Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge

By: John Ringo, Larry Correia

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's Summary

Two multiple New York Times best-selling authors team up to expand Larry Correia's Monster Hunter universe!

When marine private Oliver Chadwick Gardenier is killed in the marine barrack bombing in Beirut, somebody who might be Saint Peter gives him a choice: Go to heaven, which, while nice, might be a little boring, or return to earth. The Boss has a mission for him, and he's to look for a sign. He's a marine: He'll choose the mission.

Unfortunately, the sign he's to look for is "57". Which, given the food services contract in Bethesda Hospital, creates some difficulty. Eventually it appears that God's will is for Chad to join a group called Monster Hunters International and protect people from things that go bump in the night. From there, things trend downhill.

Monster Hunter Memoirs is the (mostly) true story of the life and times of one of MHI's most effective - and flamboyant - hunters. Protips for up-and-coming hunters range from how to dress appropriately for jogging (low-profile body armor and multiple weapons) to how to develop contacts among the Japanese yakuza to why it's not a good idea to make billy goat jokes to trolls.

Grunge harkens back to the Golden Days of Monster Hunting, when Reagan was in office, Ray and Susan Shackleford were top hunters, and Seattle sushi was authentic.

©2016 Larry Correia and John Ringo (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Barely made it 20 minutes

Stay... Away. I've listened to all the others mh books and really enjoyed them. This one started out as total garbage and I bailed. Written like a child. Are you sure this is the same author? Horrible.

Oof!

Have you listened to any of Oliver Wyman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Wyman's narration is the only good thing about this abomination.

Any additional comments?

Loved the MHI books. The main character in this book is the whiniest, douchiest a-hole I've ever endured. It seems unlikely that the author was trying to write a character that would make me root for the monsters but if he was and I have completely misunderstood this book, bravo.

The Adventures Of Superboy

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I really don't know. People who enjoy bad fanfiction?

What could Larry Correia and John Ringo have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Have a throughline to the story. Maybe a character who is not the ultimate dream of some 6 year old.

Which scene was your favorite?

None really

What character would you cut from Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge?

Chad.

Any additional comments?

I was really disappointed by this book. I love the MHI series, and really wanted this to be good. But after listening to Chad speak endlessly and repeatedly about how awesome he is at everything and how much he hates his parents I really wasn't caring what happened to him at all.

It almost feels like Chad was meant to be a team. One character is good with a sword, another is a language savant, another is a math supergenius. But intead they all got smashed together into Chad. The book is not better for it.

Disappointed

I love the MHI series. This one, not so much. I really got tired of Chad's sexcapades. It would have been much better if the authors would have built the Lt. Shaw and Chad relationship. The book just kind of wandered. Not as good as the previous books.

My first in the monster hunter series

This was not a very interesting book. The main character was very one demential and so full of himself, that it was a constant distraction from the book. The entire storyline of monster hunting sounded like it would be fun, and I will probably try a different one that Larry Correia wrote alone.

I think the reader did a good job on this book considering he was being paid to read such drivel. I hope to hear him again in another book soon.

This Abomination Broke My Heart

What would have made Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge better?

If Larry Correia had written it on his own.

What do you think your next listen will be?

A re-listen of the previous MHI books so I can remember how good this series can be.

What does Oliver Wyman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Oliver Wyman is a wonderful performer and has always done an excellent job with the MHI books.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge?

Pretty much everything with and about Chad.

Any additional comments?

I am a huge fan of the MHI series but I was very disappointed with this book. One of my favorite things about Larry Correia's writing is his character development. The characters of MHI and The Grimnoir Chronicles are awesome and developed to the point where you feel like they're real people. The characters in this book were not. The main character is annoying most of the time and I wasn't able to get on his side. He spends a good portion of the book whining about his mother who is supposed to be someone you hate, but is so one dimensional I found myself rolling my eyes whenever she popped up. Larry Correia has always written amazing, strong female characters (even the villains) and I was disheartened to see that in this book all the other female characters are merely plot devices for the main character; someone for him to sleep with or think about sleeping with. Also, for this to be a MHI book, there is very little monster hunting taking place. The main character spends so much time talking about how great he is that he doesn't really have time to tell about the cases he has worked. With respect to both authors, I hope this partnership is short lived. I would love to see Mr. Correia write more MHI.

Very disappointed.

This was a tough one to finish. I have been a huge fan of the Monster Hunter series and Larry Correa's work until this point. I can't say for certain or if it was the dual authors or simply the side step of the story.
My thoughts were repeated through every chapter. " I get it! Chad is a horny badass genius with mommy issues."
I'm not sure if I'll pick up the next book in the series.

Should've read reviews

Two mistakes on my part:
- not reading actual reviews and just trusting star rating on a new book from beloved series
- finishing the book. I kept listening, hoping that it's some kind of a joke and it will turn into a decent experience eventually. Nope

go read reviews by Brycen, Sue and Daryl.

meh

the main character was the worst. too full of himself. the only reason I finished the book was in hopes that he would meet a horrible, bloody, mangled end, but alas it didn't happen . save your money for the next book.

Very disappointed

I really don't like chad, the main character. He's too perfect, and boring. The story really isn't interesting, and there was way to much over explaining. I love the monster hunter books, so maybe my expectations were way high. But overall every chapter pretty much left me rolling my eyes, or just being bored

great series

Very much enjoyed this (Grunge) and the second book (Sinners) which left quite a few questions unanswered, however, having just gone onto the writers blog I see that there will be a third and last book in the series which I hope will answer the queries in my other review. It seems the last book 'Saints' will be released in July 2018. :)

Love the narration by oliver wyman, really grabs your attention. There are some very funny one liners and laugh out loud moments in both books.

Overall, I have enjoyed the series of monster hunter books and hope they will continue

loved it

Well written and engaging story with plenty of detail even when you don't want it :-)

Dare I say better than MHI

Well, the story and characterisation is definitely as good as early monster hunter international books. The main character isn’t as likeable as Z but he does grow on you. The reader manages to convey easily the fact that it is a different character speaking, although this does mean that some characters voices have changed as they are being passed through a different narrator. Cool new monsters, cool new species, monster hunting is about badass humans biting evil monsters with wisecracks and superior firepower… Now they have A dude with a sword! Yes he is a bit of an arsehole but he is a bad ass as well!

great addition to the monster hunter series

great addition to the monster hunter series, answers some question about MHI and provides great action and some really funny moments.

Boring

I enjoy MHI stories but this just didn’t cut it I’m afraid. It’s basically a series of short stories with different monster hunts. Maybe it’s the format but there is none of the excitement or tension of the longer format stories. Boring descriptions really. None of the humour or characterisation of the other stories either.

A good edition to the Monster Hunter International story

A good and easy read. Even though it is not need I would advise reading a least one of the novella from the Monster Hunter series as it will give you a better flavour and understanding of Larry world of Monsters & Myths

Good story

Good story with some good laughs and some really interesting story telling well worth listening to