OYENTE

L. Nagel

  • 16
  • opiniones
  • 2
  • votos útiles
  • 54
  • calificaciones

Familiar Plot and In Need of an Editor

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

Revisado: 09-23-24

When Preston and Child collaborate (check out the Pendergast thrillers if you haven't already), their plotting is tight as a drum, the writing so clean and crisp, you could bounce a quarter off any given sentence.

I find that their solo ventures are less consistent. This novel has a basic plot outline I've seen in several of Child's other books, particularly the Jeremy Logan series. Some of the tech details were fresh and fun, but mostly you could see it all coming from a mile off.

The real issue here is the overwritten prose. A bazillion dialog tags. Every one PAUSED. HESITATED. DREW A BREATH. You could create a drinking game out of the number of times "A moment later..." occurs. Endless - and needless - descriptions. Inner reflections and musings that do nothing to advance either the plot or character development. Thrillers need to THRILL. This book's dragging pace left me more frustrated than anything. Might be my last Logan novel. (But I will never miss a Pendergast installment!)

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Imaginative and Beautiful

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

Revisado: 09-18-24

I have read everything by Ryan La Sala. His books are filled with startling images that are so original, yet so masterfully drawn that I have no problem visualizing his worlds. Those worlds are filled with beauty and horror, peopled with characters we cannot help rooting for. Despite the paranormal challenges they face, we also identify with them on a deeply emotional level.

The influence of Stephen King on La Sala's three horror novels is apparent, but King fans will see it most strongly in BEHOLDER. (It's not just about the spider on the cover, kids. If you haven't read King's FAIRY TALE, I highly recommend it, especially the audio version.) But it's not just the startling invention. The writing is REALLY GOOD. There's a lot of fantasy fiction coming down the pike these days. A lot of it is pretty lousy, nothing new, nothing to learn. IMHO, horror and fantasy stories must to be more than world building. To keep me turning the page, I need excellent writing, prose that resonates and carries me along, and a story that matters.

If you seek that, too, I highly recommend this title, as well as La Sala's REVERIE and THE HONEYS.

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Psychological Thriller

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

Revisado: 07-20-24

This delivered all the chills and creepies! Connelly rarely disappoints. The story is set in 1996, so the lack of cell phones and the problems that presented added another layer of interest for me.

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Disappointing

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

Revisado: 03-06-24

This is not up to the author's usual standard. I found this book too slow paced and predictable to hold my interest.

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Clever Retelling of a Classic

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

Revisado: 12-08-23

It's impossible to give the story less than 5 stars, considering it's modeled on one of the great Western classic novels. However, the narration is squeaky, with oddly placed emphasis that this listener found distracting.

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Twists and turns galore.

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

Revisado: 12-05-23

Un-put-downable! Kept me guessing until the end. The narrative moves between the main POV action and Pip's journal entries and interviews, voiced by a full cast on Audible. Highly recommend.

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Disappointing

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

Revisado: 06-09-23

This book has a good premise, and the atmosphere the author creates is nice and spooky. However, it just draaaaaaags on. Every encounter, every lifting of a cup, every opening or closing of a door, is described. Every reaction, emotion, internal reflection, is included ad nauseum. Honestly, finishing this became a chore. #NeedsAnEditor

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Darkly Twisted Fun

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

Revisado: 03-10-23

Classic Hiaassen tale. The plot starts as a straightforward private detective yarn, entertaining in its own right. But then things get weird. And then they get REALLY weird. You will laugh out loud. I'm still chuckling.

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Holy Hell Audiolibro Por Elizabeth Sims arte de portada

Super First in a Fab Series

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

Revisado: 02-15-23

What a fantastic surprise this was. I downloaded it from Audible because--and I know I'm about to lose any respect you still hold for me--it was a freebie. Hey, I was out of credits. Sue me.

First, the WRITING. Holy hell, Sims can write. This is funny, literate, snarky, sharp, original. Here are a few examples that snagged me hard, but I could give you dozens of others:
Describing an excruciatingly ongoing breakup: "It was like dissecting a moth with a chainsaw. The air in our apartment was filled with words, exclamation points, sentences."
"My rabbit Todd had the run of the place and the good sense not to blow it."
"His dead-hamster hairpiece loomed in my office doorway."

Second, the plot. Yeah, it's the story of an out of work reporter who solves a series of murders, blah blah. But that is where the tropes end. The two detectives on the case don't want Lillian meddling, but they're sympathetic, and they don't automatically throw her in jail every time she ends up in a compromising situation, which, by the by, is often. The tale of why she's unemployed is razor sharp, hilariously told, and all too real. (You're gonna hate Bucky's guts. Show of hands if your life is cursed with a Bucky or two of your own. *raises hand*) Through her internal dialog, we learn bits and pieces of her life, how she became who she is. All of it is compelling, often funny, and always relatable.

Third, the characters and setting. I love Detroit. My son lived there for 3 years, and we looked forward to visiting him there, trying all the funky ethnic eateries on sketchy side streets, soaking up the ambience of broken concrete and stubborn pride. Lillian is a native, and you feel the city like a supporting character, nurturing and sheltering, even as she acknowledges the crime rate and down-at-heel neighborhoods. When she's confronted by a knife wielding mugger, walks away unscathed, then calmly goes on in and orders enchiladas "at that great enchilada place by the bridge. Nobody knows its name, but everybody knows where you mean", her faith in her beloved Detroit is palpable.
Lillian is gay, but the author doesn't make this story all about the fact that LILLIAN IS GAY. Her sexuality is not a plot device, a gimmick, or a political statement. She just ... is, naturally and as part of how she sees and interacts with the world, the way any hetero character is portrayed without making a big deal out of sexual or gender identity. Imagine Elizabeth Bennett stewing over whether it's natural for her to be attracted to a MAN, oh my pearl clutching good gracious!
Holy Hell is peppered with memorable side characters, from Billie the pet whisperer to Lou, the woman who just won't take 'no' for an answer.

Finally, the narration. Dina Pearlman, as it happens, narrates my novels, so while I'm biased, her sassy, sometimes snarky, always crisp delivery truly is the perfect voice for Lillian, as our hero slogs her way from one scrape to the next. I mean, Holy Hell, read this book. You're welcome.

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Damn Straight Audiolibro Por Elizabeth Sims arte de portada

A Great Second Installment

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

Revisado: 02-15-23

Lillian Byrd is my hero. This series is a blast! See my review of HOLY HELL for my full gushy praise for Elizabeth Sims and narrator Dina Pearlman. This sophomore offering did not fall short of the original's brilliance.

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