Fubar

Out of Element

By: Harry Carpenter

Narrated by: Michael Penate

Days after their entire world ended, Army Specialist Jason Chantry and friends find themselves in over their heads. Secret government organizations, conspiracies, and not to mention the monster infestation, the gang find their world becoming ever more complicated by the minute. With a new cast of characters, new locations, and new monsters, Chantry and his troop must sort out what is going on, and put an end to it once and for all!

©2021 Harry Carpenter (P)2021 Harry Carpenter

Sci-Fi Realism

Okay. Obviously the story isn’t realistic, but it is believable. What adds to the believability and realism are the characters. It is clear throughout the story that Carpenter has drawn from his own military experiences and has put himself in the character of Chantry. This POV is perfect for the story.

The narration is also pretty good. Penate demonstrates a good handle on emotional and character range, creating unique voices for each character in this rather large cast. His main characters are superb.

I listened to this story at 1 1/2 speed due to the pacing of the narration. In most cases this faster speed worked great for my preferences because Penate does seem to read a little slower than the average narrator. Still, his performance and spoken work are very good.

A thrilling creature feature!

This story picks up from where the last one left off and it does not disappoint! Between the mysterious organization, the very real characters, and the discovery of even more menacing creatures I was glued with anticipation.

I absolutely love me a creature feature and these Skitter Critters are out of this world! or maybe they aren't... is that a spoiler? Each Critter's design has me wide-eyed envisioning the terrifying things clawing at me.

The humor Carpenter uses throughout is both a comfort and a bit of a set up, reeling me in with my guard way down as the tension rises.

Of all the things within this story what I appreciated the most was the characters. They are living breathing people residing within the pages. They feel like people I know, which gets me more invested in their well-being. Their struggle battling the unknown while battling their own trauma is something that is rarely, if ever, shown in military stories.

This is a real one and I def recommend it!