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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Last Holiday [Audiobook] in Books
Jun 11, 2023
![The Last Holiday [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/634/86651570-1252-41ec-b241-209829bf0634.jpg?m=1686481353)
This is the first book I have listened to/read by Amy Sheppard and, overall, I wasn't disappointed.
The story centres around a group of friends on a camping holiday to celebrate one of the groups daughters 18th birthday. It becomes pretty clear early on that the group is full of secrets and angst that ends up having deadly consequences.
The narrator did a great job but due to the amount of characters with each chapter being from a different point of view, I did find it difficult to keep track of which character I was with. You wouldn't have this problem with a physical book but dipping in and out of an audiobook (as I tend to do), made this a tad confusing and did reduce my enjoyment just a little but not by much.
The characters were an interesting and eclectic bunch most of which I found not particularly likeable so didn't have a lot of sympathy with what befell them but I loved the twists and turns that I didn't see coming which kept me listening intently until the whole story was revealed.
Overall, a good audiobook but I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read the physical book but I must thank Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Last Holiday.
The story centres around a group of friends on a camping holiday to celebrate one of the groups daughters 18th birthday. It becomes pretty clear early on that the group is full of secrets and angst that ends up having deadly consequences.
The narrator did a great job but due to the amount of characters with each chapter being from a different point of view, I did find it difficult to keep track of which character I was with. You wouldn't have this problem with a physical book but dipping in and out of an audiobook (as I tend to do), made this a tad confusing and did reduce my enjoyment just a little but not by much.
The characters were an interesting and eclectic bunch most of which I found not particularly likeable so didn't have a lot of sympathy with what befell them but I loved the twists and turns that I didn't see coming which kept me listening intently until the whole story was revealed.
Overall, a good audiobook but I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read the physical book but I must thank Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Last Holiday.
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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Coldest Girl in Coldtown in Books
May 16, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5. Rounded to 4.
I don’t really tend to read a lot of vampire books anymore, especially when they’ve been labeled young adult. Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is definitely an exception to that habit. I needed a break from flipping pages and wanted to get in a little bit of time gaming. When I saw The Coldest Girl in Coldtown available for an immediate audio book borrow from OverDrive, I decided to give it a shot. I’d heard of Holly Black, even if I hadn’t read any of her work.
Black’s novel takes vampirism and spreads it in the same manner that most post-apocalyptic novels spread the infectious diseases that create zombies. Vampires are romanticized, as they often are, especially in young adult books, and in this case, they no longer live in the shadows; rather, they have taken up residence in government organized areas known as Coldtowns. Those that have been infected with the vampire virus are also holed up within the walls of this cities, and there’s no shortage of food, because people are dying to get in.
Waking up after passing out at a party, the main character, a young woman named Tana, finds herself amidst a massacre: people she knows have been slaughtered by vampires. The only survivors are her, an ex-boyfriend, and a strange boy. Her ex is infected, and the boy is a vampire. Deciding to turn him in for a bounty, and worried that her ex will become a vampire himself, the trio travel to Coldtown. It isn’t long before Tana finds herself caught up in what could loosely be described as vampire politics. Amongst betrayal, she must persevere in order to guarantee her own survival.
The majority of the story is told from Tana’s perspective, with a few chapters written in Gavriel, the vampire’s, and another one, maybe two, from her younger sister’s, Pearl’s, point-of-view. These changes exist solely to expound on certain events that have led the characters to where they are, such as Gavriel’s past — which is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite parts of the book. Each chapter also begins with an excerpt, usually from a poem that deals with death, the undead, or vampires.
Voices make a huge impact on listening to audio books, especially for me. If I can’t stand the voice, I will not finish the book more than likely. In the case of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the narrator, Christine Lakin, is absolutely amazing. Her voice is pleasant to listen to, and there is a clear difference between the way each of the characters speak.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown isn’t among my favorite reads, perhaps because I prefer the more traditional approaches to vampires, but it is, undoubtedly, an fun journey. If you like your vampires a bit on the softer side of the spectrum, this one is definitely worth picking up.
I don’t really tend to read a lot of vampire books anymore, especially when they’ve been labeled young adult. Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is definitely an exception to that habit. I needed a break from flipping pages and wanted to get in a little bit of time gaming. When I saw The Coldest Girl in Coldtown available for an immediate audio book borrow from OverDrive, I decided to give it a shot. I’d heard of Holly Black, even if I hadn’t read any of her work.
Black’s novel takes vampirism and spreads it in the same manner that most post-apocalyptic novels spread the infectious diseases that create zombies. Vampires are romanticized, as they often are, especially in young adult books, and in this case, they no longer live in the shadows; rather, they have taken up residence in government organized areas known as Coldtowns. Those that have been infected with the vampire virus are also holed up within the walls of this cities, and there’s no shortage of food, because people are dying to get in.
Waking up after passing out at a party, the main character, a young woman named Tana, finds herself amidst a massacre: people she knows have been slaughtered by vampires. The only survivors are her, an ex-boyfriend, and a strange boy. Her ex is infected, and the boy is a vampire. Deciding to turn him in for a bounty, and worried that her ex will become a vampire himself, the trio travel to Coldtown. It isn’t long before Tana finds herself caught up in what could loosely be described as vampire politics. Amongst betrayal, she must persevere in order to guarantee her own survival.
