Cling

A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller

De: Jeff Menapace, Kim Bravo

Narrado por: Gary Tiedemann

The only thing deadlier than the air are the people breathing it.

Sadie can perceive what others cannot. A rare and hazardous gift, it is one she would rather not possess, as its price is great suffering. There is a word used to describe her kind: Martyr.

Wandering the wastelands of a ruined Earth plagued by gangs and Cling - an affliction which shortens the human lifespan to a mere few decades - Sadie's hope to find a slice of utopia fades.

When an act of desperation in a reckless moment sets her on the run from a vicious warlord, her flight leads to a mysterious boy who seems to hold the answers to Sadie's salvation. If she will use her gift to help his community, he vows to share the location of a tunnel deep beneath the ground - a tunnel revealed to Sadie in a fever dream as the key to defeating her pursuers.

But when Sadie enters the tunnel, what she discovers plunges the boy's community into unimaginable peril. Fortunately, Sadie has a few tricks up her sleeve - and an old acquaintance with a notorious set of skills who just may agree to join the fray.

©2016 Jeff Menapace (P)2017 Jeff Menapace

saloons, underground people and the apocalypse

I really enjoyed this listen. I was sucked in right from the first scene and hooked all the way through. The atmosphere and world that is created by the author is really enticing. Everything seems to be inter related throughout this story but you don't notice it until late in the book. Our characters are all pretty bad ass but Tier, who I share a certain trait with just grows on you and you can't help but like him but feel a little bad for him at times too. One thing I particularily liked is how the author makes mention that some children were born after the event and are now learning about the former world as history lessons. I loved the premise of clear, being a Martyr and having different abilities. Some of the nicknames were also cool and made me laugh. I also liked the resourcefulness of the characters and the imagination of the author, even with regards to food items. If I could change something about the story... well I would have to say that things wrap up quickly and a little too neatly for my liking. I would have liked to see more struggle and chaos. The author does mention some storylines and characters but does not go into detail with them, could there be some spin off stories or perhaps another story set in this amazing universe? Let's hope so. The narration was done really, really well. His voice is almost so creepy and has that cadence to it that it really adds something to the universe. The tone and emotion he brings scene to scene is really noticeable. You can really tell the difference from male to female characters as well because of the voices he gives to each character. Definitely give this one a try it is worth it. **I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher, author or narrator in exchange for an honest review via Audiobook Blast. This is no way affected my opinion of this production**

Held my breath until the very end

Any additional comments?

This book is incredible! It had it all. A very compelling story. Hero's and anti-heros. Power and pathos. I loved it!!

You pretty much have me at "post apocalyptic" but when you merge the genre, with a really good story and great narration, well, then we're talking next level.

The world was multi-dimensional and rich and surreal. The narrator brought the characters to life and this story, this world, swallowed me whole.

Excellent dystopian

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! Unique and well written story and intriguing characters.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters, they are all complex and interesting.

Which character – as performed by Gary Tiedemann – was your favorite?

Theo

Any additional comments?

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

A pleasant surprise, and something unique.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I got it because I like the narrator, Gary Teidemann, having enjoyed his work in some of Michael McBride's books. These authors were new to me. However, soon after getting this Audible started recommending a bunch of seriously hard core horror to me, based, apparently, on the fact that I now had a book in my library by Jeff Menapace. Maybe he tends to write a different kind of book? Since I am a fan of horror but not the gruesome, truly horrifying type, I worried a bit. But I needn't have.

This book was basically PG-13 as far as the disturb factor goes. Don't let that put you off though--it isn't a kid's book. It was quite interesting and a good read (listen). It took me until around the 50 minute mark to really get into it, but once that happened, I was there.

There are two main civilizations to speak of in this post-apocalyptic world: those who have continued to live above ground, in a harsh, lawless society in which people spend most of their time shooting each other in saloons (think the Wild West ruled by motorcycle gangs); and a completely different type of people who live below ground in ordered, close knit communities. These two societies exist essentially right next to each other, but have almost no contact. The differences between them are a sharp contrast, and part of what make the book interesting.

