"Brutal Poachers,DNA Altered Beasts and Yet..."
My time was not wasted but the story lacked excitement which is unfortunate given the subject matter. The character development was pretty anemic. When you don’t really “bond” with the main character the book loses its appeal. The best part of the book is the premise. Somehow the execution does not live up to its potential and I do not fault the narrator. It is clear Mr. Goddard is passionate about the subject and the technical portions are spot on but the writing needed to be fleshed out more. All-in-all not bad but it could have been better.
Maybe.
"Who Knew? So Much Science Could = So Much Fun!"
The story is packed full of science-- biology, botany, physics, chemistry, astronomy-- you name it and it is in there. But it is not at all dull or tedious. You do not have to understand it all completely (a lot flew right over my head) to enjoy the story. Mr. Weir manages to make even rocket science a seamless, painless part of a good story. At its heart is a very simple story about survival under the most hostile and unnatural conditions imaginable. There is an astronaut stranded on Mars without enough food, water and air to last until a rescue. And rescue is extremely doubtful since everyone on earth believes him dead. On the “bright side” there are plenty of "70's sitcoms and disco music to keep him company. His struggle to survive and remain sane and the herculean efforts to save him are excellent entertainment.
"Don't Miss This One...Dare You to Stop Listening!"
At least you will not want to stop listening. Very good story, well written and narrated. Mr. Gould is a master of the "what would you do if...." He puts you in the story and what a story! I'm making Steven Gould one of my go-to authors.
"Good Story of Animals and Humans Behaving Badly"
Nothing deep or complex here. Tight plot, action and human drama all within the confines of a British zoo. Well written and a decent performance.
"What if you could...."
Step into another world rich with resources like for instance, gold? Stuff that you can sell in this world for lots of money? And then suppose you told your very best friends about it so they could help you haul it back to this world and share in the wealth? This is a great story with action and suspense but not what you’re thinking given the cover art. Now I did have a little trouble swallowing teens randomly knowing that much about legal issues and it’s a bit heavy with the avionics and mechanics but those issues are minor and hey if your into those things, bonus for you. The take away is the story is really good and will hold your attention. Good job with the narration as well.
"Not for Me... Apocalypse is Just Not That Funny"
I like humor. I like apocalypse fiction. I like zombie fiction. I can even like a book that combines all three in the right proportion. But somehow the recipe was off for me in this book. Maybe it was the timing of the wise cracks or the amount of jokiness. I tried but I couldn't get through this.
"Not So Good"
This was not an enjoyable experience for me. I don't normally complain about a book being too long but this one sags and drags. I did not bond with the characters or the improbable plot. There was no suspense for me. Very repetitive and farfetched. The narration was okay, it was the story that disappointed.
"Okay Story...Laughably Bad Narration"
The good: 1950s style giant insect menaces small town. The bad: abrupt ending. The ugly: super awful narration. Seriously, just listen to the sample. Especially the voices. Like a mangled accident scene you can't tear your ears from. The narrative was overly dramatic and uneven and the voices...the town seemed to consist of people with random heavy New England accents, southern California valley girls and Fog-horn Leghorns. The adult female voices were either cutesy two year olds or whiskey soaked octogenarians. Nothing in between. Nothing even close to what they should have sounded like. I cannot recommend this audiobook unless you are looking for a primer on how NOT to narrate a book. Or you need a laugh. Get the print version instead.
"Go for Maberry…Need More Please!"
Frankly it's a tie between a fantastically good story and superb narration. Mr. Maberry is very good at taking the unbelievable and making it not only completely plausible but he makes you look at it from a wholly new prospective. Yes, the story is about alien visitation but it has nothing to do with little green men or space lizards that come to conquer. It will make you think, worry and wonder while enjoying a rousing thriller. (Heavy sigh) now the wait until the next installment.
Ray Porter is why audiobooks rock. He takes the character of Joe Ledger and the series to another level.
"Doesn't Really Deliver...Bub-Lite"
I would not say it was well-spent but it was not a total waste either. It should have been better.
Probably not. The story was not well written. The plot summary begs for a listen/read (if you like this kind of story) but the actual story falls flat, DOA. The characters are one dimensional or no dimensional and the suspense is non-existent. I kept listening hoping there would be some huge plot twist or big reveal to make it all worth the effort.
He did a decent job. Not particularly memorable or bad.
Yes. Maybe on screen with a more fleshed out screen play and appealing characters it would be more engaging.
Get J.A. Konrath's Origin instead. Same premise but much, much better done.
"Action-Packed Science Fiction"
A research ship is lured to an island run amok with monsterous human experiments, mutants and at least one really mad scientist. The story isn't complex and the "science" is a bit thin but the story will hold your interest with non-stop action.