Category: audio review

The Lorax by Dr Suess (Yes, another banned book)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

 

In the event that you are sad that is the last day of banned books week for 2012 and you either have not had time to read a banned book this week or you wish there was time to read one more – no fear!  There is time!  😀

The LORAX is 72 pages of  glorious pictures and short sentences.  AND if you are more the audio type… the audio book was 30 minutes long AND that included another Dr. Suess book on it as well.

Narrated by a nameless, faceless “Oceler”, The Lorax is a tale of mass marketing before mass marketing was cool.  In this case, our Onceer discovers this beautiful area filled with Truffala Trees that make lovely hats and shirts, socks and gloves.  The Onceler starts to chop down the trees and selling his wears against the Lorax’s wishes.

The Lorax is a fuzzy yellow creature (bigger that the Travelocity Gnome, but not my much) and he speaks for the trees, for as he points out, the trees can not speak for themselves.    Despite the Lorax’s repeated warnings the Onceler is making money selling his product he does not care.  As time passes, the wildlife that lived with the trees disappear and even the Lorax himself sadly goes away leaving only a rock behind that says “Unless”.

What will become of the forest of Truffala trees as one by one and then two by two they disappear to be made into products that are sold?  What will become of the fish and the ponds, and the Onceler, once all the trees…

are gone?

Why did I want to read this book?  There are many banned books out there that deal with subjects that some may find too bold, or too mature or too out of their own personal comfort zone…. The Lorax has always been my go to “laugh out loud” at banned book, and I love sharing with people who, when you think banned books… you also need to add in The LORAX.

I love The LORAX and its messages about handling our earths resources wisely is as timely now as then it written in 1971.  It’s a fun read and an easy red – and apparently s I recited memorized line, a book for all ages. 

 

So Sheila…. ummm… why was The Lorax Banned?

 

In a nut shell (or in this case, in a wood chip) The Lorax was banned because it portrays the foresting industry in an arguable negative way. Some people felt that this book was persuading children to be against logging.

Yup, that’s it.  😛

 

 

 

With this final banned book post for banned book week 2012 I want to thank you for reading the banned book posts this week as well as a huge thank you to all of you who have commented, contributed posts, and giveaways.  May you always feel at liberty to read the books you choose to read – the books that make you think, care, love, hate, cry, shout, dream and put on the shelf.

Sheila

The Chocolate Wars by Robert Cormier (Banned Book Review and a CHOCOLATE GIVEAWAY!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)41 Comments

 

Do I dare disturb the universe?

 

Jerry Renault ponders this question from the Private Catholic School he newly attends.  Each year the school partakes in a chocolate sale which help funds programming.  While the sale is said to be optional for students to participate in , they are strongly, STRONGLY encouraged to do so.This year the students are encouraged to sell double what they did last year,   and the cost has doubled as well.

A group of bad-boy “secret society” types called the Vigils find Jerry to be a target for their latest prank and tell him that he is not to sell the chocolates for the first 11 days.  Each week as the students are tallied for the number of boxes they have sold, Jerry announces he has sold none.  The head master is furious much to the Vigils delight, but after day eleven, Jerry decides to take a stand and not sell the chocolates as all, thus making the head of the Vigils a laughing stock amongst his peers, and this does not go over well.  Jerry’s stand turns into a war witht he Vigils, with some of the students, and with  the school.

As Jerry’s fellow students admire Jerry for his courage, the headmaster as well as the head of the Vigils have other plans for making Jerry comply…

 

The Chocolate Wars is also a movie

Why did I want to read this book?  It is a banned book and looked like one I wanted to give a try to.

Wowza.  Can  say we have a winner?  The Chocolate War is the portrayal of a dystopian type world where you just need to fall in line with what you are told to do… (think Pink Floyd, The Wall video).  When Jerry comes on the scene and at first is bullied into not selling the chocolates like everyone else and then decided to not sell at all.. things get pretty crazy in this book.

