Shelter

A Mickey Bolitar Novel (Mickey Bolitar, Book 1)

By: Harlan Coben

Narrated by: Nick Podehl

Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

NOW A PRIME VIDEO SERIES from internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben

Mickey Bolitar's year can't get much worse. After witnessing his father's death and sending his mom to rehab, he's forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools.

A new school comes with new friends and new enemies, and lucky for Mickey, it also comes with a great new girlfriend, Ashley. For a while, it seems like Mickey's train-wreck of a life is finally improving—until Ashley vanishes without a trace. Unwilling to let another person walk out of his life, Mickey follows Ashley's trail into a seedy underworld that reveals that this seemingly sweet, shy girl isn't who she claimed to be. And neither was Mickey's father. Soon, Mickey learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it makes high school drama seem like a luxury—and leaves him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew.

First introduced to readers in Harlan Coben's adult novel, Live Wire, Mickey Bolitar is as quick-witted and clever as his uncle Myron, and eager to go to any length to save the people he cares about. With this series, Coben introduces an entirely new generation of fans to the masterful plotting and wry humor that have made him an award-winning, internationally bestselling, and beloved author.

©2011 Harlan Coben (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Excellent!

This is a Great book! Excited it’s a series. Can’t wait to listen to the next one.

Young Reader

Listened through as Coben is one of my favs and the Myron series seems done.
Seems this is a series for young readers.

Disappointing this time

Would you listen to Shelter again? Why?

No need to--the story wasn't complicated enough to need another round. And the lack of satisfying ending is irritating.

If you’ve listened to books by Harlan Coben before, how does this one compare?

Maybe I'm just more fond of Uncle Myron. I find Mickey to be not quite teenage enough; not quite adult enough.

What does Nick Podehl bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice didn't really convey the youth of Mickey Bolitar, but he does a fine job of differentiating characters by their voices. Maybe I'm just not taking the vocal chords of a 7' youth into account.

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

Nah.

Any additional comments?

The previous Coben books I've enjoyed have at least given an ending. This one just expects/demands that you'll docilely follow along to the next purchase. That should be MY choice, not Coben's.

Requires too much suspension of disbelief

I generally enjoy Harlan Coban novels, but this one was too much for me to really enjoy or continue with the series (and it is a series!). It's too improbable, even for fiction, to believe these 14 year old kids could be in these situations. Much less come out of them and be walking around unsupervised the next day. Not to mention the ages of the Bat Lady and the real villain. Even with the book release date of 2011, this is just too ridiculous and takes away from the overall enjoyment of the story.

What is a 70 year old man doing reading..

a book for young teens? I have 5 grandchildren in the young teen age group; and I suppose I'm in my second childhood. So I listen to the Audible versions while they read the same books. With Shelter Harlan Coben demonstrates his talent for the genre is as great as John Green. The book is excellent! The character development with Mickey, Ema and Spoon is superb. I recommend this book without reservation to all lovers of fiction regardless of age.

"Shelter: A Mickey Bolitar Novel- IS for EVERYONE!

Where does Shelter rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Shelter ranks in the top five among all audiobooks I've listened to so far.

What other book might you compare Shelter to and why?
I would compare Shelter to Variant, and the Maze Runner Series. Both of the above series had primo narration as well, and are seemingly directed towards the teenager. Yet, all were just as exciting and riveting as any "adult' book I've listened to.

Have you listened to any of Nick Podehl’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes. He just has fantastic use of his voice and nails all his characters. I'm never thinking it's him doing several characters. They ALL take on a unique life of their own.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
A thriller based on a boy coming of age, who will go to any length to protect the ones he loves!

Any additional comments?
I compare Nick Podehl to Holter Graham, who happens to be my one of my all time favorite male narrators', and Nick is just as talented and multi-dimensional in his performances.

A good read

Any additional comments?

I agree with other reviewers when they cite this novel as not a typical teenager novel. While the characters are teenagers, you won't get pulled into the normal antics or drama which characterizes the average teenager. The protagonist is wise and mature beyond his years, probably due in large part to his parents previous professions as missionaries.

We follow the protagonist as he navigates a new life without his father, loving his drug addicted mother, avoiding his enduring uncle, developing loyal (yet sarcastic) friends, and all the while following clues to battle the enemy in order to save his love interest.

This book follows in a way, the steps of Dan Brown or other conspiracy theorists.

It was intriguing and thought provoking. I appreciate how Harlen Coben intertwines history and mythology into the book. Mythology and history are found in the secret organization our protagonist thinks are after him. They are, but not for the reason he initially thinks.

Towards the end our protagonist, along with the reader, will find out why this secret organization is interested in his love interest. As well as why the organization is also interested in our hero.

I'd recommend this book.

Fantastic book and Narrator!

Any additional comments?

Fantastic Narrator! Changes tone in voice for each character - makes it easy to distinguish between charaters!

Gripping

This is a story I didn't want to put down. It was well performed, and had lots of twists and turns, plus a couple of jaw-dropping surprising moments.

Surprisingly brilliant!

Now I can't decide to buy a written or audio copy of the next Mickey Bolitar novel. Well audio performed! Thanks!