The Journals of Bob Drifter

By: M. L. S. Weech

Narrated by: Angel Clark, Gary Furlong

Bob Drifter is a substitute teacher with a secret. He seems like no more than a polite young man who loves to read and mentor students in his free time. Yet on the side, Bob takes part in some rather strange extracurricular activities that soon attract the attention of local police. For some reason, people have a way of dying around him. It's not his fault. Maybe he just hangs around people who are already dying. Maybe he has bad timing.

But Bob knows better. He has a secret mission that must be completed before he ends up in prison or raises the ire of the most frightening individual in the supernatural world. No pressure. A terrifying new force has set foot into Bob's life, and a string of ghastly mutilations follows this figure wherever he goes. Now Bob has to keep his own secrets, protect his students, and fulfill his mentor's wishes. Welcome to the world of those who watch over the dead.

©2015 M.L.S. Weech (P)2015 M.L.S. Weech

Unique Concept with Passable Narration

3.5★ Audiobook⎮ Son of a gun. That ending made me want to tear up. I love it when a storyline comes full circle.

This was one of the most unique concepts for a plot that I've seen in a long time. There was good character development and its storyline was well explained, if a little "dumpy" (as in information dumping).

It took me a while to get through because the subject matter (death) is very heavily concentrated. The Journals of Bob Drifter was a rather dark and psychologically heavy story, which aren't always bad things. But I can't help wishing this had been rationed into series format. I quickly found that the story was easier to process in pieces, which is why it took me nearly a month to finish. I had to alternate between this and cozy mysteries for the sake of the balance.

With that said, I was very impressed with Weech's imaginative storyline. The concept of Journeymen was very well thought-out and executed. The underlying themes in The Journals of Bob Drifter were beautiful and thought-provoking.

Narration review: The narration of The Journals of Bob Drifter was just okay for me. Gary Furlong narrated the majority of it. I found his narration to be somewhat bland and disengaging. It couldn't manage to hold my attention very well and, unfortunately, made listening seem like a chore. Concentration was made easier during Clark's periods of narration. However, I still appreciate the dual-narration style. In my opinion, that's always a plus.

Can't wait for the movie!!!

Such an amazing story. This truly would make a great movie or a TV series. Looking forward to the next book!!

A paranormal thriller for the ages

Would you consider the audio edition of The Journals of Bob Drifter to be better than the print version?

I was given a audible version in exchange for a honest review

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator was fantastic and captivating. It was fast paced with an array of interesting characters. The story flowed organically and didn't seemed forced. I had a ton of questions in the first few chapters but I was quickly filled in and enjoyed the adventure. It is a unique point of view and a tough topic. It made me stop and look back at my life thinking I need to spend a little more time appreciating what I have. It is intense and thought provoking. My favorite character was Bob of course. He was brave, compassionate and selfless. It is a great fantasy, paranormal thriller. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast paced thriller and willing to take a chance on Bob.

Great Paranormal Thriller

Would you consider the audio edition of The Journals of Bob Drifter to be better than the print version?

I'm a sucker for print, but Clark and Furlong do a great job bringing the story to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Got to love Bob. Just a nice "guy" trying to make it in a world where he saves kids one mind at a time and comforts the dying. I also enjoyed the darkness of Grimm, as far as bad guys go, he delivers. There are also some very enjoyable dialogue exchanges between detectives who are constantly dogging Bob as he tries to deal with his own existence and responsibilities.

What does Angel Clark and Gary Furlong bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Furlong does an outstanding job voicing the story and brings to life many aspects of the characters. Clark delivers well, but the audio for her seemed a little choppy as if each sentence was cut and pasted into a timeline.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Reaper Wars

Any additional comments?

This book is very well written, it would be a shame to pass it up. If you enjoy paranormal thrillers full of suspense and well written dialogue you will regret passing this one up. There are some deeper meanings one can glean from the writing as Weech tackles the most basic of human fears, the fear of death. Hoping to see more from Weech in the future.

New Beginnings

One if the many reasons I request to review audio's is discovering new talent to add to my favorites list. This is one. You'll be glad that you made this choice.
This audio was given to me in exchange for an unbiased review.

Well written, Suspenseful and Touching. Loved it!

This is a slow burn paranormal/ urban fantasy thriller with a hint of romance and mystery.
This is not a book for people who are in a hurry to get to the scary part. (or people who want to know exactly what is going on after the first few chapters)

I really enjoyed this Story!
It pleasantly surprised me by being so well written, thought out and touching.
Every character was well developed and felt real (not just the Main Character), and I felt interested in each of their stories.
Bob is a great main character. Smart, compassionate, funny and easy to love and relate to.
The book is well balanced. It’s serious but also has some humorous dialog.
Some things go the way you want, others not. This keeps the story believable and suspenseful/ exciting.
The ending was very strong. It completes and elevates the whole book, and I love reading such endings.

About half the book is written from the first person perspective of Bob Drifter, narrated by Gary.
The other half consists of chapters with various other characters in the story (also written in first person).
The male characters are narrated by Gary too, and the female characters are narrated by Angel.
Because Gary narrates a much bigger part of the Audio Book than Angel, her parts felt a bit out of place in the beginning.
But after a few chapters narrated by her I got used to her narration as well.
I think both Gary and Angel did a very good job.

I got this Audio Book for free (thanks!). I'm voluntarily leaving this review.
Opinions and ratings are my own and not influenced by how I got the Audio Book.

What a journey

Such a great book! Felt like a trilogy all wrapped into one book. So much heart put into this book and I can’t wait to get my hands on the other ones. This book has it all and takes you through a full range of emotions. Highly recommend picking this one up!