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More Than This

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More Than This

By: Patrick Ness
Narrated by: Nick Podehl
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About this listen

A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What’s going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonising memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this ...

©2013 Patrick Ness (P)2013 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Action & Adventure Death & Dying Difficult Situations Dystopian Fantasy Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Suicide Survival Stories Survival

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Critic reviews

"[Ness has] outdone himself ... a terrific exemplar of the eternal teenage desire for there to be, in the words of the novel's title, "more than this" – more than a world in which prejudice and hypocrisy dictate how people should or shouldn't live their lives." ( Guardian)
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What was one of the most memorable moments of More Than This?

The feeling of anxiety the first chapters gave me. The awakening and the movement of the character in the new place was quite disturbing ..but made me want to know more.

Any additional comments?

Great read. Very unusual story, taking you through all the emotions and letting you wanting more ..

Strange but fun

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interesting concept, but story was a bit lacking. Narrated well. better suited to a young adult or teen audience

weak ending

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I bought the audiobook by mistake having downloaded the Kindle book. I did not know what to expect but once I got into the story I stuck with it and got through in a few days. Uncertainty, reality, and life are dealt with in ingenious ways which makes for a fascinating read (or listen). I think it's supposed to be for young adults but I would recommend it for a much wider audience. I will explore other books by the author. Highly recommended

Highly readable and hugely enjoyable

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A truly good listen would also be as good in reading format, the story is inspiring and with captivating characters and at times brutal. People that you can imagine knowing and come to love. The author brilliantly mixes the unimaginable with the ordinary which left me thinking of it warmly afterwards

Inspiring

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Patrick Ness always writes interesting stories; this too is interesting but just not as engaging as previous works (Chaos Walking and A Monster Calls). I found this story working better after I'd finished reading it and it could wash around my subconscious a bit. I wouldn't be rushing you to it, but if you like Ness, it's worth a listen.

Gets better with distance

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After reading the Chaos Walking books, Ness became a fast favourite - More Than This demonstrates that it's more than character writing or world-building that wins Ness my adoration, but his genuine ability to take a philosophy and deliver it in an intricate and beautiful story.

Ness continues to stun

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Was recommended this book as I like Sci-fi but it is a teenage read and I couldn’t get past the first couple of chapters

Children’s book

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It's a personal story of self discovery and of finding a purpose amid confusion and real hopelessness. It's also "a story with a moral", so it'll try to teach the reader good sense, not unlike A Monster Calls, another one of Patrick's stories. You might find that a little annoying, or inspiring.

The format isn't unique, but the content has a soul. The conclusion didn't ring with me the same way it was supposed to, but I'll forgive that flaw.

I can't tell you what it's about or how it unfolds because the mystery plays a big part here. I'll admit to liking Part 1 the most, which was more like an introduction and not at all similar to the rest of the book. Maybe I would have preferred it to go in a different direction, but if in the beginning it looked like it was going to be about conquering one's insecurities, that's still what it was about after the theme changed. The real setting of the story, beyond its purpose, was meh. It's been done before, just not quite with the same message.

It's well written and very well narrated, I'll give it that. Not sure I'd recommend it because liking it is more subjective than for most stories. And you can't even say what it's about without ruining the best part, which is the beginning.

The character/characters feel real. I did connect with them until it was over. The ending was kind of crappy. It focused on what I didn't care about and didn't "show" me what I wanted to see. If you get there you'll know what I mean. It's not very curiosity-satisfying.

Easy to spoil

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Had me wondering all the way through, and the characters were engaging and interesting. I felt the final chapters were stretched out a bit but I still enjoyed the concept

Intriguing story

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I would never have chosen this book if it wasnt a book club book. I didnt know what to expect but it worked for me. Not saying I will listen to more but it will provoke discussion at the book club..

Interesting and thought provoking

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