Jill

Meredith sucks

Revisado: 12-09-24

I really didn't care for the ending at all. But even before that point, I was so tired of Meredith's awful, self-centered perspective. Even if some of her points turned out to be correct in the end, she was completely and unnecessarily awful about it. I get that the story needed conflict but she made it so unpleasant.

It was an interesting read once for the cult aspects but does victims of domestic abuse a disservice by painting the mom as such a villain and letting Ray get off so easily. I don't recommend it overall.

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Waste of time, book could have been 1/2 the length

Revisado: 07-26-24

*Spoilers*

The premise was interesting but the author spent way too much time describing the suspected affair when they could have been increasing the suspense. Instead, every time something actually interesting happened, we were supposed to wonder at other alternatives or be surprised when really the author was walking us through the literal only options available to the story.

Everything was either extremely obvious, or made so little sense it was a massive stretch to the unbelievable, like the other couple's identities, the drunk boyfriend's fate, and the old woman at the end just neatly "handling" everything when she otherwise had practically no role in the whole book.

I wish I could have just looked up spoilers and saved myself the time.

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Could have been a decent sci-fi whodunnit but it got swallowed in distracting pronoun peddling and mediocre narration accents

Revisado: 12-22-23

The story overall was okay in the first place. not a lot of suspense, just confusion that felt more frustrating and annoying than interesting. Listeners spend more time fighting to understand the ship and MC's backstory than remembering who even died, let alone trying to decide who killed them.

Why do we care about George's death unless it's because Shal might have killed her, and if not then why care at all? Hunker down, enjoy your honeymoon and rest your back. So, the plot was already only okay at very best. Some parts were interesting. Fontine was truly the only interesting and enjoyable character.

Then there's the pronoun usage. It's... whatever, I was especially annoyed at trying to listen to "ze" and all that. But this was added and noted to be a social convention that pronouns are a required part of speaking about or to someone, as if everyone one day just woke up and agreed that 1) everyone knows exactly what their own (static) pronouns are and 2) everyone commits to and always adheres to the social convention of respecting this. This is simply never going to be the way things are and therefore comes off far more as unrealistic and pandering. Very distracting from the actual story and I sincerely hope this isn't where publishing is trying to go.

Lastly, the narrator did their own and also French sounding accents well but almost everything else, especially male-sounding voices, was annoying and distracting.

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I loved every minute of this necessarily uncomfortable but beautiful story

Revisado: 12-05-23

I loved this. The narrator did an amazing job, and the story was simply incredible. I have never felt so seen and heard in my journey of narcissistic abuse and disordered eating coping habits than this book. I came here after finishing The Bell Jar and I have to admit I'm in for a lighter read next but this was simply incredible. Life-altering.

(My one and ONLY gripe was that there was a bit of background fuzz that made it a tad harder to listen to for extended periods. Could use a retouch someday?)

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Great performance, okay story

Revisado: 11-01-23

I loved the voices and much of the story was enjoyable. The characters were interesting and the investigation was easy to follow. However, I was disappointed by the "twist" ending that seemed to come out of nowhere, and the evidence to back it up felt flimsy. I liked the detail about the key fobs in the end but didn't really enjoy how all of a sudden Gish knew who the culprit was and none of the information was really foreshadowed well with information the readers were given or at least well acquainted with. It felt cheap.

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Audio volume is uneven, narrators less interesting

Revisado: 08-22-23

First, the volume tracks seem uneven so even at max volume I can't listen to this at work because I can't hear certain parts and then two lines later it's too loud or sharp.

Second, instead of the story being told by Darrow we very suddenly have three extra POV characters/narrators who are mostly new characters with new plot lines aside from Lysander. This made getting into the story feel *very* slow and uninteresting. The actual voice actors were talented but the story dragged and the mastering needed attention.

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I loved this dark retelling

Revisado: 06-23-22

Yes, this was gruesome and dark. It had horrific elements. It contains hints and minor depictions of graphic sexual violence. While the plot was horrific, the actual elements were not described in detail. There are stories out there that are far worse for no reason. I'm guessing that this one just shocked people who didn't know what to expect, but for those of us who frequently read the original versions of Disney adaptions and even the history behind the writer's intent, this may be more fitting than some realize. The classic tales behind the Disney movies were dark.

But this book, which follows two twisted versions of our beloved Alice and The Mad Hatter, are used instead to tell a very important story about choices, retaining one's sense of self and personal moral code even in a world of madness, when it feels like all of your choices keep being stripped away from you. It also builds compassion on those who have been abused in this way, which is something this world can never have enough of. If you can stomach it, I highly recommend this book.

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Do you like to hear crying babies in public?

Revisado: 03-23-22

Ever put on an audio book to drown out an annoying sound in public, like a crying baby? Don't use this book.

The sound effects are awful and don't stop. Totally unnecessary. The original version of this story was perfect. Leave it alone.

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Unique story and great narration!

Revisado: 12-09-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I'm very excited for the next part! I finished it two days after receiving it. The story is unique and the characters are well crafted. The narration is just slightly over-the-top and I find that delightful! It's appropriately dramatic and suspenseful when needed but a little whimsical during the fun and sweet moments.

I loved that the narration uses faint effects, like adding piano notes, a chorus of carolers, and a different tone when Victoria signs words. It helps immersion greatly!

I received this audiobook free in exchange for an honest review, but I enjoy this story so much that I've purchased the print book and very much look forward to the following installments from this narrator!

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Jim Dale is the best

Revisado: 08-28-20

Jim Dale's voice acting is some of the best I've heard. He really brings each character to life!

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