Annie

By: John Isaac Jones

Narrated by: Susan Marlowe

Length: 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Cousins Billy and Roy were just two mischievous boys - probably meaner than most - but still just bored, country kids looking for some adventure and excitement. During the nights they spent with their grandmother, their favorite pastime was spying on the tenants of their grandmother's rental houses. Over the years, the two had spied on all of their grandmother's renters at one time or another, but the one who provided the most fun and excitement was a desperate woman named Annie Atkinson.

©2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 John I. Jones (P)2018 John I. Jones

A fun, somewhat creepy, quick listen...

Annie, by John Issac Jones is a short story that revolves around Billy and Roy, two mischievous cousins that lived in the South back in the '50s. There wasn't much to do, so they often spied on the renters of their grandma's rental properties. Annie was their favorite tenant to spy on. You see Annie lives alone, but she's married. When you listen to what transpires, well, lets just say that the boys will never forget Annie. I don't want to say anything else because I don't want to spoil the story, but I did enjoy it. Mr. Jones always has unique twists in his writings and Annie is no exception.

I enjoyed Susan Marlowe's narration. She narrated the story with a hint of a deep southern accent that I thought fit the tale perfectly, though I know from listening to other performances by her, this wasn't her usual accent. She was easy to understand and I would (and have) definitely listen to other stories narrated by her in the future. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.

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Short and twisted

John Isaac Jones is a singularly unique storyteller. Each short story is packed with fascinating characters, rich settings, and singularly unique endings. He uses the omniscient third person point of view to move the perspective from character to character, but Billy, the eleven-year-old, is the ringleader in this show. He may be young, but, as my grandmother used to say, ‘he has the devil in him’. His friend Ray goes along, but he lacks Billy’s cunning, deviousness, and even outright ability to raise holy hell.

His grandmother rents out cabins to make ends meet. There is a house she saves for ‘ne’er-do-wells and Annie Atkinson is the latest tenant. The woman has a colourful past, life dictated by the abject poverty created by the Great Depression. Her husband, who eventually visits, is another interesting character.

As always, I can’t give too much away, but I did love the ending. Always beware of terrible smells and black cats.

Susan Marlowe was the perfect narrator. The lazy drawl works brilliantly and she hits all the right notes for the young boys, Billy’s grandmother, and Annie, who hails from Atlanta.

Another impactful and enjoyable and slightly (or mostly) twisted tale.

Great characters and story in under an hour.

THIS AUTHOR:
This author, John Issac Jones, has consistently churned out short stories that are told in about an hour, but are fleshed out into satisfying stories that leave me feeling entertained, nostalgic, and satisfied. This one, ANNIE, is no different.

THIS STORY:
This is the story of two young country boys and the mischief they find themselves in when boredom hits. It's humorous and a little nerve-wracking at the same time.

THIS NARRATOR:
This narrator did a professional job of telling the story. No distracting technical issues or personal inflections that take away from the immersion I seek in a good story.

I was given this audio-book for free in exchange for my unbiased, honest review.

Great short story

I enjoyed this short story very much and the narrator did a good job also I recommend it to others

wow it was good

okay it was one of the best 55 minutes the book was creepy and good and the story was well written and I loved it but it was creepy never was good you can't say anything else but this
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A Short Drama

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

The interesting story of a strange lady that just appears in a small country setting and inflames the fantasy and curiosity of two adolescent boys, has a very unusual take. I liked how the story developed, but I felt that it could have used a little more built up to its conclusion. It would have made a very interesting full length novel I think, because the characters were interesting and the storyline very well thought.
It is however really well written and the performance pleasant.
A short story for those quick car rides.

Annie Doesn’t Want to be Left Alone ...

Two young boys see things young boys shouldn’t. Shocking and startling, it’s a good, quick listen.
It’s intrigued me enough to check out other books by this author.

Something a little different from the author . . .

I say that because this story seems to stray from what I've come to expect from a John Isaac Jones tale. Although a believable plot, in a familiar setting (Alabama 1950s), the coming of age of youngsters, and dealing with an issue that still plagues society, the story just never grabbed a hold on me. In fact, it just sort of trudged along and seemd to end in a manner that one would completely expect.

I should mention that the story deals with the affect homosexuality has upon individuals, marriages, children, families, and society as a whole. As such, be warned that there are a few short exchanges that allude to some pretty crude images in ones mind, or at least in mine. Frankly, I think the story could have story would have been better served had they been omitted as, although they were brief, they really served no redeeming value (in my opinion) in the work. In fairness, all may not share my perspective on the content and have no problem with it.

The narration was done fairly well, though it was my first experience (after listening to over a dozen of this author's works) of hearing a female voice and it took me a bit to get acclimated. I'm not so sure I could recommend this title to others. In part because the author has so many other works I would recommend ahead of this one, but that is not to say that it isn't a well written and narrated story; because it is, just not my cup of tea. Opinions may vary. A review copy of this audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in return for this unbiased review. If you found this review helpful, please take a moment to click yes below.

Interesting with no big surprises or twists

I thought this was an interesting story, with some tension as the boys engaged in their Peeping Tom antics. Once those tense moments passed, the story wound down in a logical way. In my purely subjective opinion, it seemed like I was overhearing someone tell a mildly scandalous bit of local gossip. Interesting enough for me to hang around nearby in the shadows and listen to the full story, but then continue on my way once the tale ended.

The narrator was a good fit for this style of story - I enjoyed her voice and would certainly not hesitate to listen to her again.

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

Annie

I loved this short story!Susan Marlowe narrated nicely.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.