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Off Season
- Narrated by: Richard Davidson
- Series: Dead River, Book 1
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Horror
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Critic reviews
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What listeners say about Off Season
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- jennifer
- 04-07-10
Off Season by Jack Ketchum
If you like Texas chainsaw massacre and the hills have eyes then this is the book for you although its very gory and very detailed it makes you think that you would never want to be in the position these characters were great disturbing well written story
1 person found this helpful
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- Dallas Winston 9
- 20-01-17
The Hills Have Eyes meets The Strangers
What made the experience of listening to Off Season the most enjoyable?
This book was no holds barred in all departments. The afterward by the author highlights how graphic the book was for its times, but it still is. Put it this way, if it were to be adapted Rob Zombie would be the man to do it. However, the violence, sex etc all suit the story. So to answer the question the book delivers on its promises! The narrator was also a good match to the story.
What other book might you compare Off Season to, and why?
This books is 'Constant Reader' territory. So anything Stephen King, IT WAS SET IN MAINE! The story was most like the films; 'The Hills Have Eyes' and 'The Strangers'. I would recommend to anyone who likes gore!
What does Richard Davidson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Richard Davidson was well suited and brought a slick laid back style.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
This book grossed me out😝
Any additional comments?
Really enjoyable. Steady at first but when the s!!t hits the fan it explodes. Give it a try😀
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- Madcozy
- 13-11-16
Love this author
Love this author the books are no holds barred shocking at time but you can't stop listening
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Overall

- Barry S. Sharpnack
- 22-11-09
Wow!
Where has this autho been all my life? I'd never heard of Jack Ketchum till recently, and took a chance on this book. I am partial to this type of story, and the genre in general, but I didn't expect the book to be as good as it was. Very, very intense, graphic violence, but for a good reason. The antagonists (the family of cannibals) are truly froghtening, even the children. If you can deal with the violence, I highly recommend this book. One of the most frightening stories I've read in a long time.
18 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Amazon Customer
- 27-12-09
Breathless
I now understand why Jack Ketchum's "Off Season" is a classic.
Mr. Ketchum is a master of setting a scene. He is also expert in building tension and conflict.
The story was gruesome...deliciously so. His writing...genius.
I will listen to it again.
And again.
13 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Nathan
- 04-11-10
Nice!
Flowed really well. People didn't like some of the gore but I'm all for it. It wasn't to much that made the story lose traction. It was a good listen. Fast paced and had me tense up in quite a few moments. People out to relax and end up in a fight for survival that leads to one of the most horrible nights I can remember in a book. Overall I liked this book. Good scary horror.
10 people found this helpful
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- Jim "The Impatient"
- 23-12-14
CRAZY AS A WHORE IN THE VATICAN
Backwoods, backward, cannibalistic inbreed Yankees, my kind of book. This is Ketchum's first book, which explains the inconsistences in the writing. At times you think great and at others NOT. Overall it is a good read if you are into this type of stuff. Konrath writes better, but I don't know if I have read his first book, so we may not be comparing apples to apples.
It has gore, it has lots of sex and yea, it is a little sophomoric. If you are not into this genre, you will not like it, if you are into it, you will have a hoot.
I thought the narrator was pretty good. He is the kind of narrator, which makes you forget someone is narrating. You feel like you are reading it in your head, can't see how anybody could object to him.
25 people found this helpful
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- Laura
- 08-11-21
A great book ruined by a terrible narrator.
A book worth a read for the sheer bitterness of the story. I have been a fan of Ketchum for years and wanting to relive the stories wanted to revisit. Don’t
The narrator made this almost unbearable, his impersonating voices are just atrocious and will completely ruin the story/experience
2 people found this helpful
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- TLH
- 28-12-19
Great everything except 1st couple of mins...
1st couple minutes has some music that I was scared wouldn’t go away. It did and never me returned thank goodness. Narration was great, characters and story was great. I just watched the movie and this was a great addition to it, better as well but both good. Onto Mother!
2 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Neva P.
- 03-12-09
Great Read
Didn't expect this! Exciting and different. Not familiar with the author but want to read more. Story is just enough to feel for the characters without being bored.
4 people found this helpful
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- Emma
- 22-12-21
good book, would avoid narrator
the book is typical to any kind of cannibal story one might already be familiar with in the 21st century, but as an 80s cannibal story the main crew of characters were quite likeable and I enjoyed Ketchum's writing style.
unfortunately, Richard Davidson's character voice decisions sometimes became obnoxious(particularly with woman characters) and downright confusing (when differentiating between older male characters) and I think I might've enjoyed it better if he had decided to do less voice acting. the last thing you want when LISTENING to a book is to be taken out of it by the narrator himself.
would recommend for horror fans, but maybe skip the audio book.
1 person found this helpful
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- Elayne Lewis
- 20-04-22
Embarrassing
Richard Davidson needs to take a voice acting class or something. This is the most awkward and cringy narration I’ve heard. Especially when he narrates the female characters, made me laugh because of how bad it was
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- Jabar
- 21-03-22
The best of extreme horror
I couldn't put it down! Narrator was superb. Will be reading more of Ketchums works...I'm just disappointed I hadn't discovered him sooner.