House. Its about being a woman and a mother and a political figure. Its a heartfelt and honest journey about overcoming the odds and spreading kindness into the world. Very enjoyable especially being read by the First Lady herself. Sure, Michelle Obama isn't a trained Audible narrator, but there's a special magic hearing her voice narrating the many exquisite moments of her life. You can feel her love and gratitude within the words. Recommended!

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Intriguing plot & characters, fantastic narration

Revisado: 02-07-20

Well-detailed setting and characters. Shusterman explores humanity after "death" has been conquered. Two teenagers are chosen to be apprentices but end up pitted against each other after a rival Scythe proposes a new idea, the apprentice who earns their Scythe ring must kill the other. With a plot full of surprises, Scythe is an intriguing read.

The narrator for Audible was fantastic. Excellent ability to create unique male and female voices with just the right emphasis at pivotal moments. I believe the narrator really enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

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