-
Nor-Cal
- Narrated by: Sean Finnegan
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Great first listens
Publisher's summary
Coming of age in 1985, Pavel and his two best friends Lee and Gooch live for San Francisco’s thrash metal and punk rock scene. Good grades aren’t difficult for Pavel, so he’d rather go to hardcore shows and fish with his buddies than do homework or prepare for college. But high school’s almost over, and he’s smart enough to know it’s time to make hard choices.
Pavel has drive, he’s just not sure where to drive. Although his mom’s a small-time pot dealer, he’s never smoked weed. He’d rather run the beach for miles with his girlfriend Larissa, a Mormon who’s been prepared for college since the second grade. Torn between the arts and a corporate paycheck, if only he had Lee’s confidence or Gooch’s rich parents maybe his path would be clear. But nothing could prepare Pavel for the cataclysmic events coinciding with high school graduation.
Related to this topic
-
Saguaro
- By: Carson Mell
- Narrated by: Carson Mell
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Saguaro chronicles the life of rock legend Bobby Bird as he finds himself rolled up in barbiturates, at sea with satanic cults, finding true love, selling out, and coming back. Bird may be many things - a legend in pink cotton, a living history in tattoos, the very embodiment of rock and roll - but he isn’t a bad man. At least not all the time. He made his name as a crooner, revered as a singer with soul, a soul he quickly sold without ever considering the implications.
-
-
Animal Cruelty Warning
- By AJLecter on 02-06-23
By: Carson Mell
-
Sharks in the Time of Saviors
- By: Kawai Strong Washburn
- Narrated by: Jolene Kim, Kaleo Griffith, G. K. Bowes, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1995 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on a rare family vacation, seven-year-old Nainoa Flores falls overboard a cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean. When a shiver of sharks appears in the water, everyone fears for the worst. But instead, Noa is gingerly delivered to his mother in the jaws of a shark, marking his story as the stuff of legends. Nainoa’s family, struggling amidst the collapse of the sugarcane industry, hails his rescue as a sign of favor from ancient Hawaiian gods - a belief that appears validated after he exhibits puzzling new abilities.
-
-
Glad This Was Free
- By Shad Huddleston on 04-01-20
-
Lawn Boy
- By: Jonathan Evison
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For Mike Muñoz, a young Chicano living in Washington State, life has been a whole lot of waiting for something to happen. Not too many years out of high school and still doing menial work - and just fired from his latest gig as a lawn boy on a landscaping crew - he knows that he's got to be the one to shake things up if he's ever going to change his life. But how?
-
-
CATEGORY AND SUMMARY MISLEADING
- By Gretchen on 05-01-18
By: Jonathan Evison
-
Love and Theft
- A Novel
- By: Stan Parish
- Narrated by: Angelo Di Loreto
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Alex and Diane meet, there are instant, undeniable sparks. Both are single parents living in wealthy suburbia: independent, highly competent, and seemingly settled in their comfortable lives. She runs a successful catering business. He's a detail-oriented, rough-hewn thief who robs banks, casinos, and jewelry stores. They're immediately drawn to each other, but neither realizes initially that their lives have overlapped once before, under dangerous circumstances. Soon their shared history and burgeoning relationship will threaten everything they love.
-
-
At the top of my list of favorites
- By Victor V. Cachia on 09-29-20
By: Stan Parish
-
Lone Stars
- By: Justin Deabler
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lone Stars follows the arc of four generations of a Texan family in a changing America. Julian Warner, a father at last, wrestles with a question his husband posed: what will you tell our son about the people you came from, now that they're gone? Finding the answers takes Julian back in time to Eisenhower's immigration border raids, an epistolary love affair during the Vietnam War, crumbling marriages, queer migrations to Cambridge and New York, up to the disorienting polarization of Obama's second term.
-
-
Read for bookclub but fell in Love
- By Ericka Lawson on 09-11-22
By: Justin Deabler
-
The Night Always Comes
- A Novel
- By: Willy Vlautin
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barely 30, Lynette is exhausted. Saddled with bad credit and juggling multiple jobs, some illegally, she’s been diligently working to buy the house she lives in with her mother and developmentally disabled brother Kenny. Portland’s housing prices have nearly quadrupled in 15 years, and the owner is giving them a good deal. Lynette knows it’s their last best chance to own their own home - and obtain the security they’ve never had. While she has enough for the down payment, she needs her mother to cover the rest of the asking price.
