stephanie

Not his best,

Revisado: 01-23-25

But I still enjoyed this novel, even with the graphic violence, etc. Readers should be ware this novel isn’t a cozy mystery. And they should check out those content warnings before reading, if they are troubled by certain content. The narrator was pretty great, imo.

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Listen to this one

Revisado: 10-02-23

Solid and creepy story, but then Lauren Ezzo made the troll voice. It scared the cheerios out of me! Fantastic work, my friends. I’ll be recommending this one to my friends, just to creep them out, too. =D

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Don’t waste your money

Revisado: 08-20-23

There were some forgettable one- or two-dimensional characters, who were more like caricatures. The Baddie was a cartoon villain, and only evil because he was ‘crazy’. Koontz’ penchant for being too verbose made this novel seem bloated and cumbersome to read. His haughty, preachy observations throughout this novel made him seem more like that ‘old man yelling at cloud’ meme than the author he used to be. Also this Koontz-style, cookie-cutter plot with the sections of absurdly detailed parts mixed in with such antiquated, flowery language and under-developed bad guys, combined with all the other flat, unlikable characters, and everything lacking absolutely no tension at all, make for another really disappointing novel. Also, insta-love alert. Koontz’ borderline racist remarks in the novel were bad enough, but then came the comments about the homeless. Koontz’ novels and characters are so very black and white, and with little nuance whatsoever. People are either really good, or super evil with no humanity and no redeeming values. I know this is his style, but the constant rehashing of this trope is beyond recycling - it’s like Koontz can’t figure out any other way to write. I’m so over this. His last few books have been very much a commentary on Mr. Koontz's political and personal beliefs. It is proving too much and getting in the way of the story. Even with things that I might agree to a degree with someone on. It’s gone way past super preachy lately. In fact it’s beginning to seem paranoid and obsessive about certain issues and/or talking points that some people usually talk about online. Koontz’ writing has been going downhill for years now. Save yourself the money and get this novel at your local library instead. It’s not worth it. I’m sorry I spent money on this novel, and wasted my time. There won’t be another purchase from this author again. I’ve been a fan since the 70’s, but I’m done.

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Stephen King's The Stand

Revisado: 03-03-17

This book has been reread many, many times in my lifetime. This is my first review.

I don't remember the first time I'd read The Stand, but it had to have been soon after it came out in paperback. Sometime around high school, or soon after. I've reread it every 2 or 3 years, ever since.
The audiobook version is a treat in itself. The narrator is Grover Gardner, who sounds almost exactly like one of the main male characters in the novel. He was very good at all the different voices, and especially Randall Flagg's insane giggle, which seriously freaked me the hell out. If you haven't already heard the audiobook version of this novel, I highly recommend it. The only issue with it is it's length, which I didn't mind, but it might be difficult for others with less listening time to finish before the book becomes due back to your library.

Anyway, listening to the audiobook helped me concentrate on what was happening much better than just skimming through it while reading. I picked up on a lot more little things this time, and that was cool. I also cried again a few times, near the end. If you have read this novel, then you know where I'm talking about.

Another 5 stars, as it never seems to become dated or boring, in any way. And very highly recommended.

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Quit by chapter 20

Revisado: 07-20-16

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

People who need help sleeping...?

Has Sleep Donation turned you off from other books in this genre?

No way!

How could the performance have been better?

Getting a better narrator.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Sleep Donation?

Idk, didn't finish.

Any additional comments?

I wanted SO BADLY to like this novel........but instead, I didn't finish it. I just couldn't bring myself to bother. I am very let down.

What annoyed me about this audiobook, mainly, was the narrator. The actress Greta Gerwig, was a huge detraction in this endeavor. She reads in a stilted, choppy manner, rather like the forced readings of teens in English class, where you don't want to sound like you're enjoying it at all. Or, maybe just hate forced readings. Gerwig is completely monotone. It's driving me crazy.
There were no breaks between the end of the chapters, before the title of the next chapter, or the next chapters words itself. It made it sound like sudden run-on sentences. She was unable to differentiate between different characters, and make them sound the slightest bit different. In fact, her boss Rudy's voice was just louder, not different.

Also, the editing sucked. There were discernible quality issues, where you can tell that the narrator was taped at another time and it was added in later. It happens every so often in the audiobook, and It was noticeable, and weird.

The author's way of writing her sentences, peppered with commas, instead of ending them all together, is also sort of juvenile. I've read Russell's other novel Swamplandia, and I don't remember this happening there. It's like she has become allergic to conjunctions as well as periods. Then, there are the weirdly unnatural similes:

"Genevieve Hughes eyes are like empty bowls that you want to fill with food." Seriously....? NO....... Please don't.
Another character (a boss, Jim), was described as having been a theater Midwestern major in college, so "it means he underscores statements he actually does believe with the gayer accents."
Well, I think this is uncalled for, and just rude.

So now I'm on chapter 16. Not much has happened, and I'm bored. The narrator's soporific tone is making it difficult to do anything. I may have to quit, soon.... I have hit a snag of sorts with Russell's writing that reminded me of why, despite the hoopla that surrounded it, her "Swamplandia!" failed to stack up for me in the same way. Russell's writing overreaches at times. I think that it can easily pass as being condescending to the reader. I mean, I'd like to think I'm a well-read person, someone with a more than average/decent vocabulary. But the ones she's chosen to use as her adjectives of choice, like 'chitinous' shell of sarcasm.....or the actual 'ungulate'? Or 'nacreous' skin? WE GET IT. You're REALLY smart and you have the vocabulary to prove it. Stop showing off, maybe....? That's it, I'm bailing at chapter 20.

In summary, this book.......It's just weird for me. There seems to be this disconnect of sorts in liking the characters, and I think maybe if she would just get out of her own way a little bit (or have an editor to address this issue with her). Perhaps I'm the only one to feel this way about Russell's work, but I doubt it, publishing darling that she is. I just think if she would lose hold on her tendencies to overreach with all those descriptions of hers, then her books would be that much better. Unfortunately, after this novel I'm not so sure I'm willing to find out.
Also, I'm kind of angry I have spent so much money on the audiobook version of this novel. Money is tight in this family, with me not able to work right now. I had heard such great things about it, and now I'm done with it, and probably for good. This is no buèno.
2 faint stars, not recommending the audiobook unless you are an insomniac, needing someone monotonous to read you to sleep.

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