Ren: The Monster Inside the Monster

By: Sarah Noffke

Narrated by: Tim Campbell

Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Ren Lewis, who has faced every danger known to man, is about to meet a challenge he's convinced has the power to undo him. When he discovers that his daughter, Adelaide, has been hiding a pregnancy he goes into hiding himself. Having a daughter was one catastrophe he struggled with. But now, being expected to welcome her baby into his home is not something Ren knows how to assimilate into his life. With a new ferocity he throws himself into his work in order to avoid family responsibility.

And there's enough work to keep him occupied with Vivian Bishop trying to infiltrate American homes, intent on controlling and manipulating their residents. Ren soon realizes that Vivian is his perfect enemy. She's strategic, brilliant, and stunningly beautiful.

In this third and final installment, the monster in Ren will have to do the unspeakable. He will have to evolve. Nothing in his life can be approached employing any of the strategies he's used before. The evolution of Ren might be his undoing, but it might also be the one thing that brings him real happiness.

©2016 Sarah Noffke (P)2016 Sarah Noffke

I'm sad to see Ren's story conclude

Wow… Sarah Noffke really tested my love for Mr. Ren Lewis in this series, but bottom line – he is exactly who he claims to be. Nothing more, nothing less, and I love the hell out of this character for that. In “Monster Inside…” we pick up right where book 2 leaves off – with Ren basically scrambling to save his sanity. He’s dealing with the pregnancy of his newly discovered daughter as well as with trying to devise the perfect strategy to put an end to Vivian’s evil plans. The way Ren deals with these situations crosses into a weird grey area that had me shocked, confused, saddened, and eventually led to understanding and acceptance. Ren wouldn’t have gotten what he needed out of life had he not stayed true to himself, despite the fact that his actions are what most people would deem questionable or all out inappropriate. In the end, I’m sad to see Ren’s story conclude. I’m hoping that maybe we’ll see him again in some of Ms. Noffke’s future works.

Wisdom comes from the oddest places.

Where does Ren: The Monster Inside the Monster rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

At the top.

What did you like best about this story?

So many things. One of the funniest was when Adi told Ren she had put Lucian in the closet with toys while she finished dressing.

What about Tim Campbell’s performance did you like?

Everything. I just couldn't imagine anyone else being the voice of Ren.Mr.Campbell is perfect.He has great timing with the comic relief, He doesn't need to the annoying music or sound effects. His voice and range is all that is needed to make the story come alive.

Any additional comments?

Ren Hates Change, yet his world is changing right before his eyes.

Ren Lewis finds out that Adelaide his newly found daughter is 3 to4 months pregnant and was trying to hide it. Ren is angry that he hadn’t put two and two together. Had he known, he would not have made Time traveling part of her training.Time travel can be dangerous for both mother and child, it could kill either or both. He sends a healer to Adelaide, her name is May. She is old and frail but the best at her job. Ren has known and trust her for a very long time, well as much as Ren can.

Ren’s therapist and friend Dr.David Raydon has decided he was going to change his vocation. He was going to start a Circus where he could use his skills as a therapist to help people

Ren is trying to find out who the Mole is in the Lucidite Institute. Someone is feeding Vivian Desmond “Vicky” info on Ren and events about the institute. Ren is the Head Strategist at the institute, he give each of his agents 5 residents of the Lucidite community. While Ren takes 50 to investigate himself. He enjoys calling Raven Ottomon one of his agents by any bird name but Raven. It is comical.

Vicky has a diabolical plan to get into every home in America. Where her voice, therefore her power of persuasion, will be relayed through the Smart pods. Vicky claims it is for the greater good, that if there is an abusive father in a home with a smart pod she can stop the abuse. If there is a sloth of a mother in a home she can make her become a productive member of society. If there is a rebellious teen in a home, she can give a voice command to make them compliant ect.

Ren knows Vivian is a ruthless killer and she is obsessed with Ren. Yet he never knew just how much. Ren went to the smart pod office and met his personal he had never conversed with before. Yet this perky chatterbox kept oozing how pleased she is to finally meet him in person. He sees the walls are lined with pictures of him & Vicky in various locations and being very chummy. None are real. They were masterfully photoshopped he had to admit. Ren did something I couldn’t believe.

Adelaide went into labor 6 weeks early, she had her child and was convinced the infant hated her, she drank to escape and was happy to let the nanny deal with her sons Lucian’s needs. Ren was tied up with the case trying to find the mole in the institute and trying to deal with Vivian and Dahlia was on tour away from home. Things happen and the Nanny quite and left the child without adequate care because Lucian’s mother Adelaide wasn’t going to step up to the plate so Ren called in May.

