Audiobook Reviews (12)

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (Narrated by Sarah Drew)

While I really enjoyed Delirium, it honestly didn't rock my socks like it did for some of my friends. That's probably why it took me so long to pick up Pandemonium, and yeah maybe also because I thought a book with no Alex would be lame. Slap me now. I LOVED this one much, much more than Delirium, and not only that but... Alex who? Loved the audio just as much. Narrator was excellent! Can I have Requiem now, please?

Book:  ★★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? Definitely.
(Amazon) 

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber (Narrated by Steven Boyer)

This book was extremely fun and action-packed and super entertaining. I literally felt myself wanting to drive somewhere just to have an excuse to listen to more. Perry's voice and the way the narrator played Perry was swoon-worthy and hilarious all at once. I laughed out loud, bit my nails and almost stopped in the middle of the road when sudden stuff happened. Loved it SO MUCH. If you plan to read this, grab the audio instead! You'll thank me.

Book:  ★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? YES!

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan (Narrated by Full Cast) 

WOW. And I mean that in all possible ways. First of all, I did not know such a thing as Full Cast existed before this. Boy was I in the dark! And second of all, no one writes about love like Levithan can. True story. So, by "full cast" they mean full cast, as in every single character has a voice and, in each and every dialogue, that voice is used. Not just for pov changes, for dialogue! It kind of blew me away a little. I cannot wait to listen to another Full Cast audiobook. This is a whole new experience. Every narrator was awesome. I think this is kind of what people back in the radio-only age loved about radio soaps. I can now say I finally get it, grandma! It rocks.

Book:  ★★★★

Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? Pfff, you NEED this.
(Amazon)


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Audiobook Reviews (11)

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman (Narrated by Johnny Heller)

I was pleasantly surprised to step out of my comfort zone and listen to something so different and thought-provoking as this novel. Told from the perspective of a teenager with cerebral palsy, a teen who has never uttered a word or controlled any of his movements, this a powerful story that will make you step into a mind you never thought you'd glimpse. The narrator's voice fit perfectly with Shawn's character and made the short listen enjoyable and compelling.

Book:  ★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? Very much so.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (Narrated by Mandy Williams and Justine Eyre)

While this was a book that failed to meet some of my expectations, specially in the romance department, I did enjoy the world-building and the fresh take on dragons. Most of all though, I enjoyed the audio. I love accents, and the narrators accent made the high fantasy part of it even more alive. Seraphina's wonderful voice was very well represented by the main narrator, and I would recommend this audio to all high fantasy readers/listeners. The other narrator plays Seraphina's mom and does it just okay.

Book:  ★★★
Narrator 1:  ★★★★★
Narrator 2: ★★★
Recommended audio? Yes
(Amazon)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Narrated by Noah Galvin) 

A gem of a book gorgeously narrated in a gem of an audiobook. You've gotta love Charlie and his unique voice and innocence. The narrator made Charlie come to life and even his naivety came through brilliantly. One of the best audios I've listened to this year! (I couldn't help it, I used the movie poster image. So excited!)

Book:  ★★★★★

Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? OMG, yes.
(Amazon)


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Audiobook Reviews (10)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Narrated by Emma Galvin)

I don't think there's a more fitting voice for Tris than Emma Galvin's. She also narrated bad-ass Isabel on the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, and she has that perfect bad-ass voice for strong and awesome female characters. I've loved everything Emma Galvin has narrated, so this was no exception. Packed with action and full of twists, I loved the story and how the characters developed and how Tris grew, and fucked up over and over again, and then grew some more. One hell of a listen!

Book:  ★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? Definitely.

Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson (Narrated by Cassandra Campbell)

A quick straight-forward listen for contemporary lovers who can take darkness and learn from it. The reader did a very good job with accents, and portraying the despair and hopelessness that the character felt. The different voices the narrator did were very distinguishable and she made the story lighter by reading it. I think I enjoyed it more as a listen because it's a very sad story.

