Benton

A Zombie Novel, Book 2

By: Jolie du Pré

Narrated by: Angie Hickman

Length: 1 hr and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Jennifer Benton's family died in the first wave of zombie attacks. She found friends in a small group of survivors, and she's fallen in love with Mark, the charismatic young man leading them.

Though the survivors now have a fragile sense of safety, some of Jennifer's new friends die, and she has a beautiful blonde rival. Jennifer thinks jealousy will bring Mark back.

She's wrong.

And now everything may be over - for everyone...

©2014 Jolie du Pre (P)2014 Jolie du Pre

Zombie

Any additional comments?

The story continues as Jennifer and Mark reach a safe haven that turns out to be not safe at all.This audiobook was too short but still a fan and I look forward to getting the next audiobook.

Teenage angst and zombies!

This was a nice follow up to the first book. I flip flopped through it feeling like I wanted to smack the main character and tell her to grow up, and then thinking that I might feel the same way. When a blonde bombshell walks into your life and you think she is going to steal one of the only good things you have left in the apocalypse you are bound to let tempers flare and show some jealousy.
There is plenty going on to keep you interested and there are a lot of new characters to meet as well as one heck of a cliff hanger to keep you excited to hear the next one.
Angie Hickman once again does a wonderful job with the narration. She makes the story that much better. I can't wait to listen to the next book.

Audiobook was provided for an honest review.

Something draws me in with this story...

I don't know what it is but this story draws me in. It has potential to keep building. The characters are likeable and the story has ongoing episodes that seems to be building towards something greater.

It's the zombie apocalypse from Jen's point of view. A few new characters are introduced including Lauren. She poses a threat to her and Mark's relationship. As does another new character named Marcus. They end up having to go to Tent city and it's not exactly what they were expecting.

The plan is to leave Tent city with Todd on his airbus but there's only room for eight. And another unexpected twist has arisen. I can't wait to see what Jolie du Pré has in store for us next.

About the narrator: Angie Hickman is great in this series. She has multiple distinguishable voices which are especially good. Angie Hickman makes the story entirely believable. She's perfect for this story and I look forward to more soon.

Audiobook received foc in exchange for unbiased for review.

Very entertaining

Loved listening to the story almost as much as reading the book. The narrator was clear and used good expression. This certainly made exercising more enjoyable.

Benton series solidified its flavor solidly

Benton: A zombie Novel Volume Two is a continuation of the Benton series written by Jolie Du Pre, and narrated by Angie Hickman.

If you’re just joining us now, the Benton books follow the main character Jennifer Benton; daughter of a survivalist who joins a ragtag group of teenagers who are heading south to Texas to find safety. Book two picks up with them heading in that direction and dealing with all the drama that comes with the end of the world via zombies, and being teenagers.

I enjoyed book one even with its YA feel and book two follows the same premise and design. The main characters Jennifer and her love interest Mark are the sole focus of the story, and to take that sentiment even further, their relationship becomes the central facet of the whole story. To be clear, this is a story less about the undead and survival, and more about falling in love and having sex in the apocalypse.

Some of the love scenes and sexual interactions felt more adult than YA to me, though a mature teenager would fare well with Du Pre’s writing. The action scenes are short and described simply, though with more dynamic wording than in the first book. I thought this was an improvement over the first title, and kudos for that.

Jennifer and Mark’s characters receive some solid development part two. The evolve into more real and believable people, and that makes the story feel more genuine. Tertiary characters felt thin in this entry, including the ‘threat’ to the relationship that is the core of the story.

I was disappointed in the length of the title. In audio it’s less than two hours long and on paper it’s 120-odd pages. This is at most a novella and really a short story and reads like the second part of a serial blog. That’s not criticism, it’s just a reflection of the story’s size. And, as you’d imagine with a serial story design and feel, the ending of Benton part two is fairly abrupt, and is absolutely a cliffhanger. If you’re invested in the story by this point, you won’t want to stop here. You’ll have to move on to the third installment.

Angie Hickman continues her narration well, bouncing between the different characters with ease and skill, making the story easy to follow. Her pace and cadence is pleasing and I’ll definitely listen to her other titles.

Overall I felt that the Benton series solidified its flavor solidly into the teenage romance genre with this installment, and if you’re into that kind of series, this is sure to entertain you. I personally prefer a more adult feel to my apocalypse, with a bit less sex so I’ll leave this title for the kids, and find something a bit more in that vein.

Audiobook provided for review by the author.

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Terrific Continuation of an intriguing story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this audiobook. The only downfall is that it is not long enough. The story moves at a fast pace and this second installment focuses less on zombies and more on interpersonal relationships.

What other book might you compare Benton to and why?

This book reminds me a bit of the Walking Dead series. I say this because they both are zombie fiction and they both contain stories of people and not just blood and gore.

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

Angie Hickman does a terrific job as narrator. She separates each character by using distinctive voices. She expertly chooses the perfect voice for each character and the voices seem to match each character's personality.

Any additional comments?

I rate this book as 4 out of 5 stars and I look forward to listening to the next installment in the Benton series.

Zombies!

What did you love best about Benton?

I liked the feeling of low-level terror perpetuated throughout the story, with spikes of horror shot through it. Even when nice things were happening, you just KNEW that the characters weren't going to be safe for long!

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the fact that it wasn't too long. Just perfect for my weekend commute, in fact.

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

I have, and I think she does a remarkable job in all three of the books I've listened to, so far.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and I did.

Any additional comments?

I'm enjoying listening to this series. I can't wait for the release of volume 3!

Benton a zombie novel 2 review

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

High among the favorites.

What other book might you compare Benton to and why?

None I can think of, to tell the truth.

What about Angie Hickman’s performance did you like?

Most everything.

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

The very beginning.

Any additional comments?

No.

an entertaining ya read -- zombies & relationships

What made the experience of listening to Benton the most enjoyable?

I thought the story was a fun and engaging listen. It had all the great elements of YA--romance, girl fights, and the right amount of zombie terror.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Benton?

I mostly enjoyed the relationship between Jennifer and her once-arch rival Lauren.

Which character – as performed by Angie Hickman – was your favorite?

I of course liked Jennifer