Reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

*squeeeeaaallllssss* It's been a long, long time since I've squealed for a book.. Goodness, this one deserves it 👏

The thing I loved most about this book was how it made me feel - it made me feel human. I experienced anger and was sickened by the acts portrayed, but it wasn't that which hit me hardest. It was the sadness. I was sadden. Just very, very, deeply sad.

Much of my emotional response can be attributed to the narrators. Truly just the most amazing acting. I found myself crying multiple times throughout and I don't think the impact would have been nearly as strong had I read this book on paper. This book was made to be consumed with your ears, not your eyes.

Other things I loved:

*The setting 🎡
*Interview 7 - it broke me. Literal sobbing 💔
*The tribes
*The Freaks! Ingenious! Team Freaks all the way 🎪
*Also, Team Shop Girls. Biggest badasses out of the lot, if you ask me 💘
*The hotel and The Warthogs. Hella creepy and soooo well done 🎭
*Sophie 🔫
*The Med Girls
*Parlay 😂
*The Pirates 💀 I hated them.
*The narrators.. They were so good, I have to mention it again.

My only major let down was interview 22. I didn't like how it was handled and I think maybe the author tried too hard. I think it would have been more impactful had he stayed silent or just not been included at all. Keep us guessing about his character. Would have been epic.

Other than that, I loved how this book did leave us guessing in regards to what really happened and who is telling the truth. It lets us make up our own mind, which is very cool.

I truly hope humanity would fare better in the real world.

Loved it.

alliemco's review

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5.0

FantasticLand is a modern take on Lord of the Flies heading on a fast lane to Mad Max territory. The book is brutal and savage. I was put off at first on the "interview/media excerpt" style of storytelling but glad I gave it a chance. Ultimately the multiple POV, conflicting reports and unrealistic narrator gave it a more realistic side. There are some absolutely wild and horrific things that happen within this book, so it’s certainly a reader beware type of read.

I know some of the complaints out there about the book being unrealistic on how fast and purposeless the violence is but if history has taught us anything is that is completely plausible and at any given point we as a society are on the verge of collapse.

If, like me, you get drawn into this chilling tale of events you’ll be pleased to know that it finishes as strongly as it starts, and with few aspects left unresolved. It was a real roller coaster straight from the start. A chilling novel and FantasticLand manages to execute the idea just right. It’s entertaining in that can’t-look-away sense, and chilling in its often blunt delivery. Highly recommended.