Bullying is a strong theme throughout the book, and not just the physical kind – and not just from the students….  really the book is powerful and sad but really made an impact on me.  I am so glad I read it.

The audio is a 5 1/2 hours and was perfect with my current crazy schedule.  Narrated by Frank Muller the book read well and kept me engaged.  Recommended!

 

Why Was The Chocolate War Banned?

2010

Challenged and/or banned for nudity, offensive language, being sexually explicit and unsuited for age group.

2008

Initially removed from Harford County (MD) High School curriculum due to vulgar language overshadowing anti-bullying message, but in November 2007, the school superintendent reversed the ban to allow the use of the book in classes dealing with harassment for which all parents have signed permission slips. Challenged as optional reading in a bullying unit at the Lake Oswego (OR) Junior High School because the novel is “peppered with profanities, ranging from derogatory slang terms to sexual encounters and violence.” Challenged in the Coeur d’Alene (ID) School district where parents say the book, along with 5 other, should require parental permission for students to read them. Challenged as required reading for 7th-grade students at the John H. Kinzie Elementary School in Chicago (IL). Challenged at the Northridge School District in Johnstown (OH) because “if these books were a movie, they would be rated R, why should we encourage them to read these books.”

2007

Challenged, but retained in the West Hartford (CN) schools. Parents of a King Philip Middle School eighth grader thought the language, sexual content, and violence made the book PG-13. Challenged in the Wake County (NC) schools because the book has “vulgar and sexually explicit language.” Parents are getting help from Called2Action, a Christian group that says its mission is to “promote and defend our shared family and social values.”

2006

Challenged for sexual content and offensive language.

2005

Challenged for sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint, being unsuited to age group and violence.

2003

Challenged in Fairfax (VA) school libraries by a group called Parents Against Bad Books in Schools for “profanity and descriptions of drug abuse, sexually explicit conduct and torture”.

2002

Challenged for profanity, scenes of masturbation and sexual fantasy along with segments denigrating to girls.

2001

Challenged in York County (VA) for sexually explicit language. Retained as optional reading for eighth graders in Girard (PA) despite a grandmother finding the book offensive and not wanting her grand-daughter reading it. Challenged for being on the eighth grade reading list of Lancaster (MA) school district for language and content. Challenged at a Lisbon (OH) board of education meeting as a “pornographic” book that should be removed from high school English classes.

 

So… you want some chocolates? 😛

My friend Florinda at The 3 T’s Blog  also wrote a post on the Chocolate Wars today (book version) and we thought it would be fun to a little “sweetness” to our reviews.  I will be giving away Ghiradelli chocolates to one of the lucky commenters using both out blog posts to enter.  Just leave a comment on either my or Florindas post for an entry – comment on both and you will get three entries because math… is not my strength :D. 

 

The Giver by Lois Lowry (Banned Book Week with a giveaway copy!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)50 Comments

Jonas lives in a world where there is no poverty, no sickness, and no thought or dream that is left unturned by his elders.  In Jonas futuristic world, children are given privileges and assignments by age.  At 9, you earn your bike… your transportation.  At 12, which is where Jonas is at, you are assigned your life career bu the elders of the community.  While Jonas anxiously wonders what he will be – and hopes he likes what is chosen for him…

Jonas is assigned a position that was considered an honor position, he would be The Receiver Of Memories.  At first, this seems pretty cool.  Jonas is given rights that others (even the elders) have never been given.  While being trained by the elderly man “The Giver” who has maintained the position for years, Jonas is allowed to ask questions that in other places would be rude, but as the Receiver, he had privileges and rights.  He is given the right to see and posses all the memories through the history of his world and he soon learns he can go back in this new memory and see birthday parties (something he had never seen!) and scents, and families, and the word love… but he also sees war, and learns the truth about his world, a truth he does not wish to know…

and now he has to decide if he can live with knowing…

 

Reminds me a bit of the Hunger Games

 

Why did I want to read this book?  This is another book that has graced my shelves for years…. I knew this was a book that I must read, but I had not.  Now, during Banned Book Week, the title came up on the list and I knew it was time.  I chose the audio version as it is a little over 4 hours long and worked well into my schedule – I could listen while cooking and cleaning.

I admit, I am always a little nervous on older titles that deal with “futuristic” scenarios.  I never have enjoyed sci-fi, but let me stand before you.. corrected.  The Giver is dystopian before dystopia novels were cool.  Or, more accurately, before we knew dystopia novels were cool.  I picked up themes of The Hunger Games, and Divergent…. two books I really enjoyed.

And another thing.  The Giver, although the cover is a picture of this God-like old man… is indeed a YA novel.  Seriously, I am blown away.

The Giver is one of those books that I would say need to be on everyone’s book bucket list.  Filled with wisdom and thought provoking dialogue, The Giver is one that will remain on my keeper shelf. 

 

Why was The Giver Banned?

* The Giver was challenged in 1995 by a parent in Franklin County, Kansas, on the grounds that it is “concerned with murder, suicide, and the degradation of motherhood and adolescence.” The book was removed from elementary libraries but remained available for classroom use at teachers’ discretion.

* In Wrenshall, Minnesota, a school board member and two parents objected to the inclusion of The Giver on a list of books to be purchased for a high school, on the grounds of offensive language and objectionable themes. The school board approved the book but stipulated that parents would receive a list of books to be studied during the year.

* In Johnson County, Missouri, complainants charged that The Giver desensitized children to euthanasia and asked that the book “not be read in class to children under high school age.” The book remains in the high school section of the K-12 library.

* A parent in Sidney, New York, publicly objected to the novel’s “usage of mind control, selective breeding, and the elimination of the old and young alike when they are weak, feeble and of no more use…” but did not file a formal complaint.

* A review committee in Brecksville, Ohio, recommended the removal of The Giver from an elementary library. Objections referred to infanticide and adult themes in the novel. The book was removed.

* Somewhere in Oklahoma, a parent objected to the novel’s use of terms such as “clairvoyance,” “transcendent,” and “guided imagery,” because these are “all occult New Age practices the Bible tells us to avoid.” The review committee voted unanimously to retain the book but prohibited it from being read aloud in fourth grade. The committee also recommended that immature readers be discouraged from trying it, and that the librarian should make fewer copies available.

* Medford, Oregon: In the absence of a formal review policy, language arts teachers decided not to use the book in seventh grade classrooms after a parent complained of graphic descriptions of euthanasia.

* In 1994, The Giver was temporarily banned from classes by the Bonita Unified School District in LaVerne and San Dimas, California, after four parents complained that violent and sexual passages were inappropriate for children.

* The book was restricted to students with parental permission at the Columbia Falls, Mont. school system in 1995 because of its treatment of themes of infanticide and euthanasia.

I am giving away a copy of this book!

To enter this giveaway – share with me in a comment, using the book you are currently reading (banned or not) and tell me why that book should be banned.  Just make something up!  Have fun with it!  😀  Winner will be chosen on Sunday using random.org 🙂

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Banned Book Week!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)22 Comments

 

Charlie… prefers to observe.  Well, observe and carry on discussions on paper written to “Dear Friend” about the people he sees, how funny some people act now that he is in 10th grade, why things are the way they are, the girl he likes, the discrimination he sees, why does he always respond by crying, and his quirky family dynamics. 

Charlie, alone is just fine as he is quite self motivated and can find plenty to do.  His English teacher seems to pick up on Charlies gift of reading and writing and assigns his additional reports to write on books that he chooses for Charlie which is well… fine, and maybe a little weird as Charlie really doesn’t want his only friend to be his English teacher.

That’s just awkward.

And then Charlie meets Sam and Patrick and things get a little easier.  Sam is Patrick’s (beautiful!) sister and they too seem to stand a bit to the sidelines, but somehow – they make it look cool to be on the outside of the clicks and the trends.  As their friendship grows Charlie becomes more sure of himself and more comfortable in his own skin.

