Bentley Little and David Stifel hit a home run.

Would you listen to The Store again? Why?

Absolutely!

What did you like best about this story?

The absurdity of the situation the characters found themselves in. Bentley Little has the unique ability to highlight absurd situations and institutions by portraying them as even more absurd than they are in reality.

Which character – as performed by David Stifel – was your favorite?

The main character, Bill Davis, but David Stifel is a marvelous narrator and one of the reasons I bought the book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Store - One of the items for sale may be you.

Any additional comments?

It's just a great and quirky book. As someone who once worked in retail, the Night Managers gave me the creeps.

11 people found this helpful

Wow! Intense and surprisingly different...

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

It's definitely in my top 10 books... This book is really interesting. It's part thriller, part mystery, and part paranormal. Half way through, I started thinking of the store as the typical evil corporation... but it's more than that.

What did you like best about this story?

Well, it kept me guessing the entire time. I was not sure what was going to happen. Yes, some parts were definitely predictable, but other parts... well I just didn't see it coming. I'm not one of those people that listen to a story and try to guess what will happen next, I just go with the flow and for the most part, it works for me.

What about David Stifel’s performance did you like?

He was awesome. The sign of a good performance is that you totally get lost in the story and you don't have to figure out the characters or who is talking. That is what happened for me, I just got lost in the story.

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

Yes, it really had me hooked after the first 10-15 mins. I listened to it over the course of 2.5 days, and it was really a good listen. Yes, there were some slow parts, but overall it was a great listen.

Any additional comments?

This is a very adult book with adult situations. I was actually a bit embarrassed in parts of it. This book is NOT a book for kids, period.

24 people found this helpful

Disturbing critique to the consumer culture

Bill and his family see how The Store arrives at Juniper, a small Arizona town, and with it bad things start to happen: wild animals die, laws are bent, and small shops close. The Store promises a lot of good things for the people of Juniper, but there are some unexpected side effects.

If I had to rate this book based on the first half I would have given it 3 starts. The passivity of the main characters was unnerving, and the procedure during the job interview unrealistic, as it also was the girl’s reaction to it all. That almost made me stop listening, but I decided to plunge forward. The first half of the book is also quite slow, and it seems not a lot happens. In hindsight, I realize Little was laying out the rules of the game that was going to be played on the second part.

The book is a clear critique to the consumer culture which surrounds us nowadays, combined with the classical fight between good and evil. The story shows how corruption can reach anybody just if the right occasion arises. But there is hope, because it also shows us that we can find redemption in ourselves through honesty, and if we join forces, we are powerful.

There are a lot of creepy and disturbing moments in the book, many of them I disagree with, but somehow I could not stop listening, like a moth attracted to a flame.

The characters were not especially likable, and this was one of the keys of the story, I think, to show us the good and bad in people, and that one choses their own destiny.

I can’t help thinking that Newman King and his Dark Tower was a tribute to Stephen King and his saga, especially since both write horror.

David Stifel’s narration was perfect, as it always is. His voice is clear, and the characters were perfectly distinguishable. He inflicted the right amount of emotion to the story, and brought the characters to life, making me forget that I was listening to an audiobook. The audio production was flawless. Having Stifel as a narrator already guarantees that I WILL enjoy the book.

This book is not for everybody. As I think it is great as a horror novel, it might be a bit strong for the faint of heart. There are explicit sex scenes and events that some may have a hard time to swallow. But if you like the genre, the audiobook will give you a better experience than the paper or ebook editions.

I received a copy of this book in audio format from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.

12 people found this helpful

What book did you people read!?

....because it couldn't have been the same one I did. I thought I did a really good job going through the reviews for this book. "Creepy" Yes please! "Different " perfect! "Intriguing " sounds good!
The only one of those words that is true is creepy but folks, this is the wrong kind of creepy! How is it that only ONE person took issue with the dad having sex with his daughter? It didn't further the story, change the direction of the story, have anything whatsoever to add to the story.... and the fact that we were beat over the head with the phrase, "best sex of my life " STILL makes me sick to my stomach. I quite listening right then. The person reading this book was horrible and it was by sheer will that I made it as far as I did. I kept thinking ok, only 4,3,... hours to go, you can make it. But at the 2 hour remaining mark, we get incest as a reward for trying. This book is awful.

95 people found this helpful

Wow! Spooky, Scary and downright Gross at times!

I have not been this compelled by a book in a long time! I found myself thinking about the story line throughout my day even after I wasn't listening to my story anymore. It's been a long time since I could not figure out how the story was going to end! This is a unique and very creative story that is based on some scary and realistic potentials of our world. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

9 people found this helpful

The Store

Would you listen to The Store again? Why?

Probably not. It was okay, but not particularly scary and a bit too close to what is going on in our country for comfort. I suppose it is supernatural, but it wouldn't have to be. I was disappointed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Store?

I can't think of any really memorable moments.

What does David Stifel bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Nothing. I found his reading to be stilted and stiff. Sometimes it seemed as if he was enunciating for effect, but otherwise it seemed that he had difficulty just speaking in a normal tone and speed. I didn't dislike his reading, I just have heard much better (and to be fair, much worse).

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

I had no extreme reaction. That is unfortunate, because when I have a strong reaction at least the writer has made the characters sympathetic. I felt nothing.

Any additional comments?

This book is well written. I have read at least one other book by this author and as I recall had more or less the same, neutral feeling when I finished. I enjoy good writing and will listen to a book that isn't reaching me on an emotional level just because the writing is good, so I guess that's why I keep returning to Bentley Little, but I believe I've read my last book by this author.

3 people found this helpful

Intriguing, creepy story!

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the concept of a store taking over a whole town, and the underlying creepiness associated with it.

Any additional comments?

There were some things I wish had been explained better, or rather there were questions/mysteries that never were elaborated on, and I was disappointed. This book could easily have had 20 more chapters and I would have loved it! Other than that, I wanted to keep listening, and the author kept me interested all throughout the book!

5 people found this helpful

I don't get the positive reviews at all!

What would have made The Store better?

I listened to this for 6 hours. It was incredibly boring. My sister and I listen to books together. She was ahead of me and sent me a text warning me to stop. Evidently, after being bored to death I was going to be treated to incest in this book. That's not the kind of creepy I go for... I CAN NOT BELIEVE how positive the reviews are for this book. I'm not sure where to begin on how to make it better.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Something not by this author. He lost my business.

What didn’t you like about David Stifel’s performance?

The narrator was excruciating to listen to. The tone was practically robotic.

Any additional comments?

Be sure to seek out the 1 and 2 star ratings on Amazon. If I had done a better job of tracking those down I would have passed on this and saved my credit.

21 people found this helpful

this is the STUPIDEST most RIDICULOUS book ever

I have 1798 books in my audible library. This is the WORST!!!!!!!! Gross, ridiculous and unnecessary. Good grief. This would NEVER happen. From an interview where a 17 year old girl had to undress and be fondled..........an employee being tortured for stealing a candybar.........tricking a father into having sex with a daughter........murdering an employee as punishment,......branding employees with a hot cattle prod with stores emblem. Do yourself a favor and pass. Bentley dude you are a sick individual. I love your books but bluck just bluck.

16 people found this helpful

Addicting

loved the book. Bentley little's books keep you begging for more. Can't wait to read more.

3 people found this helpful