Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival

By: Joe Nobody

Narrated by: D. Allen

Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

This first book of the Holding Their Own series, A Story of Survival, is set in the year 2015, when the world is burdened by the second Great Depression. The United States, already weakened by internal strife, becomes the target of an international terror plot. A series of attacks results in thousands of casualties and disables the country's core infrastructure. The combination of economic hardship and the staggering blow of the terror attacks results in a collapse of the government.

This is a realistic story of how an average, middle class couple survives the cascading events brought on by international politics, high tech military actions and the eventual downfall of society. All of their survival skills are tested during the action packed expedition in a world that resembles the American West of 200 years past.

©2011-2012 Kemah Bay Marketing LLC (P)2012-2013 Kemah Bay Marketing LLC

Like a train wreck, I had to look...

Where does Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would say in the mid 70% area. I had read the warning signs, avoided the hype and negative reviews of the narrator yet I ventured into the series. Like a train wreck I was held to the story line as Mr. Allen droned on. I think the part that made the experience the worse was the teletype and that dang music (music? no the dreadful sounds) between chapters. I now am suffering from PTSD as that chime rings off in my head.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I am diggin Pete

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I am going to rate the series to date, not just Mr. Allen. I learned to deal with this and it kinda grew on me. I will say that Mr. Allen beats the hell out the narrator that decided he had to scream.

Any additional comments?

If you are tolerant and can stand the change in the narrators, this series is great.

Just as everyone had said, narrator is terrible

Where does Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The story is good, I cant wait to get book 2, which Got better reviews so I assume they got a better narrator. The narrator Is really Bad for this story. almost comical. He would be fine for another story geared for younger listeners. It just doesnt work here....

What did you like best about this story?

the premise

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of D. Allen?

Duke Fontaine.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no. but its good.

Any additional comments?

cant wait for 299 days! hope the narrator is good.we'll see with book 2 in this series if things shape up.

What a trip.

Great story, narrator did decent character voice changes. Pretty accurate depiction of a husband and wife, fighting their way to their bug out location in Texas.

Ok

It’s a decent story, but the dialogue is horrible made even worse by the narration

DO NOT give credence to the beating of the narrator.

The narration was not nearly as bad as reviewed by others , while not exemplary , I’ve listened o much worse.
The story is one of the better in this genre. I read the book years ago and wanted to revisit Bishop and Terry whist working in the garage under Covid-19. For that it was PERFECT.

bad sound effects in narrator tried too hard

overall the story wasn't too bad but the narrator put way too much inflection and the sound effects of the Chimes and the morse code beeping or really annoying

Story Exceptional, Narrator, Not So Much

The story was soooo good that I kept listening in spite of the narrator. Frankly, listening to him was like watching paint dry, necessary but boring!! The details, the action sequences, the morality of the primary character along with his smart mouth...all that I could easily get behind. 😃His wife, was a bit air-headed for my taste🙄 but at least when it's time to shoot, she does it without too much whining! I already got the next one so I'll start that one soon.

Not as bad as I thought it would be

After reading so many other reviews I decided to take a chance and listen anyway. Bad part? The narration is pretty bad, but not as bad as I thought it would be. Good part? The story is pretty good and interesting enough to keep me listening.
Here's the issues I had:
1. The sound effects and oddly placed music was just silly. I honestly couldn't tell if they were trying to divide chapters or locations (there's a bit of back and forth with different people in different locations). It didn't make sense and became annoying very quickly. Ithe music was a cross between a breaking news intro and a soap opera.
2. He changed the character's voices and delivery style throughout the book. One character sounded like a tough Texas military man in the beginning of the conversation and ended sounding exactly like the guy he was talking to.
3. At one point I think I could have closed my eyes and pictured an episode of Sesame Street due to the sing song voices he was using for the two main characters during a conversation and the conversation didn't warrant the voice.
4. The female character annoyed me to no end. However, if the narrator had read her the way I think the author intended her to come across she would have been way more likable. Instead, he made her sound like a whimpering little girl rather than the tough, smart, sarcastic woman she would have been had her 'lines' been delivered differently. I have little tolerance for whiny women so she became irritating to me within an hour of listening.
5. He changed the male character repeatedly. One minute the character was confident in what he is saying and doing and the next he sounds like a quivering coward. Again, if read consistently, it would have made the book more enjoyable. I get that people have moments of fear and your voice will quaver, but seriously, it was like the main character had multiple personality disorder.

The narrator had a lot of good story to work with though! My only gripe about the content of the book itself would be the lack of character background. I like character development, especially if it is a book series.

Bottom line? The book is tough to listen to because of the poor narration (except portions where nobody is speaking. Then the narrator is excellent), but the story is worth it and I am looking forward to listening to the next in the series. Mainly because it's a different narrator. Lol

Another great book from Joe Nobody

This is the only audible book by Joe Nobody so you'll have to get his paperbacks for the other 2.
These are really good books, exciting, well written and the story is not only plausible but I figure it'll happen one day.
The narrator does an excellent job and hope to see all the rest from this author very soon here in audible.
HIGHLY recommend this book and author.

Disappointed with narrator

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I don't think I would...the narrator added some very annoying "tones" every few minutes that were overly loud and obnoxious. His attempts at different voices drove me nuts. The authors stupid, sophomoric, attempts at humor made me cringe he whole way through. Constant swearing and sexual innuendo were all through the book and really took away from the story. The story was ok but all these things made me happy when the end came.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of D. Allen?

Anyone but this joker

Could you see Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes