Gazwj
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House of Hollow
- By: Krystal Sutherland
- Narrated by: Eleanor Bennett
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The Hollow sisters—Vivi, Grey and Iris—are as seductively glamorous as they are mysterious. They have black eyes and hair as white as milk. The Hollow sisters don't have friends—they don't need them. They move through the corridors like sharks, the other little fish parting around them, whispering behind their backs. And everyone knows who the Hollow sisters are. Because one day the three Hollow sisters simply disappeared. And when they came back, one month later, with no memory of where they had been, it was as if nothing had changed.
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An eerily addictive contemporary fairytale
- By Amazon Customer on 27-04-21
- House of Hollow
- By: Krystal Sutherland
- Narrated by: Eleanor Bennett
Decent but left me hollow
Reviewed: 26-10-24
An intriguing plot that keeps you guessing.
It was a little overly descriptive at times, often making comparisons to things it didn't need to ("it fell into the water...with a plop... like a stone dropped by a small child...standing looking wistfully...at the side of a dark river). Some of this was great for character and world building, but there were quite a few times when it was just too much. Given the subject matter and genre, it sometimes felt like it took an age to get to where we were going, which removed suspense and slowed the plot.
It's not constantly throughout the book, but often the way the dialogue was written leans towards juvenile and uncreative ("Blah blah blah" NAME said. "Blah blah blah" OTHER NAME said). Very repetitive, but as I said, this was often bit wasn't all the time.
I didn't need the 17 year old girl kissing a 20 something year old man. It added nothing. His ending coould have happened without that and nothing would have been lost.
The narrator fit who was telling the story well, however she did mispronounce a few words here and there. For example, Satan was SAT-ANN.
The ending felt a little anti-climatic. After how long it took to get there, I needed something a little more shocking, with more peril and consequence. I also didn't like that we never found out the origin (no spoilers, you'll understand after you finish). This wasn't an ambiguous, "use your imagination" ending...it simply doesn't answer the biggest question. It left me wondering "what was the point?". Lastly, once the third act got going, it was very predictable.
All in all, a decent listen, but left me, if you'll allow, a little hollow.
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William
- By: Mason Coile
- Narrated by: Honey St. Dennis
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Henry, a brilliant but reclusive engineer, has achieved the crowning discovery of his career: he's created an artificially intelligent consciousness. He names the half-formed robot William. But there's something strange about William. It's not that his skin feels like balloon rubber and is the colour of curdled milk, nor is it his thick gurgling laugh or the way his tongue curls towards his crooked top teeth. It is the way he looks at Henry's wife, Lily. Henry created William but he is starting to lose control of him.
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Spoiled ending
- By Thomas on 03-12-24
- William
- By: Mason Coile
- Narrated by: Honey St. Dennis
Interesting.....not that scary though
Reviewed: 22-10-24
I liked that this was a short book, easily got through in 1 or 2 sittings. It's an interesting plot, especially with recent advancements in AI.
It was hinting at the supernatural, before seemingly becoming horror sci-fi. However, it veered back, last minute, into being supernatural again. I understand why, as the books namesake would have vanished around 2/3 of the way through, never to return. Personally, it would have been a far scarier ending had it not had that supernatural element return towards the end. Also, the ambiguous ending only kind of made sense. If you like to guess where things are going, not be told, this might leave you asking "ok, but why?".
I personally felt the narrator was not the right choice. She just didn't fit. I also found the way the dialogue between characters was written to be juvenile, uncreative and repetitive ("Blah blah blah" NAME said. "Blah blah blah" OTHER NAME said).
Lastly, I could maybe understand if you were reading the short chapters (a staggering 50 in total!), then it might build suspense. As an audiobook, I don't"t feel it works. It took me out of the story, making it feel like a stop/start jerky car ride.
Overall, worth a listen. Some of the choices could have been better, definitely not as scary as I anticipated but thought provoking, if you ignore the supernatural element.
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How to Kill Your Family
- By: Bella Mackie
- Narrated by: Charly Clive, Paul Panting
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Meet Grace Bernard. Daughter, sister, colleague, friend, serial killer. Grace has lost everything. And now she wants revenge.
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This should come with Fatphobia Trigger Warning.
- By petronella on 29-07-21
- How to Kill Your Family
- By: Bella Mackie
- Narrated by: Charly Clive, Paul Panting
Very interesting!
Reviewed: 12-09-24
Had my enthralled from the starrt. I like "girly" novels, but my main love is horror and crime. So this was a perfect combo.
The protagonist is a woman who's done evil things, but you understand why.
A little disappointed with the ending, but I understand why the "happy ending" trope wasn't used here. Unsatisfying in a satisfying way, or perhaps vice versa.
Definitely worth a listen and thoroughly enjoyed.
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FantasticLand
- A Novel
- By: Mike Bockoven
- Narrated by: Angela Dawe, Luke Daniels
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Since the 1970s, FantasticLand has been the theme park where "Fun is Guaranteed!" But when a hurricane ravages the Florida coast and isolates the park, the employees find it anything but fun. Five weeks later, the authorities who rescue the survivors encounter a scene of horror. Photos soon emerge online of heads on spikes outside of rides and viscera and human bones littering the gift shops, breaking records for hits, views, likes, clicks, and shares.
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Excellent!
- By Gillian on 02-02-18
- FantasticLand
- A Novel
- By: Mike Bockoven
- Narrated by: Angela Dawe, Luke Daniels
Not amazing but good
Reviewed: 11-09-24
I like the style of progressing the story through interviews. it kept it fresh, instead of the same person talking the whole time, or an disembodied narrator.
However, the start focused too much on the history of the park, and not enough on what happened in the shelter. Individuals got mentioned, as if they'd be important later, but then weren't talked about much again, or at all. This book could've been longer with the plot more flushed out. Once you knew where the situation was going, nothing happened in the book after that surprised me. Hints in one of the final interviews could have been hinted at far more throughout the book.
There's a difference between "leave them wanting more", or "the scariest things are the things you don't see", and feeling like big chunks of plot are missing. That's how I left this book. Like big chunks of the plot had been left out.
Still worth a listen, and maybe one day there'll be a follow up to give us more plot.
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The September House
- By: Carissa Orlando
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee. Margaret is not most people. Margaret is staying.
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Not sure
- By Francine on 21-10-23
- The September House
- By: Carissa Orlando
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
Great plot, poorly executed
Reviewed: 01-07-24
The story is a great idea and an interesting take on the typical haunted house genre, but the writing style is juvenile, relative and the ending, while good, was a little too on the nose for me. Worth a listen though.
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Fyneshade
- By: Kate Griffin
- Narrated by: Charlie Sanderson
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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On the day of her grandmother's funeral, Marta discovers that she is to be sent to be governess at Fyneshade, her charge the young daughter of the owner, Sir William Pritchard. All is not well at Fyneshade. Sir William is mysteriously absent, and his son and heir Vaughan is forbidden to enter the house. Marta finds herself drawn to him, despite the warnings of the housekeeper that Vaughan is a danger to all around him. But Marta is no innocent to be preyed upon. Guided by the dark gift taught to her by her grandmother, she has made her own plans.
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Vanity, greed and bloodlust in the Peak District
- By Sally White on 16-01-24
- Fyneshade
- By: Kate Griffin
- Narrated by: Charlie Sanderson
Gothic goodness!
Reviewed: 30-06-24
I really enjoyed this. The link to The Turning of the Screw was delicious. If you like githic mansions, an eerie atmosphere and an protagonist you love to dislike, then this is a very good listen.
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Green Wing: Resuscitated
- By: Victoria Pile, James Henry, Oriane Messina, and others
- Narrated by: Oliver Chris, Olivia Colman, Pippa Haywood, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
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They’re back! The all-star cast multi-award-winning cult hit comedy returns, with more surreal goings-on in the lives and loves of the doctors and staff at East Hampton Hospital (warning: contains very little medical content).
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Perfect, hilarious return of the imperious Green Wing
- By Anonymous User on 29-04-24
Worth a listen
Reviewed: 03-06-24
I am a huge Green Wing fan and have watched it from strat to finish multiple times. Would've much prefered to see this on TV and the acting was clearly all done separately and pieces together. The story was ok but I hate endings with no conclusion, or implied conclusion. Worth a listen but TV show would've made the acting more reliable and he story funnier.
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The Satsuma Complex
- By: Bob Mortimer
- Narrated by: Sally Phillips, Bob Mortimer
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Gary Thorn goes for a pint with a work acquaintance called Brendan. When Brendan leaves early, Gary meets a girl in the pub. He doesn’t catch her name, but falls for her anyway. When she suddenly disappears without saying goodbye, all Gary has to remember her by is the book she was reading: The Satsuma Complex. But when Brendan goes missing, Gary needs to track down the girl he now calls Satsuma to get some answers. And so begins Gary’s quest, through the estates and pie shops of South London, to finally bring some love and excitement into his unremarkable life.
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Sorry Bob!
- By Ursula Mckenna on 29-10-22
- The Satsuma Complex
- By: Bob Mortimer
- Narrated by: Sally Phillips, Bob Mortimer
Funny little murder mystery
Reviewed: 16-12-22
Not too long, Sally Phillips narrated well, Bob Mortimer sounded like he was reading at times but still did ok, funny phrases.....a compact and interesting little crime story. I enjoyed it.
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Mort: Discworld, Book 4
- By: Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Tony Robinson
- Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins
- Abridged
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For Mort, a scythe is about to become one of the tools of his trade. Henceforth, Death is no longer going to be the end, merely the means to an end. He has received an offer he can't refuse. As Death's apprentice, he'll have free board and use of the company horse. And being dead isn't compulsory. It's a dream job - until he discovers that it can be a love-life killer.
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Didn't realise this was the abridged version
- By Becci Richardson on 23-03-18
- Mort: Discworld, Book 4
- By: Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Tony Robinson
Very enjoyable
Reviewed: 05-12-22
My husband is a big fan of the Discworld series and recommended I start with the books that feature Death. The story is simple to follow and some of the quotes are legendary. Definitely worth a listen 👍
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Love, Lucy
- By: Lucille Ball
- Narrated by: Lucie Arnaz
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Love, Lucy is the valentine Lucille Ball left for her fans—a warm, wise, and witty memoir written by Lucy herself. The legendary star of the classic sitcom I Love Lucy was at the pinnacle of her success when she sat down to record the story of her life. No comedienne had made America laugh so hard, no television actress had made the leap from radio and B movies to become one of the world’s best-loved performers. This is her story—in her own words.
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very recommendable
- By Mug punter on 21-12-24
- Love, Lucy
- By: Lucille Ball
- Narrated by: Lucie Arnaz
An interesting peak backstage at old Hollywood
Reviewed: 05-12-22
I love the golden age of musicals and watched them often as a child when being looked after by my grandparents and great grandparents. I only really remember Lucille Ball from the movie Mame, but this was an interesting look back at old Hollywood and the golden age of cinema. Especially as it gives a peak behind the curtain and makes the famous stars more human and real. I really enjoyed it.
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