 

 

Why did I want to read this book?  This one was on my radar for last years Banned Book Week and I just never got to it.  Now that it is a movie (released Sept 14th of this year) I knew I really had to make time for it.

 

Why oh why does it take me so long to read some books that I know I want to and them when I do…. wow, I have to say what took me so long?  Perks Of Being A Wallflower on audio made me laugh, sigh, and yeah, like Charlie, it made me cry… but in a good way.  Narrated by Noah Galvin I had goosebumpy (my word) feelings of a John Green novel – and that is a BIG compliment.

The book is smart and witty.  Charlie’s character is the perfect mix of teenage awkwardness, low self-esteem, and the push to be something more because you know inside… you are something more.  I love books that talk about books and when (yes when!) I listen to this one again I will need to write down all the book references because there is something about books that talk about books that makes me want to read the books that were discussed.   To Kill A Mockingbird, Catcher In The Rye, Walden, The Fountainhead, Naked Lunch, Peter Pan…  (and I love that some of them are banned books as this one is too!).

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is about growing up and growing strong.  It is about friendships that don’t relay on status or stereotypes.  It is a book I think we all need to read in our lifetime and sit back and bask in what true friendship is.  It is heartbreaking at times and it is heartwarming.  Looking for a great audio?  Pick this one up and thank me later.  🙂

 

Why was Perks Of Being A Wallflower Challenged/Banned?

According to the Marshall University Library the book has been banned and challenged since 2003 for sexually explicit conduct, drug use, and a rape scene.

 

 

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

 

Book’d Out is reviewing this one today too

At Owl Tell You All About is a review and a giveaway for a copy of this book!

PREP by Curtis Sentenfield (Celebrating Banned book Week and a Giveaway!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)38 Comments

Lee Fiora knew from a young age she wanted out.  Out of her hum drum life in South Bend Indiana, out from under her parents smothering thumbs….  she dreamed of being a boarding school student but her family did not have the means or the desire to see her attend such a place.  Lee knew is she wanted to make that dream come true, she would have to work for it.  When Lee earns a scholarship to Ault, her family is shocked but accepts that their daughter is going away.

What Lee finds at school is mostly money kids who have always had access to money and never have known what it is like to live on a budget.  These students were raised as privileged and Lee finds herself feeling insecure in her placement at Ault, while few know she is on scholarship, she fears she reeks of inadequacy. 

Between hot girls and cute boys (enter the likes of super hotty Cross Sugarman), Lee stumbles along always feeling like an outsider.  She works hard to earn every tiny step she makes towards feeling good about herself and if making slow but steady progress when she makes a major lack of good judgement and destroys all that she has worked so hard to earn.

Prep, is Lee’s story.  She narrates this as being 24 years old looking back at her days in Ault, reliving each feeling and what, now in hind site, she could have done differently.

Why did I want to read PREP?  I actually started reading PREP over a year ago.  At no fault of the book, life became busy, I sat it down and just did not get the time to finish it.  This year, I found the audio version at a sale and could nor resist giving it another go.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out this book was also a Banned Book, so it fit right into my Banned book Week planning. 
PREP is Lee’s story.  Narrated by Julie Dretzin this 17 hour+ audio can feel long at times, and yet author Curtis Sittenfield keeps it  engaging.  As Lee retells her prep school adventures you can feel for her… trying to find a good roommate, avoiding the girls that others pick on so she can up her status, meeting the guy, thinking about the guy, dreaming of the guy… and then getting the guy…

sort of.

It’s hard to review this book because it really is day-to-day life at Ault and while as I mentioned above, there are periods in Lee’s retelling that seem to be drawn out… in reality, life is not one big moment after another… but times of small moments… with occasional big ones. 😀  All in all, while PREP wasn’t over the top engaging, it did hold my interest and I am glad I had this opportunity to listen to it. 

Why was PREP challenged/banned?