The above ground people have basically no education, and most can't even do addition. The average man's main motivation seems to be to steal enough money to get drunk and pay prostitutes until he dies. It's every man for himself. The below ground sort, however, are a disciplined bunch who fill their days with training of one type or another and performing roles in their communities. People become healers, protectors, cooks, leaders, and whatever else is required for their survival and comfort. They are educated, compassionate and civilized. Oh, and they eat bugs. Cooked and often ground into flour, of course!

It is this clear distinction of morals, lifestyle and values that makes for an interesting contrast of mood in this book. It is common for us to be able to experience one or the other, since we can find many post-apocalyptic stories with similar lawless themes, as well as many with ordered communities (which perhaps don't work quite as well). However, this is the first time I have come across one with both. It breaks up the tone of the book in interesting ways, and it allows us to experience, toward the end, what happens when these two worlds are forced to collide.

All in all, this was an interesting experience that I enjoyed.

Oh, and about the narrator? He nailed it. The lawless vagabonds and civilized mole people were both perfectly believable. Particularly impressive was his treatment of the mole people, who spoke in the sort of highly refined, though *minisculely* accented English of an Hispanic English professor. (I've known a few of these guys, and seriously, that's hard to do.) Even the female voices were seamless.

I was provided this audiobook for free at my request from the author, publisher, or narrator in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected the opinions I have expressed in this review. Really. It was a good book!

Never look at cricket the same...

This is my first time experiencing one of Jeff Menapace works, it appears he is better known for his horror genre books, so “Cling”, a part of the Cling Series, is a bit of a departure being a post-apocalyptic thriller. The book is co-authored by Kim Bravo and the Audible narration is done superbly by Gary Tiedemann. If you are a fan of Mr. Menapace horror books, you may find this one not as much to your liking as there were little horror elements. Although the book can be dark at times, is more focused a telling the story and backstory of the main characters developing the first in a series. It should be noted that the book does not contain any zombies (yet) as many assume them to be a part of a post-apocalyptic world. I have to give thanks to the authors for not including them. Imagine a blending of Mad Max, Waterworld (the good parts), and Defiance and you get just a glimmer of what you will experience in Cling. If you are looking for a well told story with characters you grow to know and enjoy, I think Cling may be a book you will want to pick up. Note this book is part of a series and the book ends rather open ended with a few plot lines left hanging. If this does not bother you, go and listen to Cling

The story opens in a way that immediately draws you in and keeps you engaged until the end. I do not mean to say that it is all action with no substance, not at all. The book has a good balance of character and world development along with some points of intense action. The characters themselves had a good amount of interaction, humor, and banter between one another making them more life-like. I would assume growing up in such a world would make someone more like that. I have to give the author and co-author credit for going outside their comfort zone to write a book that might not appeal to their current readers, but it brings in a whole new type of reader to discover their works. I felt they did an exceptional job being this is their entry in to writing a post-apocalyptic thriller.

With that said, I will add that there are many of the standard tropes one would expect in this genre of book, but the authors also included some more unique concepts that helped me to enjoy the book and keep it interesting even more than I initially expected. I felt the world created was believable, however I would have like to have had more sections devoted to learning the backstory of how, when, why, and where the characters were in this environment. I think this would have helped me to better relate to them and their situations. I hope this will be a bigger portion of future books in the series. Even though I would have like to have had more backstory, the authors did a good job of describing the scenes along with any action so I could imagine them in my head while listening. The dependency upon cricket for much of one’s protein was something I cringed every time I heard it, but it made me think more than once of the abundance of food and tastes we often take for granted in our daily lives. I found the reliance upon the relationships they created and built along with the unique special powers some of the characters possessed made the book all that more interesting.

For the parent or younger reader, be aware this book is more intended for older readers; in my opinion. There are places where vulgar words are sprinkled here and there. Not heavily used, but be aware you will come across them. There is also some crude adult humor and references or discussions around alcohol, drugs, and sex. These appear to mostly be used to describe the bleak and grim world the characters are a part of. Most if not all of these references could have been removed without impacting the book’s plots. Again, the above is not used as much as others book in the genre have done. If you are easily offended by any of the above, you may want to look elsewhere.

