Joshua

By: John S. Wilson

Narrated by: Jonathan Yen

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

He had to keep moving, that the man instinctively knew. He had to get away, from the rioting, the lawlessness, the killing. Away from the brutal gangs that ruled the highways. Then there was the boy that he found along the way, an orphan with no place to go. He couldn't leave the child behind; that would be murder. Together they had to make their way across the razed landscape of post-collapse America, west to where there was safety, a chance to begin again. If only they survived the journey.

©2012 John S. Wilson (P)2013 Podium Publishing

I was completely taken by this story.

If you could sum up Joshua in three words, what would they be?

Innocent, curious and resilient.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Man. Even though he wasn't given a name, and The Man was repeated over and over and over.He's a true to nature kind of guy. Honorable, protective, nurturing, pleasant and caring. The kind of man I aspire to be. Despite the precarious situations he found himself in, "just" about everything he did was done with Joshua's needs in mind.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Yen – was your favorite?

The Man, the vocals are very well acted. I don't remember any parts that I felt were over dramatized. Very even and consistent.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There is a moment in the story when The Man did put himself before Joshua and tragedy happens. Very sad and heartwarming at the same time.

Any additional comments?

Try not to be discouraged by the constant referencing of "The Man" it is just a moniker after all.

Really Loved this

What did you love best about Joshua?

A typical Armageddon scenario, but with great characters.Definitely makes me fear the "Survivalist" wacko-s more than before...

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Man

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Yen – was your favorite?

The Man

If you could rename Joshua, what would you call it?

Hmm, American Meltdown

Very mixed feelings

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

On the whole, yes. The story itself was quite good. The grammar and syntax were atrocious. There was a lot of repetition and calling the main character, "the man" was quite tiresome.

What three words best describe Jonathan Yen’s voice?

pleasing

Could you see Joshua being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

no

Well Thought Out End of America Story

Of all the stories written about the ending of America as we know it, this one is my favorite. The financial downfall is not at all far fetched, as the economy has long been "propped up" falsely . . . and it's indeed a frightening thought what ordinary people might do when faced without food and necessities. What makes this book different than others is the human story of THE MAN and the boy, Joshua. It is captivating. I couldn't stop listening, as they encountered the worst and the best in others. And though in small pockets across America, there was GOOD . . . there was faith . . . and there was hope.

Very gritty & real story of survival!

What did you like best about this story?

The story doesn't try to hard. It's not larger than life. If feels like it could legitimately take place over the next 5 to 10 years. Everything about the characters and the situations they found themselves in felt completely natural.

What about Jonathan Yen’s performance did you like?

The calm/controlled/rational tone of Yen's voice was perfectly matched to the protagonist. And it provided a perfect counterpoint to the turmoil of the plot (the end of society as we know it!). That made it all the more unsettling and eerie. Really nice!

Any additional comments?

Two of the first three reviewers mentioned the fact that the protagonist is left unnamed. I admit that I found that a bit unusual at first, and wasn't even sure what to make of it. But I personally didn't think any more of it after the first chapter or two. The very first reviewer suggested that a name is critical in making a connection with the protagonist. I don't agree at all. I can (surprisingly often) finish watching a movie, and not be able to tell you the primary character's names, but I most certainly can tell you all about them and their experiences. While that's very uncommon when reading a book, it was the case with this audiobook. And when you think of it, an audiobook is pretty much halfway between a book and a movie.

I wanted to like it more

The story is so credible an apocalyptic event and not badly performed, it was just frustrating that 'The Man' seemed kind of dense sometimes and I had to make myself stay with the story..the temptation to just turn it off and start another book was strong but other reviews were really positive so I kept thinking it would get better..it didn't.
The narrator had a pleasant voice but he definitely is a narrator, not a performer. I felt that he could have been reading any story, about anything and he still would have sounded the same..not monotone, but not much inflection either.
I felt no emotional involvement in the story, even tho it was a frighteningly possible scenario given the economic state of the US right now. It was just a vaguely unsatisfying book...like when you're hungry for a big chunk of chocolate cake, but have to make do with a piece of licorice..it's sweet, just not what you wanted.

A Christian-Liberterian View of the End of Times

Where does Joshua rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The story was well paced and kept me interested. I did have to overcome the authors not-so-subtle political and religious views. It was an ok enough story. Not the best, not nearly as good as "The Road."

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Yen – was your favorite?

Didn't have a favorite.

Any additional comments?

It was an ok story. I think it can be rewritten without the political commentary and still have a good affect on the overall tale.

apocalyptic

Sounds so close to what could happen to us now. Certain political people are trying to divide the country with hateful rhetoric, i fear this story could became a reality....

Not What I Hoped For

What disappointed you about Joshua?

The performance was very stagnate. There was a lack of underlying emotion in the actor. When the story said something like "The man was getting angry," the actor didn't necessarily sound angry or not angry enough.

The story line had potential but it was simplistic. I am a Christian, but this was very "Christian-ese."

Has Joshua turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not necessarily, but I may be less likely to trust the "You might like" recommendations.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Jonathan Yen?

I'm not sure.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Joshua?

I might not have cut anything but the story could have been more robust -- seen also from Joshua's perspective.

Any additional comments?

I'm not sure what the point of always referring to the main character as "the man" was. It felt awkward. If the idea was that it could be "anyone," it fell far short of it.

Disappointed

Would you try another book from John S. Wilson and/or Jonathan Yen?

No, not by the author. The writing was not realistic at all. Most of the dialogue was tedious and repetitive.