Mary

I suppose it's my own fault for not realizing that this is a trash novelist. I just read the story description and it sounded interesting. I couldn't stomach more than an hour of it. Bad writing, very annoying reader. Maybe the story would have developed into something had I listened for longer, but I couldn't bear to listen any more.

One of the best post-apocalyptic stories I've read. Nice to have one without zombies. Good cast of well-drawn characters. A very human story that loses nothing over the decades since it was written. And Will Patton's narration is perfect. This one goes on my list of books that get a second and maybe a third listen. Highly recommended.

The story is interesting, but most of the book is padding. Superfluous characters who aren't particularly interesting. Long, drawn-out descriptions of struggles on the water. And Scott Brick's narration rises and swells like the surf in a tiresome, melodramatic way. I kept setting my iPod at 3x to get through the bloated passages that did nothing to advance the story.

I've had this book on my wish list for a long time, based on good reviews it has received. I wish I hadn't wasted the book point on it. The story was dull and rambling. The characters were uninteresting; I couldn't connect with any of them. And the narration was awful. I got the impression the narrators were as disengaged with the story as I was. I generally like fiction set against the backdrop of history and various cultures (Barbara Kingsolver's "Poisonwood Bible" is one of my favorites), but this book totally disappointed me.

I liked the narrator. The story kind of limps along, never really developing fully into anything. And then it just ends. The characters aren't quite convincing to me, and I guess I didn't really feel invested in them enough to care when the story abruptly ends. I won't miss them, like I do characters in stories that have more richness, complexity and depth. What really annoys me about this audio book is the cheesy jazz riffs they put at the beginning and between chapters, often continuing it over the narration. It doesn't fit at all. What were they thinking?

The story was amazing and engrossing from start to finish (well, not quite from the start; the very beginning sounded boring, with what seemed at the time to be an unneccessarily detailed narrative about an old man hiring a solicitor to write his will, and I almost switched to another book on my iPod. But I stuck it out and was quickly pulled into the story). The characters are wonderful and the plot is fascinating. It never gets slow; I found myself sitting in my car to continue listening when I'd get to work, reluctant to leave the story. I love the narration. The reader was perfect for this book. This is one of the most memorable stories I've listened to in my many years as an Audible subscriber.

I enjoyed the first two books, but I couldn't get into this one. As another reviewer said, the endless narration about government bureaucracy was mind-numbing. And I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters.

I had a hard time becoming engaged with this book for a while, but I stuck with it and eventually I was engrossed in it. One of the best Audibles I've listened to, this will go on my "listen again" list, probably for a 2nd and 3rd listen in the future.

I actually stuck it out through the whole thing, which means the writing didn't totally suck. I just wanted to see what happened. And in that regard, it was a big letdown, because it apparently will be continued in a sequel. As if 36 hours weren't enough! The plot is full of holes, the characters are stereotypes. It seemed like a crazy quilt stitched together of people and plot elements from Stephen King novels, the TV show Lost, and other trite pop fiction.

This was one of those books that makes it hard to turn off the iPod and go to work. Interesting characters, surprising plot twists, superb narration. This goes in my top 10 and will merit a second listen in the future.