Carolyn AKA The Reader

The Narration Made Me Happy, But the Story Less So

Revisado: 01-24-16

***I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com.***

Choosing Happy begins with Steven, the waffle stand guy (yes, the big, tattooed guy on the cover owns a stand shop, which I think is pretty cool), waiting to spot the guy he calls Little Duck (because of a shirt he wore of the Portland Ducks one day), who he sees every day walking at the same time with the same guy. This part of the story gets to me, but not in a good way. The way he talks about "his" Little Duck (whose name turns out to be Joey), a guy he's talked to once when he bought a waffle from him, but who he waits around to spot every day, even staying late to close up makes it feel more like creepy obsession than just interest. Unfortunately, even after he and Joey meet and talk, when Joey is in need of help and is going through physical pain, Steve is still being creepy, thinking about how much Joey turns him on and imagine what he'd do with him, though he does eventually acknowledge those thoughts are for a different time. It just feels too little, too late.

This is my first introduction to Aria Grace's stories, though I'm coming into this as book 3 of a series. Even though the major plot works as a stand-alone, it feels like some of the characterization comes from previous books, and we're missing out on things or just told about them. This would be the other major flaw for me, how much we're told things instead of shown. I didn't count how many times Steve lamented past decisions and how worried he was about hurting others now, but it's an oft-repeated concern. Maybe because this story is written in the first person, there's a lot more of this throughout the whole thing, but I would have enjoyed a lot more subtlety in getting points across and less telling.

The rest of the story couldn't overcome these early flaws for me, though it was fine, if not exactly anything that particularly drew me in. I can say that I didn't struggle to finish it, it just didn't have me wanting to read the rest of the series or rushing to read more from this author, sadly.

As far as narration goes, Michael Ferriauolo has a really nice delivery. His voice was clear, with a nice cadence, and I felt everyone's personality and emotions came through really well. I don't think Steve's voice stayed consistent throughout, and that was the only thing that detracted from the narration for me. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to the next time he narrates a book I'm interest in.

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Great Introduction to the World of Psychic Cops

Revisado: 01-24-16

***I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com.***

I normally start with reviewing the story and then do the narration, but I'm going to flip it this time around. Gomez Pugh has once again impressed me with his performance. I trust I'm going to get immersed in the story when I see his name next to Narrated by. He not only does his accents so well, which you know when you hear it done poorly how much it detracts from the experience, he gives the reader their emotions, their personality. It's a gift, and I never want to not appreciate it, especially when I know not every audiobook is going to give me the same experience.

Now to the story itself...

First of all, I come into this a fan of mysteries to solve where someone has psychic abilities. I think it can offer a lot of interesting avenues to take, so I was excited to be able to start this series, which is one I haven't read before. Already being a fan of these types, it means I've read a number of stories revolving around just this thing, and I'm happy to say JCP's take on it was one I hadn't read. It's interesting for each of the psychic detectives to have different abilities from each other and that each is paired with a non-psychic counterpart. Generally it's one psychic begrudgingly used by the force, maybe not even acknowledged or people with all the same powers, so that's a clever take that I just had to make special note of.

Having said that, I was really surprised this was plot for the first book in the series. Maybe I have read so many that I would have expected this serial killer they faced to have been in a later story, simply because we really didn't get to see Victor using his power in these cases. So, although we're told how it works (and shown how it affects him off duty), this time around, we really don't see him solving the cases in what we assume is his normal way. It definitely intrigues me for what comes later in the series.

While this does have a romantic subplot, the attention is really focused on the action of catching the killer and getting to know Victor. I don't count that as a mark against the story at all. The subplot works wonderfully here, with Victor unsure about Jacob, the non-psychic cop. We see what how being in the closet affects him, how he doesn't trust exactly, how he reacts to things changing at work as his partner retires and he ends up working with Jacob and his partner. These elements all worked really well as a first introduction to the series and as intriguing lead-ins to what comes next.

On the whole, Among the Living has an interesting plot, great main and side characters that I'm looking forward to knowing more about, and a really engaging writing style. Bring on Book 2!

