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  • Crosstalk

  • Written by: Connie Willis
  • Narrated by: Mia Barron
  • Length: 18 hrs and 45 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (11 ratings)

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Crosstalk cover art

Crosstalk

Written by: Connie Willis
Narrated by: Mia Barron
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Publisher's Summary

Part romantic comedy and part social satire, here one of science fiction's most lauded authors examines the consequences of having too much connectivity, and what happens in a world where, suddenly, nothing is private. One of science fiction's premiere humorists turns her eagle eye to the crushing societal implications of telepathy.

In a not-too-distant future, a simple outpatient procedure that has been promised to increase empathy between romantic partners has become all the rage. So when Briddey Flannigan's fiancé proposes that he and Briddey undergo the procedure, she is delighted! Only, the results aren't quite as expected. Instead of gaining an increased empathetic link with her fiancé, Briddey finds herself hearing the actual thoughts of one of the nerdiest techs in her office. And that's the least of her problems.

©2016 Connie Willis (P)2016 Recorded Books

What the critics say

"An engaging and satirical look at relationships, technology, and connectivity in the digital age is expertly narrated by Mia Barron.... Barron does an outstanding job of distinguishing between the conversations in Briddey's head and those happening in real life as well as adding authenticity to each of the characters Briddey interacts with." ( AudioFile)

What listeners say about Crosstalk

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Surprisingly flat and amateur, for an otherwise fantastic author (warning: mild spoilers)

I am a huge Connie Willis fan, so it pains me to say this; "Crosstalk" was a cringey disappointment.

The subject itself - telepathy - was interesting, and handled in a very Willis-like fashion. There was an element of science which was characteristically understated, and the way the characters dealt with the complications reminded me of such Willis classics as "Lincolns Dreams" and "Passage". She also once again displayed her talent for crafting page-turners. Despite the book's somewhat predictable story arc, I found myself at times unable to put it down.

That being said, there were a number of fundamental problems that would have rendered this book unreadable by any author lacking Willis' knack and charm.

First of all, the characters were extremely flat, bordering on tropes/stereotypes. The protagonist, Briddey, is the tofu of characters, with no discernible personality whatsoever aside from her chronic inability to draw personal and professional boundaries. Her boyfriend was two dimensional and predictably unlikeable, reading at times like the villain in a nineteen eighties rom-com. CB, though likeable enough, was too rosy to be believable. All this not to mention her aunt, who could hardly have been more stereotypical short of coming down with the consumption.

Which brings me to my next gripe - the "Irish connection". Normally what I love about Willis' writing is the level of detail and painstaking research she undertakes in order to portray both situations and people as authentically as possible. "Doomsday Book" and "Blackout"/"All Clear" hit it out of the park, in this regard. But Willis' treatment of the Irish in "Crosstalk" was so steeped in tired Hollywood tropism that it bordered on benevolent racism. My husband is Irish, as is his entire family who still lives in Ireland, and they do not preface every statement with appeals to all the saints of Ireland, nor do they regale us with proverbs about leprechauns and pots of gold. My husband is generally not a very sensitive person, but he overheard part of this audiobook in the car one day and remarked that it was actually offensive.

Finally, I could not help but get the impression that Willis simply ran out of time with this one. As the book winds down there are too many questions left unanswered and too many plot holes left to fill, that she resorts to a sort of "deus ex machina" in the final few pages. It really did not work, nor did it do Connie Willis a whit of justice. It was really like she had reached her page limit and didn't know what to do. I probably could have overlooked all of the other faults if it had not been for this, because I know for a fact that she is better than that.

As for Mia Barron, I found her performance a little bit awkward at times (especially while doing the male voices) but overall I think she did a good job. She is not as good as some others I have heard, but honestly I would have had no complaints if the story had been better.

I decided to give this book a 3 out of 5 stars for two reasons. First, because it doesn't seem like I can give it 2 and a half and I decided I'd rather round up. Second, because for all its faults it did provide me with several hours of entertainment, and I did feel compelled to stick it out to the end to see what happened. Willis' familiar style shone through the poor characterization and plot development, making this an "okay" read - especially for younger audiences. But overall, I'd say you'd be much better read off reading any other of her books.

Oh, and for the record, they don't have Lucky Charms in Ireland.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Unrealistic characters and simply unintelligent

The author seems to has little understanding how computers, electronics work. Many of the scenarios were incomprehensible, and also very unlikely to ever happen. Nine year old super hacker?!? Not gonna happen. Plus the child talks like someone who’s 13 or 15. The main character is an idiot. All she does is run on her emotions and nothing else. I don’t know how she became a manager or supervisor or whatever her job title be in a smart phone company, she doesn’t make any smart moves. She doesn’t use her head. It was incredibly frustrating. There was so many times I was thinking what is wrong with you you’re an idiot.

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