By the end of the book Ren called his father and asked that he move in with them. Ren felt Reynard Lewis, “Pop’s”, was better suited and softer around the edges to help Adelaide with whatever she was going through and to finish her training and pick up where Ren left off.Adelaide adored Reynard.

There is so much more to this book than what I have shared here. It is a thought-provoking series when you are not laughing at Ren’s crassness. He is such a loveable brilliant curmudgeon. He is in a class all his own.

Honestly, I don’t know how Sarah Noffke does it. One masterpiece after another. Each of her series tie into the Dream Traveler’s World and all stem from the Ren series. They are all crafted so very well. Please check out Sarah's books.

Awesome

Any additional comments?

I have really enjoyed the Ren series.The story evolves and enlarges the readers understanding of what makes Ren tick.His suffering and happiness combine into a hellava book.This is the darkest of Sarah Nofkes books,yet it is my favorite.It reveals the dual natures of humans and the struggles we all face to some degree in our lives.I am going to really miss the snarky Brit.Yet I have hope that we might see a series based on Adelaide or Lucian's lives.The narrator has a pleasant voice and does an amazing job portraying the story.I received an audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Gone and done it again

Of course Sarah Noffke and Tim Campbell did it again and brought good ole Ren Lewis to life. This poor guy you'd think that he had had enough in the last book, but guess what nope. Life slaps him with another twist. This book was awesome I loved watching Ren actually come to terms with a few things in his life. And watching him deal with the craziness that was handed to him, he went and handed craziness right back to it.

This was a bittersweet ending

This was the final installment in Sarah Noffke's Ren series about my favorite sarcastic and obstinate British anti-hero. There will be spoilers if you have not yet read, or listened to, books 1 or 2, The Man behind the Monster and God's Little Monster, which I would highly recommend as this trilogy is brilliant entertainment (and there is a boxed set now, so all three together for one Audible credit!).

This one starts off right after God's Little Monster and is full to the brim with emotions as Ren struggles to come to term with the fact that not only is he a father but he is about to become a grandfather. His daughter, Adelaide, is so much like Ren it would be scary if it wasn't so hilariously funny, and then there is the monster inside the monster, a screaming baby boy, who is causing havoc with Adelaide's emotions and is bringing out the most altruistic version of Ren we have ever seen.  On the work front, Ren makes some rather unconventional decisions in order to defeat Vivian and save humanity. How his girlfriend Dahlia puts up with him I really don't know, the woman must be a saint.

This was a bittersweet ending as it was the last part of Ren's story and I have completely fallen in love with these characters, above all Ren. I hope there will be more of him and his family in the future. I always tell myself I am going to savor these slowly, but then I end up listening to the entire story in one go. Every time.

The narration by Tim Campbell was faultless in my opinion. Tim is Ren. He perfectly embodies Ren's persona and lends him just the right mocking and tenacious voice to bring Ren truly to life. There were no issues with the production.

Overall, a fantastic mix of humor, action, emotions, and intrigue within a paranormal fantasy setting.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

[If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]

I don't want the story to end!

What did you love best about Ren: The Monster Inside the Monster?

I loved getting to know Ren more fully, each book adds more to his character but never seems contrived.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ren really is my favorite character although I really like Daliah's perspective that she gives Ren whether he wants it or not. Ren is raw, real and honest. Adelaide is also complex and special. Hearing her emotional turmoil was real and well written.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the scene when he had to tell Daliah to move. It was just what I pictured it would be. She is such a classy lady to put up with his shite!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It would have been great to have the time to listen to it all at once but it was also a book that I looked forward to getting back to each time.

Any additional comments?

I am so glad there is Ren 3.5 but I would love to see this series go beyond that and I am hoping the children/grandchildren of Ren will keep it going.

