Shawn Chesney

I feel like I’m listening to SIRI

Reviewed: 09-13-23

Monotone, odd inflections. I feel like I’m listening to my car giving directions.
I usually enjoy Lees books, but I find myself repeating lines like a robot.
Jack. forced. A. Smile. Beep boop. At the next light… turn right.

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Mixed bag

Reviewed: 09-11-23

I enjoy these ‘cozy’ novels. They are like candy. Easy to consume. Not a lot of nutrition.
The voice of Luce is excruciating. It’s like she’s drunk or suffered head trauma. The slurred dopey voice is really odd
My biggest gripe is that these are exactly like the Midwest witches by Amana Lee. I even had to go back and see who published first as the ‘similarity’ is beyond coincidental.
3 witch cousins, 3 single moms, a crazy great aunt, involvement with the town sheriff, the mansion on the hill, the bed and breakfast. The two cousins running a shop together. The animosity with another old lady in town. The illegal antics of the aunt. even her job as a journalist… exactly the same.
Seems a bit sketchy and in the back of my mind I kept thinking ‘surely she’s not going to…(insert plot point). And she did.
So, in fairness to the publication dates (these came after), I could only give the story 2 stars as only 20% was original.
I even reached out to the author to ask about the similarities but never got an answer. Ah well.

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Very nice version

Reviewed: 01-19-23

It’s P&P. What’s not to love?
The reader is pleasant. Character voices aren’t great, but I imagine that is a very difficult talent to master. It does not detract from the story.
The movie plays right along in my head as a visual.

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Goes off the rails quickly

Reviewed: 10-03-20

Seriously. This book goes ‘off the rails’ quickly and never seems to find its footing again.
The concept is interesting but then I think they asked a 1st grade class of sugared up little boys to think of plot points. “There should be cowboys! And pirates! And sea monsters! And dragons! And aliens! And ... boobies.”
I could listen to RC Bray tell knock knock jokes for hours on end, but even his magical voice could only barely hold this tale together.
There were rich details and sub stories that might have become interesting only to be abandoned as we veer off a side track to kookytown.
By the end, I feel like I’d been cursed to be on this train for all eternity. But... like a train wreck, Mr Bray’s skills kept me from looking away when I long ago wanted to turn my head from this one.

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Jury still out

Reviewed: 05-18-18

Interesting story. Slow start, as others have said, but it helped build the suspense. Is it horror, is it sci-fi, is it a conspiracy? Um... you’ll just have to listen. It’s almost like they switched authors 2/3 of the way through. Or, one author ran out of decaf at that tune.
One of the kinds of stories that would do better as a movie.
The reader did well with the voices, but some of the cadence is off. Pauses are not right or nonexistent. I found myself picturing how the sentence was likely written and punctuated to understand some of the characters interactions.

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2 people found this helpful

Good story. Odd narration

Reviewed: 07-21-16

This book was amusing and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but had a hard time with the distracting cadence of the narrator. His intonation went up and down CONSTANTLY making every statement seem like a question. It was like a kid turning the volume up and down quickly while listening to talk radio. It was like being on a choppy sea.
The narrator's voice fit the laid back main character but much of the drama and humor were stilted by the odd rolling narration.
I'd love to hear more of this series, but I'm not sure I can stand so many more hours of such rough seas.

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Another hit from correia

Reviewed: 07-18-16

It's pretty rare to find an author who can write such a variety of series. Absolutely NOTHING like the MHI books, this first book of a new series manages to make some interesting tweaks in a threadbare genre. The performance is great in this book as well. There is subtle humor, exciting drama and well paced action. Correia has managed to write a great fantasy book without a naked elf or heaving bodice in sight.
Looking forward to the next installment.

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A classic.

Reviewed: 06-11-16

Hearing this audiobook makes me wish the 1992 film version was better acted, as it was fairly true to the book.
Well read and interesting.
A classic horror tale

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Slow going but entertaining

Reviewed: 05-31-16

A lot of build up for not a lot of payoff. Like a fireworks show with no finale. It's the same scene, theme and descriptions over and over. But it's unique and creative. This reader is good in other books as well. Entertaining, but not stellar (no pun intended)

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4 people found this helpful

Don't expect regular CM humor

Reviewed: 02-18-16

This is not a particularly funny book. It's a little humorous but it's more of a bleak adventure with some irreverence. It's a good story, but might be a disappointment if your expecting the usual CM goofiness.

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