Maria dJ Gutierrez

Read the book yourself. This version stinks.

Revisado: 05-20-23

I hate the narration. I know the story is HIGHLY recommended by people like Mike Rinder, so I’m reading it for myself. When Audible doesn’t let authors read their own work, we get this garbage.

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Worth the Wait

Revisado: 09-30-22

When I first saw Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, I was thrilled to see Mike Rinder playing such a prominent part. I was born and raised, and work in Los Angeles. Those blue buildings, the castle-like hotel and the pairs of people always trying to recruit are a constant curiosity. I remember Mike from his appearances on TV angry at any hint that all of it was creepy and weird. I always wondered what HIS story was. What’s with that accent? Why is he SO angry? Something was off…

Watching the show answered a lot of questions. Listening to Mike and Leah’s podcast answered more, but so often, and understandably, he was talking to someone and trying to get THEIR story told. I wanted to hear Mike’s story. All of it, not bits and pieces as they related to some other person.

Finally, here is Mike Rinder’s story, in his own voice, with that cool weird accent! Worth the wait, worth every cent, when is the sequel coming out?

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Seriously? This is What You Chose to Share? Zzzz…

Revisado: 09-23-22

Six months with that psycho and of all the hundreds of hours of tape the authors got, I just listened to A FULL HOUR of Bundy whining about his final guilty verdict. If I want to hear that sob story I could start up a pen pal relationship with anyone on death row anywhere today.

Holy Jesus where was your editor? I’m going on to the end as there are perhaps 6 of the ONLY 9 hours left, but seriously, I don’t have high hopes.

I mean, as boring as Bundy the crybaby is, it’s not even a good bedtime story.

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People Think He Took Lives?

Revisado: 08-26-22

First, worst narrator ever. Second, Ann Rule is lucky Ted showed his true self to strangers. Man, her fawning over him is GROSS.

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Zzzzzz.. oh shit, I must have dozed off…

Revisado: 08-24-22

I bought the book because the show based on it was so bogged down with the agent’s sex life, bureau politics, and miscellaneous faffery, I was sure some overzealous producer, or network executives took a good true crime drama and dressed it like a bad soap opera. ::sigh::

I think it’s not until chapter 5 that he gets around to the true crimes. So, if you thought this was a true crime book, be forewarned. I say “I think” because my mind wandered a lot. On account of the GODDAMN BORING PERSONAL MINUTIAE. Holy Jesus, he tells priests cringeworthy BS about his wife to be, congratulating himself because “He bought it.” Uh, gross dude, and juvenile.

The juvenile behavior is a stark contrast to the guy’s narration. He sounds as if he’s doing a bad impersonation of an FBI agent. I’ve had to deal with a couple of special agents, they sounded like cops, sure, but not like Joe Friday. Maybe it’s a generational thing. At first I heard his voice and was happy, thinking this was going to be some old time “Just the facts.” Nope. If there’s a personal opinion or feeling, dinner at the country club, someone thinking he’s a “square” within a mile, he’s dragged it into this book.

I dread going back to listen to the rest of chapter 5. Don’t listen to this book while driving. It will put you to sleep.

I cannot imagine how these two writers took this subject, this career, and made it boring. I’m flabbergasted.

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Another Horrible Narrator

Revisado: 12-30-21

Narrator "performance" made it unlistenable. Didn't make it through Chapter 1. A shame, because I really enjoyed the author on TV, and wanted to hear more from him.

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Ugh. Another Great Book Read Badly by a "Pro"

Revisado: 12-29-21

Honestly, the professional reader's weird cadence makes this almost unlistenable. I will never understand why authors opt for them when THEY are the ones who know where emphasis is warranted or not. If the author is alive, I want to hear THEM read, I don't care what they think of their voice. Everyone hates their own voice, but the rest of us are used to it.

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Very Thoroughly Covered Scientology

Revisado: 07-19-21

In the way that an encyclopedia covers a topic broadly, top to bottom, citing examples, definitions, history, images, that can each be studied further, this book is a must for anyone who wants to build an understanding of Scientology.

I already read Marc Headley's gripping story, "Blown for Good," and Leah Remini's eye-opening "Troublemaker," after watching the multiple Emmy winning A&E series, "Scientology and the Aftermath," with Mike Rinder. This book helps flesh out the background for those books. Hubbard was like many others who proposed a Utopia, and built a whole world to set it in, while a requirement of cults is to redfine, so it's no surprise that it needs a layered approach to attempt to understand.

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Best Explanation of Scientology I've Heard

Revisado: 07-02-21

Marc knows how to tell a story! He begins with a daring escape, goes back to the beginning, defines jargon, and it's literally and figuratively in his own voice.

I wish ALL authors read their non fiction books. I don't care if they're not "professional voice artists." THEIR voice makes THEIR story more interesting. This is the third Scientology exposè I tried today. I had to return one, and didn't make it past the sample of the third.

I'll be looking for more from Marc Headly.

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Barf. Should be Titled, "Diary of a Dr Oz Fangirl"

Revisado: 08-10-20

After suppressing a gag reflex the first dozen times the author gushes about Dr Oz, I finally decided to hit the "end of chapter" button every time she said his name. The next two chapters were over in seconds. If I wanted to hear how wonderful Oprah's little friends are, I'd buy one of their dozens of books. She's on thin ice now.

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