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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I listened to the audiobook version of this book, because, if you know anything about Welcome to Night Vale, its dependence rests entirely on it's wonderfully charming narrator, Cecil Baldwin who shares his first name with the host. Welcome to Night Vale is a podcast about a small dessert community "where the sun is hot, the moon is bright, and strange lights pass overhead as we all pretend to sleep." It's a strange, but endearing podcast, which I feel is like a mash up of Parks and Recreation and the Twilight Zone/Alfred Hitchcock Presents/the X-Files. I do not believe this book would be understood or liked by someone who is not a fan of the podcast - it's an extension of the podcast and can't really stand up on it's own.
As of late, the podcast seems to have lost it's charm (shifting away from the focus of the main character Cecil and his shenanigans, which was the main focus in the podcast's early seasons). Unfortunately, this book reflects that loss of charm. I was hoping the book could breathe life into the characters again & remind me of why I liked the podcast, but it just went straight into the realm of contrived absurdity. I actually got angry with this book because it's random and weird just for the sake of being random and weird. The authors got so caught up in being weird and random that they forgot to tell a good story. I also believe that they do not remember what drew people to the podcast in the first place, which is it's hero and narrator, Cecil. The book focuses entirely too much on senselessness and new characters in the town, when in reality fans want stories about Cecil and Carlos and the how they interact with each other and their weird little community. Cecil, Carlos, and Dana (the only surviving radio intern) make appearances in the book, but the story was not about them. I really wish it had been.
Cecil Baldwin was flawless and wonderful, as always, in his voice acting and narration, but he could not save the audiobook.
I was a fan of the Welcome to Night Vale podcast, but this book left me disappointed, frustrated, and feeling like I wasted my time. Heck, it even made me stop listening to the podcast.
As of late, the podcast seems to have lost it's charm (shifting away from the focus of the main character Cecil and his shenanigans, which was the main focus in the podcast's early seasons). Unfortunately, this book reflects that loss of charm. I was hoping the book could breathe life into the characters again & remind me of why I liked the podcast, but it just went straight into the realm of contrived absurdity. I actually got angry with this book because it's random and weird just for the sake of being random and weird. The authors got so caught up in being weird and random that they forgot to tell a good story. I also believe that they do not remember what drew people to the podcast in the first place, which is it's hero and narrator, Cecil. The book focuses entirely too much on senselessness and new characters in the town, when in reality fans want stories about Cecil and Carlos and the how they interact with each other and their weird little community. Cecil, Carlos, and Dana (the only surviving radio intern) make appearances in the book, but the story was not about them. I really wish it had been.
Cecil Baldwin was flawless and wonderful, as always, in his voice acting and narration, but he could not save the audiobook.
I was a fan of the Welcome to Night Vale podcast, but this book left me disappointed, frustrated, and feeling like I wasted my time. Heck, it even made me stop listening to the podcast.
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked the first 1/3, but I kinda got tired of the plot once it turned in to baby daddy drama lol
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The quirky, weirdness was fun and enticing at the beginning of the book, but as it continued on it became more redundant and predictable despite attempting to be the opposite. I loved the characters and enjoyed the plot, though I feel it could have been developed a bit more. It needed a bigger "oomph" factor at some point and had plenty of possibilities to do so given the material it was working with.
I will say, it was something different, it was fun, and I really really enjoyed the ending.
Also, very quotable at times: "Comfort was the answer to all life's problems. It didn't solve them, but it made them more distant for a bit as they quietly worsened."
I will say, it was something different, it was fun, and I really really enjoyed the ending.
Also, very quotable at times: "Comfort was the answer to all life's problems. It didn't solve them, but it made them more distant for a bit as they quietly worsened."
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