In 2008 and in 2009 Pulled from the accelerated reading program in the Heritage Oak School in Yorba Linda (CA). A parent complained that the book was “pornographic.”

My thoughts:  PREP has a few sex scenes, but they are not anything detailed and I have read much more detailed scenes in books that are not banned. 

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

Check out other banned book reviews and giveaways here

 

 

For this giveaway – A $10 Amazon gift card will be given away at the end of Banned Book Week.  To enter, let me know in a comment what book on the banned book list really surprises you.  Click here for a list of these books.

Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson (oh my!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

 

Rose Mae Lolley knew the power she had over men… they looked at her and they liked what they seen.  As a  teenager and as a young woman Rose Mae knew how to get what she wanted with a bat of an eye…

But now, that wild flirty girl Rose Mae is buried down deep, and Ro, as she now goes by, is quiet, patronizing, shy, and trapped in a marriage to Tom Grandee filled with both love and abuse.  No longer does Rose wear the frilly sleeveless shirts of her youth, traded instead for Ro’s wardrobe of long sleeves and pants that cover the bruises…

Then one day Ro crosses paths with a gypsy who shares with her the cards that spell out Ro’s future… that if she does not escape her current path she is going to die, killed at the hands of her husband… unless…. she kills him first.
Bubbling beneath Ro’s quiet and scared demeanor, Rose Mae makes her way back to the surface working on taking back her life, and while she’s at it, Fat Gretal her dog as well.  But Tom does not let go easy and Rose has to make sure she knows how far she is willing to go to live again.

 

 

Why did I want to listen to this audio?  I have seen Joshilyn Jacksons books around and have heard good things.  This one had a fun title and narrated by the author, I thought this would be the way to go.  If you listened to the YouTube video above you hear Joshlyn’s voice and that accent makes this listen so much fun!

 

Pack yourself up for a fun southern spin on this one!  Rose Mae is a fun little southern number who’s mama left a long time ago and her dad was as quick with his fists as her husbands.  It seems like Rose Mae has never had the chance to experience what it was like to be loved by a good, kind, man. 

Author and Narrator Joshilyn Jackson makes this audio book a fun journey.  She really breathes life into her creation, Rose “Ro” Mae with a kickin attitude and a way of making things work…. eventually.  The more I listened the more I wanted to know what was going to happen.  While dealing with a heavy topic, it never feels that way…. mixed in with some lighthearted fun, I actually hope Rose Mae shows up in a future story because I really wouldn’t mind knowing more about a group of offbeat characters that hold a soft spot now in my heart. 

I will be looking for more from this author.

Amazon Rating

Goodreads Review

 

Defending Jacob by William Landay

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)30 Comments

Andy Barber has become known as someone not to go up against court rooms of Massachusetts, New England. He is well respected in his community and has been a pillar for about twenty some years.  Andy’s home is a happy one where he lives with his lovely wife Laurie and their 14 year old son Jacob.  If Andy were to be asked what he wished for, he would say all his wishes had come true already.

When a classmate of Jacob’s is killed, Andy is one of the first ones to investigate this unthinkable crime.  When talking with other students he is lead to start watching social networking sites and what he finds there is disturbing, the trail is leading to his son Jacob.  When Jacob becomes a suspect, Andy is removed from the case and even accused of interfering with the clues.  When Jacob is charged with the murder, Andy and Laura are tossed into a new world of accusations every where they turn. 

As Andy and Laura work at defending their son more and more information comes out including a past pattern of Jacob being cruel to animals as well as some unmentionable activity on a website Andy had never even heard of.  Yet Jacob swears he is innocent and Andy believes him, now with his hands tied, all he can do is sit back and watch the trail play out, hoping that the real killer is found.

 

Why did I want to read this book?  From the moment I heard about this one on line I was interested.  Court cases have always kind of sucked me in (years ago it was John Grisham, more recently Jodi Piccoult…).  A story about a young boy accused of murdering a classmate was something I wanted to know more about.

