Awakening

By: Ray N. Kuili

Narrated by: Paul E. Garner

Lord of the Flies meets a corporate retreat in this thought-provoking psychological thriller. When 11 rising-star managers attend a mysterious leadership conference in a secluded luxury lodge, they do not anticipate the twisted mind games that await them. As the group exercise progresses rapidly from a friendly election to a dangerous web of no-holds-barred power plays, the players don't realize that soon some of them will be facing the harshest challenge of their lives. The unconventional workshop is about to take a very dangerous turn, testing values and characters of its participants in the most brutal ways and presenting them with the ultimate question: how high a price are they willing to pay for power?

If you enjoy closed-room battle of wills stories like 12 Angry Men or cautionary tale books that delve deep into the nature of power like 1984, Awakening is a novel for you.

©2012 Ray N. Kuili (P)2015 Ray N. Kuili

Corporate Lord of the Flies.

This was definitely an interesting one. It resembles Lord of the Flies in some ways, although it's a drama rather than a thriller, and it's adults on a corporate retreat rather than children on an island. It's oddly philosophical, and shows a great deal of depth. Unfortunately, that depth gets convoluted with the multiple pov switches, and backstory on too many characters.

The characters that it does focus on, I felt were solid. They had their motives, wildly different personalities, and varied backstories. Had it been focused on one or two characters, I think it would have been easier to follow and added a bit more mystery to it. Still solid characters and story. The only other complaint that I had about the characters were that the females felt like throwaway characters, instead of fleshed out, necessary ones. They felt more obligatory than anything.

There is a bit of mystery in this story, and it's a decent plot, I enjoyed it, but it really is more of a drama about manipulation and societal power. Fluid prose is backed up by easygoing dialog that feels natural if at times unnecessary. I enjoyed the narration and the plot pacing, and I truly believe that this author has a long career ahead of him. With the talent and potential shown in this book, I cannot wait to see what he can do now with a few more years of experience.

Magnificent Audio Book

Would you listen to Awakening again? Why?

Yes, I would listen to Awakening again. It is a riveting story that invites suspense and insight. The narrator does an amazing job leading us into the story while entertaining with his amazing character development.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked listening to the narrator, Paul E. Garner the best. His voice is captivating!

What does Paul E. Garner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

High entertainment value.

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

Yes

Any additional comments?

R.N. Kuili and Paul E. Garner make a powerful literary team!