I finished this only this morning and it was INCREDIBLE! ❤
I just had the most delightful experience!
It’s somehow fitting that a story largely involved with theatrical performance should be brought to life in this way by a talented audio performer. It was wonderfully theatrical to listen to—the next best thing to seeing it on a screen. I LOVED it!
It’s a wild ride of adventure, imagination, flying trains and islands in the sky, electrical robots, a stardust-powered steampunk-feel, show-business and illusions, mystery and sabotage and insidious plots, an 1800s-feel, and one of my favorite things: a “buddy story.”
Mollie Reeder’s skillful tale is a story to touch the heart of any creative and anyone who’s ever dreamed of doing something MORE. It’s one of the most sheerly enjoyable books I’ve ever read, but it also has a depth to it that makes you re-examine life and learn new things about life and ourselves, through the adventures of these delightful characters who are wholly human—both making mistakes and committing feats of imagination and heroism. It inspires me to reach for the stars. And it makes me laugh, which is always important. 😉
I read The Electrical Menagerie when it first came out, and it joined the select ranks of one of my favorite books of all time. So to say I was excited for the chance to re-experience it, as an audiobook, is an understatement.
I started the audio version with caution, however. Would any rendition of this beloved book be able to do it justice?
But I needn’t have worried. While I still may prefer reading physical books, this audiobook was a sheer delight! I had SUCH a blast listening to it! It was like revisiting an old friend and it came alive anew. ^_^
Travis Baldree’s rendition of these larger-than-life characters was wonderful and I 100% enjoyed hearing them all come to life! The different accents were great fun (I particularly liked Miss Skyhawk’s voice) and Carthage and Huxley re-delighted me all over again! I was constantly smiling or laughing, even on this second reading. The other characters are incredible too, and the dramatic or exciting scenes soared.
I LOVE this book and Carthage and Huxley, who are both absolutely AWESOME characters in their totally different ways, and the sheer rich imagination of everything about The Electrical Menagerie.
This book gives me ALL THE FEELS. It made me laugh and it made me cry, in both its book and audiobook forms. (Now THAT is a feat.) I love the humor and the heart of it, how authentic and real it is—despite, or perhaps because of, the otherwordliness of it—touching the soul, but not in any artificial way, while making one smile.
I didn’t used to listen to many audiobooks but I’ve slowly been drawn into that world, and now I love them. It was fabulous to get to re-live this magnificent story while going about daily life.
I can only say that The Electrical Menagerie is an EXPERIENCE. “I’m Arbrook Huxley”—(er . . . Deborah O’Carroll)—“and you can quote me!” (All I need now is a sequel. ;))
I love that this book is now available in a new format to delight new readers—or should I say listeners? I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who needs a touch of stardust and wonder in their lives!
(Thanks to the author for the complimentary audiobook code. All opinions are 100% my own.)
Book Information & Links
Title: The Electrical Menagerie
Author: Mollie E. Reeder
Narrator: Travis Baldree
- Date read: April 30, 2019
- Rating: 5 stars
- Genre: Speculative Fiction / Steampunk
- Age: YA, adults, or anyone
- Year pub: 2018
- Length: 7 hours (312 pages)
- Series: The Celestial Isles, #1
- Fave character: Carthage and Huxley!
- Source: Audible via the author
- Links: Audiobook on Audible.com • Amazon Paperback • Amazon Kindle • Barnes & Noble • Goodreads • Goodreads Audio •Author’s Website (where you can get a free novelette featuring Carthage and Huxley via the newsletter!)
You may also enjoy my original review (including some favorite snarky quotes), 10 Reasons You Should Read The Electrical Menagerie by Mollie E. Reeder!
The Page Dreamer (Deborah O'Carroll) 
I’m listening to this book on Audible at the moment. I always prefer reading books physically—there’s just something about being able to give your own inflection and voice to the characters that audiobooks just can’t hold up to—and I was a bit skeptical about Travis Baldree’s voice at first, but the more I listen the more I think it fits the whimsical tone of the novel itself. I’m looking forward to finishing it and maybe buying it in print one day!
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Awesome! Oh, I totally agree! I love having my own voices and getting really lost in the story when reading a physical book. I was skeptical at first too but I agree it started to fit the more I listened and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I hope you enjoy the rest, and FYI, the print copy is gorgeous! 😉 Thanks for dropping by! ❤
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GAAAH. This is making me want to read it all over again, even though it was fairly recently I read it. But but but…just EVERYTHING you said about it YES. I couldn’t agree more! It’s one of the most beautiful, heartfelt, delightful stories I’ve ever read! (AND CARTHAGE AND HUXLEY MAH BOYS. <3)
Listening to it on audiobook sounds absolutely lovely! I basically never listen to audiobooks, but I'd TOTALLY be on top of this one. Another outlet to explore this utterly fantastic story with! 😀
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I read it less than a year ago myself but was SO READY to do so again!! Yes yes to all the things! I’m so glad you love it toooo! Yesss, CARTHAGE AND HUXLEY!!
It was so much fun! I used to be one of those never-listens-to-audiobooks people too but I’m slowly getting drawn in! XD
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Oh this sounds awesome, I usually don’t listen to audio books. But I might make an exception.
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It’s an amazing book, audio or not! I’m the same way and never used to listen to audiobooks but now I think they can be fun sometimes!
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