Defending Jacob was a phenomenal listen.   Grover Gardner did an excellent job of Narrating, distinguishing clearly between the many male voices in this tale of crime and accusation. 

Imagine if your child was accused of a murder.  Yes, your child who you tuck in at night, watch him play sports, pull in decent grades, and has a nice network of friends.  He is not a loaner.  He is not a dark distant child.  He is a typical teenage boy…. you can not fathom this accusation. 

That is the feeling that grabbed me as I listened to this novel.  I imagined as a parent what that would feel like and how you would hold it together.  As you listen you will see two parents trying to hold it together as their world around them falls apart.  Really, a story line that reads true, like anything you could read in the paper. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Defending Jacob and I am so glad I finally made time to experience it.  As I listened I could not decide it…. did Jacob do it?  Is he innocent?  If not Jacob, then who?

There’s only one way for you to find out…

READ THIS BOOK.  😀

There And Back Again by Sean Astin

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

When Sean Astin received the call to come in and try out for the part of Samwise Gamgee he was excited and apprehensive.  The excitement stemmed from the fact that the possible job offer was good timing, his career has stalled and good movie roles were few and far between.  Sean was a little apprehensive because although he had heard of the books… he had never read them. 

Who really was Samwise? 

Upon receiving the part, Sean packed his bags for an 18 month stay in New Zealand for the filming of the movies.  While the part was exciting, it was hard work and Sean was frustrated with how little his role was, after all, his hours upon hours on the set took away from his time with his wife and child and the money wasn’t all that great.

This audio is Sean’s telling of the behind the scenes look at the filming of the movies, the actors and the controversy…

 

 

Why did I want to listen to this audio?  I am a fan of all things Tolkien and I guess if I say that, that means Tolkien actors as well.  When I first heard of this book I was intrigued as here was Sean who played Samwise, not the biggest role, and that sparked my interest too.  What would he say about his role?  The making of the movies?  Bilbo? 

There And Back Again is indeed Sean’s story.  Well…. scratch that a second.  I just recently picked up on the fact that The Hobbit is officially called The Hobbit, or There And Back Again.  It’s true.  There And Back Again was already taken by Tolkien… sort of, as we all know the book to be known as The Hobbit. 

Oh how I digress….

Anyhoo… While Sean’s story is interesting and I enjoyed hearing all the backstage stuff about the costumes, and how long it takes to get ready, there was an underlining feeling of forcefulness throughout the book….

What do I mean?

On one hand Sean would be talking about how great it was to meet and work with the other actors and then he would be pulling out character flaws about them – “unfriendly, self-absorbed, made him feel unworthy, late to the set…”  To me if felt like Sean was saying one thing and then someone else was telling him to “add more”, give the reader more!!!!”  So he does, by throwing some under the bus… actually, almost everyone in the movie as well as some extra actors not in the movie for good measure (Sorry Johnny Depp, Brendan Fraser…)

I did find There And Back Again interesting and I did like knowing more about the movie, the budgets, the long hours, and the low pay, things I tend not to think about when I am sitting in a theater with my popcorn and diet coke as big as my head staring at the big screen thinking “This is soooo awesome!”  My only regret for Sean Astin is that I think his book may have done harm to relationships and possibly even for future roles as he comes off as having low self-esteem and  paranoid. 

Personally, I like the guy and I like his acting.  I wish him the best in all he does… but to my readers, if you want to try this one – borrow it from the library.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)33 Comments

It’s 1920, and Alaska is a harsh place to try to build a life but that is exactly what Jack and Mabel have done.  Having never been able to have a child of their own, the couple now growing older seem to be drifting apart as Jack struggles to maintain the farmland and survive the brutal winters while Mabel suffers from loneliness and depression. 

When the seasons first snowfall comes, in a rare moment of lightness the couple build a child out of snow covering her with Mabel hat and scarf.  In the morning the snow child is gone, but the couple start seeing a mysterious young girl in the woods wearing the hat and scarf. 

