OYENTE

Athena

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A sequel wasn't needed.

Total
2 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
1 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-12-24

**Minor spoilers ahead.**

I recently finished Malorie by Josh Malerman, narrated by Cassandra Campbell, and while I had high hopes after loving Bird Box, this sequel fell short for me in several areas. Let's start with the narration. If you're familiar with any of the nearly thousand audiobooks that Cassandra Campbell has narrated, you'll know what to expect here. Campbell has a limited range of voices, particularly for male characters, which often sound quite similar. While I’m not the biggest fan of this style, it didn’t impact the storytelling too much. As with Bird Box, I thought her portrayal of Malorie was spot on. Campbell captured the essence of Malorie perfectly—this fragile, trauma-consumed mother, constantly on edge and weighed down by years of fear and loss. Campbell’s voice effectively conveyed that anxious energy, keeping Malorie’s character consistent.

As for the plot, this is where my disappointment begins. I loved Bird Box—it’s a go-to story for me, one I know will always deliver the suspense and atmosphere I crave. Unfortunately, Malorie just didn’t live up to that standard. The story dragged on without a clear direction, and Malorie herself became borderline insufferable. While trauma manifests differently in everyone, it was frustrating to see that, in the nearly two decades since the creatures appeared, Malorie seemed to have learned nothing. Her rigid, black-and-white thinking was frustrating, especially since her son Tom frequently challenged her beliefs. The irony is hard to ignore—Malorie idolizes the adult Tom from Bird Box, yet stifles her son, who displays the same critical thinking and boldness. It was a contradiction that didn’t sit well with me.

I did enjoy some of the world-building and the exploration of how the post-creature world had developed, but even that left me with too many unresolved questions. For example, what happened to Tuckers? Is the implication that everyone except Malorie and her kids died? If not, why didn’t the survivors band together to try to rebuild society? Another thing that bothered me was the concept of the "madness" caused by the creatures. In Bird Box, it’s implied that those who go mad typically only harm themselves, but in Malorie, it's suggested that they likely harm others along with themselves. This shift felt like a change in the rules of the world and created a disconnect between the two books.

One of the few highlights for me was the Blind Train, which added an interesting dimension to the story. It also allowed for some character development in Tom and Olympia, though their actions didn’t always align with how Malorie had raised them. Tom, as a teenager, naturally made impulsive decisions, but it was hard to believe he wouldn’t once think about how leaving the train would affect his mother and sister, who rely so heavily on him for survival. His lack of consideration for their safety felt out of character, given his remorseful and reflective nature.

The ending, however, was the biggest letdown. While I enjoyed the twist involving Olympia and thought it had the potential to be a fascinating subplot, the overall resolution felt completely out of character for Malorie. This once frail, overly cautious woman suddenly transformed into a Katniss Everdeen-like figure, confronting her deepest fears overnight. It didn’t feel authentic. Malorie had been terrified of Gary for so long, and the abruptness of her confrontation just didn’t make sense within the context of her character development.

I really wanted to like this book. Bird Box was phenomenal, and I had high hopes for Malorie, but those hopes fell flat. Bird Box had a well-wrapped ending, and it didn’t need a sequel. If you loved Bird Box and felt satisfied with how it ended, I would suggest stopping there. However, if you do decide to pick up Malorie, enjoy it for its surface-level thrills and suspense, but don’t think too deeply about it—otherwise, you might end up as disappointed as I was.

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Captivating, enticing, engaging!

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-12-24


Athena Torres rated a book it was ok
Malorie by Josh MalermanMalorie (Bird Box, #2)
by Josh Malerman (Goodreads Author)
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My rating:
1 of 5 stars[ 2 of 5 stars ]3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
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Athena Torres rated a book really liked it
Bird Box by Josh MalermanBird Box (Bird Box, #1)
by Josh Malerman (Goodreads Author)
Read
My rating:
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars[ 4 of 5 stars ]5 of 5 stars
I recently listened to Bird Box by Josh Malerman, narrated by Cassandra Campbell, and it was an intense, gripping experience. As always with Campbell's narration, I needed a bit of a warm-up period. Her voice doesn’t immediately draw me in, and it typically takes me 20 to 30 minutes to settle into her style. However, since this was my second time listening to the book, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything during that initial adjustment. Once I got into it, I really enjoyed her portrayal of Malorie. Campbell’s narration gave me a clear mental image of Malorie that felt distinct from how she’s depicted in the movie (definitely not Sandra Bullock for me). One downside, though, was the limited versatility in her character voices. Campbell generally has about two or three voices each for male and female characters, which sometimes made it hard to differentiate between them, especially in scenes with a lot of dialogue. Despite that, her pacing was spot on and kept me focused throughout, preventing my mind from wandering.

