Malea

Outstanding and Inspirational

Reviewed: 04-06-11

I don't care for nonfiction. I find it boring and generally inaccessible to most readers outside the specifically targeted market. This book is none of that. This is a hard book. It is raw and honest and gritty and truthful and REAL in a way I haven't seen before. I found myself unable to stop listening; I was completely enthralled in the perilous journey and even though I knew the general outcome, I still felt afraid of what would happen to the author. To hear the story directly from the author's, Portia de Rossi's, lips was even more powerful. She lived through it and her courage to share, without censorship, her trials and triumphs with others is extraordinary. As soon as I finished listening, I wanted to begin again, it is that good.

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Surprisingly good.

Reviewed: 04-06-11

I have to start out by saying that Calliope Reaper Jones is a massively prejudiced, whiny wench. She frequently talks about how disgusted she is by fat people, judges people by what they wear (both good and bad), and generally acts like she's too good for most other people. (There was not any racism or sexism that I remember, so that was a very good thing.) There were a few times that she was acting so much like a petulant, spoiled child that I literally rolled my eyes and thought to myself that she clearly needed a good spanking and to be sent to her room without supper.

That being said, however, the book is actually sort of addictive. Despite her faults, or perhaps because of them, I found myself hoping she succeeded in everything she encountered and she encountered a lot.

The way Amber Benson structured the story was both slightly predictable and yet surprising. While this seems like an oxymoron, it made for a really great listen. Of course, Ms. Benson's acting and voice talent added a lot to the tale. It's always better to hear the story from the creator and her delivery of the story was phenomenal.

One thing that I was very impressed with was the descriptiveness of the tale. It was descriptive enough that it gave very clear images and feelings, including textures and scents, without being overly wordy. This is a very fine line that many authors never master, leaving too many questions or making readers want to skip ahead to escape it. Another thing that made the story so great was Ms. Benson's ability to weave together a believable yet almost completely supernatural world, incorporating many different mythologies and belief systems, including some that may very well be original.

I am looking forward to listening to the next two books, Cat's Claw (2010) and Serpent's Storm (2011), and am eager to discover whether the apparent changes, growth, and character development in Calliope Reaper Jones "stick."

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2 people found this helpful