osmosiphobe

Ahlborn still doing Ahlborn

Revisado: 02-22-25

Yargh! After two of her novels, the thing I said to myself is that I never want to find myself in an Ania Ahlborn story. Not unless I’ve decided to live out my days as an antagonist, anyway. She loves to get you involved in a person’s predicament and give you just enough hope that they can get out of it, only to pull that rug away with very little time left. It seemed like this one would work out differently, but no. That’s not a bad thing, all considered, just a bummer on a human level, which means I still am one.

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Meh

Revisado: 12-07-24

When Ligotti is on, he is ON. Draws the reader into weird worlds that we almost don’t want to escape, despite how awful things might be. When he’s off, though, I JUST. DON’T. CARE. Stories drag on for what feel like hours, and I remember nothing. Unfortunately, this one is more misses than hits. The narrator does a great job with what Ligotti has provided him, but there’s an absolute limit to that compliment.

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Classic Tremblay, Ugh Narration

Revisado: 06-11-24

It’s a really good story, put together the way Paul Tremblay tends to: leaving just enough room for doubt on either side of the thing. The narration isn’t good, though. Purposefully breathy (I’ve heard this actress speak before; this isn’t her natural voice), and the down pitch on nearly every male voice just makes those characters all sound like dopes.

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Solid all around

Revisado: 01-12-24

There are, at this time, six reviews immediately below this one that all either miss something, or are drivel in themselves. The story is really good. There are some things you pick up on/know/expect from the beginning. That’s how slashers work. I’d always that the film genre just wouldn’t work on the page/audiobook, but SGJ and Grady Hendrix have both proven me wrong. The narrator is fine. His characterization of the voices hits the stock-character nature of the genre pretty well. I did wonder at times whether it was the narrator or the script, though, when Izzy became Lizzy and Lindsay did the same. Those were tiny instances, though. If you appreciate a writer aware of his genre, writing a story that’s _supposed_ to be aware of itself, and a fun story to boot, give it a listen.

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Wasn’t sure to begin with…

Revisado: 12-23-23

At first, I didn’t think I was going to care about the characters or where the story was going to go; can’t really say why. I told myself I’d give it an hour, and make a decision from there. Man, I’m glad I did! It’s really well crafted, and - except for a few quirks of pronunciation (chimney presented as chimany every. dang. time, for example) - nicely performed. Only wish the second book in the series was available here, also.

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Not SGJ’s best work

Revisado: 11-28-23

The first and last stories are ultimately forgettable, and not really evocative of much but cruelty. The second story is solid, but works better as a standalone than in this pairing. I like SGJ, but I’d skip this one if you’re torn between it and literally any of his other works.

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Great story, solid narration, BUT…

Revisado: 09-26-23

The story is great all around. Great development of characters and suspense. Just enough of a taste of every little thing to keep you engaged all along the way, and everyone is written with depth and care. The narrator really works to bring all of it to life, and his voice is perfect for this piece. The only catch is that you really need to adjust your speed to 1.1. For all that he reads with care and precision, it’s just so much slower than it needs to be. I’d recommend 1.2, but that changes the overall vocal quality and it rushes j u s t too much. Beyond that, I highly recommend this one.

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Good ideas, not-great stories

Revisado: 06-14-23

As the title here suggests, there were a lot of good ideas, but the telling of the stories just doesn’t do it. Instead of actually seeing the characters, I see someone sitting on her laptop writing them, if that makes any sense. The first narrator is… not good. There’s way too much “performance” going on there. The wobbly voice on the second story just grates at you. I understand that the text says that the character distorted her voice, but it also says this is a transcript, so… not necessary and doesn’t add anything useful. Overall, you can skip this one. Read descriptions of the stories, they’ll give you about as much as the stories themselves.

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Another Solid Entry from Shine

Revisado: 04-21-23

A.M. Shine has written two books that I’ve read, and definitely works with a theme. Those books are this one, and The Watchers. That theme is: there’s some weeeeeiiirrrddd stuff if you go deep enough into Ireland. It’s not redundant, though, as each book is a unique play on that theme.
This is a good read from end to end. Yes, it takes some setup, but most books worth your time do that.
Side note: One reviewer said they weren’t sure what the Creeper was by the end. This is strange to me, as the author spells it out pretty clearly.

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Another Stellar Addition to the Series

Revisado: 04-21-23

If you haven’t read any of the others, as the author mentions in the afterword, that’s ok. You can still go ahead here and not be too lost, though having read the John Dies at the End will clarify some early stuff more quickly than the text does, and WtHDIJR may give a better picture of how the very final confrontation actually plays out…

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