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The Shell Collector
- Narrated by: Samara Naeymi
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
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Publisher's summary
The ocean is dying. The sea is growing warmer and is gradually rising. Seashells have become so rare that collecting them is now a national obsession. Flawless specimens sell like priceless works of art. Families hunt the tideline in the dark of night with flashlights. Crowds gather on beaches at the lowest of tides, hoping to get lucky.
Supreme among these collectors is Ness Wilde, CEO of Ocean Oil. Ness owns many of the best beaches, and he keeps them to himself. It's his fault the world turned out this way. And I aim to destroy him.
My name is Maya Walsh. You might be familiar with my shelling column in the Times. I was working on a series of pieces about Mr. Wilde, when out of the blue, he called. He says he wants to talk. But I don't think he's going to like what I have to say.
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Between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket rests Bayberry Island, home to a bronze mermaid statue that promises to grant true love to anyone who asks with an open heart. For years Rowan Flynn distanced herself from Bayberry Island and its infamous mermaid legend. But after her investor fiancé lost what was left of her family’s fortune, Rowan reluctantly agreed to run the Safe Haven Bed-and-Breakfast, determined never again to fall for the ridiculous fantasy of the mermaid matchmaker.
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Oh My
- By Paula on 09-09-14
By: Susan Donovan
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Pacific Beat
- By: T. Jefferson Parker
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Ex-cop Jim Weir thought he'd seen it all during his years on the force. That is until he saw the body of his sister Annie, brutally used by a monster in human form, then carelessly discarded. He'd never seen such grief ravage the face of his friend and brother-in-law Ray Cruz, a good cop on the Newport Beach Police Department. When Weir learns that the only witness swore the killer made his escape in a Newport Beach squad car, his disbelief turns to confusion and outrage.
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Bad, bad, bad...
- By Robert E. Orlando on 11-19-14
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The Bone House
- By: Brian Freeman
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Hilary and Mark Bradley are trapped in a web of suspicion. Last year, accusations of a torrid affair with a student cost Mark his teaching job and made the young couple into outcasts in their remote island town off the Lake Michigan coast. Now another teenage girl is found dead on a deserted beach... and once again, Mark faces a hostile town convinced of his guilt. Hilary Bradley is determined to prove that Mark is innocent, but she’s on a lonely, dangerous quest.
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Straight up soap opera.
- By Richard Delman on 02-08-14
By: Brian Freeman
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Surfacing
- By: Shana Norris
- Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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16-year-old Mara Westray has just lost her mother, and now, being shipped off to live with the father she doesn’t know is not how she imagined grieving. She's already counting down the days until she turns 18 and can leave the tiny island of Swans Landing. But from the moment she steps off the ferry, nothing is as ordinary as it looks. As she tries to unravel the events that led to her mom fleeing the island 16 years ago, Mara finds that the biggest secret of all is only the beginning.
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A Good Listen.
- By Karen Russell on 02-28-16
By: Shana Norris
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The Salt House
- A Novel
- By: Lisa Duffy
- Narrated by: Laurence Bouvard
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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In the coastal town of Alden, Maine, Hope and Jack Kelly have settled down to a life of wedded bliss. They have a beautiful family, a growing lobster business, and the Salt House - an oceanfront cottage they're renovating into their dream home. But tragedy strikes when their young daughter doesn't wake up from her afternoon nap, taking her last breath without making a sound. A year later each member of the Kelly family navigates the world on their own private island of grief.
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Culturally closed minded to what going on today.
- By Susan Griggs on 01-11-22
By: Lisa Duffy
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Nothing but Trouble
- By: Susan May Warren
- Narrated by: Anne Pepperidge
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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In this lively tale by RITA and Christy Award finalist Susan May Warren, 28-year-old PJ Sugar wants to shed her reputation for being nothing but trouble. But her efforts to be the favorite daughter, best friend, perfect aunt, fetching beauty, and hometown hero - all at once - trigger both laughter and tears.
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There has to be more!!
