The Road to Amazing

By: Brent Hartinger

Narrated by: Josh Hurley

"I think gay guys like weddings more than anyone. And it's not because we want to destroy marriage, like some people say. It's because we really, really want to get married!"

Russel Middlebrook is gettin' hitched! The wedding is taking place in a remote lodge on an island in Puget Sound. Russel and his husband-to-be have invited all their close friends to spend the whole weekend together beforehand. And for the first time in his life, Russel is determined to not be neurotic, and not over-think things.

But that's before things start going wrong. Who expected a dead killer whale to wash up on the beach below the inn? And what's this about a windstorm approaching? Then there's the problem of Russel's anxious fiancé, who is increasingly convinced the whole thing is going to be a disaster.

Meanwhile, the wedding is taking place near the ruins of a small town, Amazing, where, a hundred years earlier, the people supposedly all disappeared overnight. Why does it feel like the secret at the end of the road to Amazing has something to do with Russel's own future? Can Russel's friends Min, Gunnar, Vernie, and Otto somehow help him make it all make sense?

The Road to Amazing, the final book in the Russel Middlebrook Futon Years trilogy, is a story about endings and beginnings, and also about growing up and growing older. But mostly it's a story about love and friendship - about how it's not the destination that makes a life amazing, but the people you meet along the way.

©2016 Brent Hartinger (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

This series was very entertaining.

This series was very entertaining. I laughed, I blushed, and yes I even cried. Its weird but over the complete series I feel like I really got to know each character as if they were real people. The author really did a great job writing a good story. But what really made it was the narrator who brought each character to life by the way he gave them each a voice. I sad that this series has co e to an end. But the ending was perfect!

Great Follow Up Book!

This story was great for a follow up story. The narrator was awesome and I would of put it down if not for him. The reason why is the story dragged on and on. A couple were getting married and it was like Friday the 13th. Every obstacle that could happen before a wedding did. They spent hours trying to find a way to still have the nuptials without getting each other down. The only thing from the first book mentioned was the script never got off the ground and still being poor. I was hoping for me but maybe their
will be a book 3.

Loved It

Great book, kept my attention all the way to the end, amazing audio delivery, loved it. Will be reading again, every chapter was received amazingly do recommend you give it a read.

An Amazing Story full of humor and wisdom

This story and the series was cleverly written and made me chuckle and laugh out loud. Russel is an endearing character and I enjoyed every minute of listening to his thoughts as he struggled with growing up and committing to his soul mate. Thank you.

Life is amazing if you just let it be.

Amazing, WA in place that was, but still is, without complications or residents. It's peaceful beauty invades your mind and heart with joy shared with friends and family while seeking perfection.

it is more attitude than latitude or longitude, a Nexus for life and love. A place for gentle mingling of people and memories as love expresses it's many forms and dreams.

Love is real and surreal, aboundant and mystified, rainbows and pots of gold, all blended into the opportunity to link life with love forever.

I love the intricate analysis of the narration

There really wasn’t a plot so much with this book, but the intricate thought patterns that were laid out were rewarding

loved this series

i listened to it from book one to the end. loved it. wrote the author and he wrote back. highly recommend. characters are so relatable. 🔥

Great ending to a trilogy!

Really liked the flow of the story. The characters were fun, and well liked. I enjoyed it!

Thank you for the journey!

I loved this series. In the end I was in tears of joy. Thanks you for the journey of this young man's life.

So happy my favorite characters are back!

Any additional comments?

I basically binge listened to first The Thing I Didn’t Know I Didn’t Know then Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams. While I liked the first, I didn’t particularly connect with the second, so I started The Road to Amazing with a bit of trepidation worried I might not like it.

I needn’t have worried. Hartinger brings back all the characters I’ve loved and sets a really sweet tone amidst the chaos of a wedding weekend where so much goes wrong. Dead Orca on the beach below your wedding venue? Check. Huge storms knocking out power? Check. Wedding guests not being able to get to the island the wedding is happening on? Check.

However, through it all Russel keeps his cool (with a lot of help from his friends) and calms nervous groom Kevin (with a lot of help from their friends).

For me, it’s truly the supporting cast that makes this series fun, but what makes it really enjoyable is narrator Josh Hurley. I’ll say it again, Josh Hurley really does an excellent job with the different character voices. I also love how he portrays the myriad of expressed character emotions.

And can I just give a shout out to my boy Gunnar? You may not be easily understood, but you are definitely one of my favorite characters! Love you, boo!

I’ve enjoyed my time with Russel, Kevin and the gang. My wish for the future? I hope, if there are more installments, that Hartinger will open up the points of view to include Kevin and Minh, Gunnar and/or Otto.