This WILL change how you open your door to strange

I knew when Michaelbrent Collings started the book with veteran police officers vomiting everywhere the book was going to be an experience. Michaelbrent has done what few authors have been able to do ---- he scared me half to death and kept me up most of the night thinking about my secrets and who I trust without a second thought.

This is about a family who has suffered a devastating loss of an older son and their mechanisms to deal with his death and their now fractured family. On the anniversary of their son’s death, the family once again struggles to become “normal” and fail. Although there are some glints that normalcy has returned it is but an illusion.

Waking from a solid night of sleep, a family of four (mom, dad, and 2 teenagers) finds themselves sealed in their home with no escape route. They are tormented and unmercifully tortured by an unknown stranger. Through phone messages left by schools and HR personnel over the course of a week, it becomes clear that no one is coming to help them. Although it is the 21st century their connection to the outside world is tenuous at best – twitter, facebook, texting. NO ONE has cared enough to check on them in the week they have been missing! Although as a reader, one might believe this to be absurd, Michaelbrent undeniably demonstrates otherwise.

A hidden stranger playing a deadly game and who has become judge, jury and executioner has decided that only those who confess their secrets willingly will live – moving from room to room searching for a way out, corpses are found, secrets are revealed, and more corpses are made.

In reading this horrifying book, you WILL change how you open your door to strangers, who has access to your home, family and secrets! You will no longer be passive because Michaelbrent won’t allow it as he puts the fear of strangers in you!

Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.

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7 people found this helpful

Taut, quick, it carried me away.

Any additional comments?

I follow and sometimes chat with Collings online, and I see him at conferences and conventions sometimes. When an author is this accessible, you sometimes forget that in addition to being an all-around nice guy, he is also a damn fine writer. I was reminded of that as I listened to "Strangers." Strangers has a literary--but not pretentious--writing style: visceral descriptions, deep character penetration, rich verbs that clench the scene. I loved how insightful the descriptions and narrative were--they added a whole other level of depth to the novel.

The characterization was fabulous. I felt like I really was inside the head of a tired, desperate, lonely, forty-something man. That sounds depressing, but it really wasn't. The character's voice is authentic and active, and even when he's exhausted and terrified, he's fighting, It was easy to follow along with the ride.

And the pacing was perfect. It grabbed me, it held me. The slow amping of tension as the family grows more desperate. The increased revelation of secrets. The twists on the classic horror tropes. lt was all great. Plus, it had the possibility of a sequel, which would be nice.

All in all, if you're looking for something to sweep you away while you put miles on the car or treadmill or load the dishwasher or fix the car or put on your makeup for the umpteenth time, this is a good pick! I'm thrilled that Collings has an Audible presence now and I and look forward to scooping up his other works.

4 people found this helpful

Deadly Secrets!

What did you love best about Strangers?

The story did not get mired in relationship drama although a good deal of the book is ultimately about a very dysfunctional family in a very dire situation. The pacing is fast and the tension will keep you listening. I thought the ending was a bit weak but overall I recommend it to suspense and horror fans.

3 people found this helpful

I love this book!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a great book! To be honest though, having both listened to the audiobook and read it in print, I would try to get a friend to read it in print first. But that is no fault of the narration of the audiobook. I just think this is one of those books that is great to read.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I thought the narrator did a worthy job and put a good voice to the book and characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book is pretty disturbing.

Any additional comments?

This is a great book for anyone that likes horror and thrillers.

3 people found this helpful

Horror with surprising depth

Where does Strangers rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Fairly high. I will definitely give it another listen.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jerry, the father. He did his best to stand by his family in a terrifying situation.

What about Jeffrey Kafer’s performance did you like?

Mr. Kafer delivers another excellent performance. Every character has a distinct voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I was tempted to drive right past my in-laws and continue to Florida to see how it resolved.

Any additional comments?

Graphic, yet deep horror!

