Audiobook review: The Death Cure by James Dashner

The conclusion to the Maze Runner trilogy.

The Death Cure by James Dashner
Maze Runner Trilogy: 1. Maze Runner, 2. Scorch Trials
Genre: Young adult apocalyptic dystopian science fiction
Length: 8h 55m
Audio publisher: Listening Library, 2011
Read by: Mark Deakens
From: Library OverDrive

Story: They've gotten out of the maze and out of the scorch. Thomas and his friends are now at WICKED headquarters. What final trial awaits?

Thoughts: I'm a big fan of this trilogy. I was surprised by how much I liked The Maze Runner. Then The Scorch Trials stepped up with  non-stop action. For the third installment, I wanted explanations of why these trials were necessary. A lot of questions were raised in the first two books, and I eagerly anticipated the answers.

The Death Cure gave me my explanations, but I came away unsatisfied. The story behind WICKED and their trials didn't make a lot of sense to my public-health training. There are a lot of new characters and a lot of running around for a final book. Thomas' choices add to the confusion. I liked that not everything was explained, but it seems that many threads were left for Thomas to learn off-page. The last book is always the hardest since it has to tie everything together, but my expectations exceeded the reality for The Death Cure.

Reading: Mark Deakens gave a solid reading every bit as good as the last two books. I'm looking forward to hearing him read other titles.

Cover: I love the snow on this cover. Brings in feelings of bleakness and chill. Brr.

Final thoughts: I was a little disappointed by this final installment to the Maze Runner Trilogy. My vote is for Scorch Trials as the best book of the three.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Jenn is finishing up Mx3 over at her bookshelves and RIP VI is still going strong at Stainless Steel Droppings. Jen hosts Sound Bytes every Friday at Devourer of Books.

Audiobook Review: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

I'm on a monster kick and had heard I Am Legend (1954) by Richard Matheson has zombies and/or vampires. Since it's almost Halloween, that's what I want!

Genre: Post-apocalyptic horror
Length: 5h 19m
Audio publisher: Blackstone Audio (2007)
Read by: Robertson Dean
From: Local library OverDrive
Note: The version I listened to was I Am Legend and Other Stories (10h 52m)

Story: Robert Neville has been living alone in his Los Angeles area home for three years. He gets up every day at 5:30. He's inside everyday by dark. He's got plenty of food and wine. What he doesn't have is companionship, because he's the last man on earth.

Thoughts: What a fabulous story. I loved the deliberate way Neville went about his daily errands and how he used the scientific method to learn what he need to know. If I was the last person on earth, I would spend my time in the library, too. What I wouldn't do is use an alarm to wake up at 5:30 am. It's the end of the world, sleep in! Descriptions of I Am Legend say it has vampires. I can see where that comes from, but when vampires travel in packs and are as slow-moving as these ones, they're more like zombies. I guess it's all a matter of food source: blood vs brains. The book takes place in 1976, and I didn't realize when I was listening that it was written in 1954! I thought it was written in the 1970's and was wondering why some of the technology was a little off. A manual choke in a car, for example. Overall an excellent story about what it means to be human and what makes life worth living.

Reading: Robertson Dean has acted in a lot of movies and tv shows, but this is the first time I've listened to him in an audiobook. I loved his deep voice. His slow, methodical reading was perfect for Robert Neville. His female voices weren't as melodious, so its lucky the female characters don't say much.

Film: After I listened to I Am Legend, I had to watch the 2007 film with Will Smith to see what was altered. The book and film are not at all the same. They differ in every detail. It was fun to see the different takes on the same story, and I like the parts they added to the movie. I found the movie to be a little too simplistic and upbeat, so I prefer the book.

Final thoughts: A must-listen cannon classic for both vampire and zombie aficionados.

Grade: 5 out of 5

This post is a part of Murder, Monsters, and Mayhem by Jenn's Bookshelves and RIP VI by Stainless Steel Droppings.

Graphic novel review: The Walking Dead issues 1-18

The Walking Dead Season 2 starts Sunday on AMC!

To prepare, I wanted to read the source material. I had to see how far the show veered away from its origins and get some hints on where it might go from here.

