Getting Back to San Angelo

By: Shane Burke

Narrated by: Brian Holsopple

Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Something is bothering Christopher Bennett, and not just in a figurative sense. He seems like an unremarkable boy living a nondescript life in the west Texas town of San Angelo. However, Chris has a purpose that goes far beyond his wildest imagination. Mysteries that date back to the founding of San Angelo, Ben Ficklin, and Lone Wolf haunt his thoughts while answers seem just out of reach. He's determined to find the truth but the unveiling will forever alter the spiritual underpinnings of the entire region.

Getting Back to San Angelo is a fictional adventure that follows a group of children from elementary school through to early adulthood. This audiobook describes their interpersonal and spiritual journeys as each character attempts to come to terms with the darkness that has pursued them from childhood.

©2020 RealmCtrl Publishing (P)2020 Shane Burke

Great story

Having lived in San Angelo for many years, this novel was like going home for a while. It brought back many good memories. It’s reminiscent of King’s “IT” but I think overall, a better story.

The sandlot meets Indiana Jones

The story line is excellent. It brought back so many memories of “The old days” when kids could be kids making up adventures that would last a day and memories that last a life time. Shane Burke did a great job of capturing what kids did in the late 70’ and 80’. The story line is about San Angelo but I think it could be any city in America.
If you grew up making your own adventures with friends on weekends and after school then you won’t be disappointed with this book.
Getting Back To San Angelo is a great audio book!

Has a HARD swerve in the theme/narrative of story

Spoiler warning

While not a terrible book, i personally found it too be a bit haphazard and dull. this is due to the last section of the book being rather disappointing for both massive changes in tone and some narrative decisions. Firstly, while the earlier sections of the book were reminiscent of IT or stranger things (in part why i selected this title) the tone of the book radically changes in the last part of the book. In the beginning, its a mystery of strange events happening to and being investigated by a group of children. Whereas in the last section, it has the characters as young adults, and barely touches on any of their growth. More importantly, the book becomes fully about faith and the power of jesus, which was barely established earlier in the narrative. I found this shift a bit jarring for such a massive tonal change, as much of the talk of jesus was relegated to a few scenes in the earlier areas.
And importantly, the narrator was a bad choice, as he was not capable of sounding like any sort of child (which the majority of the characters are, so it breaks any remaining immersion in the story).
Overall, I think this book needs to be moved from horror to religious fiction, as the horror is almost negligible, and the elements of belief and faith take the book over.