- By Sally D Busekist on 03-27-19
By: Susan May Warren
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Concrete Evidence
- Evidence Series, Book 1
- By: Rachel Grant
- Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella, Greg Tremblay
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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She wants revenge. He wants her. Blackballed from underwater archaeology after accusations of artifact trafficking, Erica Kesling has a new job and a new life on the other side of the country and is working to clear her name. She's closing in on her goal when she's distracted by a sexy, charismatic intern who makes her want something other than revenge. But Lee Scott is no intern. He's looking for the lead conspirator in an international artifact smuggling scheme, and Erica is his prime suspect.
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good but older
- By Heart_in_808 on 08-19-21
By: Rachel Grant
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Replica
- By: Lauren Oliver
- Narrated by: Sarah Drew, Erin Spencer
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Lyra's story begins in the Haven Institute, a building tucked away on a private island off the coast of Florida that from a distance looks serene and even beautiful. But up close, the locked doors, military guards, and biohazard suits tell a different story. In truth Haven is a clandestine research facility where thousands of replicas, or human models, are born, raised, and observed. When a surprise attack is launched on Haven, two of its young experimental subjects - Lyra, or 24, and the boy known only as 72 - manage to escape.
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The format is a gimmick, but still a good read
- By NMwritergal on 10-06-16
By: Lauren Oliver
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Midnight Sun
- Sinclair Sisters Series, Book 1
- By: Kat Martin
- Narrated by: Rebecca Estrella
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Call Hawkins just wants to be left alone and leave the past where it belongs. The bleak beauty of Dead Horse Creek is a perfect place to get away from the world, a place where nothing exists to remind him of everything he's lost. His isolation is complete - until Charity Sinclair arrives fresh from New York City. Stunningly beautiful and stubbornly independent, she's also shamefully ignorant of the untamed wilderness and the very real dangers she'll face if Call doesn't teach her a thing or two.
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Kat Martin's books are always good but....
- By Jayne on 03-15-19
By: Kat Martin
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The Forced Was With Them
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Excellent listen
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A SHUFFLE OF ZOMBIES
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It’s wonderful!
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Beacon 23
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Excellent listen
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Daniel Stillman's Life: 42 Facebook friends, 18 Cell phone contacts, 6 Twitter followers, 4 blog subscribers. Now a category five storm is about to take this all away. And replace it with a neighbor he's never met.
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Great, If You Haven't Read Other Howey?
- By Gillian on 01-26-15
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THE REIGNING KING OF ANTHOLOGY
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A great start on the Wayfinding series
- By Ra Vendredi on 05-10-17
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Silo
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Die Erde ist unbewohnbar geworden, seit Generationen leben die Menschen in unterirdischen Silos. Was aber, wenn die Verwüstung der Erde nur eine Lüge ist? Als Sheriff Holston sich nach dem Tod seiner Frau entschließt, den Silo zu verlassen, ist das der dramatische Beginn einer neuen Zeitrechnung.
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Spannendes Hörbuch und Apokalyptische Geschichte
- By Pete on 11-10-15
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Exit
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Was würdest du tun, wenn du wüsstest, dass das Schicksal aller in deinen Händen liegt? Juliette Nichols, die neue Herrin in Silo 18, bricht mit den jahrhundertealten Regeln der unterirdischen Gemeinschaft - und lässt den riesigen Bohrer demontieren, um ihn für einen neuen Zweck einzusetzen. Denn Juliette weiß, dass ihr Freund Lucas und die anderen sterben werden, wenn sie nicht sofort handelt. Doch sie weiß nicht, dass ihr die größte Überraschung noch bevorsteht - ihr größter Gegner heißt noch immer Senator Thurman.
By: Hugh Howey
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Ignorance Is Strength
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War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. George Orwell once wrote of a world where abuse of power begins with an abuse of language and a bastardization of truth. Some of today's most exciting voices in speculative fiction explore the ramifications of those ideas in Ignorance Is Strength.
