Monette Pangan

Welcomed Prequel

Reviewed: 10-02-24

I’m all for back stories and having listened to the Hunger Games audiobooks and seen the films, I always thought it interesting to take a peek into Snow’s past and how the Hunger Games evolved.

The title is truly appropriate too. From the start, we get a hint of the kind of person Snow is—maybe partly shaped by his parents’ upbringing, partly by the war. But just snakes do what they do because of what they are, you come to understand that Snow does what he does in much the same way. That’s probably what’s scary about him.

This back story is a great addition to the Hunger Games series. When I revisit them, I’ll make sure to start with this one.

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What did you do to Constance?!

Reviewed: 09-20-21

Another unusual adventure in the Pendergast collection, this time without the usual descriptions (“with exquisite care” and all that). Unfortunately, in this audio version, Constance is no longer the Constance I’d gotten used to. Where in past audiobooks she sounded gentle but firm, she now sounds like a crotchety old lady. I think that even when the narrator is different, there should be some kind of continuity. Maybe for future adventures I should make do with the book and not the audio version.

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Took A While For This One

Reviewed: 05-25-16

The Good House was my first Tananarive Due experience and it was quite the listen. I was completely taken not only by the story but by the reader as well. So when I began The Living Blood, well, let's just say I had to convince myself to stick to it.

The story itself is captivating for sure but the reader's style took me a while to get used to. It felt as if he were just forced to read the darned thing to me and wanted to make sure I knew it. For a while there, I was toying with the idea of just returning it and getting another audiobook but because I wanted to know how the story unfolds, I stuck to it.

Then after a long time, I think it was during the second portion (the second download) that I realized I didn't mind his way of reading anymore and that it sort of made sense. Can't explain that one. I'm glad I kept going, though, because the story itself didn't disappoint.

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5 people found this helpful

A Surprise Read

Reviewed: 02-04-14

Vengeance was a gift from Audible and I had chosen it over the other titles made available because the synopsis was interesting. At first, I wasn't too sure it would hold me because it looked like it was part of a series and I wasn't familiar with the other books. Then the narrator was female but the story is told from a male point of view. The narrator matters a whole lot to me and I've often felt that if some audiobooks had better narrators, I would have managed to listen to the very end.

Happily, it wasn't so with this audiobook. Therese Plummer did a really great job. As I listened, it began to feel "right" that she was doing the narration. She caught the nuances of each character's personality and had none of the exaggerated voice highs or lows that some narrators tend to use when shifting from male to female or vice-versa. In fact, having her read from Decker's point of view served to show his and all the other characters' youth.

While this book is a sequel, it can hold its own because the author makes references to past events. I liked the pace--no unnecessary scenes, no long-drawn out run of the mill descriptions. Sometimes there is a feeling of a suppressed forward movement which echoes Decker's ambivalence. There is enough mystery to keep you going. There are some bits that didn't quite make it in terms of credibility but I could be overthinking things. I won't mention it here as it could be quite the spoiler. Otherwise, I'd say I enjoyed it more than I expected to and will be keeping an eye out for more of Megan Miranda's work!

Thank you for this gift Audible! Much appreciated!

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If Only

Reviewed: 09-12-13

I never discovered if the story is great or not which is a shame because I was looking forward to enjoying a long listen (3 parts!). Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the melodramatic narration. I understand the character was grieving and devastated but it was a bit much for me. Plus, I didn't know at the time that I could've returned it. Now I'm stuck with it.

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The Thirteenth Tale

Reviewed: 01-30-13

The Thirteenth Tale is a novel that is at once beautiful, haunting, and unforgettable. I think it's not very easy nowadays to find something so elegantly written. It's not a comedy of manners, not a Jane Austen or Edith Wharton type of read (or listen in this case) but you have the pleasure of imagery so wonderfully told that you find yourself transported to another time and place.

The narrators Bianca Amato and Jill Tanner do a wonderful job. There is no interruption of mood because of a failed attempt to sound like a man or a child which sometimes happens in audiobooks. All you hear is the urgency or the sadness or even the fear.

I've listened to this audiobook several times and have never gotten tired of it. It's one that's worth revisiting over and over again.

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