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Showing posts with label Listening Library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Listening Library. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 3 out of 5 stars for The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White @kierstenwhite @LLAudiobooks

AUTHOR: Kiersten White 
NARRATOR: Katharine McEwan
PUBLISHER: Listening Library
PUBLICATION DATE: September 25, 2018
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 10 hrs and 15 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Historical, Horror, Retelling
ISBN: 9780525636120
"Exquisitely disturbing," raves internationally bestselling author Stephanie Garber of this stunning and dark reimagining of Frankenstein.

Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything--except a friend.

Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.

But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.

MY REVIEW:

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for voluntary review consideration.

My main beef with Shelley's Frankenstein is that I didn't really like Victor! I thought the creature had more compassion than he did, so I was interested to read this interesting take to find out whether my impression of Victor would change. In short, the answer is no. I still don't like him!!

 The focus of this retelling is on Victor's relationship with Elizabeth Lavenza, the young girl who joined the household to be a companion for Victor. Elizabeth is a smart girl and quite cunning. Having come from a life of abuse and poverty, she will do whatever it takes to ensure that she never goes back there. She knows her tie to the Frankenstein family and all it provides her is through Victor, so she ingratiates herself to him. She encourages his fascination with life and death and how each part of the body works together, even "playing dead" for him. 

 I have to be totally honest and admit that I struggled with this one. It was a very slow start, and it wasn't until Elizabeth went after Victor about midway through that the pace of the story picked up and I started to enjoy it. As much as I dislike Victor, I do have a bit of a morbid fascination with his darkness.

 Memorable quote:

"I sought to puncture Heaven and instead discovered Hell."

Katharine McEwan's narration was what kept me listening, especially during the first half of the book which I found quite slow. The cadence and rhythm of her voice carried me along. Here is a sample of the narration:



MY RATING:

3 stars!! In spite of the slow start, I did end up enjoying it. Thanks again to Listening Library for the chance to listen to this audiobook!

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Wednesday, October 24, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 5 out of 5 stars for The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton @se4realhinton @LLAudiobooks

TITLE: The Outsiders
AUTHOR: S.E. Hinton
NARRATOR: Jim Fyfe
PUBLISHER: Listening Library
PUBLICATION DATE: July 22, 2004 (first published 1967)
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 5 hrs and 12 mins
GENRE: Classics, Young Adult
ISBN: 9780739345177
Ponyboy can count on his brothers. And on his friends. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up "greasers" like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect, until the night someone takes things too far.

MY REVIEW:

I previously read this book in high school for a novel study in ELA. I don't often do re-reads but, since I read this one so long ago, I requested the audiobook when I saw it on my library's Overdrive.

 The Curtis boys are orphans. Their parents were killed in a car accident, leaving the oldest son Darry (20 years old) to take care of his younger brothers (16 year old Soda and 14 year old Ponyboy). The Curtis' and their friends are known as Greasers, with their slicked back longer hair. They are lower class to the Socs or Socialites, who are the rich kids.

 One evening, Ponyboy is walking home from a movie when he gets jumped by a group of Socs. His brothers and friends come to his rescue, scaring off the Socs. The following evening, Ponyboy returns to the movie theatre with a couple of his buddies. They meet some girls, who are Socs. While walking the girls home, they run into the girls' boyfriends who want to pick a fight with the boys. The next night, the Socs get their chance to get back at Ponyboy and Johnny. When Johnny kills one of the Socs in self-defense, the Socs vow to get their revenge and Johnny and Ponyboy have to go into hiding.

 This classic truly transcends time. The gang issues and social class differences are just as relevant today as they were 50 years ago.

 Jim Fyfe's narration was excellent! He brought these boys to life, and I enjoyed the story on audio even more than I did reading it as a teenager. Here is a sample of the narration:


MY RATING:

5 stars!! It was superb, and you should definitely put it on your TBR!

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Wednesday, September 12, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon @NicolaYoon @LLAudiobooks

AUTHOR: Nicola Yoon
NARRATORS: Bahni Turpin and Robbie Daymond
PUBLISHER: Listening Library
PUBLICATION DATE: September 1, 2015
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 6 hrs and 44 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
ISBN: 9781101916407
Madeline Whittier is allergic to the outside world. So allergic, in fact, that she has never left the house in all of her seventeen years. But when Olly moves in next door, and wants to talk to Maddie, tiny holes start to appear in the protective bubble her mother has built around her. Olly writes his IM address on a piece of paper, shows it at her window, and suddenly, a door opens. But does Maddie dare to step outside her comfort zone?