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Decent stories, seemingly unaware of its own ironies
- By Amazon Customer on 06-14-21
By: John Joseph Adams - editor, and others
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Legado
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A batalha pelo Silo já foi vencida. A guerra pela humanidade só está começando. É um tempo em que, para sobreviver, os humanos precisam se manter em cidades subterrâneas, aprisionados, sem ligação com o mundo lá fora. Juliette, uma operária nascida nos subterrâneos, é a heroína da trama apocalíptica. Em Legado, ela se torna prefeita do Silo 18, que está se recuperando de uma rebelião.
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Se tivesse 0 4° eu compraria
- By Patrícia Alves on 10-22-23
By: Hugh Howey
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Level
- Silo 2
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Im Jahr 2049 wird der junge amerikanische Architekt Donald Keene von Senator Thurman mit dem Bau einer riesigen unterirdischen Anlage beauftragt. Noch ahnt er nicht, was dahintersteckt: Ein politischer Konflikt zwischen Iran und den USA steht bevor - und eine Katastrophe, die die Erde unbewohnbar machen wird. In fünfzig unterirdischen Silos sollen die Menschen Zuflucht suchen. Aber das streng reglementierte Leben fordert Opfer.
By: Hugh Howey
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The Extinction Trials
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After a mysterious global event known only as “The Change”, six strangers wake up in an underground research facility where they learn that they’re part of the Extinction Trials - a scientific experiment to restart the human race. But the Extinction Trials harbors a very big secret. And so does the world outside.
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Not his best
- By Mark D on 11-06-21
By: A.G. Riddle
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Quantum Radio
- By: A.G. Riddle
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Dr. Tyson Klein is a quantum physicist who has dedicated his entire life to his research. At CERN, he analyses data generated by the Large Hadron Collider, the world's biggest and most powerful particle accelerator. Now, Ty believes he's found a pattern in its output. It looks like an organised data stream, being broadcast over what he calls a quantum radio. Could it be a signal from another universe? A message sent from the future? Or something else entirely?
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Can't wait for book two
- By T. Patterson on 03-12-23
By: A.G. Riddle
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The Plagiarist
- A Novella
- By: Hugh Howey
- Narrated by: Alexander J. Masters
- Length: 1 hr and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Adam Griffey is living two lives. By day, he teaches literature. At night, he steals it. Adam is a plagiarist, an expert reader with an eye for great works. He prowls simulated worlds perusing virtual texts, looking for the next big thing. And when he finds it, he memorizes it page by page, line by line, word for word. And then he brings it back to his world, the real world, and he sells it. But what happens when these virtual worlds begin to seem more real than his own? What happens when the people within them mean more to him than flesh and blood?
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PKD could have written this story
- By Katherine on 02-27-14
By: Hugh Howey
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Contact
- By: Carl Sagan
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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The future is here...in an adventure of cosmic dimension. In December, 1999, a multinational team journeys out to the stars, to the most awesome encounter in human history. Who - or what - is out there? In Cosmos, Carl Sagan explained the universe. In Contact, he predicts its future - and our own.
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Technical problems with this recording - skips...
- By Matt on 11-28-12
By: Carl Sagan
What listeners say about The Shell Collector
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Michale
- 05-03-15
Why Howey, why?!!!
I don't like to give a bad review! I only want to give good review! But I'm on a bad string of listens and I have to vent. Or at least prevent someone else from wasting a credit.
I am a big fan of Hugh Howey but this doesn't feel like Howey at all. This is more of a romance novel than science fiction. I kept waiting for interesting things to happen but alas, I was left with that icky feeling you feel when you suspect a cheesy love scene is about to happen and you really don't want to fast forward because you feel like you are cheating yourself and disrespecting the story but you have no choice... its just too cheesy to bare.
The funny thing is, I had just tried listening to 50 Shades of Grey on a lark, but could only get 10 or 15 minutes in, and then immediately after I started Shell Collector and eerily found some parallels between the two stories. Both stories begin with a sassy lady giving an interview to a rich and famous playboy, with said sassy lady trying very hard to dislike the playboy but eventually being won over and seduced. It was a surreal experience to listen to these stories back to back. I kept thinking, wait a minute, this is Hugh Howey, right?!
