Audiobook Review: Audrey Rose by Frank DeFelitta
Well, I guess they can't all be five stars, right?
My Thoughts:
A Bit About the Fantastic Narrator
Audrey Rose by Frank DeFelitta, Narrated by Matt Godfrey
Horror Fiction
Audiobook 13+ Hours, Released August 2017
Amazon ♦ Goodreads
Horror Fiction
Audiobook 13+ Hours, Released August 2017
Amazon ♦ Goodreads
The Templeton family's peaceful lives are plunged into chaos when their young daughter, Ivy, begins to be stalked by a strange man who believes their daughter is the reincarnation of his daughter, Audrey Rose, who died in a fiery car crash. Frank De Felitta's Audrey Rose (1975) was one of the best-selling horror novels of the decade, selling over 3.5 million copies, and it remains a chilling classic of modern horror.
I have vague memories of being afraid of this movie when I was a kid and that was all I remembered so when the chance came around to listen to the audio I grabbed it. I’m terribly impulsive like that.
The Templeton’s have a lovely home in Manhattan, a beautiful young daughter and an all-around perfect life. You know that’s all blessedly coming to crashing halt right now, don’t you? One day a strange man starts lurking about, sending gifts and doing other strange stalkery things. Who is this weirdo and why is he tarnishing their perfect world with his pestering? He eventually reveals that their beautiful daughter Ivy is the reincarnation of his deceased little girl Audrey Rose and he wants to be a part of her life!
Oh no.
That’s scary stuff for any parent, even these two. I say that because in one of the most disturbing scenes for me, they both ignored the fact that their adult neighbor/friend looked at Ivy’s blossoming bosom and made a lewd comment (she’s 10 or 11, btw) and then they all continued on with their festivities. Are you kidding me? I’d like to think that things weren’t that different in the 70’s. That pedo should’ve been stabbed in the manparts and unwelcomed forever. This didn’t give me hope for the well-being of poor Ivy.
Moving along . . . the stalker-man thinks it a wise idea to kidnap dear Ivy who is suffering from terrible night terrors and a courtroom drama consumes the plot for way too long. This is where the book pretty much lost me. No fault to the book but courtroom dramas are one of my least favorite things in the world. Seeing as I didn’t particularly care for any of the parents and the woo-woo wasn’t that interesting to me, I started to wish I were reading something else.
The only thing keeping me going, and I do not exaggerate here, was the narration by Matt Godfrey. I swear that man and Will Patton could read their grocery lists and I would be enraptured. Godfrey’s voice is comforting and calming to me and he does great work with all of the characters. I know for an almost fact that I would’ve DNF’d this book had I tried to read it in paperback/Kindle form because I have no tolerance for books that bore me and that’s what this one did.
If you want to revisit the 70’s with this book, make sure you grab the audiobook!
I’d give the story a 2 but the narration a 5 which averages out to a three (hey, my review, my math!).
Courtesy of Valancourt Books & Audiobookboom, thanks!
The Templeton’s have a lovely home in Manhattan, a beautiful young daughter and an all-around perfect life. You know that’s all blessedly coming to crashing halt right now, don’t you? One day a strange man starts lurking about, sending gifts and doing other strange stalkery things. Who is this weirdo and why is he tarnishing their perfect world with his pestering? He eventually reveals that their beautiful daughter Ivy is the reincarnation of his deceased little girl Audrey Rose and he wants to be a part of her life!
Oh no.
That’s scary stuff for any parent, even these two. I say that because in one of the most disturbing scenes for me, they both ignored the fact that their adult neighbor/friend looked at Ivy’s blossoming bosom and made a lewd comment (she’s 10 or 11, btw) and then they all continued on with their festivities. Are you kidding me? I’d like to think that things weren’t that different in the 70’s. That pedo should’ve been stabbed in the manparts and unwelcomed forever. This didn’t give me hope for the well-being of poor Ivy.
Moving along . . . the stalker-man thinks it a wise idea to kidnap dear Ivy who is suffering from terrible night terrors and a courtroom drama consumes the plot for way too long. This is where the book pretty much lost me. No fault to the book but courtroom dramas are one of my least favorite things in the world. Seeing as I didn’t particularly care for any of the parents and the woo-woo wasn’t that interesting to me, I started to wish I were reading something else.
The only thing keeping me going, and I do not exaggerate here, was the narration by Matt Godfrey. I swear that man and Will Patton could read their grocery lists and I would be enraptured. Godfrey’s voice is comforting and calming to me and he does great work with all of the characters. I know for an almost fact that I would’ve DNF’d this book had I tried to read it in paperback/Kindle form because I have no tolerance for books that bore me and that’s what this one did.
If you want to revisit the 70’s with this book, make sure you grab the audiobook!
I’d give the story a 2 but the narration a 5 which averages out to a three (hey, my review, my math!).
Courtesy of Valancourt Books & Audiobookboom, thanks!
A Bit About the Fantastic Narrator
Matt Godfrey was born and raised in Alabama, studied Theater and English in college, then moved to Los Angeles where he lived for 8 years as a working actor. Acting, however, brought him back to the South, where he continues to appear in film, TV, and commercials, with the added bonus of spending his days with his nose in a book. He’s now a full time audiobook narrator. He loves college football, a good haunted house book, black coffee, and the Oxford comma. He lives in the Deep South with his two favorite people, his wife and daughter.
You can check out more of his work at his website: http://www.mattgodfrey.net/
I like reincarnation stories but omg yes! this would be my worst nightmare as a parent!
ReplyDeleteYes, such a creepy premise, right?!
DeleteI wonder how the movie holds up.
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to track it down. I just remember being very scared by Karen Black.
DeleteI don't remember ever seeing this book or the movie anywhere. I think I will be skipping the book but I will have to look for Matt Godfrey's narration.
ReplyDeleteHe is excellent at what he does.
DeleteI vaguely remember being scared watching the movie. Creepy stuff indeed.
ReplyDeleteSounds like my memories of it :) Nothing but vague creepiness.
DeleteI just noticed the narrator lives in my neck of the woods. I'll keep an eye out for books he narrates.
ReplyDeleteHis voice is really captivating.
Delete