Writer: Robert Kirkman
Penciler, inker: Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard
Grey tones: Tony Moore, Cliff Rathburn
Cover: Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn
Genre: Post-apocalyptic horror
Publisher: Image Comics
From: Local library
Reviewing: Issues 1-18; Chapters 1-3

Recap: Officer Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to an eerie silence. Instead of doctors and nurses, the hospital is full of flesh-eating zombies. Rick sets off to find his wife and son in this dangerous, post-apocalyptic world.

Review: I loved the first season of The Walking Dead. It started off with an amazing pilot, and although it went down in excitement a bit after that, any TV show with zombies ranks pretty high on my list. However, I didn't know what to expect from the comic.

The Walking Dead comic, of course, is packed with zombies and zombie killings, but it focuses on the humans who are left and their relationships as they try to survive. The characters understandably get on each other's nerves. In the show, they depiction of these annoyances and personality conflicts make the characters seem petty. In the comic they come off as real people. It's not about the zombies. I love how much of the story is told with images instead of words. It sets an atmosphere of loss and desperation. No one expects to live long, but somehow they have hope that things will get better.

Artwork: I am relatively new to graphic novels and tend to gravitate towards ones with cartoonish drawings and lots of white space. The Walking Dead is the opposite of that. There is so much ink that many of the panels look black. For this comic, it works. It's amazing how realistic and elaborate the drawings are. There's a lot of detail, especially on the zombies. The color scheme is black and white with grey shading, and the shadows really add to the story. It's quite noir.

For so few people left in the world, this story has a lot of characters. I don't know why, but all the white guys look alike to me, especially when everyone has black hair. It was especially hard to keep the men straight after they changed their clothes or grew beards. Luckily, there are a lot of different ages and ethnicities among the characters, so eventually I was able to keep track of who's who, even if I couldn't remember their names. People keep dying off, and that makes it easier.

TV Show: Season 1 of The Walking Dead roughly covers issues 1-6 of the comic. The comic and the show started off the same, but the show adds some excellent details. There is more of a government presence, both in the initial phases of the outbreak and with the CDC. I haven't run across the character of Merle in the comic, and other significant plot points were changed. So far, I like the changes that were made in the show. The world seems to have more depth, and there's a concrete element of hope. In the comic the characters are hopeful, but it's hard to see why.

Compilations: The Walking Dead first came out as a monthly comic in 2003. So far, there are 89 issues. The comics have been compiled into several sets: The Walking Dead volumes each have 6 issues per volume, The Walking Dead books contain 12 issues each, and the 1,000 page Walking Dead Compendium One covers issues 1-48.

The Compendium One was a little hard to read because it doesn't have any issue breaks or page numbers. There are chapter breaks every 6 issues, but this is a large chunk to get through in one sitting.

Final thoughts: I'm glad I took a look at The Walking Dead comic before starting season 2 of the TV show. The plots of the show and comic are different, but the show may re-visit the comic for future story lines. Lets hope so, since the stories in the comic are really compelling. I know I couldn't have lasted as long as these survivors have.

Note: I've only gotten through the first half of the Compendium. Can't want to see what happens next!

Murder, Monsters and Mayhem is sponsored by Jenn's Bookshelves. RIP is sponsored by Stainless Steel Droppings.

Audiobook Review: The Passage by Justin Cronin

I was excited to find The Passage by Justin Cronin on CD. So excited that I listened to the whole thing before I realized this is an abridged version. Then I decided the abridged version is a good thing.

Genre: Science fiction, horror
Series: The Passage, book 1
Length: 14h 30m - abridged
Audio publisher: Random House Audio, 2010
Read by: Edward Herrmann
From: Local library

Recap: A previously unknown virus is found deep in the jungle of Bolivia. The US military believes the virus can be used to improve the human condition, but strange things are happening in the top secret base where the experiments are performed. The virus seems to have unexpected side effects....

Review: The Passage is my kind of horror story: a virus, super secret experiments, things going horribly awry. I love dystopias but had seen the word "vampire" attached to this book, so I was skeptical. To my relief, there are no magnetic, brooding men in capes. Some may call the infected people "vampires," but the virals are inhuman, wild, and very, very scary. That's more like it.