OK, back to being serious. In the future the world's oceans are extremely polluted and sea life has been destroyed. Therefore sea shells are very rare and a culture of shell collectors has sprung up, grown, and become part of mainstream society. Our leading lady is a reporter with an attachment to shells that goes back to her childhood days of collecting with her mom and dad. The leading man is a billionaire in the oil business whose family contributed to the very pollution that destroyed the oceans and consequently created the shell economy. He also happens to be the most famous shell collector in the world. More than anything else the story is about the intersection of these two characters. There was only one love scene, which I had to skip.
I already feel guilty for dissing Howey. I still love you. Please keep writing stories like Wool and Halfway Home.
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- Mel
- 02-04-15
Put your ear up to it and you can hear the ocean..
Once upon a time there was a little girl that loved to spend time with her father combing pristine beaches looking for sea shells. [Their mother had died.] Together they would travel and explore new beaches, rising with the out-going tide each morning to sweep the smooth fresh sands of the intertidal zones looking for their little calcium carbonate exoskeleton treasures. Her name was Mayarella, and as she grew, she waxed strong in beauty and the knowledge of conchology and became a famous journalist who wrote a column for the NY Times all about seashells, and people around the world loved it.
It so happened that while Maya spent her childhood days combing beaches, there was a horrible and greedy man that was recklessly pumping out the pools of oil that had collected beneath the ocean floor. He had a little boy he named after a monster that lived in Scotland. Ness spent time at the ocean with his father also, looking for shells. His father didn't care about the oceans or shells, he only cared about money. He drilled and got richer than anyone in the whole world while the water got really polluted, then started getting warmer until all the animals and plants died, even the coral reefs. Next thing you know, New Yorkers were wearing galoshes like Venetians, sea shells disappeared with all living creatures in the sea. The evil man and his wife eventually died, leaving everything to Ness -- by then a young man.
Ness has become reclusive, living in a compound surrounded by the only clean ocean left. Maya is about to publish a series of scathing articles about this evil shell-destroying family when she is summoned to appear before the FBI. A mush-mouthed FBI man dangles before her pretty eyes a perfect Lace Murex, a rare mollusk shell that sells now for millions of dollars. There is a dead body involved, a physicist that worked for Ness and owned the shells, but that's not the problem. FBI man Cooper thinks Ness is manufacturing fake shells, making millions of dollars selling them (and the IRS hasn't seen a penny from those sales, Maya knows from history that tax evasion is how the FBI gets their really big criminals. This goes against all of her shell collecting principles.) These shells have been extinct for 30 yrs., but these look new. "So, that famous shell collector Ness Wild is nothing more than a phony," she spits, and agrees to help the FBI take down the monster.
The ridiculously long driveway to Ness' house crunches under Maya's tires and she realizes this isn't cement, Ness has crushed shells....gazillions of crustacean corpses, crushed shells, volutes, cones, cowries, and rock shells lining miles! She is appalled and ready to give this monster a piece of her mind. She pounds on the front door and standing there is a beautiful golden man with sun bleached hair. His body is tan and toned; he is bare footed, wearing white drawstring pants that billow around his muscular thighs. A large black pearl threaded through a leather thong hangs on his chiseled chest, and birds sing in the back ground, "I'm Ness."
He's beautiful. His sea-green eyes twinkle, belying his evil nature, "Be my guest! Be my guest, put my vintage wine to the test!" he pours her wine and gives her crackers and cheese and charcuterie. She remembers she is a serious journalist, and on a mission from the FBI. She sips her wine suspiciously and judiciously. Her body tingles with each sip; Maya has never tasted anything so lovely. What a cad he is, she bats her eyes. Her head reels and she imagines a hallway lined with the photos of hundreds of female journalists Ness has slept with; she is determined not to fall for this smooth performance -- not to be part of his world. He is trying to tell her something he has never told anyone before--the *truth,* a real scoop, something about his *sniff* beloved misunderstood grandfather *tears in his eyes*. What a shameful act! She finishes her wine and she stands to go. Maya is a little, "what's that word...Tipsy!" And wouldn't ya know it, her car... it won't go, it won't go, Turn away and slam the door, back into Ness' house. He makes her the best coffee ever and tells her all about the rare Hakuna matata beans. Surely a man that makes his own coffee...
