Marie

funny and true

Revisado: 11-17-23

I think this is supposed to be a YA book. Fine, read it when you are 13. But then read it again when you are 30, and again at 60. That's how you get at all the jokes and all the truths.

Oh, but this is an audible book, so I will add that the production is terrific. The main narrator really gets how a Pratchett book should be read, and the added character voices are perfect

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X-Files Noir

Revisado: 11-15-23

This series is reminiscent of shows like X-files and and Fringe. The episodes generally stand alone but are connected by an overarching storyline. The plots are soaked in an amusing mix of science and the paranormal. (The mushroom episode was particularly, er, engaging.) I can't quite give the story 5 stars due to some gaping believability issues, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying the series. I hope they crank out a few more episodes, if only to wrap things up!

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kind of a mess

Revisado: 11-10-23

I've listened to or read several books in this series. I enjoy the characters and the authors' use of research. Unfortunately, Cemetery Dance never did gel on several levels. The plot was too Scooby-doo. And yet not Scooby-doo enough, because for some reason the main characters barely interacted with each other, so that dynamic was missing. What seemed to be major plot elements early on were tied off as afterthoughts at the end, The central element of zombies and the associated religions were poorly explored, and so felt exploitative and cheesy. I barely held on to the end, looking for something redeeming.

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Wanted to like it, but...

Revisado: 05-18-23

The storyline is in line with what | consider to be "fun reads," plus Ray Porter always brings something special to a story, but not even Ray Porter could save this one for me. I tried listening twice -- the first time I got halfway through and the second time I made it two hours and thought "oh, yeah, I remember why I quit the first time."

I simply don't like stories where the main character is a humorless sociopath.

He does stuff that he knows is going to get friends and family in trouble or even killed. He does it even though there are so many other options, and he seems to feel no real remorse. He does it to himself, too, which makes him either stupid or suicidal. Possibly both. This would all go down better if it were played as a comedy, but there is no sense of humor at work.

To be fair, maybe the character gets redeemed by the end, but I simply cannot hold on long enough to finish the story.

Note: There is nothing wrong with the writing itself. Judging strictly from listening on Audible, the writing quality is pretty good. Hence three stars.

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A Good Read

Revisado: 02-02-23

I enjoyed both the story and the performance. A few things held me back from the fifth star, but those are "me" things. For example, the protagonist was more flawed than I usually like. But I liked her well nought by the end. Overall, an entertaining read.

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Not a traditional novel

Revisado: 12-05-22

This reads more like connected short stories and novellas. One could say there are two main plot lines, but they tend to get lost in the subplots. Sometimes it reads like slice-of-life. Hence this book has a leisurely pace. Between that and some redundancies, this book could use a heavier hand from the editor.

That said, I found this book to be pleasant and unstressful. Maybe that's just what I need, right now.

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Entertaining, but...

Revisado: 09-18-21

This book was hard to get into at first, like the plot and character (Wesley's daughter) weren't grounded very well at the beginning. But the overall story was entertaining, so it was worth listening to. Wheaton's performance was certainly above average, but not his best--as if he was not fully engaged with this story, either.

Despite the lukewarm review, I'll go ahead and listen to the other Alliances book. I imagine it will be entertaining enough.

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Realistic (in a sense), but...

Revisado: 06-05-21

Ray Porter's narration was as brilliant as ever.

The story itself has lost some of the joy of the earlier installments in this series. For me, the growing factionalization of the Bobs has rubbed the shine off the Bobs as heroes. While this growing diversity among Bobs may be realistic given the "rules" of Bob procreation, and its true that well-meaning beings can do harm in the process of trying to do good, maybe that's not what I'm looking for right now.

Still, I will undoubtedly buy the next installment, because this series is way too fun to give up on.

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I love these characters...

Revisado: 06-05-21

...and want to take them home with me.

With a few broad strokes, Klune brings to life a world of "normals" versus "others" in which these loveable characters struggle for acceptance--or at least to be left alone in peace. And then Klune gives us an unlikely champion.

These ingredients combined to make a quirky, heart-warming story for both kids and adults. Great stuff.

I found the narration off-putting in the beginning, but it grew on me. In the end, I found it wholly appropriate.

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So much going on in such a fun package

Revisado: 06-05-21

Though indicated as being in sequence with American Gods, the feel of this story is more like Neverwhere. On the surface, this is the story of some really unusual family dynamics. But, like Neverwhere, it's really the story of a person trapped by the dull expectations of society and how he learns to embrace the strange, including the strange in himself.

Lenny Henry brought the whole thing to life perfectly. I'd love to listen to more novels narrated by him. (Hint hint, Audiobook.)

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