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Glitterland Sparkles and Shines, and I Was Wowed

Revisado: 01-23-16

Coming in to this audiobook, I already loved Glitterland, which I had read in ebook before. It's a smart, humane, emotionally honest, entertaining story. We experience it through Ash, the writer A.A. Winters, who has mental health issues, among them bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. The story starts out right at the start of an episode he has after a certain hook-up. We see him at, not his worst, but certainly not his best, where he calls up his friend/former lover, Niall, who's had to literally save his life before and is pressed into picking Ash up. It's a bold move to start off a romance with that scene. Neither man comes off very well (though only one is one-half of the main couple) and it is not a light start, but it's perfect, pulling the reader in and giving us insight already into these characters and their story.

Next we're introduced to the other half of the romantic pairing. Ash is struck by the look of a man on the dance floor at another friend's stag night, a man whose silver epaulets, among other things, catch his eye. "He was a ridiculous creature. A vulgar, glittering pirate of a man, all jewellery and fake tan, gold glinting in his ears, on his fingers and round his wrists. His dark hair gleamed with product and had been painstakingly teased into a quiff, that defied taste, reason, and gravity. And I couldn't stop looking at him." And that's when we first meet Darian, the wannabe model out of Essex, whose bright smile and brighter clothing, charms his way into a hook-up with the very opposite Ash.

What follows next is a strange courtship, with the open, big-hearted, self-identified shallow Darian seeing something amazing in the dark, struggling, often caustic Ash. It's never supposed to be something for Ash, but he can't help but be drawn to thoughts and then action when it comes to Darian. And Darian, while seeming less complicated than Ash, has a boldness and backbone that pushes these two together as much as Ash's inability to stay away. These two opposites bring a unique equality to their relationship that's wonderful to watch.

There is no straight shot to a happily ever after, a thing maybe that can't even be hoped for, for these two. There are complications and misunderstandings and some may wonder how things could ever be patched up again, but that's the power of Alexis Hall's writing here. Things do come together, in their perfectly imperfect way, and it's real, and it's beautiful. There were tears and sniffling from them and me by the end.

When I said at the beginning that I already loved Glitterland, it was a shallow love compared to how I feel about it now that I've experienced it through Nicholas Boulton's stunning narration. This was the first audiobook of his I've read, and I was absolutely blown away. No way, NO WAY, was I listening to just one person who sounds, as Darian proclaims about Ash, "Omigod, you talk like the Queen. Are you in parliament?" and then also as Darian, with his Essex accent who says things like "There you go, babes. That was ahwight, wunit." (Direct quote from the book.) And it wasn't just the accents that Nicholas does, it's the emotion and personality of each person and line that shine. I wish I could pull little samples to include because there are so many brilliant moments throughout where it's so pitch perfect as to feel like I was actually eavesdropping instead of listening to a performance. Just top shelf the whole way through, and I can't recommend the experience enough.

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A Short Read That Never Went Very Deep

Revisado: 01-07-16

***I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com.***

It's the nature of short story romances that you have very little time to get the main characters together and off to their happily-ever-after. One of the best ways is through a "fated mate" scenario where we don't have to get a lot of build-up to them making it work: they're fated to be together, so we just have to see how everyone accepts that and see what happens next.

In Blazing Glory, I think Angelique Voisen had a good idea for a set-up. These two men meet and something goes wrong, unleashing a problem on the city that they have to make right. These two men also happen to be fated mates, one a bear shifter and one a pyromancer. That seems like it could go a lot of interesting ways. Sadly, that's not the case here.

The characterizations were not only shallow but also contradictory. Bear shifter Levi was supposed to be all gruff, and he was, being demanding and controlling, even to the point of saying what he'd be doing to his mate whether his mate wanted it or not (gross!), and then, not to much later he says he's not going to do anything pyromancer Blaze doesn't want. I mean, that's great that he said that, but totally contradicts the several times he made it seem Blaze had no choice. It was things like that with both main characters that felt inconsistent. I just didn't believe in them, and I didn't believe in their romance.

The action with the zombies and defeating the main bad guy were fine. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was handled okay. By that point, I was just waiting for the end of the book really.

This was book 1 in a series, but I didn't realize that until after I finished it. Honestly, it felt like I was in the middle of the series. I felt like there were things about the whole set up with Havoc's crew that I was supposed to know and didn't.