Maya knows her life is in danger; she is on guard as she spends the night in his fabulous guest house. When she awakes, the fridge is stocked, and there is a surprise! Ness has a little girl (about the same age as the one Maya lost when she was once married). The little girl is spunky and cute, and takes right to Maya. They form the *I hate rain* club and cook eggs-in-a-hole, and fall asleep...Ness sneaks in after his meeting, and finds them cuddled together, and tears up.
SPOILER:
Eventually (that week) Maya blows off the FBI, discards the wires, tells her boss she quits, goes in a deep sea diving bell to the bottom of the ocean, makes out with Ness, and has several other adventures around the world before she discovers, by Friday, that she and Ness are soul mates. They knew it the minute they saw each other. Little daughter knew it too; all she's ever wanted is for her daddy to be happy. Together, the three save the oceans; new kids again find the joys of collecting shells...and they live happily ever after.
Wonderful, wonderful, and the girl telling the story does a lovely job in spite of sometimes using her boy voice when it's time for her girl voice (and the mush-mouthed FBI Cooper).
My complaints: So many missed opportunities; choreographed little sea creatures frolicking around the kissing couple would have added some magic to the romance; a colony of sick oil drenched otters hiding out on Ness' property secretly aided by the little daughter would have given emotional depth and dimension; a full-on Mer-people attack against humankind was definitely needed for the drama element, a resentful lone-surviving giant squid could have attacked the diving bell, the FBI would have logically launched a door to door hunt for Mayarella, testing each young lady resident to see if the wire fit -- come on, Howey! (And, I know this is a little out there, but...wouldn't an appearance by the real Loch Ness monster at a wedding have been just the ultimate?!) If an author is going to turn an environmental issue into a fairytale romance, there absolutely HAS to be an Olaf and/or Sven, at least a Gus Gus, a Jiminy Cricket, or perfectly suited for this sea-theme, a Sebastian the Crab(!). I take off stars for such oversights.
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- Js
- 03-13-15
A Load of Codswallop
And hand-wringing, bosom-beating romance with an ending predictable withing the first few minutes of listening. The narrator was fine but could have toned down the angst with a flatter reading of our heroine's endless tormented monologues. I care about the environment, but Howey's approach has the pessimistic and defeatist tone of 1950's British science fiction.
I guessed the ending within the first half-hour of listening and even particular upcoming lines of dialog were utterly predictable.
I found that even the pleasant romance could not save a very silly story.
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- Mitch
- 01-29-15
Some books grab you and don't let go.
Unbelievable narrator. Not at all what I expected that's what made this book perfect. Let go of what Hugh wrote in the best and be good with him trying something new.
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- Scentart
- 02-08-15
poor plot development. so so romance. flat chara
poorly developed character arcs. Unconvincing. Silly. Author makes a grand statement in first chapter which initially drew me in only to refute that later
inconsistent. Manipulative and shallow writing with great narration.
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- E. Gal
- 01-31-15
Nice romance story, but predictable.
Would you try another book from Hugh Howey and/or Samara Naeymi?
The narrator was excellent.
The author, was ok, this is my first book from him and although the story was nice, it was not specially interesting. It was a good premise doe. I thought it was going to be more interesting, and with some interesting plot, but at the half of it I just wanted it to end as it dragged on.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
I don't know, it felt kind of flat to me, obvious and predictable since the first chapter, and trust me I am no genius or book critic, it was just too evident. I could be one of the few who felt this btw, since I say as printed book has a lot of good reviews. But for me it got boring.
Have you listened to any of Samara Naeymi’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Never heard her before this, but will look for something else from her, she is great. For me that was the main reason I actually finished the audiobook.
Did The Shell Collector inspire you to do anything?
