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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I can't believe it's taken me so long to talk about the Welcome To Night Vale book! I'm a huge fan of the podcast, and I even dressed up as Cecil for Halloween. I listened to the audio book for Night Vale (of course) but I also wanted to see how Night Vale was in print, and I wanted to wait until I finished both before I reviewed it.
It took me a few days to finish the audio (I generally don't listen to audio books on weekends, which is why it took me a little longer than normal to finish it), and it was completely awesome! I loved the story, even though there were times where it was really repetitive and repeated something that happened a couple of paragraphs earlier almost word for word. And of course, the narration was completely awesome, which isn't surprising, considering Cecil is also the voice of the Night Vale Podcast.
The book is very much how I pictured a Night Vale book to be, even though I wasn't sure what a Night Vale book would entail. It stands alone really well, so if you've never listened to the podcast, you jump right in, and know what's going on. For fans of the podcast, there are plenty of nods to the podcast, which was really fun. But if you haven't listened...you should, but it's not necessary to this book, because it is very much a stand-alone book. There is something about the Night Vale book that lends itself well to an audio book format, and I think that's largely because it's based on a podcast, which is very much an audio...thing. I'm not sure what word I'm looking for, but Night Vale the book is something I very much recommend as an audio book.
I didn't enjoy it in print at all, though. It took me a long time to get through the print edition- around 2 1/2 months- and part of it is the weirdness of December, where I didn't read a single thing. But part of it is that I had a hard time getting through Night Vale in print form. I think the main reason why Night Vale in print didn't work for me was because I am so used to listening to Night Vale that reading it was really weird, and I couldn't quite get over that. However, since I had listened to the audio and then read the book, I did hear Cecil's voice in my head when I was reading it.
My Rating: 5 stars. Honestly, I really do recommend reading the Night Vale novel- but I'd definitely go for the audio book, because it's fantastic whether you're a fan of the podcast or not. As for print, I'm really hesitant to recommend it for the reasons I mentioned above, but go for whatever format floats your boat. And you definitely don't need to be a podcast listener to enjoy it or understand what's going on in the book (but really, if you haven't listened to the podcast, you need to go do that now).
It took me a few days to finish the audio (I generally don't listen to audio books on weekends, which is why it took me a little longer than normal to finish it), and it was completely awesome! I loved the story, even though there were times where it was really repetitive and repeated something that happened a couple of paragraphs earlier almost word for word. And of course, the narration was completely awesome, which isn't surprising, considering Cecil is also the voice of the Night Vale Podcast.
The book is very much how I pictured a Night Vale book to be, even though I wasn't sure what a Night Vale book would entail. It stands alone really well, so if you've never listened to the podcast, you jump right in, and know what's going on. For fans of the podcast, there are plenty of nods to the podcast, which was really fun. But if you haven't listened...you should, but it's not necessary to this book, because it is very much a stand-alone book. There is something about the Night Vale book that lends itself well to an audio book format, and I think that's largely because it's based on a podcast, which is very much an audio...thing. I'm not sure what word I'm looking for, but Night Vale the book is something I very much recommend as an audio book.
I didn't enjoy it in print at all, though. It took me a long time to get through the print edition- around 2 1/2 months- and part of it is the weirdness of December, where I didn't read a single thing. But part of it is that I had a hard time getting through Night Vale in print form. I think the main reason why Night Vale in print didn't work for me was because I am so used to listening to Night Vale that reading it was really weird, and I couldn't quite get over that. However, since I had listened to the audio and then read the book, I did hear Cecil's voice in my head when I was reading it.
My Rating: 5 stars. Honestly, I really do recommend reading the Night Vale novel- but I'd definitely go for the audio book, because it's fantastic whether you're a fan of the podcast or not. As for print, I'm really hesitant to recommend it for the reasons I mentioned above, but go for whatever format floats your boat. And you definitely don't need to be a podcast listener to enjoy it or understand what's going on in the book (but really, if you haven't listened to the podcast, you need to go do that now).
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m glad I chose to listen to this as an audiobook, so it feels like another piece of the podcast. The radio bits in between were some of my favorite parts and kinda what kept me motivated to finish the book. It was fun, weird and just not what I was expecting at all.
The audiobook was a fantastic listen; but where the Night Vale podcast's format of alluding to Lovecraftian horror, and insanity works in vignettes, it made the book difficult to follow. My brain was constantly processing conflicting information, rather than relating to the characters — who were often grating, and lacked consistency. The book certainly has moments of lucidity – and a very coherent (and relevant) story arc – but those moments were far between.
All said, fans of the podcast will likely find this an excellent supplement; but it's otherwise a non-remarkable piece of fiction.
All said, fans of the podcast will likely find this an excellent supplement; but it's otherwise a non-remarkable piece of fiction.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Welcome to Night Vale is absurd and surrealistic and I love it so very much for that. I started listening to the podcast a couple of months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't usually like podcasts, but since it was fiction I gave it a chance. This led me to read the book itself.
The characters are wonderful and mysterious as Night Vale is bizarre and unique.
It's not for everyone. I can name quite a few people who wouldn't enjoy this book. However, it was perfect for me. I loved every second of it.
The characters are wonderful and mysterious as Night Vale is bizarre and unique.
It's not for everyone. I can name quite a few people who wouldn't enjoy this book. However, it was perfect for me. I loved every second of it.
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
More like 2.5. I picked this book up largely because some authors whose books I've really enjoyed raved about this one. And I get why--I've never read a book quite like it, and the writing style was very intriguing. Ultimately I ended up not caring very much about the characters or what happened to them, and I love a genre-bender, but for me, I couldn't really figure out what this story was trying to be.
If you happen to pick it up and love the first few chapters, you'll probably like the rest. I stuck with this one through the end, but would have been okay if I had put it down after the first 100 pages. But there's definitely an audience for this one!
If you happen to pick it up and love the first few chapters, you'll probably like the rest. I stuck with this one through the end, but would have been okay if I had put it down after the first 100 pages. But there's definitely an audience for this one!
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5. This was really weird and not for everyone. I don't listen to the podcast but I still liked it.