Book:  ★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★
Recommended audio? Yes
(Amazon)

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris (Narrated by Katie Schorr) 



Meh, I was honestly enjoying it until the plot "unraveled" of sorts. I dont want to give anything away but lets just say some kinds of paranormal/scifi I just can't swallow. It was strongly laid out and written but poorly imagined. Too cartoonish for my taste, and then it just ended up cheesy. The reader was good and I can see a lot of people enjoying this (I was quite glued for the first half) but I just expected a bit more from it.

Book:  ★★

Narrator:  ★★★★
Recommended audio? Not really.
(Amazon)


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Audiobook Reviews (9)

The Selection by Kiera Cass (Narrated by Amy Rubinate)

As I stated in my review of this book, against all odds, I really enjoyed it. Part of it was because the narrator was really compelling and she managed to make the story much more serious than I would have taken it if reading while still being fun and fresh. It pulled me in with its fascinating premise and it was very entertaining to listen.

Book:  ★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★
Recommended audio? Definitely.

Revived by Cat Patrick (Narrated by Tara Sands)

I have no idea how I managed to somewhat enjoy this despite the terrible narrator, but the fact is, I was so interested in what happened that I did. I ended up being a bit disappointed on the plot as well, being a light sci-fi title, this had some existential BS that had nothing to do with the rest of the book. Anyhow, it was interesting enough for me to finish it but not that memorable for me.

Book:  ★★★
Narrator:  ★★
Recommended audio? Nope
(Amazon)

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman (Narrated by Emily Janice Card)


I'm a huge Emily Janice Card fan, so I was bound to love this one. But it did get kind of too much. Like, it had so many twists and secrets for such a slow pace that it was getting on my nerves. Still, Card's narration made me follow through and I really enjoyed it after a few bumps. 

Book:  ★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? Yes.
(Amazon)


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Audiobook Reviews (8)

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (Narrated by Katherine Taub)

This story was definitely not for me. It's a somewhat slow-paced paranormal romance with the unbelievably good/nice love interest and the plot strictly dependent on its paranormal features. The audiobook however, was very well performed and it kept me listening for some reason. I loved Anna's voice and the way the narrator put so much emotion into reading her character. So I do suggest you if you pick this one up, try the audio.

Book:  ★★
Narrator:  ★★★★
Recommended audio? I wouldn't have finished the book if I'd read it, so yes.
(Audible)

Cinder by Marissa Mayer (Narrated by Rebecca Soler)

This story was so intricate and managed to involve so many different aspects that it just blew me away. The audio was also extremely well performed. I love how some narrators manage to pull you in somehow. This is a fully-enjoyable, wildly creative, feel-good retelling of the fairytale we all love. Part dystopia, part fantasy, part sci-fi, part romance, this is a book for everyone. And the audio is even better!

Book:  ★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? YES, definitely!
(Amazon / Audible)

Purity by Jackson Pierce (Narrated by Jackson Pierce)

To be honest, at first impression Jackson's narrating was flat and monotonous. As the story went on, I stopped thinking of it as Jackson's flat voice and started thinking of it as Shelby's disinterested, grieving voice and that changed my perspective. Even though the characters were a little uni-dimensional for me, being able to er, "hear Shelby" made me connect with her a bit more. It's such a short audio and the own author reads it so it was well worth listening.

Book:  ★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★
Recommended audio? If only to listen to Pierce, yes. I respect authors who read their own book well.
(Audible)


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Audiobook Reviews (7)

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter 

(Narrated by Angela Dawe)

This was probably THE one audiobook last year that absolutely surprised me. I picked it up because I had enjoyed book 1 and I was in the mood (and needed badly) something fun at the time. Well, not only did I hit right on what I needed but it ended up being one of my favorite audios last year. The story while fluffy and entertaining is also intricate and surprising, much much better than the first novel and very engaging. And the reader was just as fabulous, and it felt more Kat to me this time. I seriously loved it!

