{Audiobook Review} Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Publication date: September 10, 2013

Narrators: Rebecca Lowman, Maxwell Caulfield

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press

ISBN-13: 9780804121293

Synopsis 

There are fans and there are fangirls, Cath falls in the second category. Simon Snow has been a great part of her life, not only has she read all the books and she is a respected figure when talking about Simon Snow fanfcition, but it used to be something that tied her and her sister together.

Now it seems that their twin senses aren’t tingling nor in sync. College is around the corner and Wren just drop a bomb on her, they are not rooming together. Now Cath is at the mercy of her new roommate and her charming and always smiling boyfriend.

To add a little to the stress of her new environment Wren’s and Cath’s father isn’t what you would call stable and Cath can’t stop worrying about it. College, family and people are all coming at Cath whether she is ready or not, can this fangirl survive in an environment so far away from her comfort zone?

Review

I loved loved loved Fangirl, I was squirming, screaming and squealing, jumping and turning. Honestly I’ve been banging my head on my desk for not reading it as soon as it came out.

Would I’ve not enjoyed this book as much if I just read it instead of listening to the audio book? Definitely! That is not to say that Rebecca Lowman didn’t do a good job giving life to the whole fangirl entourage, and not to say that Maxwell Caulfield didn’t do a great backing her up.

The characters where yummy to read, Cath’s insecurities, her motivation, the way she was hit by the bumps in the road made her a really interested and fun character to read. The best part of it was that I never felt that she was being untrue to herself.

Secondary characters wise, yes some of them where kind of predictable but others punched this really nice surprises and I would love to get lost in a short story of Ragen and Levi. This book covers the basis of a standalone, it has the sweet glory of having a full story in just one book with the sweetest agony of wanting and craving for more.

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{Audio Book Review} Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Series: Mythos Academy #1

Narrator: Tara Sands

Publication date: August 1st 2011

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

ISBN-13: 9781469283876

Synopsis  

Mom was a great cop, a strong woman that fought for justice and loved her family. Now she is gone, she left me and grandma behind and now thanks to an invitation to join Mythos academy now we can’t be together.

In the academy I am not like the others, here where Vikings, Spartans and descendants of other great warriors come to train and perfect their crafts I am still a freak. Call it a blessing, call it a curse but we see the story behind the things, they talk to us, share with us more than I would like to know. Don’t get me wrong it comes in handy here and there but it comes with a big side dish of  TMI.

Now in a school that loves to give classes about mythological history and trains younglings in the ways of the warriors a murder has happened, the place that was said to be the safest for us has been violated, the strange thing was that this person died while I lived, both of us in the library practically alone and only one of us made it out. Don’t get me wrong I am happy to be alive, but why her? Why me?

Review

First Frost had a Veronica Mars kind of feel to it, sadly the narrator took that a little too far, she limited the inflections of her voice to a smart-ass Veronica that kill my Genna Frost buzz at the beginning of the book, I am not going to lie it took a while to get over it.

Besides that, the story was fun and honestly I just couldn’t wait to see how Genna really fitted into this mythological world and the actual mythology. If you are in the market for some evil Loki then you might want to give touch of frost a go.

There were some things that were easy to decipher but there were others that gave me a good surprise and spiced up the story.

Character wise Genna had some good moments, but sadly there was a point in her grieving that got repetitive as we heard about the circumstances that lead to her mother’s demise, which she takes full blame but from the beginning, at least for me, it didn’t feel that she was guilty at all.

The secondary characters I would say that the author is giving us a shy approach in presenting them to us, you see who is important, but because Genna is an outcast she isn’t ready to open up to them and to let us get more time with them. Yet I am looking forward to the second book to explore more of the characters and hopefully Tara Sands will learn from her mistakes and put more life into the life of Genna Frost and the world of Mythos Academy.

Rating:

{Audio Book Review} Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Series: Chicagoland Vampires #1

Publication date: December 23, 2010

Publisher: Tantor Audio

ISBN-13: 978140014936000

Synopsis

Merit was a 27 year old grad student in the University of Chicago, happy with her life and 100% human. But one night it all changed... after being attacked and ends up being transformed into a vampire against her will, the explication she got was... "it's the only way we could have saved your life" but Merit isn't sure it was for the best when she is forced to make her academic life come to a sudden end while all her dreams and plans jump out the window.

She is put to the test right away as the only "survivor" of a series of murders and she feels its her responsibility to help put an end to them, the only problem is she has to play nice with her Lord, the extremely attractive and charming Ethan Sullivan who isn't afraid to accept the attraction between them nor is he afraid to say he isn't the least pleased with it.

Merits to do list is a little extreme for a newly turned vamp, she has to accept the fact that she is now a vampire, drink blood, remember to stay away from the sun, stay alive, find out who was the person that attacked her and not to kill or succumb to the charm of her Lord.

Review

If you are thinking of starting the Chicagoland Vampires series in its audio book version you may want to listen to the sampler, Cynthia Holloway the narrator of this audio book, isn’t the best person to give a voice to this story and believe you want to know what you are getting yourself into.

I read this story and suddenly I wanted to try another version of this book hoping that it would feel like I was reading this book for the first time, get to hear the phrases I love and get to see the first interactions between Merit and Ethan Sullivan.

All those expectations of dynamism and the narrator’s voice inviting the listener to get lost in this book where lost at the first chapter, there weren’t really any inflections on her voice, any intentions while this book was being read or any life as she walked us around the Some Girls Bite.

I dared review this DNF book because I have a base, I read the book then tried the audio book and between us guys I am sticking with the books, I prefer to listen to the characters in this series interact in my head then the work that Cynthia Holloway voiced them.

In case that your first try on the Chicagoland Vampires series was the audio book I would strongly recommend blacking out that experience and giving the physical or e-book version of this book a try.

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{Blog Tour Audio Book Review} The Gatekeeper's Sons by Eva Pohler

Series: Gatekeeper's Trilogy #1

Publication date: August 13, 2012
Publisher: Green Press/Eva Pohler

ISBN-13: 9780615685960

Synopsis

After being on a horrible accident that left 15 year old Therese partentless she goes into a come where she meets the sons of Hades, Hipnos and Thanatos, events that happened on during her coma dreams lead up to a deal with Hades himself and a hunt to find her parents killers.
This deal pushes Therese into the gods radar in a good and in a bad way. 

Review

The narrator at times made the book look as if it was parts that where just wrote in a very simple manner, she would move away from the natural flow she was using and move her voice I don't know if in an effort to hide the fact or she felt there was something there to move but she only made those times more obvious  I will be reading this book on another time to see who is really at fault.
When the narrator did some of the voices that weren't Therese and her part as a narrator she sounded at times mechanical, read and killed the flow of the story.
When the Debbie Andreen didn't commit some of this flaws the story had a really amiable flow, and I could do some light stuff around while enjoying this audio book.
From the story Therese unnerved me at the beginning of the story and I was afraid she would go the same path that Bella did in New Moon by Stephanie Meyer when she was saying that she wanted to die, I am glad to report Therese didn't go into the self-harm rout.
I loved Eva Pohler's choice of gods for this book, as much as I like Persephone's retellings I like that Eva is trying to expand the number of gods that get some "camera time". Seen a god in the human world for the first time was interesting I was expecting a more arrogant or a more in control kind of situation but I like the angle that Eve Pohler used on The Gatekeeper's Sons she is truly making this story her own.

Rating:
3.5

{Audio Book Review} World War Z by Max Brooks

Publication date: August 30, 2006

Publisher: Random House Audio

ISBN-13: 9781415933510

Synopsis

The world is settling back again, I’ve been hired to get the stories of what happened to let the world know and hopefully never forget what we’ve been through.

Now I am trying to keep the voices of the survivors from getting lost forever, after all the data and stories I’ve collected throughout the United States and the world has been crushed down into facts and statistics, that left my boss happy and me feeling like the “human factor” should never be lost, especially after all we’ve been through, especially when that is what separates us from the Z’s.

Review

I really enjoyed the audio book version of this book, it only had one mayor flaw this version is abridged, for those of you that don’t know what that means it is fairly simple when you see an audiobook saying it is abridged it means it is shortened so you don’t get the full story.

This is really a pity because if this audiobook had been unabridged with this type of production it would have been perfect!!

When I saw the number of voice actors that where working on this book and got into the first our I thought “this is what I’ve always wanted in an audiobook” I’m not saying that other narrators haven’t done a good job with their own books, all I am saying is that when I first started listening to audiobooks this is what I was expecting, more than one voice sucking the listener in and making him/her feel what the characters are experimenting.

