I love a book that starts off with a bang. Not necessarily in terms of action, but in emotional impact. This one grabbed me by the ear and yanked me right into it, and once it had my attention, it slowed down a bit to introduce and develop characters - and what amazing characters they were! - then put me on a sled and sent me screaming down the slopes.

Funny, though, as much as I liked Curtis, who is really the main character in this story, my favorites are Nilla, a little girl with sense and grit, and Ginger/Vesta/???, the evil mastermind who surprised me into almost feeling a little sympathy for her. Almost!

Audiobook via Audible. The performance by Marc Vietor is of the very good kind that disappears into the story, so that the reader even loses awareness of the performance and the medium. 

"He was amazed at her composure. If she'd been a man, her balls would have been dragging the floor."

Ooooooooh, I love a book that starts off with a bang. I really should just go ahead and put every McCammon book on my TBR list. 

This post is in response to Moonlight Reader's Call for essential reads.

Geek Love - It's a timeless story about avarice, ego, innocence lost and horrible parenting. 

The Secret Life of Souls - another timeless story about love, devotion and horrible parenting.

Deerskin - yet another timeless story about perseverance, transformation and strength in the face of horror and horrible parenting (lol).

The Listener - my final timeless (my word of the day) choice about humanity and the lack thereof wrapped inside a thrilling story. 

All essential reading, IMO that I feel will stand the test of time. 

I have had a terrible and stressful few weeks (months, really) and am having a difficult time focusing or finding the energy to write a review so this will be much shorter than it deserves.

First off, I have to say that The Listener has an opening scene that will cement the villain as one of the worst of all time in my mind. He is truly one of the vilest, evilest, most selfish of monsters that my eyeballs have come across in quite a while. Be warned, be warned, beeeee warned! If you can get through that scene you are good to go.

Anyhow, without spoiling things, that vile creature sets off to do more evil and pairs up with a lady who is just as monstrous as himself. Together they plot to hurt innocents for their own selfish gain. But what they don’t expect is a little supernatural twist between the innocents caught in their twisted little plan.

This story is disturbing and horrifying and 100% captivating. McCammon is one hell of a beautiful writer and he draws you into his world of villains and innocents and prejudice and pain and kindness and if you don’t root for the good guys to win after all they’ve been through, you might just be a monster as well.

The writing in this novel is simply beyond compare. My heart broke time and again and all of my emotions were engaged. This is a story that I will never forget and I say that about almost nothing because things no longer stick in my brain unless they engage my heart.

I don’t know what else to say besides READ THIS BOOK. I do not think that you will regret it.