Everything, Everything is about the thrill and heartbreak that happens when we break out of our shell to do crazy, sometimes death-defying things for love.

MY REVIEW:

When I read the synopsis for this book, I immediately thought of that movie from the 70s starring John Travolta called The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. Yoon's story is one in reverse, with the girl that is trapped in the bubble.

 Madeline has lived in isolation for 18 years. She suffers from a rare disorder that compromises her immune system, making it impossible for her to live in the real world. Her home has an airlock and anyone going into or out of the home must submit to a decontamination process to kill any germs they may be harbouring. The only ones that Madeline has any contact with are her mom and her nurse.

 When a new family moves in next door, Madeline watches them from her window. There is a teenage boy, Olly, who Madeline tries to ignore but finds that impossible. He gives her his instant messaging address, and they begin to communicate online. 

 I really enjoyed how the relationship between Madeline and Olly blossomed and unfolded. I loved Nurse Carla! She sounds so sweet and caring, and I love how she tried to make up for Madeline's captivity. I was absolutely stunned by the ending, because I had no idea that was coming! That totally took me by surprise.

 This was my first read by this author, and I very much enjoyed her debut. I also want to read her sophomore novel, The Sun is Also a Star.

 I actually had no idea that this book was adapted to film in 2017 until after I read the book, and I have requested the DVD from the library and will be watching it.

 Bahni Turpin and Robbie Daymond dually narrated this story from both Madeline's and Olly's points of view. I love the dual narration because I think it helps the reader to connect with the characters on a deeper level. I thought both narrators were well suited to the characters, and I listened to 75% of this audiobook in one go while painting my daughter's bedroom. Here is a sample of the narration:


MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR if you enjoy YA contemporary.

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Wednesday, May 2, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Genesis by Brendan Reichs @BrendanReichs @LLAudiobooks

TITLE: Genesis
SERIES: Project Nemesis, Book #2
AUTHOR: Brendan Reichs
NARRATORS: Kirby Heyborne and Emily Rankin
PUBLISHER: Listening Library
PUBLICATION DATE: March 6, 2018
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 15 hrs and 22 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780525532040
"Reichs knows exactly how to mix action, suspense, and characters into a breathless read." --Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of Warcross

The blistering sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling Nemesis by Brendan Reichs.

Noah Livingston knows he is destined to survive.

The 64 members of Fire Lake's sophomore class are trapped in a place where morals have no meaning and zero rules apply. But Noah's deaths have trained him-hardened him-to lead the strongest into the future ... whatever that may be. And at any cost.

Min Wilder knows that survival alone isn't enough.

In a violent world where brute force passes for leadership, it's tempting to lay back and let everyone else battle it out. But Min's instincts rebel against allowing others to decide who lives and who dies. She's ready to fight for what she believes in. And against whomever might stand in her way.

MY REVIEW:

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for voluntary review consideration.

I was pretty stoked when I read the first book in this series, Nemesis, last year. Reichs left me wanting more, and this one was equally satisfying!

The story continues where Nemesis leaves off, approximately three weeks after the Guardian reveals the truth to the kids of Fire Lake about how Earth has been destroyed and that they are all living in a virtual reality bubble as strings of code. The scientists at Project Nemesis have found a way to bring the kids back as real living beings by downloading their codes into clones, but the system can only handle bringing back a certain number of kids. So, how do you decide who gets to come back to life? Easy! You pit the kids against each other and make them kill one other! Yes, it's sick and twisted, but this is the only way to ensure that the strong will survive. It is a survival of the fittest. Each kid has a limited number of "resets," just like the Beta patients experienced with their birthday killings. Once they are used up, they won't be coming back. 

 Reichs really knows how to spin a dark and exciting tale. Tack made my heart ache, and he puts his love for Min to the test. In a game of survival, you really find out what someone is made of.

 Memorable quote:

"I don't want to become an animal just to survive. That's the difference between us, I guess."

