25 Perfect Days

By: Mark Tullius

Narrated by: Dave Thompson

Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Will you follow The Way or be crushed by the Controllers?

A totalitarian state doesn't just happen overnight. It's a slow, dangerous slide. 25 Perfect Days chronicles the path into a hellish future of food shortages, contaminated water, sweeping incarceration, an ultra-radical religion, and the extreme measures taken to reduce the population. Through 25 interlinked stories, each written from a different character's point of view, 25 Perfect Days captures the sacrifice, courage, and love needed to survive and eventually overcome this dystopian nightmare.

©2013 Mark Tullius (P)2014 Mark Tullius

25 Perfect Days

This is a choppy countdown to how a totalitarian government could take over.I lost track of names and people.There were just too many.It was very violent at times.I'm still not sure if I want to read a sequel or not.Dave Thompson did a fine job narrating.I was provided this book free by the author, narrator,or Publisher.

I wish I could pin-point a main character

First thoughts about the cover of 25 Perfect Days? That is a huge tunnel, the buildings in the background look like they are falling apart, and there is a huge cross with a black bird on it. Interesting. Black birds are said to be bad luck for some. Uh oh… Is that family doomed already!?

I wish I could pin-point a main character for this story, or even a few, but I cannot. There are lots of characters, lots of mini stories for each, and they all are weirdly connected. For the majority of the story most of the characters did not seem to fit into any pattern together other than living in a horrible society. It wasn’t till I was nearing the end that they seemed to tie in, to fit. I was more than a little confused for the majority of this book till I hit the end.

Over all, the Controllers are the antagonists for the majority of the story. They are there from a church called The Way. Imagine voting in a law that gave up control of laws, rules, people, everything to a single ruling party. That party is called The Way, which is supposedly a church. But they run on the bases of what’s good for the church is the end all be all. Take away more freedoms little by little, add in death for the greater good, death for minor rule breaking, and an underground rebellion trying to fight for their rights to simply survive.

The narrator is Dave Thompson. I enjoyed the easy flow of his voice. He helped bring the highs and lows to each character. It is because of his voice that I continued listening to this book even after it confused me with several different storyline tie ins. The author is Mark Tullius. The book is 7hrs and 37 minutes long. This is a very violent dystopian story. It shows a great point-of-view on how society crumbles little by little when people give up control. It perfectly shows how absolute power corrupts absolutely.

This book left me with the knowledge that I would not willingly give up my rights. No one, not even a governing body, should be allowed to control every aspect of people’s lives. It is our rights to always keep those in power in check. “Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.” – Lenardo da Vinci.

Audiobook provided for review by the publisher.

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Great story, but narration is a little bland

I really liked this book. This is a futuristic sci-fi dystopian novel divided into related stories told from the different characters' point of view. What is scary about this book is how plausible everything seems. It is a future with food shortages and lots of regulations on everything. I listened to the Audible audio version of this book, and as much as I liked this story, I found the narration only mediocre. It wasn't bad, but the tone of voice was pretty flat - I feel like a more exciting and varied voice can add even more excitement to the story. But overall, if you like dystopian sci-fi, I suggest giving this book a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Loved the book and love the audio

What made the experience of listening to 25 Perfect Days the most enjoyable?

I read the book and loved it, when I had the opportunity to listen to the audio version I jumped on it. It took me a while to get into the audio version of it but when I did it came to life for me. I don't listen to many audio books but I sunk into the world of this book and found I didn't want to come out of it. If you have read this book I really think you will also love the audio version of it.

What about Dave Thompson’s performance did you like?

At first I had a hard time with his narration, it felt a bit flat. Once the book got going and he got more into the characters I really started to enjoy it.

Awesome read!!!

Wow!! What a brilliant idea for a book. I love the short stories interconnect to weave the bigger picture. The way the whole book flows is wonderfully engaging. I never wanted it to end.

I do not wish to give away too many details, because you really have to experience this book. It is a well crafted Dystopian society that is brilliant and terrifying at the same time. I was hooked on the first story and then blow away by one line at the end of the second. It just gets better from there.

It is much scarier than I expected. There are some seriously horrific topics covered. It was scary in a very real way. Each new story adds another level to the dark read. You would think through such short stories that a world could not be created with detail. Amazingly, that is not how it goes down. There is such a wealth of detail created through the connections.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Dave Thompson, who is terrific. He had quite a job of voicing all these stories. He keeps things distinct and brings fresh life to each new story. His energy and pace enhance the read. I really enjoyed his tone and would love to hear more of his work.

I noticed there is more to this book, perhaps even a series. I really hope it all comes out in audio. And i hope it has the same narrator and feel!

Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.

This adds another layer to this terrific story!

The book was a fantastic read so I wanted to hear how it would translate to an audio version. Initially (the first chapter), I wasn't 'feeling' the narrator, but with each chapter, the narrator began to bring the book to life and he was able to effectively present each character. Listening to this book definitely adds more emotion since it is narrated, and because it is narrated, it definitely adds another layer to enhance the 'reading experience" making the book multifaceted.
If I had my choice, I would choose reading the book over listening to it since the book has a lot of time lines and character definitions which show how each character and how each perfect day is interrelated; you don't get that from listening to the audio version. This is why I scored it 4 stars. However, I do like how the narrator read the story because it added more depth and emotion.
So my overall review- read the book first, then listen to it for a mind blowing experience.

Holy crap this book is intense

Most dystopian books start in the after with, at most, a few paragraphs to explain the how and why. With this you’re right there for the gradual descent and you see exactly how it could happen. And worse, while you might know all is not as it seems, you will find yourself agreeing with some of the policies and people most instrumental in the madness.

The small story line about genetically modified creatures being used as weapons was a bit off from the sci-fi level of the rest of it, though.

As far as a review of the audio portion, there were weird staticy bits between the chapters that you don’t usually hear in professional recordings and some places where sentences repeated. I also noticed a couple of times where there were clearly typos and the reader read what was written rather than what should have been there.

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.*

An unusual storyline

25 Perfect Days. .
This audiobook has an unusual storyline, yes it's set in a dystopian future.
It is a series of events told thru different characters. At first it is difficult to see how they relate but slowly it comes together into a complete picture and a quite unique novel.
I do recommend this audiobook and would say to readers and listeners be patient and persevere, it is a really good read.
I received a free copy of this audio book at my own request and voluntarily leave this honest review. .

Great concept, hard to pull off

25 Perfect Days was written by Mark Tullius and Narrated by Dave Thompson. This Audiobook is about the ever so popular Dystopian Future. The concept of the book is 25 stories from 25 different points of view about the past, present, and future of this dystopia.

A universal church "The Way" has teamed with the Government to take the money from society and provide for the needs of society. Using money and influence they pass laws limiting life span, who can have and raise children, everything for the universal good. 

This hellish vision of heaven on earth is presented thru 25 stories. Unfortunately only a single voice. The narrator Dave Thompson wether by choice or design uses the same voice for every character. When listening to a book set in 25 different voices it is just too much for any one narrator. He read the book with emotion but needed help. There is just to much going on in this book for a single narrator.

At this time I have to say the voice in your own mind will give you more meaning to this very dystopian work.