Let me say that I felt that Gary Tiedemann did an excellent job narrating this book. It comes as no surprise as he is a veteran narrator with over one-hundred book to his name; at the time of this review. His voice was rich and had a slight dark tone making the book all that more immersive. There were no issues with the audio and no noticeable artifacts such as swallowing, edits, or volume issues. Simply a clean and professionally produced work. This is my first time listening to this narrator and I would have to listen to more to give you a good idea of his overall work. I will say that after listening to this book, I will be looking at some of his others.

In summary, if you are one who likes well-crafted post-apocalyptic thrillers I recommend you pick up Cling. If you are a person who does not like having to wait for the next book in a series to be released or book that have opened-ended plot lines, I suggest you wait until at least one more in the series is available. I also felt the ending was a bit rushed compared to the time spent leading up to the climax, but this may be more because of how the second book in the series picks up. I overall enjoyed the book, and I think you will also.

Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

Blown away!

The post-apocalyptic book I have ever read. The characters are relatable and the landscape they live in is realistic. Superb writing again, Jeff Menapace’s books continue to blow me away by how well they are written and how creative his mind works!

An excellent thriller making you want more.

I was freely given this audio book for an unbiased review by the author. This was an excellent listen. The narrator did a good job defining the characters. I do not give away spoilers but I will say the author produced a fun and entertaining story with just enough to make you want more.

Good ride

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend this book to a few friends who like post-apocalyptic stories, specially because this one doesn't have any zombies in it and the world is somewhat believable; other than the mind-reading thing. I like it when sci-fi stories are close to reality and still different.

What other book might you compare Cling to and why?

I was thinking of Mad Max during the book. There are some similarities between Mad Max' world and this one.

Any additional comments?

I voluntarily received a free copy of this book from the author / narrator / publisher and I'm leaving an unbiased review.

The Cling and Clear aren't explained the book at all; which feels like the author didn't know how exactly to write them. I would've liked to know the backstory of those and how those actually do what they do. Other than this one shortcoming, the rest of the book was amazing. The story keeps moving at set pace and never gets boring. I enjoyed it throughout.

A good book, but unexplained apocalypse

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

So, I love post-apocalyptic fiction. I kind of expected zombies or SOMETHING that destroyed life as we know it... Except for a few quick references to "Cling" or "Clear" I was left trying to figure out how the heck the world got to this state. I mean, come on, Cling is in the title... At least with zombies, you know how the world fell apart... I also really didn't understand how these people with "gifts" got them or why it makes them sick. That part wasn't explained at all and I felt that was a major oversight by the author.

That being said, the characters were interesting, the story line (minus the previously mentioned issues) was well written and had excellent pacing. The narrator was really good and I did enjoy the experience.

Good book, but left quite a few holes

I really enjoyed this book for the most part. It was refreshing to read of a post-apocalyptic world where zombies aren't rampant. It actually sounds like a scenario I could believe. Different people making different choices to ensure their survival. Some above ground, some below ground, some nomads, some bounty hunters, gangs led by the strongest and fiercest men, hard to find supplies and terrible booze.

This particular book follows a few different folks who come together in the end for a brutal battle where the stakes were high for everyone. I enjoyed the process of getting there and understanding why each party had their own interests which allowed them to team up against a common enemy.

There's a little science-fiction/fantasy here with the addition of Martyrs. These are people who have special powers that allows them to read minds and they can work essentially as a detector to find things of importance when required. However, this "gift" leaves them sick, drained and sometimes dead because of the strain it puts on their bodies. This bit was a little far-fetched for my taste, but it worked well within the book. I really enjoyed the lack of religion espoused in this book. It was rather refreshing.

I suppose one of my main complaints is that there was only the briefest mention of what actually happened to cause the disaster and there were many references to "cling" and "clear" of which I was only able to glean that "cling" is bad, "clear" is good, and "clear" is also hard to find (without the help of a Martyr). I really would've enjoyed hearing more about the circumstances surrounding the end of the world, and how these two things (cling and clear) interact with the survivors. There were times when I thought the author was finally getting to those issues only to have the characters skirt it or pass it by altogether.

The narration was great. The voices were all distinct and discernible, the pace was just right and I really felt as though I were listening to the characters converse. Some of the intense moments felt a little too emphatic, but overall he did a very good job.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.