 I believe this was originally planned to be a duology, but Reichs recently announced that there will indeed be a third book! Yippee!

 This audiobook is dually narrated by Kirby Heyborne and Emily Rankin, and they are both ideally suited to this story. As I was with Nemesis, I found myself riveted and had a hard time taking out my earbuds! Here is a sample of the narration:



MY RATING:

4 stars!! I really enjoyed it, and you should put it on your TBR list if you enjoy science fiction. Thanks again to Listening Library for the opportunity to review this audiobook!

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Friday, April 6, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey @RickYancey @LLAudiobooks

TITLE: The 5th Wave
AUTHOR: Rick Yancey
NARRATORS: Brandon Espinoza and Phoebe Strole
PUBLISHER: Listening Library
PUBLICATION DATE: May 7, 2013
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 12 hrs and 45 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Dystopia
ISBN: 9781624068676
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

MY REVIEW:

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for voluntary review consideration.

I've had this book on my TBR for years. Now that the movie is on Netflix, I figured it was a good time to finally read it!

 In the prologue which takes place in 1995, a shadow comes for a sleeping pregnant woman. The intruder invades the woman's body but does so without breaking the skin, and it gets inside the sleeping baby somehow. It will remain asleep for several years, even after the baby is born.

 Then the story moves forward in time. From the point of view of a teenager named Cassie, we learn that Earth was invaded by aliens five months ago. The decimation is described in waves. About ten days before the 1st Wave, satellite pictures showed the incoming mothership. It caused mass mayhem and panic, with Earth's inhabitants not knowing what to expect. During the 1st Wave, an electromagnetic pulse lasting just a few seconds was unleashed which put an end to technology (no power, no phones, no cars). Approximately half a million people were killed. The 2nd Wave lasted about a day, which resulted in tsunamis wiping out everything on the coast. The 3rd Wave lasted about 12 weeks, with a contagion that had a kill-rate of 97%. The aliens, known as the Others, then walked among the humans and killed any humans remaining. They were called Silencers, and we learn more about them as the book progresses.

 After the 4th Wave, the humans did not know who to trust because the Silencers look just like them. Most people were forced into isolation and had to become fully self-sufficient. 

 I like Cassie! She's a fighter. What's not to like about a girl who totes around an M-16? Her parents are dead, and she last saw her little brother being taken away on a school bus with other kids...to safety, as the adults were told. Yup, we find out later that this was another lie. So, Cassie is hellbent on finding her little brother at all costs. When she's injured, she is nursed back to health by a guy named Evan, who also isn't who he appears to be. But he has inside information and helps Cassie get to Camp Haven, where she hopes to find her brother.

 I love apocalyptic novels, and it's been so long since I've read one. I've forgotten how much I love the genre, and this book was non-stop action. Yancey is a new-to-me author, but he has me hooked and I can't wait to read the next book in the series, The Infinite Sea. The upside of waiting so long to start this series is that all the books are published and I can devour them all!

 This audiobook is dually narrated by Phoebe Strole and Brandon Espinoza, and I enjoyed how they portrayed the characters. They both held my attention from start to finish, and I'll listen to the rest of the audiobooks in the series! Here is a sample of the narration:



MY RATING:

4 stars!! I really enjoyed it, and you should put it on your TBR list if you enjoy science fiction. Thanks again to Listening Library for the opportunity to review this audiobook!

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Thursday, October 19, 2017

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins @naturallysteph @LLAudiobooks

NARRATOR: Bahni Turpin
PUBLISHER: Listening Library
PUBLICATION DATE: September 26, 2017
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 9 hrs and 26 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Horror
Scream meets YA in this hotly-anticipated new novel from the bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss.

One-by-one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.

International bestselling author Stephanie Perkins returns with a fresh take on the classic teen slasher story that's fun, quick-witted, and completely impossible to put down.

MY REVIEW:

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for voluntary review consideration.

This fast-paced story was a quick read for me, and I really enjoyed it!

 Someone is brutally killing teenagers in Osborne, Nebraska. This killer likes to mess with the victims, like moving things in the house before he attacks so that the victim is aware that something isn’t right and that they aren't alone. Can you imagine how chilling that would be? The killer is truly diabolical and twisted, and that is what makes the book so good and reminiscent of the movie Scream!

The killer makes a mistake, and his attack on Makani is interrupted by her boyfriend. The identity of the killer then becomes known because Makani survived, and the hunt is on. Meanwhile, Makani and her friends try to figure out the connection between the victims to determine the next target.

 Makani is an interesting character. She is a native of Hawaii, and her parents sent her to live with her aunt in Nebraska after something happened to her. Part of the mystery of the story is not knowing what’s in Makani’s past. I have to say that the revelation was a bit of a let-down. It wasn't nearly as scandalous as I was expecting! I'm still kind of scratching my head wondering why it was such a big deal, because she was a victim and the ones who were ultimately to blame were the ones who perpetrated the offence.

 This is my first book by this author, and I was a bit taken aback at all the sex in this YA book! Makani meets a boy at the grocery store and shows up there once a week to make out with him on his break. When they finally go off to somewhere more secluded and private to have sex, their "relationship" (I use that term loosely) fizzles out and they don’t see each other again. Just a wham-bam thank you ma’am! I am not an advocate for casual sex, especially amongst teens. That was a disappointment for me. Makani and this boy do reconnect and have more of a committed romance, but it’s still more sex than I like to see in a YA book. I do applaud the author for her diversity in characters, with Makani’s background and her transgender friend.

 I enjoyed the macabre details of the slayings. I know that Perkins normally writes contemporary YA romances, which generally aren’t my thing. However, I’d definitely pick up another one of her scary books if she writes one again!

 Bahni Turpin was a good choice for narrator, although I thought her pace was a tad slow. I did enjoy the flair and attitude she gave to each character. Here is a sample:



MY RATING:
4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR list if you enjoy horror. Thanks again to Listening Library for the opportunity to review this audiobook!

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Friday, August 11, 2017

#Audiobook #Review: 5 out of 5 stars for The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel @aengelwrites @LLAudiobooks

SERIES: The Book of Ivy, Book #2
AUTHOR: Amy Engel
NARRATOR: Taylor Meskimen
PUBLISHER: Listening Library
PUBLICATION DATE: November 3, 2015
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 8 hrs and 20 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Dystopia
Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty--forced marriages and murder plots--for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall's borders.

But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy's life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she's fought for.
MY REVIEW:

Engel did not let me down! This was a satisfying conclusion to The Book of Ivy duology.

I absolutely loved the first audiobook in this series, The Book of Ivy, when I listened to it in June. I was very eager to finish this series and to find out what happened to Ivy after she was banished from Westfall. Ivy did better than I thought that she would! She did what she had to do to survive, including killing a lizard for food. My stomach turned when Ivy crossed paths with Mark Laird. In hindsight, she should have treated him like that lizard! He dislocates her shoulder before she gets away, and she takes his bag with her. Ivy is out to prove her father wrong. He told her that no one survives beyond the fence. Not only does Ivy survive, but she thrives! Her strength and determination drive her, and she joins up with a group of other survivors. She is not completely honest with them as to who she really is…that she is a Westfall or the reason why she was exiled. She is wary and does not trust them at first because one of the leaders, Caleb, recognizes the bag as Mark’s and takes it from her to give back to Mark when he returns. If Mark lived with these people, were they like him? It’s too soon to tell, but she grows very fond of one girl in particular, Ash. Things go well for several months before Ivy’s world is turned upside-down. A man is brought into the camp by Caleb and the others, and they’ve beaten him. The man had been looking for someone…Ivy. It is none other than Bishop, and that’s when Ivy has some explaining to do!

Ivy is too good for her family. Her father and sister turned their backs on her, and she returns to Westfall to help Callie who has been imprisoned and will be executed. Bishop is so right when he says that Ivy’s family underestimates her. She is definitely a force to be reckoned with, and she will always protect the ones she loves. Ivy’s character is strong, and she stands up for what she believes in…even if that means making sacrifices. That’s what I loved about her in the previous book! This is a great duology, and I’m sad that the series wasn’t longer but loved how Engel ended it. I wouldn’t change a thing!

Taylor Meskimen continued to narrate the series, and she beautifully captured the essence of Ivy. It was a pleasure listening to her. Here is a sample of the narration:



MY RATING:

5 stars!! It was superb! I loved it and will likely read it again! You should definitely put it on your TBR if you enjoy Dystopia!

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