People in Hell Want Ice Water

By: Edan Lepucki

Narrated by: Dan Bittner

Length: 1 hr and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

In "People in Hell Want Ice Water" - an eerie and suspenseful short story about connection, trust, and self-preservation - a random hookup amidst the COVID-19 pandemic brings two lonely people together when they need it most. Colin is an immunocompromised software engineer living alone in Los Angeles when he meets Martha on an early morning walk. She’s irreverent and mysterious, and although Colin knows better than to invite a stranger into his house, it’s been over 40 days since he’s been touched, and he can’t resist the temptation. This decision upends his quiet and regimented life: Martha cooks them elaborate meals and uncorks bottle after bottle of wine until they stumble to bed drunk every night. Within days she’s moved in. As their relationship evolves, doubts creep in. Colin and Martha realize just how little they know about one another, and the secrets they each keep begin to come to light. 

Acclaimed author Edan Lepucki packs all the drama and intrigue of her breakout novels California and Woman No. 17 into this one-sitting listen. 

Please note this Original contains adult content and language. 

©2020 Edan Lepucki (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

I could feel his pain.

I am feeling his pain while listening to this book. Going through Co-vid Shelter in place and live alone. Two years ago; lost my precious Yorkie to something in my backyard. 😢

what happens next?!?

It left me hanging in a good way. I enjoyed that it was short and well done.

Good story but ending left me hanging

This was a decent story and it moved fast. I'm not a fan of the ending as I would have liked to understand what happened to the main character. It kept me thinking about this book as I was trying to figure out the ending in my own mind. I'm guessing that was the author's intent and if so he succeeded.

Quirky

So what do you expect for a story that’s under two hours? I like to take audio books with me out on the hiking trails, and it’s fun to find a book that I can listen to from beginning to end while communing with nature. This book fit the bill. It was odd in places (which I like) and the characters were quirky (which I like) and there were plenty of things that didn’t connect (which I can tolerate). Was it a great book? No. Did I like it? Yes. The ending was rather abrupt, which I think was an attempt at irony (?), but regardless is was fine and held my interest. The narration was excellent.

Where’s the conclusion

The story line is easy to follow. It definitely needs an ending like stops mid sentence

Truthful couldn't pause

This is the new reality we have now. Just a good listen. Nicely filled the silence.

Good book! I could have been Great But...

I enjoyed this book from beginning until the very end. And not because how the story ended but because how the author decided to end. It felt rush. It came all of the sudden, and it left a few things unexplained, living the reader (listener) unexpectedly unsatisfied.

You know how sometimes you go to a movie and you enjoy it and you are happy. And then, the end comes so fast and so unexpectedly that it leaves you sort of shocked and confused, and angry that it ended that way?

Well, that is exactly how this book ends. Again, I have no problem with how the story ended but how the ending was written. It's like the writer had to finish it before the bell rang so, "this would have to do."

I recommend the book but be ready for the story to stop dry in its track in the last minute or so.

A peak into our own craziness

When we find ourselves in an unknown situation, we tend to find ways to make it work. When we feel loneliness, we tend to throw caution out the window and dove head first.
Collin finds himself in a situation he’s not sure of, yet he continues with it because in some way, it benefits him. The things we’ll put up with when faced with being alone, versus what we end up finding when we’re on our own.

what the... ???

if the Author had a purpose for this audiobook. i dont know what it is..This ended sp abruptly that I fhought I accidentally hit the stop button on my phone. Therei s no ending ..so weird

Main character was deeply annoying

It’s very difficult to like a book when the main character is so deeply annoying — needy and pathetic. I kept trying to give him grace as a cancer survivor, but as he did one pathetic thing after another and then stopped taking care of his faithful companion, I hated him even more. Thankfully, the story was short, the narrator was great, the writing/word choice was good, and despite a few gross things already identified by others (which made me cringe a little but didn’t otherwise bother me), I thought this was a really good effort. The ending was fine for me. This wasn’t a story about him getting sick or not getting sick. It was a story about loneliness and desperation. It ended when that theme had been dealt with.