The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
I’ve reviewed a few sequels this year and though I usually have a pretty good idea of what to expect but Maggie Stiefvater really surprised me with her approach to The Raven Boys sequel.
The Dream Thieves is the sequel that’s not trying to be a sequel (and I guess it’s not since it’s the second book in a four book series.) It wasn’t trying to set up for an overarching plot or wrap up loose ends from book one, it just told a story. The complicated and dark story of The Raven Boys resident bad boy Ronan Lynch.
Stiefvater fills the story with a set of unique and eccentric characters. I especially enjoyed how the adult characters in this novel receive full storylines and complete characterizations. So often in YA parents are Put On A Bus and I liked how everyone in this book works together.
As far as the audiobook goes, Will Patton does a phenomenal job, he pulls out some great voices for the new characters. However, I did find the sleazy New Jersey accent Patton gave the character Kavinsky to be a little bit Narmy. Especially when he kept saying substance party like SUB-stAHnce PAH-TEE. The Dream Thieves is an unpredictable, magical, dark and secretive look at the lies we tell ourselves and the things in life that haunt us. If you enjoyed the first book you must go and get this one. – ★★★★★
he Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Speaking of people with old money and substance abuse issues… I picked up The Great Gatsby audiobook because as a book blogger I always feel obligated to read the book before seeing the movie. However, I know that for me reading classics or older literary fiction can be a bit daunting, so for The Great Gatsby I turned to the newest audiobook edition to liven things up. This recently released version is narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal, so I knew the acting had to be good. I’m not too familiar with Gyllenhaal as an actor, so it didn’t feel like it was one of his film characters talking.
The Great Gatsby works well in audiobook form because of it’s first person narration. It sounds like the story’s narrator, Nick Carroway is actually confiding in you . Gyllenhaal does a good job with the different voices and I think his best moment is when he is doing the voice of George towards the end of the book because that is a very emotional scene.
However, you do miss some of the actual writing when listening to the audiobook. It’s very easy to accidentally drown some of it out, especially if you are doing something else while listening to the book. There are times when I see quotes from the The Great Gatsby, but don’t recognize or remember them from the audiobook.
I think this audiobook is a great alternative for students or anyone who may be having a hard time getting through the novel and at less than 5 hours you could really listen to the whole thing in one day. But I’d also suggest going back and looking at the actual text as well. – ★★★★