Also, I have to talk about the epilogue because it really bothered me. Maybe this isn't true for everyone, but I feel like an epilogue should wrap up how things are going with the main characters and, in a series, give us a little taste of what was coming up in the next book. Of course an author wants to whet your appetite for more. We had gotten glimpses of an apprentice named Heath and his connection to another of Havoc's crew, Volt,but then during the epilogue it was basically one bit with Levi and Blaze where they're being loving, and then rest is Heath's inner monologue about how he's in love with Volt, and then a lead-in to the next book. It just felt cheap to me, very cliff-hanger type stuff. If I had been entertained by book 1, I would have already been interested in Heath and Volt, I didn't need a cheap ploy to get me to book 2. The strong writing and entertainment value of the first in the series is what leads me to the next, not that kind of stunt. If I'd already had a high opinion of the story at that point, it would have dropped.

As for Peter Verbana's narration, it's the only bright spot in this book. He managed to give different voices delivered well. Considering what he had to work with, I could actually understand times when he didn't feel convincing. I think he did better in the beginning than the end, but I honestly put that down to how the characters started sounding. He got a bit of a whiny sound and started making Blaze sound over-the-top. On the whole, really solid, and if it was something outside of this series, I would definitely listen to him again. It's a 3.5 rating rounded to a 4, because I feel it was the material. Sadly, I cannot recommend this one, even to hear his narration.

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Purely Wonderful

Revisado: 01-05-16

(Just a note: The first three paragraphs are from my review of the story alone before I listened to the audiobook and still reflect my thoughts on the story after listening. I'll add narration below as a fourth paragraph.) In lesser hands, this could just be a sweet story about two guys who meet during a vacation trip, one local and one from America, who hook up but find more than they'd imagined. Like I said, sweet, but not complicated. Instead, Sara Alva gives true depth to both her characters and her story.

Simon is feeling down about his newly single status, and tries to enjoy the view he has of the guys on the beach while on vacation with his family. A chance meeting on that beach at night where he might have done more harm than good for the turtles who make the beach their nesting grounds has him fascinated by both the guy he meets and his mission. Juan is a local who's dedicated to helping turtles through a conservancy program, and he's hooked up with enough guys on vacation to know the score. Things get turned on their head as the two men get to know each other while Simon drops his preconceived notions and privileged ways and Juan learns that someone can value more of him than just his body.

Sara Alva has such a deft hand when it comes to layering elements. Interwoven with the beautifully written romance and interesting plot elements are thoughts on cultural differences, stereotypes, environmentalism, class privilege, and family dynamics that never feel heavy but add heft to this story. This is a fairly short YA/NA story, but if you think that doesn't make it worth your time, you'll be missing out on something truly wonderful.

As for narration, this is my first experience with Joseph Northton, and he did a spectacular job. He had distinct voices (which is my own preference in audiobooks as opposed to just a good storytelling voice), and he brought out the emotion and characteristics of each person really well. Accents are important to me because I've actually stopped listening to stories with inauthentic ones performed, and while I'm certainly no expert on what Costa Ricans sound like, I didn't feel like this was just some lazy attempt to sound Spanish. Juan's voice sounded like it was Juan's voice, and Simon's Simon. There were inconsequential niggles that would drop his performance for me from a completely perfect rating, but overall superb, and I would definitely look forward to hearing his narration again.

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A Good Story With A Few Headline-Making Moments

Revisado: 11-23-15

***I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com.***

Although I don't read it exclusively, I love reading young adult stories and was really happy to have a chance at a new-to-me author. Although the story wasn't a complete success for me, there are definitely pieces of it that shone brightly, and I'm glad I got the chance at Zach's Secret and would happily pick up another Matthew Grant story.

One of the highlights for me, and who I felt was the best written character in the story, is the kids' English teacher, Mrs. Trevott. She wasn't out of some "inspiring teacher" mold. She did have a great rapport with her students; she did care about them together and individually; she did say inspiring things, but she also had her own important story arc that culminated beautifully in one of the closing scenes. Major kudos on this aspect, and her whole "now, go think about it" thing always made me smile.

I also really enjoyed Zach as a character. The story is told through his thoughts and experiences so he's definitely the one we spend the most time with. He's smart and has a lot going for him, even though he still has a lot of growing to do. I think that's shown well, with him only dipping occasionally, for me, into acting uncharacteristically. Even though I liked what the relationship with Key brought out for him, some of his reactions just didn't ring true.

