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Lewis Teeter

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So Disappointed After Reading His Other Books

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-26-24

I went on a Franzen binge ordering The Corrections, Crossroads and Freedom and was super excited about diving into another. Early into listening I began to lose excitement. I felt like Purity was written by another author. Purity held none of the tightly woven writing as the previous three I enjoyed. I'm writing this review as I half listen to the last hour waiting for it to be over. I went online to find out what order Franzen's books were written and now that I know I'm no longer interested in ordering the earlier books. I could very well be missing a good book but I'm so disappointed by Purity I think I'll move on to another author. Still a big fan of Franzen and waiting for his next book.

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Don't Read Reviews (except mine). Might Get Spoiled.

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-30-24

There's just too much chance that this book could be ruined for you with a hint hidden among the reviews. Just get it!!! As I write this it's 3:33 in the morning. I couldn't stop listening, or wait to pass on my praise.
Karin Slaughter has outdone herself. I've enjoyed the entire Will Trent series but none of the previous books can touch this one. It's a masterpiece of the genre. So many twists your jaw will drop over and over. One in particular had me yelling "Whaaat?" out loud (you'll know it when you get to it.) When I first started This is Why We Lied I groaned upon realizing how many characters I'd have to keep up with but Ms Slaughter does an amazing job of keeping them all very clear. Not a chance one will be overwhelmed and lose track of who's who. At one point I counted 17 potential suspects. Please don't let that number turn you off from getting this book. It's super easy to keep up with the cast of characters and each only serves to heighten the suspense. You'll think you have it figured out a dozen times before the incredible end proves you had no idea. So many dastardly characters you'll want the murder pinned on but trust that even if they aren't the murderer they'll all get their comeuppance in one way or another. The same incredible narrator voices the characters readers of Ms Slaughters' books have grown to love. I wish I could erase my memory of this book and start it over. Amazing!

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Got Too Cutesy

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-26-24

This book could have been so much better. Every character talked like a mentally challenged 8 year old. Why do so many authors feel it necessary to treat foreign characters like they are too immature to have adult dialog? Perhaps because they were simple country people the author decided to make them stupid. Though the reader did what he could, the character's dialog was so stereotypical that when read with the accompanying accent it just sounded like a bad 70s movie. The romantic relationship was awful with the standard 'I hate you but I secretly love you' which never fails to annoy me. The book peaked with the war years and should have wrapped up soon after but it just continued to plod on and on. The 'surprise' ending was the worst part complete with the continuation of the cutesy flirting, a young boy finding (and falling in love with) the mandolin and the happily ever after that will surprise no one. No one that gets an hour into this book will consider anything I've written a spoiler.

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Excellent Writing. Excellent Narration.

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-19-24

The day I started this book I was about to give up. I had started and quickly deleted 4 books in rapid succession, so poor was the writing. I'll admit every book I read isn't award winning material but I had just finished a book by Lionel Shriver so my brain wasn't ready to settle for garbage. I knew within minutes of starting Eileen I had found a book worth my time. The attention to detail and the unexpected turns of phrase made listening to Ottessa Moshfegh's writing a joy. Though I'm sure this book isn't to everyone's taste if nuanced skill with words is what you enjoy, step right up. I would have given this book 5 stars even without a good story but it delivered that as well. The narrator was a perfect choice. I couldn't imagine a better interpretation of the two main characters.

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Enjoyable Listen

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-09-24

I finished this one in a day while I painted the kitchen. Not being hard to figure out who the 'bad guy' was didn't distract from a great story. Well told with a few twists to keep me on my toes. Love the readers voice and will make note of her name for future selections.

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In Defense of Ketchum From the One Star Reviews

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-08-24

So many of the bad reviews clearly came from those that are unaware of the true story behind this horrific tale. I too might have written off the book as torture porn were I not aware of the history behind it. Though hard to listen to at points if one takes the time to research the monstrous true story of the death of Sylvia Likens at the cruel, sick hands of Gertrude Baniszewski they will learn that this book doesn't even cover all the inhumanity that poor child was dealt. At least Jack Ketchum gives us a more satisfying ending than true life gave. The twisted Baniszewski was eventually paroled, thanks to 'finding Jesus' and her sadistic children served no time at all because they were 'just kids'. While the author may be guilty of adding some details that may not be part of the true story he's no more guilty than Truman Capote of creating a story around true events. Look for the Wikipedia page Murder of Sylvia Likens if you think have the stomach for it. It's a hard read.
I didn't expect to like the writing and was sure I would be giving up due more to bad writing than bad story but for such an awful story the writing was lyrical and well paced. Ketchum writes from the perspective of a man who, as a child, took part in the torture of a young girl. Through masterful writing, Ketchum manages to make this child a sympathetic character and pulls the reader into the young boy's conflict of knowing what's wrong but still justifying it (as an adult is giving direction) until he no longer can. This book is certainly not for everyone and more than once brought me to tears. It's awful, it's painful, and it's sickening but it's worst part is knowing it happened.

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Yawn

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-02-24

I went in thinking I was going to have to stop listening as I feared a book called The Toybox might be torture porn. Once I realized that even the most horrific of (very few) scenes never went very far beyond the selection of a strap or some clamps (with vague references to 'other devices') my mind was eased and I settled in ready for some big payback to the bad guys. I'm not interested in the bad guys being tortured either but I expected more revenge than 'the full extent of the law'. The whole book was just 'mommy cop loves her kids' with a seething cop partner that does nothing but seethe. Could we have not had just one punch in the nose to the smarmy rich kid? I guess I wanted less than Saw III but more than Disney does human trafficking. Through I wasn't thrilled with every character's voice there were many and the reader made them all different. That's a talent. She did an amazing job creating just the right tone for fear, anger and sorrow. Even the screaming was well done.

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I Love This Author So Much

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-01-24

Every time I read one of Lionel Shriver's books I say "this is my favorite of her books". In Post Birthday World she does an amazing job of writing of 2 'what ifs'. Though the trope has been done before it's Ms Shriver's ability to glide so deftly between the two scenarios that makes this so perfect. One of the things that stood out the most to me is that she would write the same words coming from the same character in different scenes and have them resound with a totally different feeling. And speaking of feelings, don't be surprised to find your eyes moisten at a couple points in the book. There's a goodbye (no spoilers) scene that is so touching I ran it back to listen several times. This book could have ended in a dozen different ways but true to her style Ms Shriver picked the perfect one. That it was read by one of my favorite readers added to my enjoying the book. She doesn't 'do voices' but rather gives subtle change to her natural voice to differentiate the characters. Pay close attention to her reading the character with a low cockney accent . She delivers it with a charm that makes it sound exotic and beautiful.

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My Least Favorite of the Series

Overall
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 06-20-24

Though the story failed to grab me I suspect it was the narration that really did it in. The minute it began I thought "That sounds like Fat Tony from The Simpsons". Sure enough when I saw the name I realized it was indeed the same man. Though he may be a fine actor Joe Mantagna needs to steer clear of book narration. Every voice sounded the same with perhaps just a touch more 'gangster' added for some characters. This made Lincoln Rhyme, the churlish pedantic character we've grown to love, sound like a petulant cartoon villain. Narration is a make or breaker for audiobooks. Audible usually does an amazing job but this one was a miss.

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Thought Provoking

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 06-10-24

As much as I love Lionel Shriver's writing I held back from this particular book fearing 12 incarnations of the 'ending' would be tedious. Not in the least. Each chapter produced it's own very different story. I kept rooting for a happy ending and (at least to me) that's what was delivered. At 65 years old I was given much to think about the aging process and the ultimate decline we all face. I may have to find myself a soap dish to keep in the fridge.

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