A brilliant end to the series

This last audiobook in the REN series does not disappoint, the evolution of the characters, the humour, heartbreak, intrigue and suspense will not let you put this captivating audiobook down. Not only does Ren have to navigates the turbulent waters of becoming both a father and a grandfather, but he must also discover the mole within the Lucidite Institute and defeat the brilliant Vivian before her plans, for both him and the middlings, come to fruition. The excellent narrator breaths life into these amazing characters and he hits the accents, nuances and emotions just right. This is a heart wrenching, hair pulling, breath taking, beautiful end to the series. The twists and turns in the the plot, the growth and change in the characters, and the roller coaster of emotions the author and narrator takes us on is simply amazing. From Ren himself, to Adelaide, Dalia and even Vivian, the maturation and depth of character shown is excellent and yet the author and narrator still managed to keep their individual quirks and personalities intact throughout the evolution. I loved how characters from her other books were interweaved in the story, not only enhancing the story but also adding depth to the Dream Traveller world as a whole and helping the reader form a cohesive timeline between the various books. I am sad that this is the final REN book, as I have truly enjoyed this amazing character. His caustic wit, arrogance, dry sarcastic comments, brilliant mind and flawed personality has kept us laughing, made us want to strangle him, but has also caused our hearts to bleed. Tim Campbell did an amazing job with Ren's accent and portrayal of his abrasive, yet appealing personality. The amount of emotion that this character has been able to elicit from readers is a testament to how well written these books are and how fully developed this character is. We will mourn that we will no longer hear that snarky British accent as we get to listen to Sarah's words. This audiobook was provided to me at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

brilliantly flawed characters

Any additional comments?

I've been dreading writing this review, so it is long overdue.

I loved the banter between Ren and Adelaide in book 2. They were basically not talking throughout this installment though, so it lacked a bit of the lightheartedness that I had grown to love and took a more serious tone. Overall, it felt less polished than the previous book.

Further, although I really ought not to let my personal beliefs shade my rating of a book, I had a particularly hard time with the way pregnancy/childbirth/newborn care was handled.. it felt more like an exaggerated t.v. drama and didn't jive with the "genius" characters and the powers of the dream-travelers. Similarly, I found the treatment of the "mole" entirely inconsistent with the treatment of Joseph in the Lucidites series. Items like these left me frustrated.

I still enjoyed the book... Vivian was a fun villain... I just know it could have been better. Usually the final installment of a Noffke trilogy blows me away or leaves me in tears... but this one just sorta fell flat. I suspect if I were to reread this I would be less critical of the author's plot choices and more enamored with the beautiful prose.

I received this audiobook from the author free for review.

Fantastic ending!

Ren's new found daughter Adelaide is with child, HOLY COW! Still working on how his daughter will fit into his life, Ren is blindly slapped with the news that his accident is having an accident. Good Lord help us all!

Ren and Dahlia had just gotten back together when Adelaide showed up to throw a monkey in the mix. Having a mini me wasn't working for Ren at all, but she grew on him, like an unwanted goiter. Just as the happy father/daughter duo started relaxing into their new relationship, Ren finds out from Trent that she is pregnant. All the while, Ren is still hunting down the notorious Vivian, this weeks villain. I have to say, just when I thought Ren was beat, by both his daughter and Vivian, he goes and has hindsight! The plot twist was brilliant, and I loved every minute of it! The drama Adelaide served with her newborn was very intense, and unpredictable. I really appreciated how the story stayed true to the real world in regards to Adelaide's postpartum depression. Adelaide felt abandoned by Ren and her mother, so it is natural that she not have any maternal instincts for her own child, or even know how to raise him on her own. The entire family dynamic is really screwed up, but their hearts for one another are there, just buried under a lot of negative memories.

In the end, I was brought to tears, whether sad or happy I will not say. You will have to find out how their story ends for yourself. I highly recommend the Ren series because it has been the most insightful and real book to date...for a fictional story that is, and he says a lot of bad words, right up my alley!

Narrator Review

Tim Campbell returns to narrate for Sarah Noffke, yay! We almost lost him back on book 2 production, but with the help of her fans and friends, we were able to beat Tim into submission. Tim performs on a 5 star quality level with every performance! His hard edged brilliant tone for Ren is spot on, and he is just such a great story teller. I love Tim's British accent, (I have no idea if he's British) and I could listen to him all day! Great job Tim!

**Audiobook provided by the author for an honest review**

just Perfect

If you could sum up Ren: The Monster Inside the Monster in three words, what would they be?

Just Plain Awesome

What other book might you compare Ren: The Monster Inside the Monster to and why?

nothing can be compared to Ren he is a work of art

What about Tim Campbell’s performance did you like?

he brings Ren to life and embodies him to perfection

Any additional comments?

Thank You Sarah for allowing me to listen to your work. Someday i hope it will be on the big screen, and creating a book series we all love and Ren who we love to hate and hate to love is just the perfect character to read. this book will blow your mind and make you question everything you ever known about Ren.