His love interest, Key, and some of his friends/classmates were less successful for me as characters, some of them feeling more like props than I would have liked. They dipped into caricature, which surprised me given the level of depth I saw in other characters. No one more exemplifies this than the principal of the school, though Zach's mother would come a close second. I understand very well there are hateful people who spew their vitriol, but even villains need to be written three-dimensionally, or else the conflict doesn't feel real. Those times when dealing with the principal's machinations were the low points for me, and the culmination of those plot elements didn't satisfy.

The lowest point for me in this, though, was the narration. I never enjoyed his delivery, and at most I tolerated it, with the really great parts of Grant's storytelling making it palatable. I'd say if you listen to the sample, and it works for you, then you'll be fine since his performance worked well for others. Everything's a matter of taste, and his narration just wasn't to mine. I will say, he did a lot of different voices distinctly, and that's really important to me.

All in all, although I wish they'd been able to be supported by better storytelling throughout, there were some real not-to-be-missed aspects that I appreciated experiencing.

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So Much to Enjoy in this Sci-Fi Gem

Revisado: 09-08-15

This is three hours of sci-fi adventure goodness. You will get that gritty sense of being in space with a rag-tag group of ship inhabitants, the otherworldly technology we can only imagine, and species who are humanoid (and more) but are not us. You will not get that in tremendous detail, but the world will fill around each character anyway because of Aleksandr Voinov's skill with words and storytelling. If you need all the ins and outs of species and technology and time and place, it's best not to look for that here. There is definitely enough, though, to build a thought-provoking, thrilling journey.

Things I especially loved was that this was sci-fi with LGBTQIA representation. Sci-fi is the perfect place to deal with thoughts on sexuality and identity since it has such a wide array of people and creatures from places far and wide, and when it's present and handled well in a story, its value goes way up for me. Also, how Kyle's disability was handled was important. It was so great to see not only how it affected him mentally but also to see how it was handled physically with the cyberware. A bit of a spoiler but not giving any detail (but skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to know anything), how it was handled in the end could have been really negative, in a magic cure kind of way (which is dismissive to those with disability and harmful by saying a fulfilling and happy life can only be had if you're cured), but because of how it was balanced out by the method and lifelong repercussions, it was both in keeping with the sci-fi theme and much more respectful.

As for narration, this is my second experience with Gomez Pugh, and I'm just as dazzled (maybe more so) by what he does with stories. One of the things I really enjoyed particularly here was how the narrator's voice was different from all the other characters. Even though it's Kyle's thoughts and actions we're experiencing the story through, it's a completely different voice from Kyle. I also enjoyed each voice and thought all the emotions, accents, and cadences were all performed wonderfully. One last quick thought, one of my favorite things is when a narrator performs asides well. It's easy to see those in text but a lot harder to do in audio. I could always hear them in his narration, and I appreciate that. There's just these little touches that Mr. Pugh does with his narration that add so much to the experience.

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Can't Say Enough Great Things About This One

Revisado: 08-26-15

The "too long, didn't read" version of this review is that I want everyone to experience this audiobook for both its SUPERB story and narration.

After writing that line, I really don't know how long I'm going to make this review. That is the nutshell version. However, I will attempt to put down something a little more detailed.

First, don't let the length deter you. It doesn't feel like 12 hours+. The story is so engaging that it felt effortless to get through. Second, if you're not in the right frame of mind to listen to a Scottish accent, wait for that time. I was in a bit of the wrong frame of mind when I first began this, and within a minute, I knew my brain wasn't ready to process a voice I wasn't used to hearing. The next time I started it up, I was ready and happy to listen to Sean Gormley's amazing narration.

Scrap Metal is equal parts inner journey, family drama, romance, and crime thriller. Maybe not completely equal, but all those elements are in there, and they are handled with Harper Fox's deft hand. Both Nichol and Cam, the main characters of Scrap Metal, go on a journey of self, working on healing. With Nichol and Nichol's grandfather working through their grief at lost family as well as a lifetime of habits and lack of communication, the reader is taken on a journey as poignant as that of the romance. Nichol and Cam's romance is a joy to behold. Young lovers are supposed to feel like they're the only people who've been in love, and this story makes you feel like that's true. It's handled in such an eloquent, honest way that even when it's full of "hearts and flowers," it feels so right. The crime thriller part of the story is interwoven from the first moment Nichol finds Cam in his barn hiding away. It lends an undercurrent to the whole story because we wait for that other shoe to drop, whether consciously or unconsciously. All the elements that make up this book are top shelf. A truly wonderful contemporary. It will pull at your heart in many ways.

