The Gift

De: Sebastian Fitzek

Narrado por: Ari Fliakos

Please note: This title contains mature content, including depictions of physical and sexual violence. Listener discretion advised.

The Gift is an exciting edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller by international best-selling author Sebastian Fitzek, performed by listener favorite Ari Fliakos.

Con man Milan Berg has a photographic memory. But he’s hiding a secret: He can’t read. Unable to interpret the world around him, Milan finds increasingly crafty ways to navigate it. That is, until he comes across a car in traffic with a girl in the back seat. She desperately holds a written note up to the window, but what does it say?

Fearing the girl is in mortal danger, Milan determines to search for her. As he follows a series of clues, each darker and scarier than the next, he’s thrust into a nightmarish odyssey with a deepening, disturbing progression: The clues are tied to his past. Lost in a web of lies, his world is upended as he lands in prison for a crime he claims he didn’t commit. Under the threat of death by his cellmates, Milan recounts his entire story to them from the beginning.

Will Milan save himself and the girl? Is he innocent and telling the truth? Or is he a master manipulator delivering one huge con?

©2019 Sebastian Fitzek and Verlagsgruppe Droemer Knaur GmbH & Co. KG (P)2023 Audible Originals, LLC.

Very good

I loved the story and it keep my attention until the end, a must read

Twisty Tale

At times I loved the story. At times I was a bit confused. At times shocked, pleasantly surprised, enthralled then back to confused. Not sure I liked the ending, but loose ends were tied up. The performance was perfect. I’m in the US and the setting in Germany was interesting. Overall I’m glad I took a chance on this one!

Twisty Fun

I was hooked from beginning to end. Several times I thought I had things figured out, but I definitely did NOT. I rarely rate 5 stars, but this one earned every one of them.

The best confusing mess I've ever heard!

I got lost many times, but it was worth it. This story was confusing AF, with many unlikable characters and flat-out weird subplots, but I liked it! The narrator did a great job of keeping me locked in, and the story, while dark and brutal at times, was sprinkled with sarcasm and humor that I appreciated as someone with a dark sense of humor. As a reader, you're definitely required to suspend belief throughout, but hey, that's why this is fiction.

Nice twists

Enjoyed the twists, and after learning everything, I listened to it for a second time!

Great narrator.

Well written, although it feels like it has been translated from the original language, the same way English dubbed movies have a slightly off feeling in the translation. Does not distract from the book though.

A tad confusing

I didn’t like the ending. I ent know what I was expecting but I’m not recommending

Who’s the bigger psycho?

Overall, an entertaining thriller, especially at the Daily Deal price. It’s a listen that requires focus, because there are time jumps, multiple POVs, and lost memories that jumble the story something fierce. There’s also a lot of focus on psychopaths, torture and sexual abuse, most of which is integral to the overall plot. While some of the science is far fetched, the scenarios contrived, and certain villains are obvious,
I forgave these slights in favor of the taught, twisty nature vs nurture intrigue.

One thing not so easily forgiven was the opening scene; the beginning prison assault was entirely unnecessary, in my opinion. This story could just as easily have been told sitting in the prison yard and relaying the events from two years before. If you’d prefer not to hear about a violent buggering, skip the 4.5 minute chapter 1 and you will lose absolutely nothing.

Suspense galore

No until the last pages I finally traje what was happening. Love the thrill. It was amazing. Highly recommend to read.

Very different and complicated

"Ari Fliakos enhances an exciting story with his expert narration. He gives everyone a unique identity, differentiating them through varying tones, voices and accents." (AudioFile magazine)
{{{I couldn’t have said it better.}}}
You’ve read the description, so you know the basic plot here. No spoilers here. Written by the Sebastian Fitzek, this is a puzzling listen. Narration by the vocally “gifted” Fliakos, made “The Gift” worth my time. Midway, I almost gave up, but finished it. Thankfully, I paid a reasonable cost of $5.99. Please listen intently, as Fitzek zigzags throughout and I found myself at the corner of Bewilderment and Perplexing for a time. Perhaps it was me. As my editor, dear friend and mentor wisely told me in 1979, “If everyone liked the same things, the world would indeed be a boring one.” RIP Dan Di Leo 

Interesting

An interesting mystery with a few twisted terms that I was quite expecting. I enjoyed listening to the novel stop being over really long, making it a perfect quick lesson.