Great story, not so great characters

I usually enjoy Warren Adler. I did love the story but the characters seemed a tad unrealistic. Not to mention somewhat unlikable. But the story was nice and suspenseful so it was worth a listen.

I enjoyed the narrator. Great performance.


I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

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Action packed from beginning to end

Let me start by saying that I absolutely love Warren Adler. The writing and narration for this book were top-notch. Although I loved the story I felt ambivalent towards the characters. If you like anything that has to do with the survivalist genre you will probably enjoy this book. I was voluntarily provided a review copy by the author publisher or narrator

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Has potential to be a good thriller

This is a survival story with 30% adventure, 10% thriller and 70% human drama. I enjoyed the adventure and survival. Most of the conflict is human drama.

The character’s internal battle with their own and each other’s weaknesses, interrupted all tension and watered down the thrilling situation the characters find themselves in. For me the self evaluating, got tedious and drawn out.

Is was well written and the narration was good. But not as thrilling as it could have been.

"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."

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"Only the sound of the stream...."

First, a disclaimer. I am a big fan of Mr.Adler's work. He is hard to classify as he writes in so many genres, including comedy, spy, thriller - and so it goes on. But one thing all of his books have in common (well, three, actually): all are impeccably written, absorbing and contain living, breathing, very real characters. This book is no exception.

George and Birdie, a fond but childless married couple, decide to holiday somewhere quiet for a while, away from the stresses of everyday life. Unfortunately, delays in their travel means that to reach their destination they will have to drive through the unknown countryside for part of the time in the dark. Harassed along the way, the are driven off the road and soon find themselves without transport, cold, frightened, alone and without any knowledge of where they are. This book is their story of trying to find their way back to civilisation and their discoveries of themselves along the very hard way.

For this reader, this intensely thrilling book is both a horror story and one which raises questions about so much we all take for granted. Beautifully atmospheric and terrifying in it's real possibilities, it is completely compelling from beginning to end. It is complimented by Will Tulin's excellent narration. His pleasant to hear reading mirrors the text and his voicings of the couple are perfect, conveying their emotional turmoils, fears and longings. A good performance throughout.

I was very fortunate in being gifted my copy of Natural Enemies by the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom. My thanks for that. Mr.Adler's story completely lived up to the high expectation i always feel whenever I first hold one of his books in my hand. The characterisations were flawless and I struggled with them through their journey never knowing what they might next have to endure. Very real, this is a true horror story because it could, and I'm sure does, sometimes actually happen.
Highly recommended reading for everyone.

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Scared the Absolute Crap Out of Me!

Any additional comments?

I have never listened to/read the first 20 minutes of a book and been so easily able to see myself and my loved one in the situation set up for the protagonists. So often it's easy to think "well, that was stupid! You should have done X" or "what will happen in the rest of this book is easily avoided if you just stop doing Y." But not Natural Enemies. From the very top I was completely riveted almost to the point of obsession because I couldn't think of a better way to react that would avoid the danger that Birdie and George encounter. The premise of this book is scarier for me than any horror story I've read in a good, long time. What happens to Birdie and George could easily happen to me or you. It is *terrifying* and totally awesome!! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good scare, a thrill, or an adventure story. Will Tulin does a lovely job of narration. 10/10

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

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1 person found this helpful

Alright book, typical survival horror.

I'm reading this author's work for the first time because book cover caught my attention. The two main characters were a little irritating because their reactions to situations were unbelievable and were only making the things worse. But I guess that's to be expected. There were quite a few edge-of-the-seat instances too. But overall, it was your typical "survival in a jungle" fare.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

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LOVE THIS BOOK FROM THE FIRST SENTENCE!

Hooked from start to finish. I enjoyed this book so much I think I made my husband sick from going on and on about it. I let him know that we need to brush up on our knowledge of plants for eating and medicine because you never know what can happen. He thinks I'm crazy! While I was listening to the audio I felt like I was on the edge of my seat (like watching a good movie). Through the whole book I kept saying they need to make it, they need to get saved, I just know she's pregnant. I'm usually good at guessing the ending but never seen this one coming. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good page turner. The narrator was perfect for this story. I listened to his voice and watched it in my mind play out. I love, love, love this book!

"I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher."

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1 person found this helpful

Love the Suspense

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

I wouldn't know, as I haven't read the print version. However, I did love listening to the book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I don't think that I had a favorite character, though I do love the couple themselves. They just ... I dunno, kept me interested in the story. After all, if there are issues between two ppl, and then they are thrown into a fight for survival... would they be wiling and able to work together to live... and possibly patch things up?

Would be able to do such a thing?

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

The experience of being able to get more of a feel for who and what the characters are like... especially in the eyes of someone else.

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

No, but I still wanted to read the book as quickly as I could.

Any additional comments?

No, outside of I loved being able to listen to the book for free. Thank you audible!

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Hard to classify

This book is hard to classify as it has the makings of a horror, adventure, survivalist, and so on. The book has an interesting plot and a very solid ending. In short, this book is about a couple who get involuntarily stranded in the Colorado Rockies by some crazy guys chasing them on the nighttime roads. So far so good. What makes me give this book 4 stars is that it tends to do a lot of talking and reminiscing instead of relying on what works for the book - the horror and survival. What I mean is that parts of the book could be shortened without affecting the overall story.

It is a book that was enjoyable and I would recommend it for those who like mild horror and/or survival with a really nice story line. The ending is worth it.

I did receive this book from the author/narrator for an unbiased review and I hope I have done that.

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1 person found this helpful

An absorbing story

So, you think you are competent and smart, don't you? Wait until you get lost in a forest...

So, okay, you might need to suppress a bit your critical thinking, but not more than you would need to do in any other survival story. And, TBH, even as it was the protagonists' struggle for survival that kept me listening non-stop, wanting to know what would come next, it's the evolution of the couple's relationship when they are stripped to the bare bones of their selves; the way they cope with pain, and fear, and desperation that made this story memorable for me.

I really enjoyed it, and most certainly will check other books by this author.

Will Tulin does a great job with the narration.

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