One last element that brings a note of the Scottish lands (besides the settings itself) is the feeling Nichol and Cam get that there is something otherworldly in the air at times. I adored this aspect, which was small but essential.

As for the narration of Scrap Metal, Sean Gormley didn't have one misstep, not even a slight falter for a nanosecond. Every person was imbued not only with a distinctive and appropriate voice, they were performed to perfection in cadence, volume, and emotion. I never wondered who I was listening to or what they were feeling. I loved the authentic (to my untrained ear) voices of Scotland and especially hearing the passages in Gaelic. A true treat.

I loved these characters (including wonderful side characters) - their complexities of mind and heart and action - and experiencing them with Sean Gormley's talent makes this a hands-down winner.

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Highly Enjoyable Story, Less Successful Narration

Revisado: 08-26-15

~~I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com~~

I had read Widdershins, the first book in the Whyborne & Griffin series, in ebook form before my experience with the audiobook. I already knew that Widdershins offered up a fun and exciting historical story with fantastical elements, as well as a touching romance between two men who hadn't believed they could find acceptance, love, and trust in someone. As I do with audiobooks, I hoped to listen to the narration of this story and have it come alive in a new way. Unfortunately, that didn't happen for me.

I've read this is Julian G. Simmons' first foray into narration and that there were some technical issues that made this a less successful start. I haven't listened to any of the later books in this series (but I've read he's improved and certainly there are readers here who've greatly enjoyed the narration of this one), so I can only speak to what I found.

There was not a distinct enough voice for Griffin. I felt there was an attempt, but it was unsuccessful for my ear. The other voices that were distinct (save for Christine and Whyborne), felt unrefined and fell too much on the caricature side for my preferences, and they didn't stay consistent. Also, at times there was a cadence or rhythm he fell into that made sentences lack punch and drew me away from the story.

This next comment falls on me and how I listen to audiobooks, but it's worth mentioning in case other people are the same. I'm in a car much of the time I'm reading an audiobook, therefore sound of the road intrudes. Each time any character whispered or spoke in low tones, I completely missed what was being said. My phone was up to the highest volume, and I'd miss it every single time. From other audiobooks, I know it's a fine line to "whisper" while still being heard at an audible level for the reader. I'm chalking up this issue to a combination of new narrator, my device's limitations, and my environment. Obviously, a perfect storm of poor sound experience.

On the positive side, even though a distinct voice didn't always come through in the narration, a personality did. There wasn't an ambiguity at all to any character's feelings and motivation as present in the text. Being able to feel all those emotions went a long way in helping me enjoy the story when other parts left me frustrated. Also, I felt like his voice does suit the character of Whyborne very well, which is a definite positive since he is the narrator and one of the main characters. As I mentioned earlier, his presentation of Christine was also a plus. Great personality and a distinct change in voice for her.

Although I can't give a wholehearted recommendation for this audiobook based on my own expectations and experience, I can certainly say this is a book to read if you enjoy a clever blend of historical, supernatural, and romantic elements.

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A Few Hours Well-Spent

Revisado: 07-30-15

~~I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com~~

Even though JCP has been on my radar (and bookshelf) for awhile, this is my first time reading anything of hers. It's a small sampling, but I really enjoyed it!

Told from Ray's perspective, Body Art is almost more of a character piece than a thriller. The story is peopled with interesting characters who bring a certain mood to the story. I really enjoyed how realistic they were because it helped this feel more immersive as a thriller. It had me looking at each person, wondering who was hiding what about themselves. The only one we truly know is Ray, and he's a great character, very self aware about his flaws but a good person just trying to get on with his life.

The thriller part was well done. It was a slow build with a fairly fast wrap-up. The setting of the isolated home and the weather, combined with some strange goings-on, really gave it a nice atmosphere, and I was definitely on a slow burn about what was happening the whole time. It wasn't as fully satisfying as watching Ray trying to rebuild his life in this strange place he's landed (which was handled so well), but it was still highly enjoyable.

This is also my first time with Gomez Pugh's narration, and I was really impressed. He had a great range of voices and infused each character with distinct personality. I would absolutely be drawn to more stories he narrates. I know he's done other JCP books, so since I'm interested in more of both of them, I'm one happy reader.

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