-
-
Willy knows tragedy
- By Phil Bailey on 08-03-21
By: Willy Vlautin
-
Saguaro
- By: Carson Mell
- Narrated by: Carson Mell
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Saguaro chronicles the life of rock legend Bobby Bird as he finds himself rolled up in barbiturates, at sea with satanic cults, finding true love, selling out, and coming back. Bird may be many things - a legend in pink cotton, a living history in tattoos, the very embodiment of rock and roll - but he isn’t a bad man. At least not all the time. He made his name as a crooner, revered as a singer with soul, a soul he quickly sold without ever considering the implications.
-
-
Animal Cruelty Warning
- By AJLecter on 02-06-23
By: Carson Mell
-
Sharks in the Time of Saviors
- By: Kawai Strong Washburn
- Narrated by: Jolene Kim, Kaleo Griffith, G. K. Bowes, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1995 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on a rare family vacation, seven-year-old Nainoa Flores falls overboard a cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean. When a shiver of sharks appears in the water, everyone fears for the worst. But instead, Noa is gingerly delivered to his mother in the jaws of a shark, marking his story as the stuff of legends. Nainoa’s family, struggling amidst the collapse of the sugarcane industry, hails his rescue as a sign of favor from ancient Hawaiian gods - a belief that appears validated after he exhibits puzzling new abilities.
-
-
Glad This Was Free
- By Shad Huddleston on 04-01-20
-
Lawn Boy
- By: Jonathan Evison
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For Mike Muñoz, a young Chicano living in Washington State, life has been a whole lot of waiting for something to happen. Not too many years out of high school and still doing menial work - and just fired from his latest gig as a lawn boy on a landscaping crew - he knows that he's got to be the one to shake things up if he's ever going to change his life. But how?
-
-
CATEGORY AND SUMMARY MISLEADING
- By Gretchen on 05-01-18
By: Jonathan Evison
-
Love and Theft
- A Novel
- By: Stan Parish
- Narrated by: Angelo Di Loreto
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Alex and Diane meet, there are instant, undeniable sparks. Both are single parents living in wealthy suburbia: independent, highly competent, and seemingly settled in their comfortable lives. She runs a successful catering business. He's a detail-oriented, rough-hewn thief who robs banks, casinos, and jewelry stores. They're immediately drawn to each other, but neither realizes initially that their lives have overlapped once before, under dangerous circumstances. Soon their shared history and burgeoning relationship will threaten everything they love.
-
-
At the top of my list of favorites
- By Victor V. Cachia on 09-29-20
By: Stan Parish
-
Lone Stars
- By: Justin Deabler
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lone Stars follows the arc of four generations of a Texan family in a changing America. Julian Warner, a father at last, wrestles with a question his husband posed: what will you tell our son about the people you came from, now that they're gone? Finding the answers takes Julian back in time to Eisenhower's immigration border raids, an epistolary love affair during the Vietnam War, crumbling marriages, queer migrations to Cambridge and New York, up to the disorienting polarization of Obama's second term.
-
-
Read for bookclub but fell in Love
- By Ericka Lawson on 09-11-22
By: Justin Deabler
-
The Night Always Comes
- A Novel
- By: Willy Vlautin
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barely 30, Lynette is exhausted. Saddled with bad credit and juggling multiple jobs, some illegally, she’s been diligently working to buy the house she lives in with her mother and developmentally disabled brother Kenny. Portland’s housing prices have nearly quadrupled in 15 years, and the owner is giving them a good deal. Lynette knows it’s their last best chance to own their own home - and obtain the security they’ve never had. While she has enough for the down payment, she needs her mother to cover the rest of the asking price.
-
-
Willy knows tragedy
- By Phil Bailey on 08-03-21
By: Willy Vlautin
-
When a Stranger Comes to Town
- By: Michael Koryta
- Narrated by: Cindy Kay, Janina Edwards, Fajer Al-Kaisi, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's been said that all great literature boils down to one of two stories—a man takes a journey, or a stranger comes to town. While mystery writers have been successfully using both approaches for generations, there's something undeniably alluring in the nature of a stranger: the uninvited guest, the unacquainted neighbor, the fish out of water. In the newest collection of stories by the Mystery Writers of America, each author weaves a fresh tale surrounding the eerie feeling that comes when a stranger enters our midst, featuring stories by prolific mystery writers.
-
-
The narrators are outstanding here.
