Controlling the Dead

The Famished Trilogy, Book 2

By: Annie Walls

Narrated by: Amy Barron Smolinski

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

With the help of her new companions, the path Kansas follows leads to more knowledge of the ever adapting famished. The team finds help in unlikely places, meeting more survivors, and discovers the possibility of a new beginning. When the team experiences a devastating loss, Kansas struggles to keep her humanity from fading and distorting like that of the surviving society around her. It begins with knowing who to trust and who to leave behind. First, she must trust herself - she won't make the same mistakes twice. As the answers to her questions are revealed, Kansas begins to understand the knowledge comes with a heavy price and great responsibility of controlling the dead. In a trilogy plot thick with twists and turns, this adult dark fantasy is as emotional as it is horrifyingly gripping.

©2013 Annie Walls (P)2014 Beacon Audiobooks

Average.. I guess

So let me start my review by saying that the narration (not really the narrator but the equipment used....? maybe?) was kind of awful. I could hear every single gulp that the reader took and to be honest it was kind of gross and annoying to me. I felt like I was taking a bath in her saliva it was so noticeable. And I dont really think it was the narrator's fault. obviously with reading an entire book outloud, you're going to have to swallow alot but whatever equipment they used made it so much louder than I've ever heard with a narration.

Now for the book review. With the first one I thought the love triangle was decently done. But then with this one her pick (Mack) from the last book was just thrown aside over the teeniest of issues. They dont really talk about what happened or if they should try to make it work out, they just go back to being friends..ish like nothing had ever happened. Then she starts being madly in love with Rudy again and is constantly talking about how hot he is, like her love for Mack had just vanished. And then to top that whole thing off, there really isnt any headbutting between the two guys who are both interested in the main girl (Kan). In any real life story that would absolutely not happen. The author could have done so much with that love triangle and instead made it dull by making everyone just get along.

Anyways I thought the voodoo stuff was pretty interesting and really added to the story and made it different than your traditional zombie book.

So the book was overall kind of average. To be honest, I'm probably not going to listen to the 3rd book if they record it cause I cant deal with the saliva thing again for an okay book.

Great Story - Not so great performance

I gave the performance 3 stars only because it was slightly better than the 1st book (which I gave 1 star for performance). I feel that she doesn't do justice for this book. It is SUCH a great series, but her voice makes it difficult to enjoy. I recommend that you read this series first and then listen (if you can get past the monotonous drone of her voice).

Overall it's great!

The main character drives me nuts with her decisions. But overall these books are awesome. I can't wait to read book three.

Great story

I can't get enough - I can't stop. keep you involved & on the edge wanting mire