14

By: Peter Clines

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Science Fiction, 2013

Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s. Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends. Or the end of everything....

©2012 Peter Clines and Permuted Press (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A riveting apocalyptic mystery in the style of LOST." (Craig DiLouie, author of The Infection and The Killing Floor)

"A wholly original story that weaves together mystery and the apocalypse like a finely tuned band." (Evan Roy, Bricks of the Dead)

A great idea that takes far too long to get going

Let me start with: I'm not a mystery buff, I don't go searching for them. That being said, I do enjoy being left in suspense to try and figure bits of the story out myself. This book fits that description. It touches on names and characters from other cherished stories (no spoilers). The problem as I see it though is that this book takes far too long to get going. It's 8 hours of character and plot development in uninteresting surroundings, maybe 2 hours of genuinely interesting mystery (what is this, why is it this way, who made it) and 2 hours of fairly interesting action at the very end. The narration was fantastic compared to some, with a variety of voices for the various characters. This book touches on science and the occult for it's scifi elements. I would recommend this book to those interested in a way to pass the time between truly engaging titles. The idea for the story is fantastic, as well as all the nods to other authors and persons from the past, but the author just took too long getting there.

Grabbed me!

Would you consider the audio edition of 14 to be better than the print version?

NA

What did you like best about this story?

fast paced; kept me guessing. Interesting characters.

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

too long for one sitting but I was glued to it for 3 days.

Any additional comments?

I've been stuck for months on a couple of very literary novels that were intellectually stimulating but put me to sleep. 14 was such a relief. It grabbed my attention and didn't let me go. The references to H.P. Lovecraft and others associated with early scifi/horror made me chuckle and relate at an entirely different level. Very suspenseful. I'm looking forward to more from this author and narrater.

A mix of King & Lovecraft

Where does 14 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book ranks up there in the top 2 or 3 books I've listened to on Audible.

What did you like best about this story?

I love the twists and turns and the fact that just when you think you know what's going on...you don't. It's such a superb blend of mystery, sci-fi and humor that it was hard to stop listening even when I really needed to do so.

What about Ray Porter’s performance did you like?

I enjoyed his portayal of all of the characters. Each character had their own style, their own personality.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

If I were to talk about the part of the book that most moved me, I'd give away too much. I reached a point in the book where I had this lightbulb go off in my head and realized why some it seemed somewhat familiar and I had to applaud the author. Then, later in the book, he rewarded me by telling me that I was right. I loved it!

Any additional comments?

Just give this book a listen...especially if you're a fan of horror and sci-fi writers of the past. You'll be glad you did.

What a fun ride!

Would you listen to 14 again? Why?

I had a big grin of satisfaction when I finished listening. Likable characters, good story, well read.

Enjoyable Read

I enjoyed this book even though it was different than I expected. I thought the narrator did a great job. I would love to see this made into a movie someday :)

Not what I was expecting!

Great book, wish i could find more like it. This is defiantly a unique story line.

Excellent read

Wasnt sure how I would like this at first but it works really well. This is one of the best books I have 'read' for a while - the story line is creative and its narrated well. It lends itself to a good follow on novel..

Strange mixture of 5-star and 0-star book

This is an almost exact copy of my review of Peter Clines' more recent novel, The Fold, because exactly the same good and bad points apply.

I've given this book a 5-star rating because most of it really deserves it. Until it gets to the bad part it's a really terrific piece of science fiction, among the finest to come out in the last few years. It's very well written, with sparse, punchy prose that brings the story alive. The characters are believable, the story is great and based on some fascinating ideas.

Much of the structure is clearly based on the basic Scooby Doo plot scheme, and this is something that the author constantly has the characters joke about. It can get a little irritating at times but doesn't really detract from the story or the quality of the book.

But then we come to the bad part. To describe it in any way would be a spoiler, but the whole book really collapses towards the end. It's as though the talented, mature writer who produced the first three quarters was suddenly replaced by a 14-year-old in love with tenth-rate Japanese horror movies and auto-genereated Saturday morning cartoons. It's incomprehensible, because the rest of the book is so truly outstanding.

I'd still recommend it, and I don't regret reading it. But man it would be so much better if the same writer who wrote the majority of the book could get the manuscript back and rewrite the ending.

Best narrator ever

Creative story with engaging characters, with fantastically good narrator. It held my attention to the end of the last chapter.

Enjoyable Read

Would you consider the audio edition of 14 to be better than the print version?

I have not read the book so no comparison.

What was one of the most memorable moments of 14?

Opening the door to 14,

Which character – as performed by Ray Porter – was your favorite?

The main character, of course.

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

The first half I wanted to eep listening

Any additional comments?

Narrator is awesome!