- By Jennifer Baratta She/Her on 05-16-21
By: Michael Koryta
-
Junkie Love
- By: Joe Clifford
- Narrated by: Timothy McKean
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the cow fields of Connecticut to the streets of San Francisco, Joe Clifford's Junkie Love traverses the lost highways of America, down the rocky roads of mental illness to the dead ends of addiction. Based on Clifford's own harrowing experience with drugs as a rock 'n' roll wannabe in the 1990s, the audiobook draws on the best of Kerouac and the Beats, injecting a heavy dose of pulp fiction as it threads a rollicking narrative through a doomed love triangle, lit up by the many strange characters he meets along the way.
-
-
WOW! an inside look into an junkies mind
- By TinkerMel on 05-16-17
By: Joe Clifford
-
The Ninth Metal
- The Comet Cycle, Book 1
- By: Benjamin Percy
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The town of Northfall, Minnesota, will never be the same. Meteors cratered hardwood forests and annihilated homes, and among the wreckage a new metal was discovered. This “omnimetal” has properties that make it world-changing as an energy source…and a weapon. John Frontier returns for his sister’s wedding to find his family embroiled in a cutthroat war to control mineral rights and mining operations. His father rightly suspects foreign leaders and competing corporations of sabotage, but the greatest threat to his legacy might be the US government.
-
-
Everyone Will Enjoy This Except My Mother
- By Liv Rosin on 06-04-21
By: Benjamin Percy
-
We Begin at the End
- By: Chris Whitaker
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Duchess Day Radley is a 13-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids. Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.
-
-
Horrible narrator in this audible book
- By M. patton on 03-03-21
By: Chris Whitaker
-
Mecca
- By: Susan Straight
- Narrated by: Frankie Corzo, Patricia R. Floyd, Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Johnny Frias has California in his blood. A descendant of the state’s Indigenous people and Spanish settlers, he has Southern California’s forgotten towns and canyons in his soul. He spends his days working for the California Highway Patrol pulling over speeders, ignoring their racist insults, and pushing past the trauma of his rookie year, when he killed a man who was in the midst of assaulting a young woman named Bunny, who proceeded to run away.
-
-
An eye opening read
- By Anonymous User on 10-10-22
By: Susan Straight
-
The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets
- A Novel
- By: Molly Fader
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s been 17 years since the tragic summer the McAvoy sisters fell apart. Lindy, the wild one, left home, carved out a new life in the city, and never looked back. Delia, the sister who stayed, became a mother herself, raising her daughters and running the family shop in their small Ohio hometown on the shores of Lake Erie. But now, with their mother’s ailing health and a rebellious teenager to rein in, Delia has no choice but to welcome Lindy home.
-
-
Great story
- By Nessa on 09-25-23
By: Molly Fader
-
Three-Fifths
- By: John Vercher
- Narrated by: J. D. Jackson
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pittsburgh, 1995. The son of a black father he’s never known and a white mother he sometimes wishes he didn’t, 22-year-old Bobby Saraceno is passing for white. Raised by his bigoted maternal grandfather, Bobby has hidden his truth from everyone, even his best friend and fellow comic-book geek, Aaron, who has just returned home from prison a hardened racist.
-
-
Good BUT not as good as it sounded
- By jaymie thomas on 12-13-19
By: John Vercher
-
A Good Country
- A Novel
- By: Laleh Khadivi
- Narrated by: Assaf Cohen
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A timely novel about the radicalization of a Muslim teen in California - about where identity truly lies, and how we find it. Laguna Beach, California, 2010. Reza Courdee, a 14-year-old straight-A student and chemistry whiz, takes his first hit of pot. In as long as it takes to inhale and exhale, he is transformed from the high-achieving son of Iranian immigrants into a happy-go-lucky stoner.
-
-
A very important contribution
- By Mia on 05-29-17
By: Laleh Khadivi
-
Point B
- A Teleportation Love Story
- By: Drew Magary
- Narrated by: Rebecca Soler
- Length: 15 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the corporate monolith PortSys brought porting to the masses, CEO Emilia Kirsch and her son, Jason, accomplished what every other start-up company had failed to deliver. They really did change the world. They reversed climate change. They created a multitrillion-dollar industry out of thin air, curing economic woes across the globe. They made it so that anyone could be anywhere simply by touching a screen...including the man who murdered Sarah Huff. Now, Sarah’s 17-year-old sister, Anna, is determined to hunt the bastard down. But there are a few problems.
-
-
Sherry Potter’s only got one spell: portkey
- By aaron gilbert on 11-02-20
By: Drew Magary
-
Please Ignore Vera Dietz
- By: A. S. King
- Narrated by: Lynde Houck
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything. So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone - the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to? Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: Smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.