The Passage starts by following several point-of-view characters, but the story is primarily about Amy, a lost little girl with a difficult life, as she is pulled from one place to another. Following her as she grows up, we are provided with additional information on the virus, the experiments, and the people involved. I really enjoyed the depth of detail given for each character. Not only do we learn their backgrounds, but we find out what specifically led them to their current situations. I especially appreciated that none of the characters are perfect. Everyone has their flaws. These flaws define them, and they tend to show up at the least opportune times.

With so many characters and points-of-view, the story was a little hard to follow at first. It starts slowly, but as the threads entwine, the tension builds, and things get interesting. Be warned that the book is divided into two parts. It was jarring to go over this break and have to meet a new group of people on the other side, but the story eventually smoothed itself out. It's survival of the fittest, but it's a great ride.

Abridgment: If you've been waiting to read The Passage because it's just too thick, the abridged audio version is the way to go. The story is told in 14 hours, compared to 36 unabridged. The whole story is there, just streamlined.

When The Passage first came out, I attempted to listen to the unabridged version, but I didn't get past section one. Although I was surprised to find this was an abridged version, I think the abridgment helped by moving the plot along. I'm curious about the pieces I missed, but I don't feel like I lost anything vital. I'm ready for book two coming out in summer, 2012!

Reading: Edward Herrmann does a great job reading. I know him as Lorelei's father from Gilmore Girls, but this doesn't distract from his reading. Instead, his voice lends solemnity and authority to the story.

I was surprised when the epilogue was read by a different narrator. I don't know who she is since she's not credited on the package or websites I checked. The change in voice was unexpected. I would have preferred to have one reader for the whole story.

Nums: Love the cover!

Final thoughts: The Passage lives up to the hype. It's an exciting outbreak story with a unique and chilling threat. The abridged audio version keeps the plot moving while maintaining character detail.


Grade: 4 out of 5

This book is part of October's Murder, Monsters and Mayhem by Jenn's Bookshelves and RIP at Stainless Steel Droppings.

Audio Review: Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials is the second book in the Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner, read by Mark Deakens. I got it from my library's OverDrive as soon as I finished the book one and was not disappointed. I liked this book better than the first!

The Maze Runner Trilogy: 1) The Maze Runner
Genre: Young adult apocalyptic dystopian science fiction
Length: 10h 22m
Audio publisher: Listening Library, 2010

Recap: After the trials of The Maze Runner, Thomas and his friends are not through with their testing: they have graduated to Phase Two. New challenges are in store as the kids jump through WICKED's hoops, fighting and hoping to survive.

Review: I loved this book. It was non-stop action. As soon as one hurdle was passed, the crew was thrown right onto another. The world is so deadly, but interesting. But more than the action, I loved the mystery. Why are these kids on trial? How can they not remember anything? What are WICKED's aims? Few of the questions brought up in book one are answered and more are added to the pile as Thomas and his gang try to figure out what's going on and what they're going to do about it.

A lot of the book takes place in Thomas' head as he remembers more of his past and tries to make sense of what they're going through. Thomas has grown up a bit and isn't as annoying as in The Maze Runner. I like the dialogue between the kids. It seems really natural as they call each other names and don't take any bull. One quibble I have is we aren't introduced to more of the Gladies traveling with Thomas. We know the ones who were prominent in book one, but there are several more hangers-on. What are they all doing back there?

The Scorch Trials is an excellent sequel to The Maze Runner. I liked it better than the first book, which never happens. I have high hopes that The Death Cure will explain the meaning behind all of this in a nice, satisfying package.

Reading: Mark Deakens has become one of my favorite audiobook readers. His voices for the different characters are subtle, but distinct. His calm and soothing voice is a nice contrast to all the crazy action of the story.

Final Thoughts: If you've read The Maze Runner, then you're already sold on this book. If you haven't read The Maze Runner, and you like action with your dystopia, read it. Book three of The Maze Runner Trilogy, The Death Cure comes out in October. I can't wait!

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

This post is part of Murder, Monsters and Mayhem hosted by Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelf
and RIP VI hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings.

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

The Leftovers is the first Tom Perrotta book I've tried. I saw it on the New table at the bookstore and heard good things, so when I came up in on the library's Overdrive, I had to give it a listen.

Genre: apocalyptic science fiction
Length: 10h 18m
Audio Publisher: Macmillan Audio, 2011

Recap: On October 14, thousands of people just disappear. No one knows where they went or why. The Leftovers follows one family who remains. Along with a few of their neighbors, they try to make sense of the world and what happened.

