The audiobook does a nice job of giving the characters a voice and offering an interesting take on their backgrounds, personalities and what they might have been thinking as this famous story unfolds. Sound effects add to the fun.
Tag - young adult fiction
I listened to this last book in the Raven Cycle series in the car. And frankly am not sure what to make of it. I enjoyed the prose and imagination of Stiefvater as always. I listened to this last book in the Raven Cycle series in the car. And frankly am not sure what to make of it. I enjoyed the prose and imagination of Stiefvater as always.
An absolute gem! I adore this series. And I honestly think I like listening to it better than reading it. Valente's imagination combined with her voice and personality in the audio version can't be beat. This final book in the series was as enjoyable as the first and brings the series to a satisfactory conclusion.
The somewhat crude and hormonal attitude of the lead character is off-putting no matter how accurate or realistic. But it is nevertheless a creative and engaging story that tackles some difficult subject with insight and compassion (with the added creativity of the diary format and illustrations).
The third book, The Eye of Zoltar, turned out to be another fun listen on the daily commute. This is not quite as good as the first two but I have enjoyed this series. This one ended on quite the cliffhanger so I guess we wait for the next book.
Wolfgang Parker, author of the Crime Cats mystery series Missing (Volume 1) and The Dusenbury Curse (Volume 2), talks about the books and the inspiration to write a series set in Clintonville, Ohio. For the “backstory” to this interview see below.
Wherein I start exploring this very popular series via audio book, wrestle with the accents, language and style, but ultimately persevere and like it enough to stick with the series. I found enough world building, creativity and interesting characters to keep going.
Overall, the series was interesting but in the end just not my genre or style. I thought the plot dragged quite a bit in places. It really only seemed to pick up some pace and drive in the final fourth of the book. Then I felt like things were coming together and the resolution was satisfying even if a little corny.
I enjoyed the writing, the way the author set a mood and created an atmosphere, and the quirkiness and ambivalence worked for me. But if you like clear explanations and plots this is probably not the book for you.