At first the girl is a rare sighting, they only see her in the winter months and they speak to their friends about the girl in the woods they are told that no child lives in the area.  Yet Jack and Mabel continue to see her and one day she comes out of the woods, and when invited into their home she comes in.  The girl says her name is Faina and even though she comes for supper with the older couple, she always leaves and when spring comes she is gone until the following years snowfall…

Mabel’s sister sends her a book that their father used to read to them as children about a child made of snow, and to Mabel it almost seems as though the child has stepped right out of the pages of this fairy tale!  But the ending in the book is not a happy one and Mabel refuses to believe that Faina is merely something magical and will suffer the same fate, although seems seem to be following the books story line…

Why did I choose to read this book?  I blame the book bloggers!  A while back I seen this title popping up everywhere and it sounded like a sweet read.  When I found it on audible.com I had to give it a try.

The Snow Child is everything I hoped it would be.  The story line is filled with a richness that takes your breath away.  Told in this fairy tale like way I could easily picture the couple so desperately wanting a child that bring one to life out of snow.  You could envision the cold long winters of early Alaska and I would imagine being in a small house for months on end with little to do but try to make the food last and stay warm could wear on a person…. but now imagine if you could break up these long days with the chance of seeing a young girl who has become like a daughter to you.  You sew coats for her and talk to her and she appears to be everything you have been missing in life. 

The Snow Child is a book that makes you believe. 

Amazon Review

Goodreads

I purchased my copy of this audio from audible.com

Seconds Away by Harlan Coben ( and BBAW Giveaway!)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)19 Comments

 

Mickey Bolitar is not sure how trouble finds him… but it most certainly does.  Now, a school friend of his has been shot and the police are not too appreciative of Mickey’s interest in the case.  After all, Mickey is just a teenager with not much else to do but go to school and hang out with his friends, Ema (pronounced E (long E) ma) and Spoon. 

As Mickey gets closer and closer to the truth, the truth is making its way closer and closer to him…

and it wants to shut him up.

Harlan Coben and I New York 2011

Why did I want to listen to this audio?  I always tell people when I was in High School and a few years beyond my “go to” author was Stephen King.  In my twenties I started to find King to be a bit too high on the creep factor so I made my way to Dean Koontz who I found to be a little lighter than King and a bit more sense of humor (plus I love the end of Koontz books where he explains more about the book and the idea behind it).  Then Koontz came out with a few that were more like King and I discovered Harlan Coben.  Coben is lighter than Koontz, has a quick wit that I love and I have not found a book of his yet that I have not enjoyed.  I am also finding it brilliant how he slid into YA reads by creating a nephew for his star series character, Myron Bolitar.

 

First of, I did not realize this was a second in a series and knowing that now, it explains a bit of what I found missing : 1.  how did Mickey come to be living with his uncle?  2.  What happened to Mickey’s dad?

That said, other than those two things I picked up on in the beginning the story flowed wonderfully.  Mickey is a great character that I think will be a great lead in to young adults who enjoy mysteries, as well as connecting to his older character Myron who can keep these same readers moving right from Mickey to Myron (nicely played Harlan Coben, Nicely played!)  And I enjoyed this book too so I will definitely continue on as well as get my hands on that first book, Shelter to catch up completely.

The narrator of this audio was Nick Podehl and I am nowhere near a narrator snob (YET) but as I was listening to this one I swore I knew that voice.  Once home I checked it out and sure enough, Nick has narrated some of John Green’s books and I see he also narrates the Chaos Walking series of Patrick Ness which makes me want to pick up that first book again but this time in audio because I hear they are WONDERFUL.
This book will be released September 18th, normally I do not review before a book is released but I did not notice I was ahead of the game until I was writing this post – so note that it will be available soon!  😀

I have a new copy of this audio in my home that I would like to put up for giveaway in honor of BBAW this week.  Please leave a comment here letting me know if you have read Harlan Coben before and if so which book(s).  This winner will be announced Saturday morning.