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

Warning!!!!!!! Do not Purchase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I really enjoyed other stories by Joe Nobody. I was eager to listen to this but the audio is TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After 5 minutes of listening I'm ready to return this purchase.

What do you think your next listen will be?

After reading Apocalypse Drift I'd love to listen to more of Joe Nobody's work, but not if they are going to sound like this.

Would you be willing to try another one of D. Allen’s performances?

Only if he upgrades from trying to record with a "Spy Kids" hand held voice tape recorder while in a lightning storm. He also is going to need some lessons, this is the worst audio book I've had in 30 + purchases.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger at wasting a credit until I remembered I can return it.

Any additional comments?

PLEASE RE-DO THIS BOOK!!!!! Many people would like to listen to it.

Worst Audio of any audio book I've ever heard

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Nobody could enjoy this audio, the quality is soo terrible.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I will think hard about another one of these books

What didn’t you like about D. Allen’s performance?

sounded like it was recorded on a tape recorder placed at the other side of the room. His performance was not fluid, not directed, just read in a monotone format without character differentiation. Punctuation and cadence was way off, so hard to listen too.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Story content was decent if you can make it through the audio.

Any additional comments?

This should be pulled from the store and refunds given or newly narrated version given as a replacement asap. The narration was at the level of a 3rd grader, produced on $.99 equipment from 1970, then run over by a truck and set on fire, its honestly that bad.

Terrible - Not worth the credit.

What would have made Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival better?

This book could use help with the story, plot and overall writing of the story. This was obviously was written without the help of a professional publishing company.

What was most disappointing about Joe Nobody’s story?

The story seemed to jump around a lot. Going from present to flash back to akward love making sequence. The story didn't flow well and there appeared to be gaps in the story line.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narration of this bood was a disaster. It sounds like the narrator is using a web cam with a significant amount of background noise. The narrator also sounded very monitone, never changing pitch or speed of his voice. Overall it was very difficult to listen to.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival?

Everything. The writer needs assitance from a professtional writer to correct the many issues with the story.

Any additional comments?

I will be looking to get my money/credit back for this audio book.

Story: Not bad. Narration: Very bad.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I hate to say it but the narration was atrocious. It seemed to have been recorded in a 20x20 room that had not been prepared for doing a recording. It all adds up to a great deal of echo and very loud sibilance that makes it very difficult to continue listening. The narrator must also pre-read the material to figure out how best to deliver. All in all a bad experience.

not the best narration

Any additional comments?

only 10 minutes in and this is not a very good narration. expected better from Audible.

Most realistic post crash survival book to date

What would have made Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival better?

Gotten a professional editor or a far better one

What did you like best about this story?

Very interesting, realistic plot without super human acts or leaps of faiths to keep the story flowing

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

Any 1st grade English teacher from story time would have been better.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival?

The Epilogue

Any additional comments?

Look the narrator and the sound quality for that matter is by far the worst I have ever heard since listening to audio books some 20 years or so. Sounds like old D. Allen was in a basement with his cassette tape recorder purchased from the five and dime. (really bad) However the book itself is a great read. I checked the commits on amazon and it gets really high marks if you read it yourself apparently..

Over all if you liked Patriots by James Wesley Rawles but had issue with its characters being that overwhelming prepared and armed to the teeth then this one is a cool breeze of realism.

The worst audio I have ever heard!

What disappointed you about Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival?

Such an unprofessional reading and audio. I can't believe that Audible accepted this rendition.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival?

The story is good. I enjoyed the plot, and the characters. The most memorable moment was when the main character was shot and his wife had to be very creative to save him.

What didn’t you like about D. Allen’s performance?

No expressions. No difference in the voices of the characters. But most of all, it sounded like a recording that I would make on my own phone. I paid for the book, and I liked the story, so I perservered in the completion of the book, despite the bad audio. I will always listen to a preview of the book before I buy it! I believe that I should be refunded one credit for this book rendition.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I liked the story line.

Any additional comments?

I suggest that Joe Nobody pay a professional to record his book.

Sound

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Sound was poorly done. I was distracted from story line.

Would you ever listen to anything by Joe Nobody again?

I now listen to sample carefully first.

Would you be willing to try another one of D. Allen’s performances?

I would not search for his performance.

What character would you cut from Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival?

I can't remember.

Any additional comments?

I feel I had to finish to get my money's worth. Or I was so needy for something new to listen to.

Could not listen to it....

What would have made Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival better?

What a failure. I hear this book has a great storyline but I can not really tell you my opinion. I tried 3 times to endure the first hour of this book but the quality and performance of the narrator sounds like a 3rd grader recorded it on their Hello Kitty cassette deck. I mean it is really THAT bad. A have a friend that is a striving novelist and he has recorded his own audio narration. He deserves an Oscar if this was the baseline.
After about 40 audiobooks through audible I'm going to have to look into the "return" process on this one. I really want to read the book as I loved Rawles' Patriots and One Second After. I guess I'll have to pick up the print version.

Would you be willing to try another one of D. Allen’s performances?

NO

Don't waste your time

What would have made Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival better?

A better story, to start. Then a better narrator. Some people seem to like this series, clearly. I just can't see why.

What could Joe Nobody have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Write a better story. Not so hokey and clumsy. Then get a decent narrator to read it.

Would you be willing to try another one of D. Allen’s performances?

No

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival?

The incredibly awkward sexual innuendo sprinkled throughout the book. It's ridiculous.

Any additional comments?

For a good survival story, try "One Second After" by William R. Forstchen.