Talker

De: Amy Lane

Narrado por: David Kaplan

Tate "Talker" Walker has spent most of his life hiding his scars under a bright punk facade, and until he sat next to Brian Cooper on a bus, it worked. But Brian has spent his whole life being the invisible man, and he's used to looking below the surface. What he sees in Talker is a fragile and lovable human being.

Brian is outwardly straight, but Talker is desperate for love, and when Talker's behavior leads to some painful consequences, Brian is forced to come out of his closet—in dramatic fashion. He'll do anything to make sure Talker sees that he's the Prince Charming Talker has always needed.

©2010 Amy Lane (P)2011 Amy Lane

Good High School Gay Story

I am a mature gay man and not a pedophile. I listen to this kind of fiction with an ear toward what I wish was available when I was growing up gay. I have mixed feeling about the graphic sexual conduct. A straight version of this story, while including the sex would hardly be as explicit, making it more acceptable to parents to recommend it as a coming of age story that would speak to the universality love. But it is what it is, and I wish it were available 40 years ago.

Talker

Would you listen to Talker again? Why?

I really enjoyed this book. It will be one of my re-reads/relistens.

What did you like best about this story?

I always enjoy books that shows how folks learn to communicate with each other.

What about David Kaplan’s performance did you like?

You really felt what the characters were feeling. He did a great job.

Who was the most memorable character of Talker and why?

I liked both MC's, they were both struggling with growing up and loving.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoy all of Amy Lane's books.

Liked it Better in Ebook

I read this as an ebook several years ago and quite enjoyed it. This time listening to it didn't work for me. The narration made it hard to keep up with what was going on. Also I couldn't always tell if someone was talking or not. The narrator didn't really do much for the characters.

Very boring book

What did you like best about Talker? What did you like least?

I did not like it. It was nothing like Amy Lane's Keeping Promise Rock or The Locker Room.

What could Amy Lane have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Nothing. I shouldn't have bought it, that's all.

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

I now have another male narrator to add to my list of favorites:)

Do you think Talker needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

It has and I made the mistake of buying them but I'll wait awhile and see if I want to give it another try. If it still sucks, I'll get a refund.

Loved it

Would you consider the audio edition of Talker to be better than the print version?

Yes

Who was your favorite character and why?

Talker I seam to connect with him!

Which character – as performed by David Kaplan – was your favorite?

Loved them all

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh and Cried, I was listen to it at work and keep getting wierd looks when I randomly Laugh

Any additional comments?

More Details in some of the sex scens

A bit hard to follow at times

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yes. Parts of it are hard to follow and it seems to jump around from place to place and from this timeline to that timeline.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Probably Brian. I think I identified with him more than I did with Talker.

What aspect of David Kaplan’s performance would you have changed?

He mispronounces some words but other than that, he is a very good reader.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

If it had been a longer book, possibly with a greater antagonist it would have faired better in my eyes.

Any additional comments?

A good listen, but a bit short and hard to follow at first.

Good story.

This book was written in 2010 and I have had it on my TBR list since 2016. I suspect that content warnings were not a thing back in 2010 (?) or else I'm sure this book would have had one (see note at end of review).

I'm really sorry that I waited so long to read this book. The audiobooks for the series were recently on a good sale that Audible had and that's what prompted me to finally read/listen to them. Talker has a satisfying HFN ending but I'm sure that we will get more of his recovery (see note below) in book two and I'm planning to dive right in.

This is a short book at only 82 pages/2 hrs, 19 mins long but Amy Lane packed a lot into those pages. The blurb really says it all except for how much it made me feel for both Talker and Brian. Brian has wonderfully supportive people in his Aunt Lyndie and also his friend Virginia.

The narrator was just OK for me, not bad but not great. The audiobook was produced in 2011 and they have changed a lot since then. Now good narrators actually perform books so listening to one is more like experiencing a play with only your ears.

Note: Content warning for off page rape of one of the MC's and his resulting trauma on page.

I wish this was not a short story I wanted more

This is a short story so worth reading. I wanted so much more. I wish this was a novel. I loved it!!!

Sweet story but...

It's a sweet story, but I think it got downplayed by the narrator. He added no emotion to the story. It was a bit confusing the back and forth with past and present but again, that may have been delivered better from the narrator.

Terrible narration

The narration for this book is horrendous. The intonation and phrasing make it extremely difficult to follow. There are pauses mid sentence that don't make any sense. The story seemed to chop and change and bounce all over the place. It was extremely hard to follow. I'm not sure how much of that was due to the narration and how much due to the writing.