Rendered

By: Samantha Jacobey

Narrated by: Sarah Rogers

Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's Summary

Bailey Dewitt is on a crash course with Armageddon. Orphaned, she and her young brothers find themselves living with their renegade uncle. Part of a group of survivalists, she is terrified to discover they are preparing for the end of the world! Could they be right - is mankind headed for a global disaster of its own making?

While Bailey struggles with that question and what she should do about it, Caleb, a man from the group, becomes her dearest friend and the one person she can trust to love and protect her. When things spiral out of control, will their bond be enough to save the entire community, or will rival forces strip away all that they have worked for at the time they need it most?

©2015 Lavish Publishing, LLC (P)2016 Lavish Publishing, LLC

End of the world?

Tragedy forces a spoiled girl to learn to live a new lifestyle with her brothers and prepper uncle. There was so much character growth in this story. I really didn't like the main character for most of the book but she did change by the 2/3rd mark and I was so sad by the end. This might have been the first post apocalyptic book I've read where the world didn't end. Yet. I've seen that book 2 and 3 in the series go in that direction and I'm interested in seeing Lil Bit face the end times. Great Narration! I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

just okay

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

While I'm interested in the outcome of this story, I'm not sure that I am interested enough to purchase the next book. The writing and narration were just okay.

Rendered

I enjoyed reading this book! Great story but I wish I could have read it all the way through instead of having it end in a cliffhanger ending.

Loved the book

I really loved the book and will be getting the next one to listen to. The only problem I had is the author kept calling fingers digits. Yes, technically they are digits but who uses that in common talk heck we don't even use that in the medical field. Other than that I really liked the story and the characters and that narrator did a fantastic job.

Life can change in a heartbeat.

Imagine growing up as privileged young lady. Your parents had good jobs and plenty of money. You were popular in school and you didn’t even have to struggle to make your parents happy. Life is good.
Then you get woke up early one morning to be told your parents have died. You soon find out that you and your younger twin brothers are moving to Texas to live with an uncle you haven’t seen in 10 years. He is doing everything in his power to cater to your brothers but you get the feeling that you aren’t wanted.
After finishing the school year in an apartment in a large growing Texas town, you go to spend the summer at “The Ranch”.
At “The Ranch” you find a community of people who obviously don’t want you around. You do everything you can to fit in and make friends and you think you are doing pretty good. But there are still some who are obviously against you being there.
You find out this group of “crazies” believe the world is going to end someday and they are getting prepared for when the SHTF. They are building or really have built a self-sustaining compound with a community of families with the same goals and beliefs about the future of mankind.
Only one big problem. The kids are all girls.
You really think you are starting to fit in and are making friends. You are finding your niche in this tight knit community and are starting to feel like you might like to become a part of this community. You are given the option of going back to the apartment and finishing your last year of school but your brothers will stay at “The Ranch” and be home schooled. You decide to go knowing you will be back to continue your friendships and family.
That night you are told that you were never meant to make it back to the apartment and your friend helps you escape.
The End.

Not sure what I expected when I got this book but it sure wasn’t this. I like the SHTF genre but this certainly is not typical of those stories.
The story seems a bit childish most of the time but I think this is appropriate for the main character. I found the story engaging and well written.
The people at “The Ranch” seem to have a well-built community but as is pointed out in the story, there are some issues with the long term survivability of this particular group.
Although adequate reasoning is given for their actions, I don’t think this story is truly representative of the Prepper community. At least I hope not. There are other ways to secure your compound than eliminating those who have found out about you. Especially those as defenseless as this young lady who just lost her parents and was brought to the compound against her will by a family member.

Sarah Rogers did an excellent job with the narration. I believe she brought this story to life in a very real way.

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

Rendered

This was a very good first book in a series.Baily loses her parents and goes,along with her brothers, to live with her uncle.He is in some sort of prepper cult. Sarah Rogers was a fine narrator.I look forward to more in this series.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

decent but not my favorite

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

This was a slow but decent book. It really focuses on the main character, Bailey, and her struggles to fit in and cope with loss. The overall story is a little slow to get rolling, but gets more interesting as things progress. This wasn't my favorite book, but decent.

Had difficulty with the story

This is the first book I’ve read/listened to by this author.
I had a bit of a hard time with the storyline.
Once Bailey’s parents die, her and her brothers are told they will go with their estranged uncle. At first, he calls her names and wants nothing to do with her and is annoyed he has to take her. A chapter later he says the complete opposite, then he flips back to again calling her names and wanting to get rid of her. If he’s conflicted in his beliefs this is not stated here.
They get to what is supposed to be his house, but things are suspicious and too perfect. Despite coming from a well-off household and having maids etc, Bailey right away gets a job so she can have some control in her life. It is not until well into the story that Bailey learns their actual destination is a community of survivalists. Despite her taking responsibility for herself, the community decided from the beginning she’s not a good fit and don’t want her, and that does not change despite when she steps up and becomes a productive, cooperative member of the community. Why did they hide the truth? Why not tell her what they are doing from the beginning instead of being annoyed she’s not doing what they expect when they never told her what their expectations were.
Why not let her leave and go back to school? They are not in an apocalypse/ Armageddon, her leaving does not compromise them. I don’t get it. There are many inconsistencies I have a hard time getting past.
Also, there are a lot of “the girl...” Even when Bailey was by herself and speaking, instead of using “she” or “Bailey” it was “the girl”. I found this especially awkward once she was at the community.

This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator ( Sarah Rogers ). She did well reading this book. Her character voices were well done. Her narration of the conversations is natural, her narration of the non-conversation parts is a little less natural (The difference between reading or telling a story) but not enough to detract from the book.

There are no explicit sex scenes, or excessive violence. There is some swearing.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

Story 3/5
Narration 4/5

Rendered

This book is not what I expected. I did find it slow to begin with but once it picked up I found that I really enjoyed it. There are somethings I found frustrating but the character is young so she will be making silly mistakes and naive at times. I am glad to say that we are shown this and not told so when something happens we know why.
I liked how the author portrayed the community. You think you know where the author is going but towards the end she shows them in a different light which shows that they are human and not everything is what it seems.
There is some profanity no sexual content but there is a scene where it is talked about but this links in with the society that she is living with so it is understandable.
I am really looking forward to the next book. I am intrigued to find out what is going to happen next.

Jacobey delivers a refreshing story

I enjoyed this book more than excepted. I like the story line because it out of the norm and listening to how the story and the characters evolve is very interesting.

When you're orphaned and your entire world get turned upside down can be very challenging. I thought Samantha Jacobey did an very good job in developing the characters. The trials for the main characters continue to get bigger and more difficult and it's interesting to see how each person handles their own challenges. I thought Sarah Rogers does a very good job in narrating the story. I look forward to book 2.

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