-
-
Moving, disturbing, and humorous
- By Julie on 08-26-11
By: A. S. King
-
The People We Keep
- By: Allison Larkin
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Little River, New York, 1994: April Sawicki is living in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a poker game. Failing out of school, picking up shifts at a local diner, she’s left fending for herself in a town where she’s never quite felt at home. When she “borrows” her neighbor’s car to perform at an open mic night, she realizes her life could be much bigger than where she came from. After a fight with her dad, April packs her stuff and leaves for good, setting off on a journey to find a life that’s all hers.
-
-
Absolutely loved this book!
- By chatteycathi on 08-09-21
By: Allison Larkin
-
Tuff
- A Novel
- By: Paul Beatty
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Weighing in at 320 pounds, Winston "Tuffy" Foshay, is an East Harlem denizen who breaks jaws and shoots dogs and dreams of millions from his idea, Cap'n Crunch: The Movie, starring Danny DeVito. His best friend is a disabled Muslim who wants to rob banks, his guiding light is an ex-hippie Asian woman who worked for Malcolm X, and his wife, Yolanda, he married from jail over the phone. Shrewdly comical as this dazzling novel is, it turns acerbically sublime when the frustrated Tuffy agrees to run for City Council.
-
-
High Larry Us!
- By Amazon Customer on 07-24-23
By: Paul Beatty
What listeners say about Nor-Cal
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michelle Smith
- 11-12-21
Nostalgic, Soulful, Lighthearted, & Captivating
I grew up in the same era as this story, so I know that there is an aura to that time period that is hard to capture with words. Growing up in the 80s meant so many things that didn't require well worded descriptions, because we didn't describe our lives in any sort of digital platform, we just...lived! So it takes a very skilled hand to craft descriptions that capture the essence of an indescribable time. That is exactly what this author does. You will not only be enthralled with the actual story, but you will find yourself transported to the pace and cadence of Northern California during that era. And when written right, there's no better place to be.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Karlie
- 08-29-21
Captivating tale captures the NorCal essence
I'm extra compelled to listen to audiobooks read by the author, and this one did not disappoint. I wish I could bottle up Sean Finnegan's husky voice and have him tell me stories for the rest of my life!
I grew up in Northern California, so the cover drew my attention in right away. It's a realm lesser known by the world, who largely sums up California as Hollywood Blvd, Death Valley, Malibu beach, and perhaps the Golden Gate Bridge "way up top". What totally enchanted me about this book was the way Sean Finnegan was able to encapsulate the true cultural essence of my home region, a place many are magnetized to and mystified by but rarely understand. I'm too young to have lived through the 80's but this story, the growing pains, and hidden culture from SF to Humboldt is absolutely timeless.
The plot sucks you in from the git go, but what I love about it is that it rides on the characters experience. I'm a sucker for character driven books, I love to feel like I have personally gained friends by the time the last line is spoken and oh lemme tell youuuu, I was not disappointed. *BRB bawling* The insight on the marijuana industry was on point and bubbled up feelings of nostalgia for an era that I have never lived through. Personally being raised in cannabis culture, this fictional tale captures what so many before have tried and failed to do: the true soul of this region.
This is just a hella feel good story, an exceptional coming of age tale that cuts out the usual cheesy tropes of this genre. I think the authenticity in Finnegan's narrative is what sets it apart. The dialogue is so real, my only complaint is that there wasn't more! It's warm and familiar yet totally unique and unlike anything I've ever read. It's a book that I will come back to again and again, and one that I have recommended to anyone looking for an easy, heartfelt read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chiara Chavez
- 09-09-21
This book is made for the Big Screen.
For me, the author perfectly captures the essence of the 80's, Northern California (of which I'm a native), outlier culture, and adolescence in such a way that I was hard pressed to turn the car off after my daily commute, and stayed in my car at times to listen in for a few more paragraphs. There's an endearing quality to the storytelling, with a rawness that made me very grateful the author was the reader (which is NOT my normal preference). He captured something I don't think anyone else could have. The writing style is untraditional , hence the headline of my review- once I understood that the book reads more like a screenplay than a novel, I was hooked. It does take an adjustment and seems choppy at first, but I'm telling you this book is absolutely worth the read to experience this kind of game changing storytelling. I thoroughly enjoyed the memoir-esque insider look into the non-traditional world of drugs, family, friends, and business that existed in this specific time and place. It feel nostalgic, yet educational, and managed to still feel relevant. It also makes a gripping case for why heavy metal, illegal pot grows, and horny teenagers blend like a fine wine. Like I said, compelling. Must read if you want to be able to say you knew it before Hollywood picked it up! Thanks for a fun journey.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 11-19-21
Am I seeing a sequel in the future?
