Life Without a Net

Stories of Challenge and Compassion

By: Don Severance

Narrated by: James Oliva

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

In Life Without a Net, author Don Severance has drawn upon interest in music and sports to present seven stories of challenge and compassion. The adventures are realistic and entertaining. Dr. Severance begins each story based on his life experiences, then enlarges the themes into dramatic works of fiction. The listener will encounter many interesting characters and the challenges they face. Love of humanity is expressed in the genuine compassion that is offered to heroes and villains alike. His maturity and breadth of education allow him to weave important life lessons into each tale. Out of respect for the hundreds of students who have enriched his life, Dr. Severance has written this collection to be enjoyed by teens and adults equally. It only remains for you to come along for the ride.

©2016 Dr. Don Severance (P)2017 Don Severance

It was okay?

Were I actually reading a physical copy of Life Without a Net, I would've put it down before the end of the first story. While I usually enjoy stories like these, the writing was just so stiff and incredibly stilted it became hard to realise some of these characters were real people.
I've studied language and the way people speak for years and almost no one talks like this. It immediately jerks me out of even thinking that these could be real people.
I've always been told that the goal of writing is to make your audience believe that this could be happening. I never felt that.

The one reason I stuck this out was the audio polish James Oliva put into the narration, the reverb, the vocal touches... I mean all the women sound pretty much the same which is unfortunate, but James is at a bit of a disadvantage there. And there's the tiny bit that James is bad at self-harmonizing, but who isn't. Of course I do sort of wish that James had made the spacing between paragraphs or bits of narration a little longer/more pronounced. It made it hard to follow sometimes, but overall, a good performance, and arguably the best part about this audiobook.

Excellently performed tales of a charmed life

What made the experience of listening to Life Without a Net the most enjoyable?

James Oliva's narration was top notch, and made what were somewhat vanilla, very PG stories more enjoyable. The added vocal production effects were a nice touch, not sound effects, but things like reverb when someone's on a microphone, or hearing every voice when multiple people are talking at once. At first, I wasn't sure I liked it, but found it added to the experience. James also did a great job of distinguishing the characters without making any of them sound cartoonish. And he performed the characters with accents very well.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

[SPOILER] I prefer stories in which I'm not certain of the outcome and the protagonist is more flawed. In these, we know that our handsome hero will always win the contest, always do the right thing, and save the day. I'm sure there are other people who prefer the safety of knowing there will be a happy ending. If you're one, this is for you.

Another thing that was only slightly confusing, was that some of the stories are in first person and some are in third person, but they all have the same protagonist. Sticking to one or the other would've served it better, I think. But it was a minor thing, and I adjusted with each new story.

Have you listened to any of James Oliva’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, this is my first time listening to James Oliva. I don't see any other titles on Audible by him, but I would be happy to listen to others if they exist.

Who was the most memorable character of Life Without a Net and why?

The hero, Aaron Pierce, is the lead character and the most memorable because he's the central figure.

Any additional comments?

This is a book where men are referred to as "fellows" and going for a drink means having a soda. It's perfectly fine writing, and it contains some adventure and some criminal goings-on, which keep it moving, as well as and some PG romance. All in all, it's a decent book, just not really my thing, and it's made better by the narration.

Exciting, Delightful, Refresing

Where does Life Without a Net rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

At the Very Top

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Sasha. She was a strong woman with a good sense of right and wrong.

Which scene was your favorite?

This book contains 7 short stories based around various sports. Their suitable for ages high school and above. My favorite story was Sky Dancer, and my favorite scene was toward the end of the Hot Air Balloon race.

If you could rename Life Without a Net, what would you call it?

Life with Compassion and Challenge

Any additional comments?

I like that this book is suitable for the whole family. The stories are all exciting and realistic and provide excellent life lessons.

Great Stories.... Good clean fun!!

What did you love best about Life Without a Net?

I love the seven different stories. All different and all not only exciting but positive as well. This is a book with life lessons that my teenage son can enjoy as well as me and my husband.

What other book might you compare Life Without a Net to and why?

Hunger Games a little. I've honestly not read a book quite like this before. I tried because I liked another by the same author, and am glad I did.

What about James Oliva’s performance did you like?

His ability to give each character a unique voice. He is truly a voice actor.

If you could rename Life Without a Net, what would you call it?

Learning To Dance In The Rain

Any additional comments?

Will try others by this author.