I loved every minute of it, each survival story was unique Max Brooks did a great job writing this story and I believe that it’s in part because he is involved in the audiobook that this story has such an impact to it. I love the goosebumps it gave me and how I ended up wishing the person telling his/her story would survive when it was obvious they did because hey they are telling their story (yes it might just have been my having an airhead moment, but still…).

I would really recommend this book, but remember this is not an unabridged version, so you won’t get the full scoop like all the cool kids that decided to read the book.

Rating:

            Production:

            Because it’s an abridged version:

{Audio Book Review} Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Publication Date: January 3rd 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins

ISBN-13:  9780062072030

Synopsis

Aria’s world was simple, easy, the biggest of her worries was the regret of how she behaved the day her mother left the pod to continue her investigation out of Reverie. Now after a horrible incident is rumored to have happened on the pod her mother was doing her research in Aria will do everything in her power to get to her, and to do so she must first survive the outside world filled with savages, cannibals, world and worst of all Aether storms that have the power to burn and destroy everything in their path.

Review

It has been a while since I finished a book and felt the unstoppable desire to write a review, and I guess I’ll be waiting a little longer as this is an audio book.

Because of the good combinations between Veronica Rossi’s story and Bernadette Dunne Flanger’s narration I find myself craving to read the physical book, to see how the taste of the story changes from Miss Bernadette’s words bringing this world to live to my imagination standing alone in Aria’s and Perry’s world.

Bernadetter Dunne Flanger made this audio book totally enjoyable, it was amazing to me how she made the story feel like it was just alive and how you could hear her voice transformed into a subtle laughter, sadness or whatever feeling needed to conveyed as she embodied Aria, Perry and Roar.

I really don't remember feeling like she cut the flow of the story or that she messed up at expressing what the story or its characters needed to show us. All I can say is that as the story grew to its climax I was unable to leave, even if I had had something important to do I was trapped in this story that wouldn't let me go and I wouldn't have gotten away from it either.

I am sad to see that Bernadette is not the narrator for the second book, I hope Michael Goldstrom does a fair job keeping the story alive the way that she did. When I ask myself what could I change about this audio book, its is just a piece of the story, part of the edition where the audio engineer didn't clear the "th", essing and strong sounds at the end of Dunne's words.

If you were thinking about trying an audio book or where looking for one to listen to, let me tell you this is a great pick, the swoon moments, the tension, the stress, surprise, relief and romance is well worked and played by both Veronica Rossy and Bernadetter Dunne Flanger.

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{Audio Book Review} The Selection by Kiera Cass

Series: The Selection #1

Publication Date: April 24, 2012

Publisher: Harper Audio

Narrated by: Amy Rubinate

Duration: 8 hours and 07 minutes

ISBN-13: 9780983632931

Synopsis

In Illéa the daugthers of the crown marry get married of for political reasons and the sons marry a girl from Illéa, a group of girls get selected when the crown prince comes of age he choose from a group of 35 girls from all the social classes and between those 35 girls he will find his queen.

Of all the girls waiting for the selection, America Singer wasn't one of them she was happy and in love with Aspen a boy that was a class below her but she didn't mind she was ready to leave her life as a three if that meant being able to marry him, pushed to agree to participate by her family and Aspen the selection soon turns out to be America's worst nightmare.

Soon enoug it becomes a nightmare come true when she gets picke as one of the selected.

Review

The first times I heard about the selection was in a list of pretty covers, then when I read the book blurb I thought "Oh God, the bachelor has found its way into a book, just what we needed fictional girls throwing themselves at a guy". 

I'm glad to say that Kiera Cass and Amy Rubinate proved me wrong; this book is more about the journey of a girl that goes throw heartbreak and learns to put herself first in the mist of all the drama that is happening around her.

The world created by the author is that of a dystopian world about to explode, where may find ourselves conflicted between the hope of seeing Prince Maxon become a better ruler and getting rid of the absurd division of classes on which Illéa functions. 

Prince Maxon and America are great characters both trying to be better people, to fight for what they believe in and try to do the best they can with their circunstances. Both Maxon and America have their flaws making them more human, I do hope they learn from their mistakes. There are also two characters that I can find no love for, but I wont talk about them for possible spoilerish reasons, maybe we can have a little chat about those two when The Elite comes out.

