Casey

Charming, thrilling, and superbly narrated

Revisado: 09-13-19

um, i totally loved this!!!

I guess it shouldn't be surprising because it's Victoria Schwab after all, right? I knew it would probably be <i>good</i> but omg i had so idea how utterly charming and thrilling it would be.

After Cassidy Blake has a near-death experience, she gains the ability to see ghosts -- and a ghost best friend. Coincidentally, her parents are the writing duo behind the Inspecters paranormal mystery series, but they are in the dark about her ability. Her dad is big on hard facts and a no-nonsense non-believer in ghosts, while her mom loves the stories and is chipper in even the most ominous situations. When they land a TV show exploring the most famously haunted cities, Cassidy ends up spending her summer in Edinburgh and coming face-to-face with the famous Lady in Red.

The narration of this book was so excellent that I’m sure I enjoyed this book more than I would have on paper. She has a clear tone, good inflection, and natural sounding accents (they are in Edinburgh after all!)

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Compelling and hilarious

Revisado: 06-22-15

This was a super fast listen partly because of the comedic voice and also because who isn't interested in romance and who can't relate to all of the struggles our search for romance presents? Out of all the celebrity books out just now (most of which are memoirs) I enjoyed this one the most because it was centered on an interesting topic (other than Ansari's life), yet it definitely had his personal touch.

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Whimsical

Revisado: 06-01-15

I really enjoyed the conversational tone and wittiness of Aza at the beginning of Magonia. So much so that I got sucked into the audio sample before purchasing it and wondered why it stopped all the sudden! So I bought it and really enjoyed the first third. Jason and Aza were both great characters and the narrators were great at bringing them to life.

Then the story took a rather abrupt turn for the... whimsical. This book is advertised at TFIOS meets Gaiman, but I think it reads more like TFIOS then sharp turn to Gaiman, if anything. The shift from essentially contemporary to high fantasy was a bit overwhelming for me personally!

Though the world was highly original and intriguing, Aza at this point became too "what's happening?/Where am I?/???" for my liking and my mind started to wander away from the story.

As far as I know, a sequel is only rumored but there's definitely space for one.

All in all it's a good listen, if nothing else it's more original than any other YA on the market currently.

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I see it, just don't feel it

Revisado: 04-15-15

I definitely see the appeal of this middle grade/young adult fantasy novel with plenty of adventure and a little (toned-down by today's standards) romance.

I didn't connect with it as much as I would have liked, probably due to there being a lot of boom-pow action and less character drive and political intrigue.

Because this is an older book, parts of it feel refreshingly classic and others feel like they've been overdone by now.

Tim Curry's narration is really enthusiastic, great intonation, accents and voices. His voice alone is great to listen to. However, this is the second book I've read with his narration where I've found it easy to get distracted from the story (perhaps because of the enthusiasm, if that makes sense)

I'm disappointed I didn't love this as much as I wanted to, but I will try continuing the series in print.

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Hooked

Revisado: 03-29-15

I'm not a crime/detective/mystery reader generally, but I am a JKR fan, so I checked it out. I was not disappointed.

Her writing definitely felt familiar even in such a different type of book. I felt it was intricate, the characters were really brought to life, it wasn't predictable (note: unseasoned crime reader as aforementioned) but it wasn't completely unguessable, if that makes sense. It also managed to touch on some deeper themes revolving around fame, wealth and the upper class - though this was in no way overpowering; it only made the story more interesting and complex.

The narration was excellent as well, I am glad I listened!

Don't know whether I should immediately move to the next or pace myself!

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Average read with some strong points

Revisado: 02-14-15

I enjoyed Foreman's If I Stay duology so thought I would check this out.

I don't think this was as hard-hitting as I was expecting, and there were certainly some moments that had me either rolling my eyes or thinking WT even F?! Though there were also poignant and powerful moments, especially toward the end, which I think came together really nicely.

The characters had distinct and rounded personalities but they weren't anything particularly memorable. Side Note: I appreciate that Foreman went for some diverse characters but I was disappointed that it fell flat. Meg Garcia could have easily been Meg Johnson and you wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. It's things like this that make me call the book average.

The narrator was excellent! I would definitely listen to her again.

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Solid Sequel

Revisado: 02-07-15

Though I have reservations about the series as a whole, this sequel is just as action-packed and full of twists as Legend. If you liked the first book, you will probably love the second.

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A Little TFiOS, A Lot Unrealistic

Revisado: 01-19-15

Would you try another book from Jennifer Niven and/or Kirby Heyborne and Ariadne Meyers ?

Even though this isn't my first Kirby Heyborne listen, I thought that his inflections didn't match how I would imagine a teenage boy's... this could easily have contributed to my finding Finch unrealistic. I probably won't be listening to Heyborne again, though I would definitely listen to Ariadne Meyers.

Any additional comments?

I can see why this was compared to The Fault in Our Stars - aside from the "feels" moments, Finch and Violet's adventures had a quality reminiscent of John Green's style (which I enjoyed).

I have a harder time seeing the comparison to Eleanor & Park. Those characters were just so real to me while Violet and Finch were so... well, unreal. Part of Finch's supposed charm, I think, is his unfiltered honesty and over-the-topness. For me, it was hard to believe anyone could really, seriously say some of the things he did and get the normal reactions he got (I'm talking about you, Violet). Perhaps I would have connected to the characters and been more moved by this story if I found them believable*

The writing had its moments, but was flowery/poetic in a way that came across to me as overdone. The pacing (despite it's John Green-esque moments) was hindered by many things going on at once. And, the intensity of the most critical moments was softened by my lack of connection with the characters.

*This is not to discount the author's very real, personal experiences, many of which are closely mirrored in this book. Kudos to her for writing about them.

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Memorable, Not a Favorite

Revisado: 01-13-15

There are so many things that make this book work: Journal-style narration that weaves story and history, characters that are realistic for the period and full of personality, heart-stopping plot twists, and a story that is intense and emotional but not completely hopeless. On merit alone, I'd give this book 5 stars. It is excellent.

As far as my personal connection with the book, I'd give it more of an "I liked it" 3 stars, though towards the end (and upon post-reading reflection) I really like it. I enjoyed everything I mentioned above, but i never got truly sucked in, so it dragged in several places. I'd call this book memorable but not a favorite.

Narration was really excellent, especially the first half.

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Delightfully Quirky, a Bit Meandering

Revisado: 01-03-15

This listen is pure fun, what with the steampunk/finishing school/spy training aspects brought to life by a writing style that's a bit silly and an excellent narrator. Where it disappointed was that it wasn't easy to follow; There were certainly several memorable characters and situations but not a strong story arc. I may or may not continue with the series.

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