Semiformal

Don't listen, read it instead

Revisado: 05-03-17

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I didn't make it 10 minutes listening. The biggest annoyances were words ending in the letter P. In her reading they also ended in F. Stump became stumpf, stop became stopf, plump became plumpf, etc. Like her upper lip is extremely swollen. She also reads a bit hysterically, where it sounds like the female characters are always shaking and on the verge of tears. I've heard Justine Eyre before and barely made it through a different book for the same reasons. I thought I heard she was native to the UK so I thought some of those things would not be as prominent when not faking an American accent, but I was wrong. I'm not normally this harsh, but I can't say I will ever listen to another book read by Justine Eyre.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 13 personas

Mediocre

Revisado: 04-22-17

Would you try another book from Jane Lotter and/or Sue Pitkin and Tessa Marts ?

I don't think I would. At least not in audio form.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Saw half of it coming a mile away, the other half was out of left field.

Any additional comments?

As far as i could tell, one narrator read the foreward and the other read the book. sorry to say the story narration was poor. I wanted to like the story after listening to the foreward but I'm not sure I would have liked it any better if I'd read it on my kindle. It was a bit melodramatic and stretchy, even for my imagination.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Good story, narration sometimes annoying.

Revisado: 04-22-17

Any additional comments?

I love the Percy Jackson series and have read them all more than once. I started audio with book one and skipped to this one. Im baffled as to how the characters could have gotten more dopey sounding than the first book that was so good. I wish Jesse B stuck with the characters from when he read book 1. His reading of the pegasi though, while incredibly annoying, couldn't have been better! (As odd as that might be!) I love the story and in spite of my misgivings I still plan to listen to the other books in the series.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Had to keep listening!

Revisado: 04-22-17

What made the experience of listening to A Cold Night for Alligators the most enjoyable?

I got this book mainly because it was read by RC Bray, probably my favorite narrator. But I was suprised how much I liked the story and how much it kept me interested. I spent far too long today to finish it, I just had to get to the end!

Which character – as performed by R. C. Bray – was your favorite?

I liked the main character of course. But Mr. Bray read Donny with such sensitivity and Duane with such hilarity it was hard not to like them too. The Canadian accents were spot on! And Rollie Lee, deliciously bad! So, no one fave I guess!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The back story that was woven throughout was very moving to me, I found myself on the edge of my seat each time a reflection came up. I just had to know what happened way back when that got Coleman to this point!

Any additional comments?

If you like RC Bray you will like this book. But one of my measurements is "would I read it myself"? The answer is yes. I truly enjoyed it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Interesting and entertaining

Revisado: 01-19-17

If you could sum up Bury Your Dead in three words, what would they be?

Complex, emotional, insightful

Have you listened to any of Ralph Cosham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I enjoy Ralph Cosham's narration of this series. He doesn't overdo anything, the emotion is appropriate. I can differentiate between all the characters. Some might say he's a bit monotone, but this series doesn't lend to a lot of dramatic reading.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I don't know that "extreme" is the word I'd use. There were several intertwining stories and all of them kept me guessing till the end. There were times that yes, I cried. And times I laughed at character comments, but that's not unusual in this series. Mostly, I was curious to the point I wanted to listen to the whole story in one sitting!

Any additional comments?

I know nothing about Quebec history, and there is a fair bit generally referred to in this book. I enjoyed that aspect a lot. Eventually it focused on one historical figure, and I'm not sure how much of that specific side story was real or embellished, but it was part of what made this such an interesting story! Also, if you haven't already read the first books in the series, I strongly suggest reading them first. At least read A Brutal Telling. One of the side stories in this book is focused on what happened in it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Maggie is losing her charm

Revisado: 01-19-17

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I'm not sure what I'd change about the book, other than not dragging out the ending by multiple chapters. I wish I'd read it instead of listening. It may have made my opinion more positive.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes and no. There were parts of "oh no is she going to get caught?" that could be intense. But there was also a lot of Maggie just being Maggie, impulsive and reckless to the point of near silliness. The story was quite serious so that didn't really fit. Some parts were simply like watching a predictable train wreck.

How could the performance have been better?

The narration, sadly, was plagued by some of my worst pet peeves. There was hardly any differentiation between the male characters. Almost all of them sounded like they had laryngitis, or like they were trying to do a smarmy Mae West impression. It was really hard to tell them apart, and made their characters boring. Also, I can't stand sing-songy B-roll (the stuff in between the actual dialog). Like she's reading on a roller coaster or badly reciting poetry. Kinda made me mentally motion sick listening to it. It also sounded like she was spitting at the end of emotional sentences. I hope the reader improves on those things, but I think I will start reading the books on my kindle rather than listening to her again. On the plus side, her portrayal of Maggie was good.

Do you think His Majesty's Hope needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

YES! So many of the characters had stories that were hanging in the air, and Maggie had a lot of unresolved personal issues and relationships. Melodramatically so. If nothing else, one more book to wrap everything up.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Captivated!

Revisado: 12-14-16

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I liked that the reader was seemed to give what I considered "appropriate" inflection and emotion at the right times. The story was great, but I felt like I could picture everything as well! What I did not like, was that the reader made Maggie sound like she had a lot of masculine energy. Maybe that was correct for the time period and an ambitions woman, but I didn't care for it. However, it didn't get so much in the way that I wanted to stop listening.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! Character likability is a must for me in any story, mission accomplished. I had to hear what they all did next! It was a well paced story with odd twists that kept me very interested!

Any additional comments?

There are 2 characters with the same name, and because of one of the side mysteries in the story it was very confusing. I also couldn't tell if one of those characters was part of a story in the past to explain the side mystery. It did become clear about halfway through. It was one of the interesting odd twists I mentioned earlier. I didn't know this was a series and when I finished listening I found myself sad that the end was the end. I didn't feel like there were too many loose ends, and I must say the author did a nice job of wrapping it up. As if she wanted it to stand on its own in case she decided not to write another. I'm glad she did and can't wait to read/listen!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña