Dr. Yvonne

Binge-worthy, suspenseful and enthralling

Revisado: 07-04-21

Binge-worthy storytelling and narration at its best. Every parent, teacher and child will find this book both frightening and enthralling. The characters, young and old, were well developed, so I found myself caring about what happened to them. There were continuous suspenseful plot twists throughout the story, which I would have liked to be a bit longer. 3 hours and 39 minutes is short for an audio book and therefore left many unanswered questions. I am hoping that there will be movie version of this story.

DISCLAIMER: I was given a review copy this audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Hilarious Trump SNL skit -- or horror movie plot?

Revisado: 07-03-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

This catastrophic story could be the premise for a hilarious Saturday Night Live Trump skit -- or a plot for the next horror movie. I really enjoy when an author can use humor and satire to expose horrific truths -- as the United States is currently facing (e.g. pandemic, economic disaster, racial injustice, etc.). Michael Sandels brilliantly and satirically interweaves the absolute insanity of the current administration’s actions into a glimpse of what our world will look like in 2036 - if Trump refuses to leave The White House when he is voted out of office.

Spoiler Alerts:
In this story, there are multiple White Houses and Trump family members have royalty titles. The USA has been rebranded as “United-America” or “America-United,” because the actual name is too difficult for Trump to remember. There are cameos by Justin Bieber, Kenny Loggins and other celebrities. The world consists of three nations/world powers in this dreary future. Can you guess which ones?

*I enjoyed this 3.5 hour book, as have my friends who have listened to it. But, the story will NOT likely appeal to Trump supporters. And, it will take a rare Republican appreciate this book’s quirky humor.

DISCLAIMER: I was given a review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Inspiring, horrific and shamefully true story

Revisado: 02-01-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Another horrific and painfully true account of how insanely barbaric the Nazi's and their sympathizers were. My thanks to the author for deciding to share such a raw and painful story. It was especially emotional and chilling for me, because my own grandparents (and dad) migrated from Paris and to NY in 1940.

How is it possible that humans could have behaved that way less than a generation ago? I worry about the rising trend of nationalistic and self-serving political leaders. I find myself encouraging others to ingest Joseph Weismann’s tragic story and to then take any action within their own power to prevent anything like this from ever happening again.

This is a book that you don’t want to read, but you really must.

DISCLAIMER: I was given a review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Human flaws, regrets, mortality and last chances

Revisado: 11-12-19

I found the premise for "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" intriguing and quite plausible, because I know a real person who went on a similar walk/pilgrimage of 3,000+ miles. My friend’s journey was for very different reasons, but he had many of the same experiences that Harold encountered, especially as other people became involved with his pilgrimage. My friend’s walk became their walk. They complained and became frustrated when he did not behave as they wanted him to. As you listen to the story, you will most likely insert your own motivations.

But, be aware that this story is about life, introspections, imperfect relationships, discoveries, human flaws, regrets, mortality and last chances. It will make you think and reflect. The strong philosophical thread will guide you to revisit some of your personal choices and relationships.

CAUTION: If you are a fan of Hallmark movies, deeply religious, or looking for a light summer read, you should pass on this book.

WHAT I LIKED MOST:
*Writing is beautifully and sometimes painfully descriptive
*Characters have depth and a non-cookie cutter uniqueness that make you want to get to know more about them
*Many plot unknowns, so you are motivated to learn how the story ends
*The dog who became Harold’s unjudging and supportive companion
*I appreciated the sending of postcards. I have a friend that still sends me handwritten postcards, which I greatly value, because in this digital age that small tangible gesture is personal. It takes thought and effort.
*Enjoyable narration, which I found very easy to listen to

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER?
* Nothing significant. I believe that some people gave low reviews, because they wanted answers and a resolution that met their personal needs.

DISCLAIMER: I was given a review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Cringe-worthy, cultishness of sharing info 24/7

Revisado: 10-15-19

If you liked Handmaid’s Tale and 1984, you will enjoy this cautionary dystopian tale centered around the digital age and social media. I am technologist, educator and social scientist -- and for me this story became more thought-provoking as it progressed. It would make a great reading assignment (and opportunity for discussion) for high school students. Is sharing really caring? Are there consequences of staying "connected" 24/7 and digitizing our every experience to share with our "friends" across the world, no matter how mundane? Knowing is good. But, is knowing everything really better? This story was a cringe-worthy futuristic blend of Google, Facebook & Scientology.

WHAT I LIKED MOST:
*What are the pros, cons, and stresses of sharing information 24/7?
*Can transparency be too excessive? The depiction of the exhausting nature of virtual social life raises important issues about needing to know everything.
*Is digitizing all of our (and our pets) medical data helping us stay healthier or simply making companies more money? When does monitoring become invasive and exploitative?
*How is our quality of life affected when we are living in a society with ever increasing, surveillance by government and private enterprise?
*How much privacy are we willing to give up to prevent cyber-bullying, identity theft, fraud, and other crimes?
*What if everyone HAD to vote? What if everyone’s vote had the same weight?
*What is the moral and social code for answering emails? Must we answer every one? And, if so, how quickly?
*There are many eerie cultish tenets of Scientology found within The Circle (e.g. going clear, secrets are lies).
*What are the dangers of lineage-tracking programs?
*Is crowdsourcing the finding of criminals a good idea?
*Narrator Dion Graham, did an excellent job.
*Plus, I appreciated the cleverness of The Circle name “brands” (e.g TruYou, LoveLove, Demoxie, SeeChange, PastPresent, SoulSearch).