The majority of the story is told from Tana’s perspective, with a few chapters written in Gavriel, the vampire’s, and another one, maybe two, from her younger sister’s, Pearl’s, point-of-view. These changes exist solely to expound on certain events that have led the characters to where they are, such as Gavriel’s past — which is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite parts of the book. Each chapter also begins with an excerpt, usually from a poem that deals with death, the undead, or vampires.
Voices make a huge impact on listening to audio books, especially for me. If I can’t stand the voice, I will not finish the book more than likely. In the case of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the narrator, Christine Lakin, is absolutely amazing. Her voice is pleasant to listen to, and there is a clear difference between the way each of the characters speak.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown isn’t among my favorite reads, perhaps because I prefer the more traditional approaches to vampires, but it is, undoubtedly, an fun journey. If you like your vampires a bit on the softer side of the spectrum, this one is definitely worth picking up.
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Maze Runner in Books
Jan 31, 2018
I wanted to read this book before the movie came out. One usually hears, "The book is better than the movie." And I always make the effort to read the book first. I haven't seen the Fault in Our Stars yet (sorry) because I haven't read the book - but plan to!
I honestly didn't know the plot of this book prior to reading it and I'm glad. It's a dystopian-style novel akin to Divergent or the Hunger Games. The unique premise sparked my interest and compelling narrative kept it, rapt, for the two days it took me to "read" it. (The first copy I could get my hands from my library on was the audio version, so it's takes longer to read and forces me to review it differently.)
Unlike some novels, I found myself enjoying the speaker of the novel rather than being taking out of the story by their voice acting. It's always amusing to hear the reader do the opposite gender. Despite the quality of the audiobook, my advice? Read the physical book. There are intricacies and conversations that you may wish to reread, which can't happen easily with the audio. Simply, you miss things.
The main characters were quite enjoyable: witty, flawed, cunning, and volatile. Although the explanation of their thoughts or feelings might be redundant, even sometimes being repeated on numerous occasions, verbatim... The characters could have been developed a little better, but I do feel like they evolved. After a time, the characters came into their own. Each had a unique voice and personality. As with all good books, the reader develops a connection to a certain character or characters. That is a sign that the book is worthy of the notice and devoted readers that it receives. (You know the book where a main/supporting character dies and you think, 'that's sad...' and then the other one that caused you to break down in tears. Looking at you J.K.)
The slang? Not my cup of tea. You could tell what the words were supposed to represent if you paid attention to the context, and they weren't incredibly inventive. I could have done without that aspect of it.
I think that the revealing of important information could have been approached better, rather than an "info dump". The book would have been stronger if various characters worked out the why or how and together they determined what was happening. Unfortunately, the main character is the one who manages to "figure" everything out, solely by recalling every important detail when it is finally needed.
The plot was fantastic. I never found my attention wandering and highly recommend it for most teen readers. It's certainly an enjoyable, easy read (middle school level and above, generally) but one that has a degree of quality to substantiate it.
And in case you've been living under a rock, the Maze Runner is being released soon - so go read the book! Then you have my permission to see the movie.
I honestly didn't know the plot of this book prior to reading it and I'm glad. It's a dystopian-style novel akin to Divergent or the Hunger Games. The unique premise sparked my interest and compelling narrative kept it, rapt, for the two days it took me to "read" it. (The first copy I could get my hands from my library on was the audio version, so it's takes longer to read and forces me to review it differently.)
Unlike some novels, I found myself enjoying the speaker of the novel rather than being taking out of the story by their voice acting. It's always amusing to hear the reader do the opposite gender. Despite the quality of the audiobook, my advice? Read the physical book. There are intricacies and conversations that you may wish to reread, which can't happen easily with the audio. Simply, you miss things.
The main characters were quite enjoyable: witty, flawed, cunning, and volatile. Although the explanation of their thoughts or feelings might be redundant, even sometimes being repeated on numerous occasions, verbatim... The characters could have been developed a little better, but I do feel like they evolved. After a time, the characters came into their own. Each had a unique voice and personality. As with all good books, the reader develops a connection to a certain character or characters. That is a sign that the book is worthy of the notice and devoted readers that it receives. (You know the book where a main/supporting character dies and you think, 'that's sad...' and then the other one that caused you to break down in tears. Looking at you J.K.)
The slang? Not my cup of tea. You could tell what the words were supposed to represent if you paid attention to the context, and they weren't incredibly inventive. I could have done without that aspect of it.
I think that the revealing of important information could have been approached better, rather than an "info dump". The book would have been stronger if various characters worked out the why or how and together they determined what was happening. Unfortunately, the main character is the one who manages to "figure" everything out, solely by recalling every important detail when it is finally needed.
The plot was fantastic. I never found my attention wandering and highly recommend it for most teen readers. It's certainly an enjoyable, easy read (middle school level and above, generally) but one that has a degree of quality to substantiate it.
And in case you've been living under a rock, the Maze Runner is being released soon - so go read the book! Then you have my permission to see the movie.
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