Audiobook Review: The Intruder by Freida McFadden
The Intruder
Author: Freida McFadden
Narrators:
Patricia Santomasso
Tina Wolstencroft
Jo Hempel
Published: October 7, 2025
Audiobook: 8 hours 19 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: October 15-19, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 3 stars
Book Description:
Who knows what the storm will blow in…
Casey’s cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she’s a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window.
She’s young. She’s alone. And she’s covered in blood.
The girl won’t explain where she came from or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse.
The girl has a dark secret. One she’ll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.
Jessica’s Review:
Freida, it really is time to take a break! Her last couple of books have just been average for me. I know she has her legion on superfans who finish her books the day it is released and must have her next book now even though the release is still months away. And they have ‘read all her books and don’t know what to do now’.
The Intruder is a darker novel that deals with child abuse and extreme hoarding. It also has an extreme YA feel, but that is because we are dealing with the past childhood of Casey and Ella is a teenager. Yes it will have that YA feel, which McFadden had to have taken from her teenage daughter.
The premise was intriguing for me but the delivery and ‘big twist’ just didn’t work. McFadden’s next book comes out the end of January 2026 and I am just thinking that it won’t be what I want it to be. I will listen to it at some point, but won’t be in a hurry for it.
Again, Freida: Take a much-needed break! Your legion of superfans will still be there, hungry for more.
Audiobook Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Author: Shelby Van Pelt
Narrators:
Marin Ireland
Michael Urie
Published: May 3, 2022
Audiobook: 11 hours 16 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: October 8-14, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.
Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.
Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
Jessica’s Review:
I adore this book! This was a book club read and had been on my TBR for a while. It will also become a Netflix film in the future starring Sally Field and Lewis Pullman (yes, Bill Pullman’s son.) As I read and also listened to the book, I pictured Sally Field as Tova knowing that she will be playing her.
This is a very strong debut novel. We have 70-year-old Tova who works nights at the local aquarium and we have Marcellus who is a giant Pacific Octopus that lives in the aquarium, and his time is running short for his lifespan. They form a connection, friendship, and bond.
Thirty years ago, Tova’s 18-year-old son disappeared. Marcellus figures out what happens and it becomes a race against time for Tova to also understand. In the middle of this Tova sustains an injury and is unable to work. This introduces Cameron who takes over her job while she is out. We learn about all three characters and the connections that form between all three.
The central theme in the novel is loneliness as all three of our characters are dealing with this emotion in varying degrees. You can’t help but become attached to these characters and root for them. The friendship between Tova and Marcellus is so special. How everything comes together warms the heart and it might just cause a tear or two to drop when you finish this novel.
I had heard that the audiobook was wonderful and it is perfection for me! Marin Ireland is wonderful as usual, but Michael Urie steals the show with this audiobook as Marcellus! He just brings this character to life.
I look forward to the movie when it comes out on Netflix next year (hopefully sooner than later!). I can see the film version of Remarkably Bright Creatures being the Free Willy for a new generation.
Remarkably Bright Creatures will be one of my top reads of 2025 and I cannot wait to see what Van Pelt writes next!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Book Review and Movie Comparison of The Long Walk
The Long Walk
Author: Stephen King as Richard Bachman
Narrator: Kirby Heyborne
First Published: July 1979
Audiobook: 10 hours 44 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: October 2-7, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
Against the wishes of his mother, sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty is about to compete in the annual grueling match of stamina and wits known as The Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour without ever stopping… with the winner being awarded “The Prize”—anything he wants for the rest of his life. But, as part of this national tournament that sweeps through a dystopian America year after year, there are some harsh rules that Garraty and ninety-nine others must adhere to in order to beat out the rest. There is no finish line—the winner is the last man standing. Contestants cannot receive any outside aid whatsoever. Slow down under the speed limit and you’re given a warning. Three warnings and you’re out of the game—permanently…
Jessica’s Review:
The Long Walk is one of King’s earliest written novels, written in 1966-1967 at just 19 years old as a college freshman and was first published under his Richard Bachman pseudonym. I was intrigued by the movie trailer and wanted to read the book before I saw the movie. And I really enjoyed this book! What a great novel written at such a young age!
In a dystopian America, every year 100 boys willingly sign up for The Long Walk: They must keep a pace of walking four miles per hour. They have three warnings when they fall below the 4 mph. If they fall below again, they are shot dead. You also can not impede on another walker. If they walk an hour after a warning is given then it goes away. There is no end to The Long Walk until only one boy remains. What is the reward? Anything he wants for the rest of his life. Simple rules in a gritty yet realistic novel.
Ray Garraty is the main focus of the novel. The reader finds themselves rooting for Garraty and a few other ‘favorite’ characters in the novel. But you know that at the end only one boy will be left. The Long Walk could have been a very slow-moving novel: All that’s going on is the boys walking, talking, thinking, and from time to time getting warnings and eventually shot. Through their conversations we get to know some of the other characters. As they walk through towns, we see the crowds that come to see these walkers. I never lost my interest in the novel and wanted to see who was going to be the eventual victor. The reader also sees the boys descend the further The Long Walk goes: The boys go from optimistic to far from that as they are stretched beyond their limits mentally and physically. The reader sees the boys realize what they actually signed up for.
Dystopian novels are another genre I enjoy reading and this dystopian met all my expectations! Despite being written so long ago, you can see possibly happening in a future world. Kirby Heyborne is the narrator and he really portrayed the novel well. He became Garraty for me.
If you enjoy King and/or dystopian novels, you should think about reading this one!
Movie Comparison
Movie Trailer
My Thoughts on the Movie Compared to the Book:
The Long Walk novel received 5 stars from me and I was looking forward to the novel. It keeps its premise with (of course) many changes: The movie drops the number of walkers from 100 to 50, the pace drops from a very brisk 4mph to a more realistic 3 mph. Characters from the book may be combined or not present and the ending is extremely different. I was disappointed that Abraham was not in the film.
This movie will not be for everyone as it is raw and gritty like the book is. Boys are walking and all but one will not make it to the end. We see these characters get shot, some more up close and personal than others. We see the characters change in a variety of ways over the course of the film.
Without giving spoilers, the ending is very different in several respects. I saw one difference coming but not the other change. The novel leaves an ambiguous ending, which we do not get in the film. Unlike in The Mist where the ending was also changed, for me the ending was much better, I am still not sure what to think about the film ending. There is so much to decompress from after watching this film.
There was so much more that could have been done with the film, but condensing a 320-page novel to a 1 hour 45-minute film, you definitely have limitations. Yes, it is a good film and worth the watch, but it was also very graphic and depressing. For me it is a one-time viewing.
Mark Hamill plays The Major and while he is a very minor character and not seen on screen much, he plays the roll extremely well!
If you enjoy dystopian films and feel you can handle the graphic nature of the film, go for it. If you also want to read the book, definitely watch the movie first. The book has so much more to it.
Purchase Links:
Book
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Movie:
Please note: The Long Walk is available on streaming now, you can buy it as physical media later this month in the USA. I did not see a release date for physical media in the UK
Amazon US
Amazon UK