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER?
*While the ideas in The Circle were quite deep, the characters were a bit shallow. How could Mae, the main character, be so brilliant and so clueless? I would have appreciated greater character development for Annie, Mae's parents, etc.

DISCLAIMER: I was given a review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Fun & twisted story with many eccentric characters

Revisado: 10-01-19

I enjoyed listening to this fun and twisted story so much, with an abundance of eccentric characters, that I listened to most of it twice. I am eager to listen to other books by this author or narrator. I have already recommended the book to others.

WHAT I LIKED MOST:
*So many quirky, eccentric, well developed characters - yet each one was quite believable and you cared about them
*Humanizing the lives of circus, carnival, and sideshow performers gave the story extra merit
*Lighthearted and sometimes sleazy insights into the independent film industry
*Weaving together of three seemingly unconnected plots into a very unique and creative story
*Narrator easily and successfully toggles through the numerous and varied male and female characters
*Story will make a wonderful and colorful movie or TV series; I'm already thinking who should be cast in the different roles.


WHAT I DID NOT PARTICULARLY ENJOY:
*Willard and Anna were a major part of this story. But, I was left wondering about the chaos that they left behind. I would have liked more details.
*What happened to the lobster man was horrific. Yet, there is so little said about the ramifications.


DISCLAIMER: I was given a review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Unraveling & binding life, a spunky Chinese female

Revisado: 09-21-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I enjoyed this intriguing and evolving story with many twists and turns and would love to listen to other books by this author or narrator. I have already recommended the book to others.

WHAT I LIKED MOST:
*From a 6 year old child to adulthood, Yaqian was so incredibly bold and spunky and was not afraid to speak her mind to her insensitive parents, her exploitative teacher/business woman, and the entitled royals, during a time when females had little worth and were expected to be subservient
*Detailed historical descriptions of the struggle between 19th-century China and the British Empire; plight of young Chinese girls; secrets of the Forbidden City; cultural and class divisions; the torture and weird sexual purposes of foot-binding; intricate art of silk embroidery
*Blunt, non-sugar coated, portrayal of the sexual demands and expectations of young Chinese woman


WHAT I DID NOT PARTICULARLY ENJOY:
*The last section of the book attempted to cover too much time and history and it was presented in a superficial way that left the listener with many unanswered questions

DISCLAIMER: This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Heartbreaking portrayal of immigrant NY orphans

Revisado: 09-03-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

WHAT I LIKED MOST:
*Detailed character development and the complexity of how each person evolved throughout the story.
*Narration was excellent, taking the story to the next level, and giving the characters depth and life.
*Portrayal of the sad back story and heartbreaking plight of immigrant orphans trying to survive on the streets of NY.
*Depiction of the three very different life-changing situations the Irish orphans found themselves in and how they dealt with those circumstances.
*How the story ending was resolved.
*Learning about the good, bad, and misguided aspects of the Orphan Trains Movement, a supervised welfare program that transported homeless children from crowded eastern US cities to foster homes that were typically located in rural areas. From 1854 to 1929 an estimated 250,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children were placed throughout the United States and Canada during the Orphan Train Movement. When the orphan train movement began, it was estimated that 30,000 abandoned children were living on the streets of New York City.


WHAT I DID NOT PARTICULARLY ENJOY:
*No negatives worth mentioning!

DISCLAIMER: This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Best to avoid this plague

Revisado: 08-31-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I made myself listen to the end of this book, because I appreciate good political thrillers and I was attracted to the title, “The Eight Plague.” However, it took most of the book before the plague theme became a major aspect of the story.

WHAT I LIKED MOST:
*The theme/concept of bio terrorism, which is so frighteningly possible.


WHAT I DID NOT PARTICULARLY ENJOY:
*The stale, cookie-cutter, stereotypical and cliched descriptions of journalists, ex-wives, corrupt DC politicians, Mexican drug dealers, etc. I was really hoping to gain cultural insights, as the author had some first hand experience. However, none were provided.
*The lack of deeper character development. Except for Terry, the main character, the other characters undergo little or no inner change. They do not grow or develop. They seemed contrived.
*Too many divergent and superficially connected plot lines detracted from (while not adding value to) the main story.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Southern Californian Fish-Enfused Thriller

Revisado: 08-20-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

What I liked most:
*The beginning of the story, which was the most original, realistic and appropriately paced. The plot set-up enticed me want to keep reading to find out where the story was going.
*The many southern California references (Irvine Spectrum, Palm Springs tram, etc.)
*The fish.

What I did not enjoy:
*The book was too short. Probably should have been twice as long. The middle of the book seemed quite hurried.
*A decline of descriptive plot details and an extra helping of gun action where the main characters miraculously survive.
*Who the heck were these “terrorists?” That part is still unclear to me.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña