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Showing posts with label psychological. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psychological. Show all posts

Saturday, November 28, 2020

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS

 


BY MEGAN MIRANDA

NARRATED BY REBEKKAH ROSS




❐ Overall Rating 2¼ | Narration  3
❐ A woman trying to hide from her tragic past
❐ Psychological Thriller...that's low on thrills
❐ Sleepwalking


Maybe it's time that I give up on Megan Miranda.  I keep listening to her books thinking in my head..." I really like this author"...but it turns out that I might be confusing her with Wendy Walker.  What can I say...I'm easily confused.

This book is like most of her other books...kind of boring throughout with not enough pay-off at the end and/or one where the premise sounds interesting but the execution always leaves you wanting something more.  Thirdly, she always has the same narrator for all her books...and I'm finding that her style is the same for every character she portrays...and she never really changes it up, which isn't always a bad thing...unless you don't really care for them in the first place.



❐ Libby Listen through my Library
❐ Length ➯ 9H 57M
❐ Plot ➯ 2.5/5
❐ Characters ➯ 2/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 2/5
❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery/Thrills ➯ 2/5
❐ Ending ➯ 2.5/5




Friday, November 27, 2020

AUDIOBOOK ➯ GOODNIGHT BEAUTIFUL



BY AIMEE MOLLY

NARRATED BY VAL TOOMEY, GEORGE NEWBERN, MARIN IRELAND, & JOEL FROOMKIN




❐ Overall Rating 4½ | Narration 4½
❐ Mystery/Psychological Thriller/Suspense
❐ Clever Misdirection and a shout-out to a well-known book/movie
❐ Multiple POV's 
❐ This one is best to go into blind...



This story snuck up on me and I didn't even realize how much I enjoyed it until it was over.  It was told in a way that was refreshingly different...and that...is always a good thing.

You know I'm not sure what parts of the story were the misdirection parts or my own personal misdirection???  All I can tell you without giving anything away is...just go read it...or listen to it.  I can't even tell you what I thought of the narration because I might inadvertently give something away if I do.  I can say that it was performed quite well by all, though.



❐ Libby Listen through my Library
❐ Length ➯ 7H 52M
❐ Plot ➯ 4.7/5
❐ Characters ➯ 4.3/5
❐ The Feels ➯ 4.5/5
❐ Twisty-ness/Mystery/Thrills ➯ 4.3/5
❐ Ending ➯ 4.3/5


Thursday, October 8, 2020

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ THE NEED



BY HELEN PHILLIPS


NARRATED BY ALEXANDRA ALLWINE



MY RATING  STARS


THE DETAILS


❐ NOT THE STORY I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE
❐ MORE PSYCHOLOGICAL THAN SCIENCE FICTION
❐ DABBLES IN ALTERNATE/PARALLEL UNIVERSES
❐ MOTHERHOOD BLUES
❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 6 HOURS, 20 MINUTES
 I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY


I was completely flipping lost with this book and if it wasn't for the Reader Q & A section on Goodreads...I would have gone on being totally confused.  After reading it, I felt like I had a little more clarity on it...especially the weird ending.   This is one of those stories that is really much deeper than what the synopsis leads you to believe...and I wanted something or thought I was getting a mystery suffused in science fiction.  In reality, it is much more psychological and dwells on themes of the overwhelmingness of motherhood.  Maybe, if I had gone into this book knowing what it was...I could have enjoyed it more...I guess I'll never know???



BREAKDOWN
Narration ➯ 3½ STARS
Plot  3/5
Characters  3.8/5
The Feels  2.5/5
Pacing  3/5
Addictiveness  3/5
Theme, Tone or Intensity  3/5
Originality  4/5
Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening)  2.7/5
Twisty-ness/Mystery  3/5
Ending  2.5/5
SUMMATION  2¾ STARS


I LISTENED TO THIS FOR THE SQUARE


FOR HALLOWEEN BINGO 2020





Sunday, September 20, 2020

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ DON'T LOOK FOR ME

 




BY WENDY WALKER


NARRATED BY THERESE PLUMMER





THE DETAILS

❐ MYSTERY⬦ SUSPENSE ⬦ THRILLER 
❐ FAMILY TRAGEDY
❐ DUAL POV'S --BETWEEN MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
❐ FANTASTICALLY PACED
❐ INTENSE & TWISTY
❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 9 HOURS, 51 MINUTES
 I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY BUT I PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED AN ARC VIA NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR A HONEST REVIEW --I PREFER AUDIO!


There isn't much more I can say without giving anything away...and I don't want to give anything away...because this is too good.  

I would have liked a second narrator for either the daughter or the mother...but since it didn't have that, I will say Therese Plummer did a phenomenal job with the two different voices...giving each one a slightly different inflection so I didn't really confuse them.   

In closing, this story will keep you guessing until the end...giving you just enough clues to keep you trying to put it together and work it out...and even then it will surprise you. Also, the little Barbie's/Apples won't make sense until you've read/listened to this...and I definitely recommend the audio over reading.  So glad I was able to listen to this all at one time because it was unstoppable...I'm also pretty sure that it's unputdownable if you choose to read it, instead.


BREAKDOWN
Narration ➯ 5 STARS
Plot  5/5
Characters  5/5
The Feels  5/5
Pacing  5/5
Addictiveness  5/5
Theme, Tone or Intensity  5/5
Originality/Believability  5/5
Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening)  5/5
Twisty-ness/Mystery  5/5
Ending  5/5
SUMMATION  5 STARS


I LISTENED TO THIS FOR THE SQUARE 


FOR HALLOWEEN BINGO 2020



Thursday, August 27, 2020

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ➯ THE LIFE YOU STOLE

 

BY JEWEL E ANN


NARRATED BY PAUL WOODSON & ANDI ARNDT



THE DETAILS

❐ THE LIFE SERIES #2 OF 2
❐ FOUR POV'S
❐ ROMANTIC PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
❐ WITH A TOUCH OF DARK MAGICAL REALISM
❐ CHEATING --BUT IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK
❐ LENGTH OF AUDIO ➯ 8 HOURS, 34 MINUTES
 I LISTENED ON AUDIBLE


Inevitably...the truth will always set you free...

I don't think I'll ever look at graham crackers the same again...not without wanting to throw them on the floor and stomping all over them.

Jewel E Ann...where or how do you come up with these ideas for your stories?  Seriously...

If you're looking for something different in the contemporary romance genre because most of what you read is the same story with slightly different characters...Jewel E Ann could be a perfect choice.  Her stories are not cookie-cutter, they are refreshingly different and hard-hitting.  This one is also a bit psychologically thrilling with a twist of magical realism.  While many will look at this book as having cheating...it's really so much deeper than that.

When it comes to narration, I'm never disappointed with Andi Arndt...she is one of the best, especially in a romance.  Paul Woodson was really good too...his french/sexy accent was just right and I felt the pain that he was in.



BREAKDOWN
Narration ➯ 4½ STARS
Plot  4.2/5
Characters  4/5
The Feels  4.3/5
Pacing  4.3/5
Addictiveness  4.3/5
Theme, Tone or Intensity  3.7/5
Originality/Believability  4.3/5
Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening)  4/5
Twisty-ness/Mystery  3.5/5
Steaminess to Story Ratio  15/85
Ending  4/5
SUMMATION  4 STARS




Wednesday, June 17, 2020

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW⤏ HIDDEN BODIES


BY CAROLINE KEPNES

    NARRATED BY SANTINO FONTANA



    SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
    Hidden Bodies marks the return of a voice that Stephen King described as original and hypnotic, and through the divisive and charmingly sociopathic character of Joe Goldberg, Kepnes satirizes and dissects our culture, blending suspense with scathing wit.
    In the compulsively readable follow-up to her widely acclaimed debut novel, You, Caroline Kepnes weaves a tale that Booklist calls “the love child of Holden Caulfield and Patrick Bateman.”
    Joe Goldberg is no stranger to hiding bodies. In the past ten years, this thirty-something has buried four of them, collateral damage in his quest for love. Now he’s heading west to Los Angeles, the city of second chances, determined to put his past behind him.
    In Hollywood, Joe blends in effortlessly with the other young upstarts. He eats guac, works in a bookstore, and flirts with a journalist neighbor. But while others seem fixated on their own reflections, Joe can’t stop looking over his shoulder. The problem with hidden bodies is that they don’t always stay that way. They re-emerge, like dark thoughts, multiplying and threatening to destroy what Joe wants most: true love. And when he finds it in a darkened room in Soho House, he’s more desperate than ever to keep his secrets buried. He doesn’t want to hurt his new girlfriend—he wants to be with her forever. But if she ever finds out what he’s done, he may not have a choice…


    THDETAILS

     JOE IS BACK...WITH REVENGE IN MIND
     AND HE IS IN FULL-ON KILLER MODE
     HE EVEN DENYS BEING A SOCIOPATH
     WHAT'S "LOVE" GOT TO DO WITH IT...
    ⤏ LENGTH OF AUDIO - 13 HOURS, 3 MINUTES
     I LISTENED ON LIBBY THROUGH MY LIBRARY



    MY RATING  ✰STARS✰



    MY THOUGHTS⇣


    Have you ever heard the song Bodies by Drowning Pool...I think it could be Joe's theme song.  Joe is back and he's really going off the rails this time.  Santino Fontana is also back voicing the harried thoughts of Joe...and his personification of this mind-warping, seriously delusional point of view is spot on.  I don't know if his way of narrating will translate well to other characters, as a lot of people didn't like his narration of Snow in The latest Hunger Games book, although, I didn't have any issues with it.  

    This book made me laugh out loud so many times...and I flew through my night at work while listening.  Kind of glad that most everyone else at work also listens to their own stuff...so hopefully they didn't hear me.  

    Joe gets taken advantage of by his latest love interest and chases after her all the way to LA.  He ends up having a difficult time tracking her down and gets hella sidetracked by Love...and the shenanigans ensue.  This is definitely one of those series that you should put some time in between reading/listening to each one...because being in Joe's head is a little exhausting at times.  Better if you do it in doses.  While there are numerous quotes that made me laugh out loud, I'll leave you with this quote because this one was really good...

    “He snorts more cocaine, I could pull over and roll him out the door, but he's on so much blow right now that he would probably just turn into a roadrunner, catch up to me, and jump back in.”


    BREAKDOWN⇣

    Narration Rating 4.5/5
    Plot 4.2/5
    Characters 4.3/5
    The Feels 4.5/5
    Pacing 4.3/5
    Addictiveness 4/5
    Theme, Tone or Intensity 4.2/5
    Originality/Believability 4.2/5
    Flow (Writing Style/Ease of Listening) 4.5/5
    Raunchiness 4.5/5
    Ending 4.3/5





    Monday, April 13, 2020

    REVIEW⇢ THIS DARKNESS MINE

    BY MINDY MCGINNIS




      SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
      Sasha Stone knows her place—first-chair clarinet, top of her class, and at the side of her Oxford-wearing boyfriend. She’s worked her entire life to ensure her path to Oberlin Conservatory as a star musician is perfectly paved.
      But suddenly there’s a fork in the road in the shape of Isaac Harver. Her body shifts toward him when he walks by, and her skin misses his touch even though she’s never known it. Why does he act like he knows her so well—too well—when she doesn’t know him at all?
      Sasha discovers that her by-the-book life began by ending the chapter of another: the twin sister she absorbed in the womb. But that doesn’t explain the gaps of missing time in her practice schedule, or the memories she has of things she certainly never did with Isaac.
      Armed with the knowledge that her heart might not be hers alone, Sasha must decide what she’s willing to do—and who she’s willing to hurt—to take it back.


      BOOK TAGS

       PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
       LOVE & STUFF
       SLIGHTLY HORROR-IF-IC
       YA
      ⤏ WEIRD AF

        BOOK DETAILS⇣

        AUDIO PERFORMED BY BRITTANY PRESSLEY
        SOURCE LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)
        AUDIOBOOK LENGTH 7 HOURS, 56 MINUTES



        MY THOUGHTS⇣


        I'm not sure that weird AF quite encapsulates how I feel about this.  It kind of leaves a bad taste in your mouth...especially by the end.  At least it was narrated by one of all time fav narrators.

        I love Mindy McGinnis, I just finished The Female of the Species a few days ago, and I loved it.  I've read most of her other books and liked them all, really.  But I don't know how I feel about this one.  On one hand, I want to say this a masterpiece and on the other hand, I want to say it's a freaking nightmare...so, nightmarish masterpiece it is.

        What if you found out you had a twin that you absorbed in the womb before you were born?  What if you thought that other twin...who you believe to be a part of you...was trying to take over the rest of your mind and body?  I thought I had the direction this book was taking all figured out...and I was so wrong, weirdly and nightmarishly wrong.


        BREAKDOWN⇣

        Plot 3.8/5
        Characters 3/5
        The Feels 3.5/5
        Pacing 4/5
        Addictiveness 4/5
        Theme or Tone 2/5
        Flow (Writing Style) 4/5
        Originality 5/5
        Ending 2.7/5






        Saturday, April 11, 2020

        REVIEW⇢ THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES

        BY MINDY MCGINNIS




          SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
          Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it.
          Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best—the language of violence.
          While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. Not anyone.
          As their senior year unfolds, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting these three teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.


          BOOK TAGS

           DARK & PROPULSIVE YA
           SOMETHING TO GET YOUR SECRET VIGILANTE HEART PUMPING
          ⤏ LOVE & STUFF
           RAPE CULTURE
           A COLLISION COURSE OF WTF

            BOOK DETAILS⇣

            AUDIO PERFORMED BY AMANDA DOLAN, JUSTIS BOLDING, & DAN BITTNER
            SOURCE LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)
            AUDIOBOOK LENGTH 7 HOURS, 7 MINUTES



            MY THOUGHTS⇣


            Who knew behind this innocuous-looking cover there was hiding such a profoundly dark story.  Even the title doesn't really suggest what lies in these pages.  Mindy McGinnis is a genius, not only with her plots, which are varied but also with the characters she creates.  So much realness going on, she has become a favorite of mine.

            With a narrative that moves along swiftly; with nothing bogging it down, plus superbly performed narration, The Female of the Species is unputdownable.  Fantastic, even.   Dark, raw and powerful to the point of explosive...that ending, wow!  


            BREAKDOWN⇣

            Plot 5/5
            Characters 5/5
            The Feels 5+/5
            Pacing 5/5
            Addictiveness 5/5
            Theme or Tone 4.5/5
            Flow (Writing Style) 5/5
            Originality 5/5
            Ending 5/5






            Sunday, March 15, 2020

            REVIEW⇢ SAVE YOURSELF

            BY KELLY BRAFFET




              SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
              Patrick Cusimano is in a bad way. His father is in jail; he works the midnight shift at a grubby convenience store; and his brother’s girlfriend, Caro, has taken their friendship to an uncomfortable new level.  On top of all that, he can’t quite shake the attentions of Layla Elshere, a goth teenager who befriends Patrick for reasons he doesn’t understand and doesn’t fully trust. The temptations these two women offer are pushing Patrick to his breaking point.
              Meanwhile, Layla’s little sister, Verna, is suffering through her first year of high school.  She’s become a prime target for her cruel classmates, not just because of her strange name and her fundamentalist parents: Layla’s bad-girl rep proves to be too a huge shadow for Verna, so she falls in with her sister’s circle of outcasts and misfits whose world is far darker than she ever imagined.
              Kelly Braffet’s characters, indelibly portrayed and richly varied, are all on their own twisted path to finding peace.  The result is a novel of unnerving power—darkly compelling, addictively written, and shockingly honest.


              BOOK TAGS


               REALISTIC GRIT-LIT
               DARKISH AND COMPELLING
               YA-ISH MIXED WITH ADULT-ISH
               DEALING WITH MANY HOT-TOPICS
              ⤏ WITH EVERYTHING FROM BULLYING TO SOMETHING LIKE MASOCHISM

                BOOK DETAILS⇣


                AUDIO PERFORMED BY MICHAEL GOLDSTROM
                NARRATION RATING  4/5
                BOOK COVER MEH...
                SETTING RATCHETSBURG, PA
                SOURCE LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)
                AUDIOBOOK LENGTH 11 HOURS, 40 MINUTES


                MY THOUGHTS⇣


                The lives of all these people are on a collision course...and this is the sorted story of how they arrive there.  You know some shit is going to hit-the-fan in a town called Ratchetsburg...

                While some of the characters are teens, the story itself is rather heavy.  If you are looking for a happy ending...this isn't it.  It's all about getting the short-end of the straw in life.  It's raw and not pretty.  It's both deeply disturbing and deeply affecting at the same time.  It even almost pulled me out of my slump (I haven't been moved enough to give anything 5 stars lately)...not quite, but close.  Hopefully, I find a book that does, soon.

                The Audio is performed really well by Michael Goldstrom, they just should have had a female narrator for the female voices.  It would have upped the narration rating to a full five stars, then.


                MY RATING ✰STARS✰


                BREAKDOWN⇣

                Plot 4.2/5
                Characters 4/5
                The Feels 4/5
                Pacing 3.5/5
                Addictiveness 3.5/5
                Theme or Tone 4.2/5
                Flow (Writing Style) 4.5/5
                World-Building 4.3/5
                Originality 4.3/5
                Ending 4.5/5






                Tuesday, March 10, 2020

                REVIEW⇢ BEST DAY EVER

                BY KAIRA ROUDA




                  SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
                  The perfect marriage is the perfect illusion.
                  Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That’s why he’s planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he’s promised today will be the best day ever.
                  But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really?
                  Forcing us to ask ourselves just how well we know those who are closest to us, Best Day Ever crackles with dark energy, spinning ever tighter toward its shocking conclusion. In the vein of The Couple Next Door, Kaira Rouda weaves a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…or a life.


                  BOOK TAGS


                   SLOW-BURN
                   PSYCHOLOGICAL (LIGHT) SUSPENSE
                   A STUDY OF A SOCIOPATH
                   OVER-THE-TOP...TO THE POINT OF HILARITY 

                    BOOK DETAILS⇣


                    AUDIO PERFORMED BY GRAHAM HALSTED & AMY MCFADDEN
                    NARRATION RATING  4/5
                    BOOK COVER LOVE THE COVER
                    SETTING COLUMBUS, OHIO
                    SOURCE LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)
                    AUDIOBOOK LENGTH 7 HOURS, 56 MINUTES


                    MY THOUGHTS⇣


                    Told mainly over the course of a day...in what is dubbed THE BEST DAY EVER.  Paul tells the story of his and Mia's life to that point.  Told completely from Paul's warped point of view, you'll slowly get a picture of what makes Paul tick.  If you look up sociopath on Google it says this is the profile of one...

                    ⌧Glibness and Superficial Charm.     
                    ⌧Manipulative and Conning.      
                    Grandiose Sense of Self.   
                    ⌧Pathological Lying.   
                    ⌧Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt.  
                    ⌧Shallow Emotions.  
                    ⌧Incapacity for Love.     
                    ⌧Need for Stimulation.

                    Paul ticks every one of these...and does it well.  So much so, that I literally laughed out loud often while listening to this.  The author worked the title into the story really well, and I always love that.  

                    Graham Halsted played his part swimmingly, although I found my mind wandering often...not sure if it was the narrator's fault, the slowness of the story itself, or me...could have been a little of all three.  Amy McFadden only narrates the epilogue...but hey, she did that epilogue really well.


                    MY RATING ✰STARS✰


                    BREAKDOWN⇣

                    Plot 4/5
                    Characters 4/5
                    The Feels 4/5
                    Pacing 3.5/5
                    Addictiveness 4/5
                    Theme or Tone 4/5
                    Flow (Writing Style) 4/5
                    Originality 3.5/5
                    Ending 4/5




                    Sunday, February 23, 2020

                    REVIEW⤏ YOU ARE NOT ALONE

                    BY GREER HENDRICKS & SARAH PEKKANEN



                    SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS⇣
                    You probably know someone like Shay Miller
                    She wants to find love, but it eludes her.
                    She wants to be fulfilled, but her job is a dead end.
                    She wants to belong, but her life is becoming increasingly isolated.
                    You probably don't know anyone like the Moore sisters
                    They have an unbreakable circle of friends.
                    They live a life of glamour and perfection.
                    They always get what they desire.
                    Shay thinks she wants their life.
                    But what they really want is hers.


                    BOOK TAGS


                     ONE MAIN POV INTERSPERSED WITH A MULTITUDE OF OTHERS 
                     PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
                     A SLOW BUILD-UP KIND OF MYSTERY
                     REVENGE ISN'T ALWAYS SWEET

                      BOOK DETAILS⇣



                      BOOK COVER IT'S JUST AS MYSTERIOUS AS THE SYNOPSIS
                      SETTING NEW YORK
                      SOURCE I RECEIVED AN ARC VIA NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
                      eBOOK LENGTH 352 PAGES


                      MY THOUGHTS⇣


                      Told mainly from the POV of Shay, and interspersed with POV's of a few other key players, with a few flashbacks to the past, everything slowly converges, like watching a painting come together.  I think this book reads similarly to their other books, it's not only well-written it's paced out just so...with its slow, almost painfully slow at times, build-up.  I actually found myself struggling to get into this, but eventually, it finally started going somewhere and clicking with me, which is exactly what happened in their first two books for me.

                      While being somewhat twisty, this didn't have the over-the-top crazy kind of twist that The Wife Between Us had, and I liked that.  The suspense was nicely dialed up for the last quarter of the book...and it ultimately concluded with a killer ending, making my earlier struggles worthwhile.


                      MY RATING 4✰STARS✰


                      BREAKDOWN⇣

                      Plot 4/5
                      Characters 3.8/5
                      The Feels 4/5
                      Pacing 3.5/5
                      Addictiveness 3.5/5
                      Theme or Tone 3.7/5
                      Flow (Writing Style) 4.3/5
                      Twisty-ness 4/5
                      Originality 4.3/5
                      Ending 4.2/5





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