Cold eyes. An endlessly gnawing mouth. One of nature’s most sadistic creations.
Matt Serafini
Ocean Grave
Format:
Audiobook
Publisher’s Synopsis:
On their honeymoon in Madagascar, a young couple are drawn into the hunt for lost treasure. Their search grabs the attention of a bloodthirsty pirate who intends to seize the riches for himself. The seedy government agents on his trail have their own reasons for wanting it too. And they’re all in the path of a creature long thought extinct. A creature that has turned the world’s third largest ocean into a hunting ground. A creature that is about to turn their dreams of fortune and glory into a nightmare from which there’s no escaping.
Point of view:
3rd person. Various perspectives, all clearly defined.
Rellim’s Thoughts:
This is my first book by Matt Serafini and overall it was a good listen. I think the summary does it somewhat of a disservice because, while the interactions with the prehistoric creature are weaved throughout, the author brings so much more in terms of suspense, peril, and plot.
Be prepared for a LOT of characters, some of which will meet their demise in the same chapter they’re introduced. While this lends itself to significant tension surrounding the ever-looming sea monster, it also makes it difficult to get invested in the characters that will be around for much of the story. There’s a few inconsequential scenes and background information that bog the pace down at times.
That said, I did appreciate the interaction, mistrust, and begrudging cooperation between the various characters. It definitely made it difficult to predict what would happen and who would be the next to succumb to a watery grave. Serafini presents two female protagonists who are intelligent and determined, though somewhat objectified. Overall, the treasure hunting aspect was also enjoyable.
I liked the ending which leaves the survivors’ futures up to to my imagination or perhaps gives Serafini the option to take them on new adventures.
Narration:
This listen was narrator motivated. I discovered Sean Duregger earlier this year when I listened to Out for Blood. Duregger does a great job with a HUGE casts of characters of various sexes, ages, and accents. I appreciated the various emotions and tension he brought to the story.
I received a free advance copy of this audiobook from the narrator and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
About the author:
Hailed as “one of the best new voices in horror fiction” by Brian Keene, Matt Serafini’s books include Feral, Devil’s Row, Island Red, and Under the Blade, which FilmThrills called “one of the best slasher films you’ll ever read.”
He co-authored a collection of short stories with Adam Cesare called All-Night Terror and his short fiction has appeared in numerous anthology collections, including Dead Bait 4, Clickers Forever: A Tribute to J.F. Gonzalez, and the upcoming Welcome to the Show.
He has written extensively on the subjects of film and literature for numerous websites including Dread Central and Shock Till You Drop. His nonfiction has also appeared in the pages of Fangoria and HorrorHound.
Matt lives in Massachusetts with his wife and children.
You can connect with Matt Serafini here:
About the narrator:
Sean Duregger is an award-winning audiobook narrator with a lifelong love for horror, science fiction, fantasy, and cinema trash. As a youth, Sean often sneaked into the Horror section of his local video store and allowed his imagination to take over as he prowled shelf after shelf of lurid VHS covers. Such films were not likely to get the family rental approval, so he could only stare at those jackets in wide-eyed wonderment about the terrifying and disgusting tales that lurked inside.
As an alternative to those visual feasts, he began devouring the works of Stephen King and other paperbacks of that ilk. Late at night, secure in a blanket fort and armed with a flashlight, Sean would fill his active mind with monsters, both human and not of this world. His love for reading and a penchant for creating voices to accompany the tales naturally led Sean to pursue audiobook narration. His enthusiastic embrace of genre fiction shines through in his work, enabling him to believably immerse listeners in tales from outlandish worlds.
An avid collector of paperback books from the 1980s and 1990s, Sean has become a sort of genre fiction archaeologist, unearthing tales from those decades and breathing new life into them in audiobook form. When he’s not narrating, Sean actively pursues new projects straight from his bookshelf.
Sean lives in Southern California with his wife, three kids, and two dogs.
You can connect with Sean Duregger here:
My Favorite Quotes
Do not be discouraged. There is a little pirate in everyone. – Ocean Grave by @MattFini #Audiobook narrated by @SeanNarrates #Horror #TreasureHunt #Pirates #NarratorMotivated
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“Death’s head… Death’s head… Death’s head…” – Ocean Grave by @MattFini #Audiobook narrated by @SeanNarrates #Horror #TreasureHunt #Pirates #NarratorMotivated
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Two men. One lifeboat. A single paddle. – Ocean Grave by @MattFini #Audiobook narrated by @SeanNarrates #Horror #TreasureHunt #Pirates #NarratorMotivated
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His life was in tatters and there was nothing left to lose. – Ocean Grave by @MattFini #Audiobook narrated by @SeanNarrates #Horror #TreasureHunt #Pirates #NarratorMotivated
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Cold eyes. An endlessly gnawing mouth. One of nature’s most sadistic creations. – Ocean Grave by @MattFini #Audiobook narrated by @SeanNarrates #Horror #TreasureHunt #Pirates #NarratorMotivated
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