Particle Man

By: Deric McNish

Narrated by: Deric McNish

Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

He didn't set out to save the world. He just wanted his family back.

Every magnificent prank he played on his sister backfired, and now he knew why. She was an accelerator. She could move so fast that the world around her seemed to grind to a halt. But she wasn't the only one.

In 1956, everything was rosy. Things look different now. Alone and pursued by a sinister group that controls the world's particle accelerator laboratories, he has nowhere to turn except to a bizarre group that might be heroes - or terrorists.

In an adventure that spans decades, he lurches through time, fleeing a shadowy figure who's always one step ahead. He can move faster than he thought but isn't quick enough to escape a global conspiracy.

When particles collide, who'll be left standing?

©2015 Deric McNish (P)2015 Deric McNish

A slow and often humorous narrative.

If you could sum up Particle Man in three words, what would they be?

Slow. Humorous. Imaginative.

Would you recommend Particle Man to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, I think it's something my friends who like comic books would enjoy.

Which scene was your favorite?

I actually enjoyed the descriptions of what different cities look like in the past and how they differed from they do today.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I thought the characters nativity was expressed well. He is surprised and confounded by events that are pretty obvious to the reader.

Any additional comments?

This review is for the Audible Audio Book version of Particle Man by Deric McNish. "This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.”

PARTICLE MAN by Deric McNish is a slow and often humorous narrative of a young man growing up in the 1950's who discovers that he has extraordinary powers. This is mostly a coming of age story as we are introduced to a cast of friends, family, and his day to day life. This introduction takes up the bulk of the novel and the action is almost exclusively in the last ¼ of the book.

Unfortunately this makes everything at the end feel a bit rushed and the ending abrupt. It's like the origin story of a superhero where not all the mysteries have been explained. It isn't clear to me if this is intended to actually be the first book in a series or not. It certainly feels as if it needs another book to wrap it up and give the reader closure.

When I saw that Deric McNish was listed as both author and narrator I paused in trepidation for a moment but I needn’t have worried. His voice is well suited to the main character of the book, and all of his voice inflections give just the right emphasis to the story.

I sincerely hope we get a sequel because I was hungry for more details about the events in the end of this book and want to know about other things only hinted at.

Left me wanting more, shocked on how amazing ...

What made the experience of listening to Particle Man the most enjoyable?

The narration was truly a treat. I was immediately dreading listening to this because the author narrated his own book but trust me he did amazing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

At first, I was really questioning the book. However, the farther I listened the more I started getting invested in the story. Then it got really good and I couldn't stop listening.

Any additional comments?

Particle Man surprisingly left me wanting more. I loved this story. Don’t let the narrator being the author keeps you from this book. I really think he did an amazing job. He did better than any other narrator could with bring the characters and vision to life.
The book starts a little slow, leaves you wondering where the science fiction is inside the book. However, it is in there. Great story, it was well planned and organized. The way it’s presented made the listen more intriguing. Particle Man keeps the reader interested like an old friend telling a story.

I would listen to more books from this author. Great read and well worth the time. This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com"

An adventure through time

I was skeptical to read this because the author was also the narrator but the performance was very well done. The cheeky way the author writes this tale gave him an upper hand when narrating it. I really "accelerated" through this book. The characters were extremely likeable and I found myself rooting for them. The journey through life in the 50's all the way up to present day couldn't have been written better. As mentioned above the cheeky way the author mentioned things that were relevane during that time was amazing. The references to present day things such as the internet and how it could have been used in the 50's had me laughing out loud. The payoff at the end could have been just a little more better. I found myself thinking that it was a little anticlimactic but nonetheless the journey was well worth it. As mentioned at the end YES YES I want more, please write a sequel.

I was provided this audiobook free from the author or publisher in exchange for an honest review but I must say this was right up my alley and would definitely spend one of my credits on it.

An origin story with a new type of hero. Brilliant

If you could sum up Particle Man in three words, what would they be?

Origin-story
Self discovery
Fantastic

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Definitely. I thought that the book took its time building the main character and the world and timelines that he inhabits. It eased you into the head of our hero as he learns that his sister can do something that he can't and then he goes and does it too. He evolves from a kid who squabbles with his sister moving through a very strange adolescent period and turns into a man who cares. It's funny that the author mentions CS Lewis within the book because this does feel like the Magicians Nephew and fingers crossed we get as many books from Deric with this world/characters in it as CS Lewis wrote about Narnia.

What about Deric McNish’s performance did you like?

It's the first time, to my knowledge, that I've listened to an audio book that's been narrated by the author. I thought that this gave it an edge. The author knows his characters in a way that someone else who narrates it can never feel. He's written the book and wants to emphasise the faults and failings and thoughts of his characters and he does this wonderfully.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely. I liked the way that the main character was taking us through his life and experiences and it made me want to just keep listening.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.

This book was not for me

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This book is better suited to a younger audience. I love listening to YA books but this one was a little too juvenile for me. I had to force myself to continue listening to this book.

What do you think your next listen will be?

The next book on my list to read.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Deric McNish?

I have no opinion.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I have no opinion.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.