Janet

Oprah steered me wrong

Reviewed: 03-12-25

Normally I appreciate Oprah’s picks but guys, this was a stinker. I just kept waiting for it to end. Perhaps Oprah was trying to make a statement about the impending climate apocalypse. Do yourself a favor and skip it.

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Schlocky

Reviewed: 02-20-18

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Dear Lord, how has this received such stellar reviews? The first half is entertaining, but the second half is pure schlock--four hours' worth! Spare yourself the disappointment and stop listening halfway through, or just purchase a different audiobook.

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23 people found this helpful

Not Bad; Not Fabulous

Reviewed: 12-22-15

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I suppose it isn't surprising that the first half of this book is markedly better than the second. Hearing about Carole's relationship with Gerry Goffin, making records, and writing songs back in the day is definitely the highlight of this book. Unfortunately, things start to fall apart in the second half of the book, and by the time it ends, none of Carole's stories are holding together (e.g., we really didn't need to hear about how much time you spend in the NYC subway, Carole. Sorry.) Carole could have benefitted from the help of an editor. But she's undeniably still got it, and this is worth a listen.

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3 people found this helpful

Refreshingly honest (and sad)

Reviewed: 12-08-15

Carly may have been born into the Simon & Schuster empire, but her life wasn't an easy one by any means. She's a natural writer and a great narrator--though, incredibly, she had to read the audiobook alone in a room because of her stammer. Yes, it's sad that she's still hung up on James Taylor (who is a class A POS, going by these stories) but I find it admirable that she doesn't try to hide from this. It is what it is.

I am not a fan of the constant background music in this audiobook. It was intriguing at first but ended up being distracting. It's almost as if they were afraid the words couldn't stand alone, so they added the music instead. But the words could stand alone just fine.

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1 person found this helpful

Quite a Life's Story

Reviewed: 12-02-15

Jewel had quite the life. She does a great job of retelling her story, but gets bogged down toward the end. The last few chapters of the book are a big disappointment as Jewel bombards us with mystical hooey. I would have liked to know more about her divorce, but she is uncharacteristically unforthcoming in those passages. Also, I REALLY could have done without the a cappella versions of her songs--that's what Spotify is for, Jewel. That said, this was better than I had expected, and I applaud Jewel for making it under circumstances that would stop anyone else.

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3 people found this helpful

A Mixed Bag, but Drew Pulls it Off

Reviewed: 11-29-15

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I wasn't sure what to expect from Drew and have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. This is not your standard autobiography and is instead a collection of random tales from Drew's life. She's a great narrator, though rather overzealous at times. Some of these stories fall short (honestly, Drew, no one cares about your dogs dying; it's happened to all of us) and some are hilarious beyond belief (Drew's experience with Outward Bound). All in all, worth a listen!

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2 people found this helpful

Give These Characters a Swift Punch in the Face!

Reviewed: 11-20-15

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As someone who loved horse stories of all varieties as a kid, I was eager to listen to this retelling of "National Velvet." But the novel is a misstep. All of the characters were unpalatable, perhaps most so the heroine, Velvet, who is an unqualified brat.

That said, the book has its moments, and its narrators went above and beyond. They gave the book life, even if the author did not. The woman who read Ginger should get an award.

But unless you want to spend hours with your hands balled into fists, wishing you could punch characters who are infuriatingly obtuse, unthankful, or downright crazy, I'd suggest you stay away from this book.

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50 people found this helpful

Long, But a Stunner Nonetheless

Reviewed: 11-13-15

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To be honest, I jumped on this audiobook because I knew it would get me through a lot of commuting hours! But I ended up really enjoying it. The nice thing about a book this long is that there is plenty of time to delve into the psyche of each character before the book hits its climax. Only downside is that it starts to drag a bit toward the end, since for whatever reason the author decided to jump 20 years forward in time at random while the action is going on--the problem is nobody really CARES what happened in 20 years, or who sent who what email. Aside from that, it's quite a story, and I can see why the movie rights for this one were snapped up right away. Buy it--it's worth it!

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3 people found this helpful

Keep Them Coming, J.K.!

Reviewed: 10-28-15

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Any book in this series is pretty much guaranteed a 5-star review from me, and this one is no different. It's a bit more gruesome than the others in the series, but nothing truly unpalatable. Strike and Robin are mesmerizing, as always. The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that the ending wasn't quite as exciting as those of the previous books, but that might just be because I wasn't paying good enough attention at the beginning of the story. I can't wait for the next book.

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1 person found this helpful

Meh

Reviewed: 10-22-15

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This is no Handmaid's Tale. The premise is good--in a post-apocalyptic world, people live in a prison in order to be employed. In practice, this doesn't work out so well. Though there were some provocative moments, unfortunately the story devolves into a lot of mumbo-jumbo about robots and sex, and drags on for far too long. The male narrator is too loud, so I kept having to adjust the volume as I listened. Not worth it.

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1 person found this helpful