Flawed Dogs: The Shocking Raid on Westminster

Flawed Dogs: The Shocking Raid on Westminster by Berkeley Breathed



The idea of Flawed Dogs is very catchy. Who doesn't want to see an underdog succeed? The adorable dachshund on the cover with a ladle for a leg peaked my curiosity. I am sad to say that the story didn't meet my expectations. The storyline jumped between scenes quickly. Many times I hit rewind to repeat sections of the novel. Johnny Heller read very well. Sadly, Berkeley Breathed wrote a choppy novel that has a time setting of three years (with a year unwritten because of the horrible events that take place at that time.) I wonder what the author was reaching for in this novel: revenge, redemption, creating an anti-hero or even a Byronic hero. I can't put my finger it. My heart broke listening to the outcome of Sam the Lion. Incidentally, the Flawed Dogs troupe had very minimal appearances or action throughout this story. A brief introduction and then the shocking raid on Westminster. Regretfully, I cannot urge you to listen to this book. Perhaps it is a better book story, then a CD story. How do you rate this book?

Reviewed from a library copy.


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Audio Book Details...
Flawed Dogs: The Shocking Raid on Westminster by Berkley Breathed
Read by Johnny Heller
Produced by Recorded Books
Number of Discs: 4
Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes

Leaving the Bellweathers

Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Clark Venuti


If you could create your own village with eccentric individuals, what kind a name would you give your town? Author Kristin Clark Venuti gave her imaginative city the memorable name of Eel-Smack-by-the-Bay. Her humorously dubbed village grabbed my attention right away. A grin would stretch across my face at every mention of Eel-Smack-by-the-Bay during Michael Page's rendition of Leaving the Bellweathers.


Beyond the clever town title, Ms. Venuti, weaves a wonderful tale about the life of the Bellweather's butler named Benway. Benway is writing his memoirs, taking care of the bizarre Bellweathers and counting the day until he can leave the insanity of life at the lighthouse. The novel rotates between journal entries and actual events that happen during his last few months of service.


Michael Page give a wonderful performance. Each character is distinct and Benway has the proper butler tone of voice. The screaming triplets are also terrific throughout the entire novel. Thank you for a memorable audiobook, Mr. Page.


Reviewed from a library copy.

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Audio Book Details...
Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Clark Venuti
Read by Michael Page
Produced by Brilliance Audio
Number of Discs: 4
Total Time: 4 hours, 21 minutes

Welcome!

Thank you for stopping by Adolescent Audio Adventures! Throughout our time on this blog, we'll be listening, discussing and enjoying audio books for adolescents aka children and teens. With such a wide variety of books available, I am looking forward to this adventure with you!