The Becoming

Anna Strong, Vampire, Book 1

By: Jeanne C. Stein

Narrated by: Dina Pearlman

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Anna Strong is trained for anything - until she's attacked one night, only to awaken in a dark world that exists between the living and the dead. Here, Anna struggles with her love for the two men who inhabit the realms of each: Max, a human DEA agent, and Avery, a Night Watcher who joins Anna in pursuit of the vampire who changed her life. Now, as her two worlds collide, fate plunges Anna into the ultimate battle between good and evil - where survival is not just for the living.

Listen to more of

©2006 Jeanne C. Stein (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Pearlman uses subtly different voices for Avery, Anna, and Anna’s partner, David, whose kidnapping propels Anna into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game. While Anna’s wry humor could be more strongly expressed, Pearlman’s delivery of the book’s suspense keeps listeners engaged. Pearlman’s even handling of dialogue, description, and Anna’s internal musings make for a fast-paced paranormal adventure." (AudioFile)

disapointing

I was very disappointed when listening to this book. I was read to stop listening less than three hrs in. Anna is not very intelligent and seems to trust complete strangers and lie to friends. don't waste your money or credit on this

Hard to listen too

2 hours into the book - I just couldn't get into the plot - it was taking to long for the story to go anywhere

Unimpressed & underwhelmed

This was a waste of time & money. I'd suggest you pass on this. I myself am requesting a refund. Horrid really.

Great narrator, poorly considered story

Was this rape porn, and plot just filler? Or was this a serious attempt by the author to consider real consequences and reactions to the traumatic transformation from human to Vampire?

The protagonist is raped, beaten and nearly killed. And she's struggling to balance her human boyfriend with the new sexy, vampiric doctor who want to mentor her (and bed her). Wait, what? Wouldn't you think she'd hate to be touched, at all, after such a traumatic experience? Apparently, according to Stein, being raped, beaten and nearly killed doesn't create trauma (or at least, not just trauma)-- it creates arousal.

Considering the protagonist's reaction to being brutually transformed into a Vampire, it should be easy to understand why I walk away thinking the story is a rape fetish wet dream. Had the story been authored by a man (and to be honest, I wonder if it was... and the author just used a woman's pen name) the feminists would be up in arms about the author making rape sexy.

The narrator does an excellent job of narrating, has believably different voices for the various characters, and imparts drama to this otherwise flaccid story. Pearlman is definitely on my "would listen to again" list. Stein is not.

Horrible Narrator

You know a narrator could really make or break a book, even if the storyline is fairly good.
Although this story leaves a lot of questions unanswered, the narrator is totally boring and monotoned. I literally fell asleep listening to her dull voice with no animation at all. She is not good at characters either. This was truly a disappointment and yes too G-rated for my taste.

Horrible handeling of rape

My big problem with this book is the handeling of Anna's rape. It is in no way realistic. The author seems to think rape is something her character can just shrug of and forget. And don't even get me started on the part where she writes about the rape as sexually arousing.

I lost trust with this writers ability to create a credible heroine in the first 30 minutes.

flat narration and dumb protagonist.

narrator was flat and her voices did not fit the chaaracters. there was no fear or excitement in her voice where there should have been. the story had wholes in it and i knew the ending from the beginning and the protagonist was painfully oblivious.

What a steaming pile

Horrendous, simply horrendous.

I lost ALL respect for both the MC and the author by chapter 16.

I was lured in by the promise of gritty paranormal bounty hunting...
What I got was Jerry Springer with vampires instead.

The MC gets sexually assaulted, beaten and nearly killed.
Then within 48 is cheating on her long term boyfriend with the skeevy ER Dr who treated her at the hospital.

I will be returning this book for a refund it's that terrible.