Review: The Leftovers is human drama with a sci fi set-up, and its strength is its characters. They are immensely believable, each with their quirks and coping strategies. The point-of-view changes from character to character, and this change in perspective makes up for a lack of action. For a book about grief and coping, it's pretty funny. I especially liked the cults that sprang up after the Disappearance, how each is distinct yet credible.

Reading/Production: I was surprised this book was read by a man since 3 of the 5 POV characters are women. Dennis Boutsikaris washed my fears away with his excellent reading. He gives the narrator just the right touch of snark and really seemed to be enjoying himself.

I loved the music that played at the beginning of the recording but was glad it wasn't repeated. There was a short author's interview at the end of the recording that was a little fuzzy.

Final Thoughts:  I liked this sci-fi story of the suburbs. It is well-written with interesting characters who act like real people in the face of unreal events.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

For: People who like family dramas who want to stick a toe into sci fi.

Eating habits: I'm starting to keep track of books where vegetarianism is brought up. This one had a vegetarian character and a vegan restaurant.

Num: It was funny that so few of the characters had jobs since there would be a lot of vacancies.


Nit: The one part that didn't ring true was the substantial survivor's benefit provided by the government. With this large of a pool of people who vanished, the pay-out would have to be relatively small. But maybe the number of people who disappeared in the US wasn't that large. I don't think a number was provided. It seemed like thousands.

Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

I was drawn to the CD of Ashes, Ashes (2011) by Jo Treggiari in the library based on its cover. Pandemics, tsunamis, living wild...my perfect book! The story has a lot of potential, Unfortunately it does not live up to its promise.

Genre: Young adult apocalyptic science fiction
Length: 9h 48m
Audio publisher: Oasis Audio, 2011

Recap: Lucy is surviving on her own: hunting and gathering for food, fixing her shelter, fending off wild animals. Gradually, the story of what happened to the world and how she got to this point is revealed. When a mysterious boy shows up, Lucy has to decide if she's ready or willing to trust a stranger and change her hard-won life.

Review: I love dystopian young adult fiction and pandemic/apocalypse stories. I am ecstatic about the recent surge of new titles in this genre and have enjoyed reading some excellent examples lately. Since Ashes, Ashes has a great cover, my expectations for it were pretty high.

I was drawn into Lucy's efforts at survival in the first part of the book. She was heroic in her tenacity and her trials were well described. I felt like I was right down with her in the mud. This section shows instead of tells. I wish the whole book had been like this.

The story follows Lucy in the third person, so we do not get many of her thoughts. I found this refreshing. However, the lack of a direct conduit into Lucy's mind also denies us her motivations, which was a problem as the book went on. After all of the action in the survivor section, the story loses its momentum. Lucy started acting against character, and I didn't understand or believe her choices. When a love triangle was introduced, Lucy lost all of the strength and power she showed in the beginning. She became insecure and indecisive. She lost my sympathy, and I had a hard time continuing. The story became less realistic and more cartoonish as it continued until it finally ended with the hook for the next in the series.

The book has an interesting world with plagues, floods, droughts. and tsunamis. There's a message of anti-global warming, but also anti-science and anti-medicine which wasn't well explained.  Lucy was an interesting character at the beginning, but she loses her self as the story progresses. She became an actor for the plot instead of being her own person. A poorly defined supporting cast and cartoonish motivations didn't help.

Grade: 2 out of 5

Reading/production: The CD starts with an interview with the author. I skipped over this, but was surprised it was placed at the beginning instead of the end of the recording. I enjoyed Cassandra Campbell's narration. She has a young-sounding voice suitable for 16-year-old Lucy.

Final thoughts: Although I enjoyed the first couple of chapters, I don't recommend this book. The cartoonish plot took over and smothered the good book that was started. There are much better dystoping/apocolyptic YA SF stories out there.

Nits: I was confused about the statement that one person out of one million survived. If that was true, there would be 8 people left in New York City. Lucy meets or mentions 20 to 50 people. How could they even know the death rate? If that many people died that quickly, all infrastructure for collecting death data from hospitals and health departments would collapse. It was strange that this was portrayed as such a firm fact.

Nums: It is a nice cover.