I have no idea what the second installment of this series will bring but I do hope to see both stories forming into one, I want to know more about the revolution, but also want to know which of the selected girls will be a step closer on becoming queen of Illéa (if the rebels don't destroy the monarchy first)

Rating:

{Audio Book Review} They Future of Us by Jay Asher

Publication Date: November 11, 2011

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Narrated by: Steven Kaplan & Mary Ellen Cravens

Duration: 6 hours and 58 minutes

ISBN-13: 9780983632931

Synopsis

Imagine, it is 1996 you are about to turn your first computer for the first time and decide to hope into the information super speed highway with AOL. Once you have everything saddled down and you are officially in the World Wide Web you notice a strange link, a link to something named Facebook when you give it your e-mail and password it shows you a picture of you... but 20 years into the future, what would you do??

Review

The Future of Us tells the story of Josh and Emma two kids in 1996 that mysteriously are able to use the internet and connect to Facebook and see what their futures will be like. This story is told by two wonderful narrators Steven Kaplan and Mary Ellen Cravens who in my humble opinion make a great interpretations of the characters, they both sound jovial, give out the right emotions when need be and make this story a lot of fun to hear.

This audio book is a wonderful example of what a well reading book, I mean it is Jay Asher guys! and the talented collaboration between narrators, a good producer and audio engineer can do. The hurt, the laughs and the confusion that the characters (Josh and Emma) felt over in the book was well translated into this audio book.

I am in love with the idea of two narrators, it was kind of silly hearing Josh voice Emma's thoughts and vice versa, but it was the best way to pain the picture of the things they go through, how they discover that little changes in the present can change people’s lives forever. 

This book isn't only interesting (in any form you decide to enjoy it) because of the concept it starts whit, if you could look into your future, would you change it? It goes deeper than that, it helps you reflect about your life decision, the person that you are today and what that person might evolve to tomorrow.

I really recommend this audio book, if you've been looking for an audio book to start with and are in the market for something Jay Asher and a good flashback to the 90's than this is for you.

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{Audio Book Review} Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel

Publication Date: October 16th, 2012

Publisher: MacMillan Audio
Narrated by: Katie Schorr
Duration: 7 hours and 12 minutes
ISBN-13: 9780062117854

Synopsis

From New York to a fancy school in South Cali, Rio's life changes drastically. Rio's mother feels this is the perfect opportunity for her daughter to go from art geek into the center of attention in the popular crowd.

Originally that wasn't Rio's plan but when she thinks she messed everything up with her new friends Mason and Jas. So after "feeling" that she messed everything up with them she decides to take her mothers advice and try and join the in crowd.

There is where she meets Kristy the cliche cheerleader with a drug addiction and a whole lot of trouble.

Review

I just couldn't finis this book, I disliked it so much. Saying it was a bad adaptation of Mean Girls is little.

Rio is an easily manipulated character that in my opinion deserves most of what happens to her. Okay I didn't finish the book but where I left she deserved everything she was getting.

The thing that made this book bearable to the point I just had to put it down was the narrator Katie Schorr she did a great job making Rio more bearable, I know that if I was reading it, I would have dropped it about 50 pages in, in fear of catching some of Rio's ever growing insecurities.

Rating:

{Audio Book Review}My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

Series: My Life as a White Trash Zombie #1

Publication Date: July 7, 2012

Narrated by: Allison McLemore
Duration: 8 hours and 44 minutes

Synopsis
High school drop out Angel Crawford didn't love her life but was ok with it, sure some things could improve like her father could stop getting drunk and for once find a steady job, her boyfriend could stop cheating on her any chance he gets and she could stop being her pill popping habits and expanding her criminal record.
One night she wakes up in the hospital with little to no idea how she got there, the doctors said she overdosed with painkillers, but that is not what Angel remembers, she is certain she was in a car accident and has no idea on what to say when they tell her they found her in the middle of the road.
To make things weirder someone is sending her strange letters indicating that she is to work in the morgue and last but not least Angel seems to have changed, her addiction to pills seems to have been cured, her view of life seems to be changing, she is feeling better, but everything comes with a price in this case is an overbearing crave for brains...