Offense

De: Anna O'Donoghue

Narrado por: Emma Galvin, Olli Haaskivi

After a soul-crushing Tinder date, a woman returns to her apartment to cook some squid and seethe. Her eye starts to itch; her memory starts to skip, and she starts to spiral. Offense is an auditory explosion and an exploration of the rash of loneliness...and what happens when the voices inside our heads start to warp.

©2022 Anna O'Donoghue (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC.

1st short story on audible

I really don't have any comparison, however, it kept me engaged & the subject matter was interesting.

Whoa...

Not at all what I was expecting but I truly enjoyed it! Definitely a weird one though!

Odd and disturbing

I don’t see the beauty in this people claim to see although I did find it interesting. But I think on the whole I’d rather get my mental health insights from a text book.

Great Dialogue/innovative Use of Medium

Beautifully written and performed. An innovative radio playlet where no blind date has gone before.

weird.

Apparently I missed the point of this. Honestly without the little title synopsis I wouldn't have had any idea what the point of this story was.
The performance and other sounds/music was great which is why I gave it the stars I did.
But really not so great to waste a half hour I could have been listening to something better.

fantastic

What a fun ride. Loved her inner dialogueI. I felt she was enjoying the ride too. If you’re not laughing you’re crying.

Deep & Insightful

By far my favorite audible novella. It’s a very different writing style. It’s dark, deep and insightful. The great narration keeps you in and wanting more. You’re in the mind of the main character. You hear all of her thoughts as they come to her. It seems like rambles but it’s much deeper and real. The author definitely wants you to understand or be empathetic of those with mental health struggles.

Scintillating and flawlessly executed

The genre of body horror (which I’ve only just recently discovered) may perhaps not be everyone’s cup of tea, BUT it may also be exactly what you’re looking for in a vast sea of, perhaps, tame and redundant fiction— and this piece is a stunning introduction to the form. The writing is immediate and incisive (and grotesque in the best way), and Emma Galvin’s performance deserves high praise for its specificity, intelligence and brilliant comedic timing. The sound design is also of the highest caliber (No surprise from the masterful and prolific Daniel Kluger). I was really, really into it, for its tone, its dreamlike pace, and its transporting view into the protagonist’s charming, twisted mind. Five stars.

A Portrayal of Mental Health Struggles

The way the story is written and performed, you really get into the head of someone who struggles with anxiety, depression and schizophrenia (or maybe schizoaffective disorder, I'm not sure). People really experience life like this... I think the message of it is that we should be grateful if we have our mental health in-check and have empathy for those who are struggling. Very well done, thoroughly disconcerting.

Excellently crafted

This piece is delicious. The writing is dark, brisk, and bizarre in the best ways. The performances are grounded yet dynamic and compelling. And the soundscape is flawlessly crafted. It’s a fully formed audio experience that pushes boundaries and expands the conventions of storytelling.