It Devours! audiobook

It Devours!? Oh yeah, I've read that book.

Just as weirdly fun and bizarrely tantalizing as its predecessor. Prepare to feel a pleasantly warm nihilism as the creepy town of Night Vale pits science against religion, logic against absurdity, and holds what we know to be real up to a twisted funhouse mirror.4 stars out of 5. Spooky (but not too scary) fun. Stimulating (but not too challenging) entertainment. I actually enjoyed this one a little more than Welcome to Night Vale as its narrative style is a bit more traditional and it features fewer of the so-weird-they're-hard-to-imagine details as #1.

It Devours!? Oh yeah, I’ve read that book.This is apparently something I can say now.Night Vale is a compelling and strange place, filled with odd people, secret service agents, shapeshifting teenagers, invisible farms, and the Glow Cloud. I loved the first novel Welcome To Night Vale and I loved this one just as much, although not quite. This world is absurd, at times disturbing, and always laugh out loud funny.Much of this story is hard to believe, even for the people who experienced it. After all, to believe in the back helicopters that circle overhead, monitoring everything we do, that is easy. To believe in the distant, flitting UFOs that use our world as their laboratory or, a more horrifying possibility, their playground, that is simple. But to believe in a giant centipede, worshiped as a god, arriving here from some other desert world? Well, that is a lot to ask.The story begins and ends with the house that doesn’t exist. Nilanjana, a scientist, and her boss, Carlos, suspect that there was be a link between the house, the strange desert world inside the house, and the earthquakes that have been opening up around Night Vale, swallowing building and people whole. Their experiments are always stopped by the City Council, which leads to hypotheses that they may be hiding something. Further investigation, which is not science, leads Nilanjana to the Joyous Congregation of the Smiling God, and to Darryl, who has bucket loads of faith, but doesn’t realise that his religion isn’t talking about having their sins devoured in a metaphorical sense. As people continue to disappear, Nilanjana and Darryl find they need each other to stop whatever is happening, which means combining his faith and her science together. Recipe for disaster, right?This story feel more complete than the book proceeding it, and it felt like there was a philosophical story as much as anything as you examine the different realms of science and religion. The characters, Nilanjana and Darryl, were strange and interesting in their own way and I really became invested in them. The cast of supporting characters was also amazing, such as Nilanjana’s lab partner Luisa, whose science experiment is to do with being visibly disappointed in potatoes, and Pamela who used to be Mayor but didn’t really want the job as she just loved giving emergency press conferences and was now the Director of Emergency Press Conferences in which she creates emergencies so she can hold a press conference.Everything in this world is strange, nothing is familiar. And it just is, no explanation needed.She peeled open the foil and took a large bite from her sandwich. There was no pita. It was just falafel balls, vegetables, maple syrup, and tahini, Wheat and wheat by-products were still banned in Night Vale because of the incident back in 2012 when all wheat and wheat by-products turned into snakes. There had been a great many injuries, but the greatest injury was the burden the subsequent ban put on people who loved bread.The creativeness of this place and everything to do with it is just off the charts!My only hold ups were some the writing, mainly that I didn’t get a sense of scale in relation to the pits or the centipede who has come to devour them all. The ending was also a little disappointing when it was found out what was causing the earthquakes and why. Also the final outcome, religion vs science, was underwhelming as well, but at least Nilanjana got some new friends out of it all. Small gripes really, but it does stop it from being a perfect book.

Fun note: the first book I reviewed here on Goodreads was the first Welcome to Night Vale novel. While it is not an anniversary per se, in a sense it is. After all, time is weird in Night Vale. It Devours!? Oh yeah, I’ve read that book.This is a book about science and religion. Note, I did not say science vs. religion. Fink and Cranor seem to be going to great lengths to avoid that can of worms. This is a… kind book on the topic. While it discusses the viewpoints of both sides, it seems to be saying that both can bring good or bad things into the world depending on how you use it. In an interview with Fink (found here for those wanting to read it: "https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/s... ) he says the following:“I was raised by a math professor. I was raised reading Richard Feynman books. Science has always been very important to me. But I was also raised religiously Jewish—going to synagogue at least once week, my father having Shabbat dinners at home. We really wanted to write a book about science and religion as modes of human thought that have their uses and their dangers, [which] should be considered for what they are.…The stance we would take is, the conflict’s kind of fake. Or, it’s not fake, but it’s coming from the extremes of religion, for instance. The religious people [who] deny the basics of science are loud, but they’re in the vast minority. There are lots of religious people who are also scientists, or just religious people who completely trust in the process of science.”This is a book that is interested in exploring the differences, and similarities in both topics. It is not antagonistic towards anyone… unless you happen to be a giant centipede intent on devouring things, or part of a bunch of cloaked figures that usually hang around dog parks making static noises. If you happen to be one of those two categories, then yes, it could be a bit tense for you (and if you happen to be a giant centipede reading this, I congratulate you on your grasp of language and figuring out how to hold something so small as to be insignificant in your presence). I feel that this second novel is greatly improved over its predecessor. Fink and Cranor feel like they’ve grasped the novel format better, and have found voices in Night Vale that don’t all feel like a copy of Cecil. In fact, very few of my complaints from the first book show up in this at all, save for a few awkward transitions. The novel is such an improvement, that I really can’t wait to see if there’s another Night Vale novel. The first felt like an interesting experiment, this one feels like a welcome addition to Night Vale’s bizarre world.The writing has actually improved so much that there were sections that I sat there legitimately impressed by what they were conveying. The last couple of pages sum up the book beautifully and really take their writing to another level. All in all, I am very pleased with this book and it's one of my favorites so far this year. Side note: I’m becoming increasingly convinced that Night Vale’s vague yet menacing government agency are watching me. Not only do the TV news anchors have mine and my wife’s names, but I made a joke in my first review about unlimited teeth inside some editions of the book. What’s the first thing you see when you open the cover? Teeth… so… many… teeth…

Another absolutely wonderful novel about the strangest of all desert towns, Night Vale. The second original novel of the Night Vale series, this is just as fun, looney, mysterious as the first. You will devour it.

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Maybe it’s because I’m drunk, but the end of this book make me cry.Oh yeah, I’ve read this book.Welcome To Night Vale is so important to me and a huge part of my heart is taken up by it.——-If i wasn’t at work I’d probably cry againThe ending of this book is one of my favorites and the most real. Who would have thought wtnv would give the best life and relationship advice?

words cannot express how much welcome to night vale means to me. i wish they could so that people would understand and maybe (if they haven't already) fall deeply in love with this incredible world.it has taken me four months to finish this book and it's not because i didn't like, but the total opposite. i loved it so much that i did not want to ever finish it. i cried and laughed and i was in complete awe so many times, it is spectacular and emotional and it gives you so much to think about.the writing is (as usual when it comes to welcome to night vale) unique and precious and smart and thoughtful and i will never get over it. the plot was fantastic and the plot twist just... ;--; i cried. i cried a lot. i love these humans, especially carlos. nilanjana is a sweetheart who deserves the world. and it was so so good to see jackie and diane and josh (i am so proud of him i cannot believe my SON).and cecil. he was not much present in this book but he was always there, like he always is, caring and loving and wonderful and supportive. i am truly tearing up, he has been there for me when no one else was, with soothing words and insightful advice and i feel so loved every time i hear his voice and i feel heard even though he is the one talking. so many time his voice was the only thing keeping me sane and i will never be able to thank these people for bringing him into my life.wow i'm getting too emotional i'm sorry. long story short, this book means a lot to me, please read it. and listen to the podcast, it will completely change your life.

So back when the first WTNV came out I read it and it took me like a month to get through and I absolutely HATED it. I rated it one star! Looking back I think I should probably give it another try because I may have been ...a bit unfair. In my defense I don't like change and it was definitely a big change from the podcast. I decided to give this one a try because the new book about the Faceless Old Woman sounded interesting and I figured I might as well read the whole series, and I ended up really liking it! There's a lot of great stuff about science and religion in here and I really like the main character [and the cameos we get from Carlos!]. I'll have to see if I feel different reading the other one again but I feel like they MIGHT have toned the weirdness just a BIT in this one, which is a good idea because weird little 20 minute chunks of WTNV are very different than a 9 hour audiobook of WTNV. Anyway, glad I gave this a chance! Definitely a cool Night Vale story.