Book:  ★★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? Yes!!
(Amazon)

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (Narrated by Nicola Barber)

This is one of those that was just okay. Not bad, not great. I got a little frustrated at the accents the reader made because they were not quite there, but I guess it's good that they were attempted. I had an issue on disc 4, I don't know how many copies of it they made this way or if it was only mine, but one part is missing (which I had to read) and then one part is repeated in it's place. First time this ever happened to me. It was weird, but I enjoyed the book.

Book:  ★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★
Recommended audio? Neutral.
(Amazon)

Crossed by Ally Condie (Narrated by Jack Riccobono & Kate Simses)

I'm compelled to leave this blank. Nothing written. Which is just what Condie should have done instead of writing this book. It must have been a total waste of her time to write pages and pages where absolutely nothing happens, where the two character's voices blur together because they lost any personality and became just words to me. You think I'm being too harsh? Ha. I'm putting it mildly. I was mad that I actually enjoyed Matched and expected an even better sequel. This was a total disappointment. The readers weren't bad but... but.

Book:  ★
Narrators:  -
Recommended audio? NO.
(Amazon)


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Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare  
(Narrated by Ed Westwick & Heather Lind)

I was a little hesitant to read this one because Cassie's books last year were not my favorite. CoFA was a little disappointing for me. Oh, but this made me fall in love with Cassie again. Over and Over. CP is much much better than the first one. And it's just SO unbelievably GOOD that it almost makes me want to end my no-paranormal rule. The audio was good, I felt Ed narrator better and clearer than in his last audio. The female narrator was not my favorite either, but she did a decent job and I loved the story, so it compensated.

Book:  ★★★★★
Narrators:  ★★★★
Recommended audio? Yes
(Amazon)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (narrated by Steve West & Fiona Hardingham)

I definitely enjoyed this one a lot listening to it than reading it. Even though it's gorgeously written and it makes you want to crawl into the beautiful words, the story just failed to grab my attention for at least half of the book. Then I picked up the audio to finish it, and found that the delicious accents of the narrators kept me engaged and satisfied. I enjoyed the second half a lot more! The female narrator was specially good. 

Book:  ★★★
Narrators:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? Yes!
(Amazon)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Narrated by Khristine Hvam)

This book was absolutely spectacular! Laini Taylor is an artist of words. She can wrap you in her prose and make you feel warm and fuzzy. And the reader they selected to narrate the audio was the perfect fit for such exquisite writing and the perfect voice for Karou. I loved loved loved this one!

Book:  ★★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? YES!
(Amazon)


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Audiobook Reviews (5)

In which I talk about audiobooks I've listened to.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre (Narrated by Emily Bauer)

One of the reasons I love dystopia so much is that there are endless possibilities to mess up the world in a credible & scary could-happen way. And the fact that in world they live underground in what used to be the subway, is fascinating. Even though this is one of those weird books where the first half does not match the second half, I quite enjoyed it because the narration was superb. I loved the voice and her pace and felt entranced while listening. I believe that if I had read it, I wouldn't have enjoyed it quite so much. 

Book:  ★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? Yes!
(Amazon)

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann (narrated by Simon Jones)

It has been a while since I've read something so magical and special. This is a middle grade title that has very accurately been compared (in a very good way) to Harry Potter. And since I listened to the Harry Potter audio, I cant help but compare the audio versions as well. Fabulous male narration that envelops the reader in the story and turns our reality into the world within The Unwanteds. If you have middle-grade readers at home this will be a wonderful way to introduce them to the amazing world of audio. A beautifully meaningful story and a storytelling that makes it a classic. 

Book:  ★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★★
Recommended audio? Absolutely!
(Amazon)

Feed by M.T. Anderson (Narrated by David Aaron Baker)

I wish all audiobooks has special sound effects to make them cooler. Out of the enormous amount of audios I've heard, very few have anything more than a starting music and plain narration. This one? It has an awesome radio-style static and channel shifting that gives 'the feed' of the character that much more richness. You can listen to the feed as if it was in your head, and believe me, it's creepy and annoying. Poor Titus! The narration was pretty good too, but this is worth picking up if only for the fact that the feed comes to life. 

Book:  ★★★★★
Narrator:  ★★★★
Recommended audio? Yep!
(Amazon)


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