The Dig

By: Michael Siemsen

Narrated by: Chris Patton

A mysterious woven metal artifact is found at a paleontological dig in Africa. Mystified experts, confounded by the impossible timeline they get from traditional dating methods, call upon a stubborn young man with a unique talent. Matthew Turner's gift is also his curse: When he touches any object, his awareness is flooded with the thoughts and feelings of those who touched it before him. It is a talent that many covet, some fear, and almost no one understands. Despite being exploited as a child and tormented by the unpleasant experiences imprinted on him from the various items he has "read", Matthew agrees to travel from New York to the forests of Kenya. There, threatened by unknown enemies and helped by a beautiful but prickly ally who begins to understand his strange ability, he journeys back in geological time to make a discovery so shocking that it forces us to rewrite all human history.

©2010 Michael Siemsen (P)2013 Podium Publishing

Hard to finish

Any additional comments?

The book started off great but I found it really slowing down about midway through. I had to power through just to finish. Way to much time spent in the visions.

seeing history through the eyes of modern society

The Dig by Michael Siemsen is the first novel in the Matt Turner series. Matt Turner has a unique gift that allows him to read emotional and mental imprints that people leave behind on objects when they touch them and everyone leaves behind an imprint. This leaves Matt Turner nearly incapable of touching any objects that other humans have interacted with. This 25 year old, however, works on occasion with archaeologists. By capitalizing on his abilities, the archaeologists are able to make discoveries that would have been otherwise impossible. And this also has the added bonus of making Matt extremely rich. When Matt comes into contact with a woven metal artifact, he finds himself at a dig in Kenya, engrossed in the artifact and facing foes with unknown plans to subvert the truth finding.

This novel really sucked me in. I was really excited about the premise as soon as I realized that Matt was reading imprints from artifacts. It is a unique idea and I am impressed with how well thought out it was. There are two stories that are ongoing: the present day, and the story of the artifact. Both of these stories are interwoven seamlessly and build in intensity together as the novel progresses. I thought the highs and lows of the plot were satisfying and I loved the end. I really loved the artifact story and implications of artifact on modern society. The many different points of view throughout the novel added to the depth of the story and understanding the motivations of the different characters. While I originally found Matt to be irritating, overtime I understood his character more and I came to be more on his side. I thought all of the main characters were well developed and Matt specifically seemed grew over the course of the novel. While the developing romance between Tuni and Matt was not unexpected, it was not necessarily bad. The characters in the artifact story were also well-developed, which added to emotional force of that story and made it exciting. There is also an epilogue that begins the story for the next book.

Chris Patton did a great job with the narration. He captured Matt Turner’s immature personality well and he comes off as an entitled and weird young adult with specific needs that make him socially awkward. The changes in the voicing of the different characters are done well. The production quality is also good. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves mysteries, history, and seeing history through the eyes of modern society.

Audiobook provided for review by the publisher.

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Quite The Enjoyable Story

This book was one of those rare books where I was dreading the end but not because the story was bad or something bad was to happen, I wanted the story to keep going. I could not put this book down. I listen at work when the situation allows and two days running I made it home in the morning only to sit in the car an extra 10 minutes to keep listening.

The author has a very good writing style. He kept the story moving along and he kept me interested. I often speed up the narration to get through the boring parts in a book but I was finished with this book before I noticed that I had never even thought of changing the narration speed.

The concepts in this story can keep the protagonist busy for at least 2 more books in my opinion. I really hope the author continues this storyline.

Kept my ear!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Dig to be better than the print version?

No, I would not. I find my own voice for the characters more satisfying. Oh, Chris Patton did quite well, it's, well, I get distracted by the changing voice.

Who was your favorite character and why?

No one in particular was a favorite. I could see them as well-developed, but no one was particularly striking.

Which scene was your favorite?

When he was coming out of the induced coma.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not really.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the narrative of the ancient people most of all. I really thought Mr. Siemson's premise was a wonderful way to bring the idea to a modern audience. I find myself thinking more of what I am touching and who touched it before!

An original story

Before finishing this book I went ahead and purchased the second and third book in the series. It is a really great original story. At times it was two stories in one and I found it easy to distinguish between the two. The reader did a really great job as well.

Enjoyed this very much

Good narrator, good storyline, interesting characters.
Gives the imagination a good amount of fuel! Will read the second book.

No Regret

I wasn't bored and didn't resent spending the time. I kind of liked the characters and think the guy managed a decent sense of place. The story was modestly interesting. It is the essence of bland.

If you are having trouble finding something to read, this will get you through to the next time in a pleasant manner. If you are torn between this and something else, choose something else. It will pass the time pleasantly but that's all.

Great story!

The Dig has a unique and captivating storyline. Michael Siemsen is definitely an author I will turn to in the future. Chris Patton's narration is perfect. He brought each character to life as I believe the author intended. I can't wait to download the next book in the series!

Stumbled upon a story I didn't know I was looking for.

Narrator matches the characters perfectly! I was looking for something light for my long commute. Looked interesting, truly enjoyed a unique story within a story. It was a nice change of pace. I'm not telling you anything about the storyline, I'm just going to tell you it was worth it.

Great listen

The story is fun and engaging. There's was a little drag in the middle when following the tribe story but awesome none the less. I immediately bought the two follow up books. I really like the narration as well.