Hilary

Exciting, engrossing story

Reviewed: 04-28-19

Fast paced, exciting read, that grabs you from the first moment. Jess, the teenaged protagonist, gets into so many impossible jams that you wonder how she IS still alive. I think she comes off as human, full of doubt, fear, and faults, but also is strong and kick-ass. To me this book read like a movie (in a good way) and I Googled and found out Universal bought it for Ben Affleck to star (as Jess's Dad). The narration was top notch. Highly recommend.

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2 people found this helpful

Enjoyable sci-fi with a fun protagonist

Reviewed: 12-07-17

No, this ain't THE MARTIAN. We all read/listened to THE MARTIAN and our minds were blown. Just put aside those expectations and enjoy this book for what it is. And what it IS is well written. Unlike other reviewers, I really liked the lead character. And I enjoyed the world Weir set up on the Moon. I thought the plot moved (most of the time) and there were definitely twists and turns. I even teared up a bit at the end. Plus, TONS of science. My biggest issues were this: 1) I didn't much care about the "heist". If you don't have an emotional connection to the outcome of the heist, your attention does wander. 2) Totally different issue: Rosaria Dawson is narrating an Arab woman's voice. BTW, I thought RD did an EXCELLENT job. Really good. And I usually loathe "celebrity" narrators. But I find it vaguely offensive that the producers of this audio book couldn't find an Arab women in real life to narrative the Arab heroine. Just sayin'.

Worth the listen if you're a sci-fi fan.

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Most irritating narrator ever!

Reviewed: 04-06-17

Forget the pros-and-cons of the book (okay mystery but not as compelling as I had hoped considering this is the same author as PRETTY LITTLE LIARS.) Renee Chambliss is one of the WORST narrators I've ever listened to. She reads the entire novel in this voice that is both simultaneously flat and sing-songy. Her cadence doesn't vary from sentence to sentence. It's all read in the same tone, whether it's a funny moment, a scary moment, a dramatic moment, etc. And she does this really irritating thing where her voice RISES near the end of every sentence, so everything vaguely sounds like a question. It's maddening beyond belief and is a complete suspense killer. (In mystery novels, it's imperative the narrator is able to create tension with their voice, something Renee Chambliss is wholly unable to do.) Also, all of the characters sounded alike, it was hard to figure out who was talking. Her attempt at male voices where the worst. Only the character of Madison had a distinct vocal tone.

The book has it's fun moments, but it doesn't feel very professional or polished in both the narrative passages and the dialogue. But maybe I felt that way due to Renee Chambliss, though. I'd suggest if you're interested, pick up the actual novel (or read it on a Kindle). Avoid narrator Renee Chambliss at all costs!

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2 people found this helpful

I wish I could shoot myself after listening!

Reviewed: 09-22-16

I bought this book as the Daily Deal; I like YA and had previously heard good buzz. But after about the first 20 minutes I HATE-LISTENED to it simply so I could write this review. I'm sure Marieke Nijikamp is a nice person. And look, I'm a writer myself, so I don't usually enjoy throwing other writers under the bus. But this books is so sloppy, poorly researched and poorly written, I wonder how it got published. Seriously.

The subject matter is timely and interesting. But that's about the last positive thing I'll have to say. WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.

The book takes place in real time, over the course of an hour, during a school shooting. The story is told from multiple points of view, but not from the shooter's perspective. I will dig into the #1 problem first: the author doesn't seem to know the difference between a SPREE KILLER, A MASS MURDERER and a SERIAL KILLER. While Tyler Browne (the shooter) is technically a mass murderer, he displays both physical signs of a serial killer (torture) and the mental state of a serial killer (enjoys/gets off on killing; it's a power/control thing). Hey, author, research your type of killers!!! In the end (MAJOR SPOILER), Ty went on his shooting spree -- killing 39 people (! -- more on that in one second) -- because his sister is a lesbian. Yup, that's pretty much it. I mean, COME ON! Even in Alabama (where the story is set), it's 2016. No one is depicted as being super gay-hating. WHO CARES?! Frankly, it's rather offensive.

Two of the main characters are the shooter Ty and his sister Autumn, who is one of the narrators. Ty and Autumn's prima ballerina mom died in an auto accident 2 years previous. Since her death, their father (who owns a hardware store) beats Autumn so that she'll give up her own pursuits of a dance career. Autumn's girlfriend Sylvia knows Mr. Browne beats Autumn but doesn't report him. WHAAAA--???? 1) Why is a world famous prima ballerina (it's explained she danced all over the world with famous dance companies) living in Alabama? How did she even meet a hardware store owner? Ridiculous. 2) So, are we to believe that since his wife died in an auto accident (s**t happens, dude), Mr. Browne suddenly becomes a crazy monster abuser?! That's not how it works with parents who abuse their kids! Ridiculous. Research, author, research! Make this REAL, not just convenient for your story!! Finally, what the heck, Sylvia, your girlfriend who you claim you LOVE is being regularly beaten by her father and you don't tell anyone?! Remind me to never date you, sheesh.

As mentioned before, Ty manages to kill 39 people and injure 25 more. The largest mass shooting in the U.S. was recently, in Orlando, with 50 dead. The largest high school shooting, done by a student, was Columbine with 13 dead. Why did the author feel the need to go SO over the top?? It was just grisly for no apparent dramatic or emotional reason.