3 people found this helpful

Sadly Flawed

I don't often write reviews for my Audible books because for me they are not only stories by writers whose work I've already found to be quite good but they are also a form of complete escape. This book really missed the mark for me however.
. ***SPOILER ALERT!***
If all it takes is the uncovering of the secrets of ones loved ones for them to be able to simply stop loving them because that person or people hasn't lived up to the vision of what a parent, or anyone, thinks they should be then that love is extremely shallow! If a parent, even at their most vulnerable can't accept their child for the flawed human they are and still look at them with love, I don't get it. To me this makes the very foundation of this book extremely flawed & very disappointing.

2 people found this helpful

Creepy Claustrophobic Horror Story

Would you consider the audio edition of Strangers to be better than the print version?

Yes, just because the addition of the different voices and especially Jerry's internal monologue allows the narrator to adapt certain affectations that add to the storytelling experience.

What other book might you compare Strangers to and why?

I'm not sure of any books I'd compare it to, but in terms of movies there is a good deal similar with the Cube series of movies only instead of literal booby traps it's the characters secrets in Strangers that cause most of the conflict. In terms of just being a book in which a family is forced to confront their problems there are many examples.

Which character – as performed by Jeffrey Kafer – was your favorite?

I liked the performance of Jerry, the patriarch of the family. Jeffrey did a good job of portraying his increasingly frayed hold on reality and his vocalizations of Jerry's voice brought to light the amount of self-doubt and guilt that Jerry had throughout the situation. It provided the most intense sensation of the loss of hope in the face of that kind of situation out of the characters.

If you could rename Strangers, what would you call it?

I might just rename it Stranger, because when you get down to it it's only really one stranger who matters in the story. Of course the plural version can be said to extend to the fact that the neighbors and companies and whatnot showed how much strangers people can be with those they interact on a regular basis so perhaps the plural version is better for that regard.

Any additional comments?

I received the code for this story in exchange for an honest review, its the second book I've been entertained with by both Michaelbrent Collings and Jeffrey Kafer and both of them are remaining on the list of authors/narrators to look out for.

2 people found this helpful

Loved ones become strangers in this suspense!

Would you consider the audio edition of Strangers to be better than the print version?

I would say that it's a toss up. The writing is so good that it drags you along, but the narration is so spot on and the tension so well created that it's almost impossible to say that one is better than the other.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I have no favorite character. Each character is detestable, each character has some sort of hidden flaw that's being forced out into the open, and each time it shows just how selfish people can be.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was. I almost did too. The only reason I couldn't is because I really did have to get some sort of sleep and had to keep my phone/tablet away from me to keep the temptation away.

Any additional comments?

I received this from the narrator, Jeffrey Kafer to review. I’m more than glad I did. There is something about audiobooks for me that take me a minute to get into them. It takes me a minute for my mind to really get wrapped around the story……not this time. The combination of incredible writing and incredibly acting by Kafer pulled me in from the get go.

The absolute, cut the air with a knife, tension that Kafer is able to create when the scenes crescendo to climax after climax makes you stick with the story. You think you can just turn it off and come back, but in reality, you’ll need to listen more.

He has stated that this was one of the most difficult books to narrate due to some of the more violent scenes and you can really feel that come through. I won’t tell you which scenes here so as not to spoil anything, but you can really tell that the struggle he had during scenes weren’t really acting, but real.

2 people found this helpful

Don't ever stick me in this situation!

Where does Strangers rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The story is dark and gripping. The narration is great. Jeffrey Kafer is one of my favorites.

What did you like best about this story?

This was freaky. This is one of your worst nightmares that just is pure survival.

Which scene was your favorite?

When there is a death that happens and questions are asked yet the others are wanting to go. (A bedroom scene). That sounds so messed up but it's to not give away anything.

Who was the most memorable character of Strangers and why?

Jerry.

Any additional comments?

This is a fast paces story. Dark. Nightmarish. Sticks with you.

2 people found this helpful

Horror

What was one of the most memorable moments of Strangers?

This audio book has everything a horror fiction fan could want in a novel! The intense, suspense takes off right from the beginning. You might think that at some point it would let up while the author focuses his energies in different directions, but not so! Even while the plot progresses and some things begin to come to light, the mystery and tension continue to build. Lots of action from beginning to end.

2 people found this helpful