Listened to this while traveling through humbolt. Brought me back to my youth and found it to be a great story line to follow.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JBikeDog
- 09-22-21
Budding American Entrepreneur?
Sean Finnegan's Nor-Cal captures perfectly the essence of youthful enthusiasm, mixed with adolescence confusion, the inevitability of growing up, and the unwitting discovery of raw American entrepreneurial spirit in this amazingly illustrative and vividly colorful journey. Pavel's traverse through Nancy Reagan's "Just say No!" era impacted life in Nor Cal, while staying true of mind and heart, is a fun, exciting, and often surprising series of love, challenges, and discovery, and the author proves it to be the perfect setting for preserving the soul of the last generation to come of age before society's total immersion into the digital age. News footage was mostly reliable, but true human interaction was the way to get the real news and stay connected, which also meant life was that much more immersive and learning was often the forced outcome of the many unpredictable curveballs that come our way, pitch after pitch. The author's reading of this story is the icing on the cake, bringing all of the characters and nuanced dialogue to life. Looking forward to more titles from this author, and I totally agree with another reviewer, can't wait for the film version!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Erin L. Scharff
- 10-23-21
Sean Finnegan’s Nor-Cal
In the novel Nor-Cal a young man embarks on a journey of self discovery. Dealing with the loss of his mom and best friend. He reunites with his long lost father and his family. It is so exciting when you find a a book that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters. I enjoyed this book immensely and didn’t want it to end. Narration was done perfectly. Great read. I recommend it to anyone.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mommamiax2
- 03-26-22
Highly Recommend This Audiobook!!
This audiobook, narrated by the author Sean Finnegan, tells the story of Pavel and the uncertainties he must confront as he transitions from boy to man. The author uses detailed imagery that is so clear, so vivid, you are there in the moment with Pavel, as life takes him through 1980’s Northern California, from the San Francisco concert scene to Humboldt County’s marijuana industry.
The story is so real and so human, you feel your heart thumping along with Pavel’s as his life takes him through some incredible twists and turns. His bond with his friends shows the brotherhood that is found among young men as they are finding their way. I was impressed, time and again, by his ability to weave unexpected connections between his multifaceted characters . He also uses his knowledge of music that almost creates a playlist for the reader as you go along for the ride. He pulls you deep into the story until fully engrossed and once there, you you don’t want it to end. I laughed, I cried, I held my breath, and I wished for more! I had read this book when it first came out in paperback (which one should also have on hand) and instantly loved it, but nothing compares to hearing the story narrated by the author, as you can hear the rich depth of emotion in his voice as he shares Pavel’s story with you.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Unicorn_11
- 04-16-24
Captivating and Nostalgic Storytelling
This story beautifully captures the essence of growing up in Northern California during the 80’s era. It portrays life in a raw and authentic manner, making it relatable to listeners of all ages. The author gracefully weaves a tale of first loves, friendships, loss and new-found family, evoking a sense of nostalgia that resonates with me deeply. The narrator's voice was very engaging, and he did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. He really made me feel like I was right there with them experiencing the journey. Overall, ‘Nor Cal’ is a compelling audiobook that tugs at your heartstrings and leaves you longing for the simplicity and complexities of youth in Northern California.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Quinn
- 08-28-21
Narrator brings this coming of age story to life.
I first read this book on Kindle and having met the author, was waiting anxiously for the audible version. Sean Finnegan's voice brings the characters to life with warmth and heart. It's not necessary to have grown up in the 80's or Northern CA or have a love for metal bands or Humboldt county to enjoy this book; however if you did, this book will be quite nostalgic for you. As a woman in her 50's, I had a few times where being in the head of a 17 year old boy was uncomfortable, but that speaks to the raw realness of the story. Without giving anything away, this book also made me shed a few tears. I am looking forward to whatever this author-narrator does next.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chicken Paella
- 09-08-21
Movie?
Norcal is a revisitation of the Bay Area in the 1970s and 1980s— the author’s use of cultural particulars (Terry Bradshaw’s workman-like quarterbacking style, blood and joy in SF Metal clubs, shark fishing Drake’s Bay, KBHK TV 44, the smell of sticky, well-farmed bud) will evoke memories for many Norcal natives. Pavel’s journey to Humboldt, and from adolescence to adulthood, gives the story a Bildungsroman arc that enlivens the details of setting while also avoiding sentimentality. Crossing my fingers for the movie.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!