Eu amo Welcome to Night Vale, e esse livro não decepcionou! It Devours! é uma comédia/mistério sobrenatural sobre ciência, fé, amor e pertencimento, ambientada em uma cidadezinha do interior de Indiana, Estados Unidos, onde todas as teorias da conspiração são reais e fantasmas, anjos, alienígenas e comida invisível fazem parte do dia a dia.Eu me diverti MUITO lendo esse livro. A história tem como protagonista uma cientista nova na cidade que quer desvendar o mistério por trás dos acontecimentos que, aos poucos, estão destruindo Night Vale. Para isso, ela se une a um membro devoto da Igreja do Deus Sorridente e tenta unir os pontos antes que seja tarde demais.Uma das minhas coisas favoritas sobre a experiência de leitura foi como o livro sempre parecia estar chegando ao fim. Quando tudo fazia sentido e a solução do mistério estava nas nossas mãos, uma reviravolta mostrava que estávamos errados. No final, a explicação consegue unir as pistas deixadas ao longo da história e de repente tudo faz sentido, como todo bom livro de mistério deveria ser.Gostei bastante do jeito que os autores retrataram a religião aqui. A Igreja do Deus Sorridente é uma sátira, obviamente, mas o livro consegue fazer a crítica sem ser ofensivo ou desrespeitoso. Sempre acho interessantes histórias que abordam religião, por ser um tema delicado para mim, e curti ler sobre esse Deus, seus fiéis e as pessoas por trás da igreja.A exploração sobre pertencimento também me cativou. Nilanjana, a cientista, é uma mulher negra que chegou recentemente a Night Vale. Ela busca uma forma de se sentir parte dessa comunidade no meio do deserto, mas tudo é estranho demais: os habitantes, o tempo, a TV, a rádio local... Como ela encontrará seu lugar? A jornada é linda de acompanhar.Para mim, Welcome to Night Vale é um dos trabalhos mais interessantes que temos hoje na ficção. O universo criado, com sua estranheza e fantasia, nunca perde a graça. Estou muito feliz por retornar a esse mundo (e por ter mais um livro da série para ler! E por ainda ter o podcast que não cheguei a terminar!). Recomendoooooo!

3.5/5Now having read both Welcome to Night Vale and now It Devours!, I can definitively say that I enjoyed It Devours! more than its predecessor. The primary issues I found with Welcome to Night Vale (the scattered, unfocused plot) felt more resolved in It Devours! The main theme: science v. religion, thereby fact v. faith, was thoroughly explored and fleshed out among the plot and the characters. I LOVED that this novel fleshed out The Congregation of a Smiling God, which is featured throughout the podcast plenty of times but never explored. The concept of this novel was fun, focused, and entertaining, and just like the podcast is full of delicious and surprisingly insightful quotables. Of course it isn't perfect, because as I've said before I do think this story translates much better in the short form of the podcasts. I don't think full length novels are the best format for the stories of Night Vale. That being said, I did enjoy it and would probably read another Night Vale if it were published.

I've been a fan of the podcast "Welcome To Night Vale" for years so I was pretty sure what weirdness awaits me in this novel. And I totally loved it! Nilanjana was an interesting main character that gave us a different take on Night Vale than what we usually know from Cecil, with her being both a scientist and a person who didn't grow up in the community. The clash of Nilanjana's scientific attitude and Darryl's religious views was captivating to follow as their relationship grew. We never really got much insight into the Joyous Congregation in the podcast so this novel was a treat about that part of the community as we learnt a lot about it this time. Fink's and Cranor's writing was fantastic, as always. Overall, I loved this novel even more than the first one but I think it was simply due to the main cast of characters who were more up my alley this time. Can't wait for more of the show and more novels!