Imaginary Friend

By: Douglas Whaley

Narrated by: David Allen Vargo

Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

When he rescues a large number of people after an explosion at Ohio Stadium, lawyer Franklin Whitestone becomes a national hero. On a famous call-in show, he's asked if God helped him out but denies any such aid, identifying himself as an atheist who doesn't have an "imaginary friend". All hell breaks loose immediately. He fears losing the woman he loves as well as his job, his family is attacked, and a religious extremist vows to track Franklin Whitestone down and make him choose between conversion to a belief in God or a truly ugly death.

©2011 Douglas Whaley (P)2021 Douglas Whaley

Potent Story with a Talented Narrator

I am grateful to David Allen Vargo for lending his extensive theatrical skill to reading this powerful story by Douglas Whaley. Imaginary Friend contributes to understanding the experiences of atheists and LGBTQ+ people with thought-provoking analysis, an intense plot, and a good deal of humor. Mr. Vargo’s engaging reading brings the story and characters to life with distinct and natural sounding voices. I highly recommend the book and will look forward to hearing more readings by David Allen Vargo.

Interesting story

Attending a football game, Franklin Whitestone is one of hundreds of victims in an attack that brought portions of the walls of the stadium crashing down. Whitestone managed to save a few lives as well as himself instantly becoming a hero. However, Whitestone is not your typical hero, he has what some would call a fatal flaw- he’s an atheist who calls God an ‘Imaginary Friend.” As a result, he is vilified and has become the target of an atheist hater who is determined to teach Whitestone all about God.

The author, Douglas Whaley, weaves a careful story around doing good, voicing your opinion, and how wrong that can turn out for those involved. The plot has several different themes circulating that capture the listener's attention and holds it until the last word spoken. The characters are well-developed and his attention to detail is riveting. The plot twists were interesting and authentic feeling.

The narrator, David Allen Vargo, gives a compelling performance. His unique voices help keep the story flowing and draw the listener in. Vargo speaks clearly and with appropriate emotion. His delivery is smooth and steady. I enjoy Vargo’s performances.

This book draws in several different areas – religion, action, terrorism, and more. Whaley’s book is definitely a must-listen.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook, it was well done.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.

A Real Doozy!

This book is a real doozy. The plot gripped me from the very beginning and I kept thinking I could predict what was going to happen. But each time I did, I got walloped with a surprise twist. There’s so much good to say about this book. I have to say, I’ve never given much thought to the plight of atheists in our society, but the author spelled it out very clearly with what sounded like a lot of first-hand knowledge. It certainly gave me a lot to think about. This book went in all the directions I didn’t anticipate right up to the ending - which left my jaw on the floor and me staring wide-eyed into space. Now I want to say a few words about the narrator, David Allen Vargo. Ya, I’m a major fan. The book is about 13 hours long but the time flew by listening to his deep, resonant voice that sounds like he truly understands what he is saying. This narrator really cares about what he is reading and it shows. All the different character voices he used for this totally blew my mind. Can’t wait for his next book. I highly recommend it. Mind-blowing.

A Great Read

This is a great read blending together a discussion of faith and atheism in a story filled with suspense. The characters are memorable and ably voiced by David Vargo. I have listened to a number of books read by Mr. Vargo and I am impressed. His range is remarkable giving each character a unique accent which brings them each distinctively to life.

Extraordinarily Thought-Provoking

This is an incredibly unique novel – disturbing and extraordinarily thought-provoking. The characters’ thoughts and emotions are skillfully drawn by Douglas Whaley and brilliantly interpreted with an assortment of voices and accents by narrator David Allen Vargo.

Provocative

Mr. Whaley manages to successfully weave some thought provoking theories and a suspenseful story to create an immensely satisfying narrative. My wife and I both listened and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Mr Vargo’s reading was masterful; creating individual voices for a huge cast of characters. In short, a first-rate production.

The story taken to new heights

I read this title years ago and loved it. David Vargo added the magic of voice acting to the already gripping tale that just envelops the listener and draws you into the story. I absolutely loved the depth he brings to the main character as well as creating
charming , witty personalities of many others. The work that he put in brought each scene to life in a whole new way.
Great work by both the author and narrator.

FLAWLESS BOOK INDEED! I LOVED EVERY MOMENT!

SIMPLY THE BEST, AND NARRATION WAS SUPERB AS WELL. MORE ! LOVED IT!!!! THANK YOU.