As for the plot, Bird Box is fantastic! The balance between psychological thriller and horror is just right, and it kept me hooked from beginning to end. I found myself empathizing with Malorie on so many levels. The central question of how to raise children in a world of fear was especially compelling—do you shelter them in fear, or do you instill a sense of tough love, teaching them to be strong and cautious? I also really enjoyed the alternating timelines between the present and the past. It kept the narrative dynamic and made me eager to see how both timelines would unfold. The story had me on edge, waiting to find out what would happen next.

I’d definitely recommend this audiobook. I finished it in just two sittings and was so eager to start the sequel, Malorie, right afterward. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat, with its tense atmosphere and relentless suspense. Whether you’ve seen the movie or not, the audiobook is a must-listen for any thriller or horror fan!

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A heartfelt dedication to the daughter he loves.

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 02-09-24

The Maria Effect is a story about a comedian father whose daughter was born with Autism during a time when very little was known about this developmental disability and even less support was available to those individuals or loved ones. Through love and perseverance, Mike moves mountains as he builds a world where his daughter can live and be loved.

The story emphasizes the power of love and its ability to change people for the better. This is very much a "make them laugh, make them cry" type of book, and allowed me to reflect on my own life and loved ones who have had similar experiences to Mike and his family. The story helped me better appreciate how unique, yet normal Maria and her family are. Yes - individuals with Autism will face many challenges throughout their lives which others will never face. However, the emotional experiences that make all of us human remain the same. We all experience love, anger, sadness, regret, and forgiveness. This story underlines all of it and is a great reminder that we are all on the same journey.

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Great concept and extremely capturing

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-27-23

I really enjoyed this book! The concept is intriguing and captivating. I listened to the book in one sitting and will be looking at other books written by this author and narrated by this narrator. highly recommend!

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Fantastic story that will suck you in!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 11-02-22

I first watched the Hulu ssries a few years ago and absolutely loved the story! Recently, I decided to try the book to find out which version I loved more. While there are some differences in how the show proceeded, I believe both are absolutely fantastic and worth your time!

The narration for the book was wonderful, with each character getting their own voice. I was sucked in and the entire experience felt very immersive. The only complaint I have, is on two occasions throughout the story, the narrator seemed to stray from his voice acting and started reading in his normal voice before slowly slipping back into character. This was particularly confusing towards the end when I wasn't sure for a few minutes if he was narrating Jake still or if he had somehow shifted to Lee's character.

Other than this minor inconvenience, the book was wonderful and I highly recommend!

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It's a great listen if you don't dig too deep.

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-15-22

I'm a huge Crime Junkie fan, as I'm sure most who bought this book are. The narration was great and kept me submerged throughout. The story was also quite interesting, especially with the hopping between 1994 and the present. However, the plot had so many leaps to get to the point it was chasing, that it was laughable. This book really ignored the fact that humans generally are trusting of their family members and don't typically assume the worst from the get go, especially when it comes to loved ones. Yet somehow, there were multiple times where a person's authenticity was questioned with only one single moment to cause question. I generally like to believe that I can overlook plot holes in stories, but there was something about this book that just irked me with the jumps to questions a character's integrity. Other than this, it's a good book, with a good story. If you're looking for an easy listen, I do recommend.

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A Great Vamp Book for a Quick Listen

Total
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-10-22

I absolutely loved this book! I know the biggest complaint about this listen is all the background noise, but that's actually what I enjoyed most and made it so immersive for me! During one scene, it was raining. At the time, I was walking my dogs with my headphones in and literally couldn't tell if the rain I heard was from the book or happening around me.

Additionally, this book really pushed my limits in terms of what I usually look for in an audiobook. In general, I prefer 10+ hour reads and a single voice actor who narrates all the characters. I was genuinely surprised I enjoyed this book considering it was a cast of voice actors. They firstly work well and were phenomenal!

Lastly, if you are an outdoor enthusiast and have ever spent some time binging the Zombie Run episodes, I truly believe you'll enjoy this listen. There's something so familiar to Zombie Run, that I could almost argue it's a spin off from the series.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys quick listens that are set in post-apocalyptic times. I heard this will become a trilogy and I can't wait to listen to the continued story!

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A+ story about science, humanity, and friendship

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-08-21

Learning that the world is ending is worrisome enough. Now imagine finding yourself on a suicide mission in space with no recollection of why or how you got there. Through perseverance and a sweet sweet friendship, you learn that all you need is someone to help get you through the hard stuff.

Before Project Hail Mary, I didn't know how much I would like the science fiction genre. Somehow, Andy Weir found the perfect balance of science and storytelling, which made this book so captivating. The way the scientific aspects were described throughout the book provided just enough explanation to follow along with what was happening, without feeling lost or underwhelmed by the nuanced intricacies of it. The story had good pacing, alternating between flashbacks and the present. The build-up of how Ryland got to this point was fantastic and had me waiting to hear more. I highly recommend giving this book a listen/read, even if you aren't typically a sci-fi lover.

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