You Were Never Really Here (Movie Tie-In) Audiobook By Jonathan Ames cover art

You Were Never Really Here (Movie Tie-In)

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You Were Never Really Here (Movie Tie-In)

By: Jonathan Ames
Narrated by: Jonathan Ames
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Now a major motion picture starring Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here is a gritty, harrowing story of corruption and one man's violent quest for vengeance.

Joe has witnessed things that cannot be erased. A former FBI agent and Marine, his abusive childhood has left him damaged beyond repair. He has completely withdrawn from the world and earns his living rescuing girls who have been kidnapped into the sex trade.

When he's hired to save the daughter of a corrupt New York senator held captive at a Manhattan brothel, he stumbles into a dangerous web of conspiracy, and he pays the price. As Joe's small web of associates are picked off one by one, he realizes that he has no choice but to take the fight to the men who want him dead.

Brutal and redemptive in equal measure, You Were Never Really Here is a toxic shot of a thriller, laced with corruption, revenge and the darkest of inner demons.

Cover art © Amazon Content Services LLC

©2018 Jonathan Ames (P)2018 Random House Audio Crime Fiction Crime Thrillers Mystery Noir Private Investigators Thriller & Suspense Exciting

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Critic reviews

"Ames is an adept purveyor of the very noir, particular scenes of violence. He achieves more in less than 100 pages than most crime novels three times the length do." (The Times, Crime Books of the Year 2016)

"A striking and powerful noir debut that can be consumed in a single sitting.... Ames reveals himself here as a stylish thriller writer." (Daily Mail)

"[A] fast-moving, agreeably violent and perfectly pared-down novella." (Spectator)

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Excellent Character • Redemptive Story • Harsh Relevance • Pragmatic Sensibility • Great Protagonist • Solid Writing
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Ames has a Pinchon quality voice and his own material to work with. Solid all the way around.

Good stuff!

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The endings of the book & the movie adaptation are different. and both are great. Equally

endings

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I love this story! First the film, then bought the paperback, and just finished the audio. Joe is an excellent character and the pragmatic sensibility of the entire narrative gives the story such harsh relevance. I hope Ames writes more stories like this in the future.

Excellent Story

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good. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a good short story about a man

great book

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Yes, it's somewhat different from the movie. No, that's not a bad thing. Aspects of a written story often don't translate well to the screen. Shawshank Redemption, one of the greatest movies of all time, is one that comes to mind but there are too many to mention here. I really am not sure which I preferred but I'm glad I was able to enjoy "two" stories about Joe. The book fills in a few blanks also. It's a dark story about a man filled with darkness who prefers to live his life on the dark side while trying to bring light to those who have no choice about being there. If you like either the book or the movie, you'll probably like both.

The same, only different.

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Both movie and book are great! I would love to hear more from Joe. I can’t imagine there not being an adventure in Philadelphia for a rescue! Waiting...

Saw the movie, listened to the book...

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It's refreshing to read a novel that isn't padded with extraneous prose just to reach a word count. This dark, compact story boasts enough pretty passages to be endearing yet aren't a distraction from the subject matter. From Ames bio, I expected some humor but I'm also a fan of doing something different. I think this story displays Ames' diversity. I prefer a novel that gives a reader something different than the movie adaption (and vice versa) and this is the case here. I would be (as some other reviewers have mentioned) interested in a sequel. If you like a dark, psychological, well-written, concise read for an afternoon or a short road trip, this is for you. It may, however, leave you wanting more.

Great dark protagonist, solid writing

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Great story. Great character. Left me wanting more. But I could imagine the rest. Child exploitation is mostly done by someone known or trsted by the victim.

Great story!

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Left me want more. Is there a second book? Please tell me there is a second book

The ending ! I want more!

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Although not as complete as the film it is better.

I wish there was more but... see I can don't too.

Although not as complete as the film it is better.

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