Yes! I will check more seriously the reviews of the books, since I actually thought it was going to be an amazing book, and for me it was plain ok, not more. Kinda disappointing after reading about it and waiting for its release, since the book description and reviews were so positive.
Any additional comments?
Although I would not really recommend this audiobook, I have to say that if you are into romance stories with no much depth and simply fun and sweet, this might be the book for you. What they call "beach read". Maybe for a teen audience could be more thrilling, If you, as me, look for more intense, twist plots or depth in a romance book, you might need to rethink about this one or just fins out if I am wrong. :D anyways the narration is very enjoyable, for me she saved the book by the performance itself no more.
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- Galadriel
- 01-30-15
Hugh has jumped to my top 10
I loved the silo books from chapter 1 but didn't know the the author. Hugh Howey has become one of my top 10 since then. I love his introspective glimpses of each of his characters, it really pulls me into the story more than anything else could. Listen to the story! You will love it!
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- Ram
- 03-14-15
Not what I expected but still, a good book!
“The Shell Collector” wasn’t exactly the kind of book I was hoping to read when I began listening, but, to my surprise, it was exactly the kind of book I needed to read at this time. This book is categorized as “science fiction” on Goodreads (I am assuming this is because Howey mostly writes science-fiction) but that is not the case with this book. I would call “The Shell Collector” more of a romance with some bits of speculative fiction sprinkled in
Once I dived into this book, I expected it to be a full-blown dystopian fiction and it wasn’t anywhere close to one. But very early on, I caught on to this and it was a good thing thing too, because it helped me finish this book faster. “The Shell Collector” is a quick, easy read but the time span within which this book progressed is incredibly slow…so when one chapter ends in the middle of the conversation, the next chapter, instead of switching scenes, picks up that same conversation. This was why it became easy to assume that there was going to be very little action happening in the novel. One might assume that this is disappointing, but it wasn’t…why? Because I needed a romance novel in my life right now. After having read “The Known World” by Edward P. Jones (not one of my best reading experiences nor an easy book to read), I needed something fluffy and “The Shell Collector” is basically just a fluffy, average romance story.
Although the setting takes place in a futuristic, not by much but still, world, the story mainly revolves around the relationship, and the conflicts, between Maya and Ness. Ness and his company are responsible for a lot of the world’s disasters and Maya, a reporter, is out to exhort revenge for being Ness's part in this disaster. But when Ness invites Maya for a conversation, she is not expecting to begin understanding him at a level that makes it harder for her to do her job.
As a romance, this book duplicates a lot of the common tropes found within the romance genre. Which was unfortunate, but as I was looking for a comfort read more than anything, I enjoyed reading this book nevertheless. What I did love about this book though, was the pace of the novel and the romance itself. As mentioned before, the story progresses at a very slow pace but it actually makes the romance seem a lot more realistic than the way in which the usual contemporary romance novels are written. So although there were some cliched parts in this story, it was still refreshing to see a well-plotted and believable build-up to the romance.
Although limited in its use of characters, the ones we get to see never for a moment felt flat or unbelievable to me. I enjoyed reading about them and although I cannot say I absolutely loved and adored them, I enjoyed the journey they partook in this book. I also enjoyed the writing of Mr. Howey. Although not as excellent, it was good enough to hold my interest and help me enjoy the story without being distracted by petty errors with grammar (which, unfortunately, happens more often than one would think).
And lastly, because I listened to the audiobook and did not read the physical book, I must comment on the excellent performance given by the narrator. She hits all the right attitudes, tones, and emotions perfectly and I enjoyed listening to her read The Shell Collector quite a lot. I would highly recommend this as an audiobook because it makes for a very relaxing, soothing read.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this audiobook from Audible in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced by any external motives.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-08-15
Not worth the timme
The story started out intriguing an interesting but midpoint began to decline and ended with the most ridiculously happy ending
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- Cheryl-Anne Miller
- 08-09-15
Wow
My expectations were not high and thought this might be another very dry sad story.
I really liked this story. Such an interesting concept for a future or parallel universe.
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