As other reviewers have noted, the writing is beyond treacly. Everyone is ruminating on how they're feeling as opposed to how they're acting or reacting in this harrowing situation. I didn't connect with anyone. I honestly started to root for various characters to get shot already because then the novel would end faster.

Save your credit and buy another book. ANY other book. It's gotta be better than this one.

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9 people found this helpful

Don't Understand the Hype

Reviewed: 07-23-16

I really wanted to like this book. It got great review, it's on everyone's "must read" list. But let me tell you two very important things: 1) This book is NOT a mystery or thriller. It's a drama with a very tiny dash of "whodunit" (and you start to wonder if ANYONE did "do it" or if the plot is all just a series of accidents). 2) This narrator, Xe Sands, has the most annoying, disconcerting vocal fry. I honestly could barely stand to listen to this book. Sorry, Xe, I'm sure you're lovely in real life, but your voice is GRATING. Also the narrator's tone and cadence only adds to the depressing nature of this book, which slowed down the action for me.

The setting of the Faralon Islands is fascinating, but the story focuses too much -- for me -- on the various animals, how they breed, etc., etc. I got bored of the animal-and-nature focus after about 1/3 of the way in and kept waiting for the THRILLER part to start. It never really does. I'm not saying things don't happen -- there's violence and people die. But the ending (the wrap up) is 100% a cop-out. I truly felt cheated, especially after I stuck with this and slogged through to the end.

At times, the writing was engaging. The author is clearly a budding talent. But approach this story as a drama and maybe actually read it, so you can avoid having your ear vocal fried off.

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104 people found this helpful

Grisly fun

Reviewed: 03-30-16

This thriller gets awfully graphic and grisly, not for the weak of stomach or feint of heart. But a fun, lively story with characters you care about.

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3 people found this helpful

Overhyped

Reviewed: 03-30-16

I bought this book after reading RAVE reviews everywhere. While Marina Keegan's death is tragic and a budding talent was cut short, these stories are not ready for "prime time". The storytelling is solid but reveals a level of immaturity. The author more often than not relies upon BIG dramatic moments -- mostly death and dying -- to infuse drama into her stories. A more seasoned writer can find drama in even the smallest moments. And her essays are all about being in college. I suspect some of them ARE college assignments, like the one about her first car. I swear I also wrote a paper about my first car in my University English Comp class. The author most likely would have blossomed into a fine writer, but I suspect these stories were only published because she died so young.

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5 people found this helpful

Yawn

Reviewed: 03-30-16

I bought this book for my boyfriend and I to listen to on a road trip. It's so boring I fell asleep while listening (he was driving, thank goodness!) and we didn't even finish it. Very historical and technical, not at all "thrilling".

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4 people found this helpful

Silly

Reviewed: 05-20-15

Chick lit regarding mistaken identity. I usually read thrillers and wanted something lighter as a break. But the charade of our heroine successfully passing as someone else not only wears thin but strains credibility. Also, there just wasn't enough at stake to keep me interested.

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4 people found this helpful

Author gets in her own story's way

Reviewed: 02-02-14

This book is a story-inside-a-story. One is of "Ruth" -- the actual author -- who finds a Japanese teen girl's diary washed up on the shore of her remote Canadian island. Ruth, half Japanese herself, is struggling with writer's block and fixates on the diary (and the other items in the plastic bag with it, including a kamikazi pilot's watch.) The other story is of Noa, the Japanese teenager, who is contemplating suicide but first wants to tell the story of her Greatgrandmother, Zen Buddhist nun Jiko. Instead, Noa's diary is about herself, how she was born in America but now lives in social isolation in Japan, her equally suicidal father, and the life-journey her "Old Jiko" inspires. Ruth believes the diary is floatsam from the Japanese Tusnami and sets out to find out if Noa is real/alive.

Noa's story is overall engrossing and emotional. At times even hard to listen to. But Ruth's story is a snooze. There are no "stakes" for Ruth, I never cared about her and I find the conceit to write a fake narrative about your real self to be pretty insufferable. Especially since she is totally unnecessary to tell Noa's story. Overall, Ruth's sections of the book don't even read real. She and her husband Oliver talk to each other like strangers. I have never heard two married people talk so formally and stiffly. I'm still shocked this was nominated for a Mann Booker prize based on how wooden Ruth's sections are.

But here's the worse part: Noa's story is eventually hinged on some vague notion of "quantum physics" (???) and Zen ideals about time. Which might have been okay IF there wasn't a sudden, unneeded and off-putting mystical/supernatural element introduced into the plot about 3/4 of the way through. I almost stopped listening when (SPOILER ALERT) Ruth has this incredibly self-involved dream... than ends up saving Noa's life, in the diary! Oh, come on. I slogged through all of this so the author could go on a ego trip??

The ending is vague, which I'm sure some people find "artsy" but I found a cop out.

All that said, my biggest issue with this book is the author reads it herself!!! Ugh, I hate when authors do that except when they're professional actors, like Steve Martin or how Mindy Kalling or Tina Fey read their own books. Hey, author: I'm sure you had fun in drama club back in high school, but you're not a great actor. You really suck at doing voices, sometimes even your own! Sure, since Ruth Ozeki is half-Japanese, she pronounces all the Japanese words in the book perfectly. But any decent actor who knows Japanese could have done that! Ruth Ozeki's has no ability to bring the characters alive through her voice. Mostly, it was flat, and when it wasn't, she sounded stiff or over-done, like someone doing bad impressions of mutual friends.

Please leave the book narration up to the professionals.

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11 people found this helpful