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Limetown: The Prequel to the #1 Podcast
From the creators of the #1 podcast Limetown, an explosive prequel about a teenager who learns of a mysterious research facility where over three hundred people have disappeared—including her uncle—with clues that become the key to discovering the secrets of this strange town.
On a seemingly ordinary day, seventeen-year-old Lia Haddock hears news that will change her life forever: three hundred men, women, and children living at a research facility in Limetown, Tennessee, have disappeared without a trace. Among the missing is Emile Haddock, Lia’s uncle.
What happened to the people of Limetown? It’s all anyone can talk about. Except Lia’s parents, who refuse to discuss what might have happened there. They refuse, even, to discuss anything to do with Emile.
As a student journalist, Lia begins an investigation that will take her far from her home, discovering clues about Emile’s past that lead to a shocking secret—one with unimaginable implications not only for the people of Limetown, but for Lia and her family. The only problem is…she’s not the only one looking for answers.
Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie are first-rate storytellers, in every medium. Critics called their podcast Limetown “creepy and otherworldly” (The New York Times) and “endlessly fun” (Vox), and their novel goes back to where it all began. Working with Cote Smith, a PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize Finalist, they’ve crafted an exhilarating mystery that asks big questions about what we owe to our families and what we owe to ourselves, about loss, discovery, and growth. Threaded throughout is Emile’s story—told in these pages for the first time ever.
On a seemingly ordinary day, seventeen-year-old Lia Haddock hears news that will change her life forever: three hundred men, women, and children living at a research facility in Limetown, Tennessee, have disappeared without a trace. Among the missing is Emile Haddock, Lia’s uncle.
What happened to the people of Limetown? It’s all anyone can talk about. Except Lia’s parents, who refuse to discuss what might have happened there. They refuse, even, to discuss anything to do with Emile.
As a student journalist, Lia begins an investigation that will take her far from her home, discovering clues about Emile’s past that lead to a shocking secret—one with unimaginable implications not only for the people of Limetown, but for Lia and her family. The only problem is…she’s not the only one looking for answers.
Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie are first-rate storytellers, in every medium. Critics called their podcast Limetown “creepy and otherworldly” (The New York Times) and “endlessly fun” (Vox), and their novel goes back to where it all began. Working with Cote Smith, a PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize Finalist, they’ve crafted an exhilarating mystery that asks big questions about what we owe to our families and what we owe to ourselves, about loss, discovery, and growth. Threaded throughout is Emile’s story—told in these pages for the first time ever.
11 pages, Audible Audio
First published October 30, 2018
162 people are currently reading
3336 people want to read
About the author
Cote Smith
3 books59 followersCote Smith grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas, and on various army bases around the country. He earned his MFA from the University of Kansas, and his stories have been featured in One Story, Crazyhorse, and FiveChapters, among other publications. His first novel, Hurt People, was a Finalist for the 2017 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction, longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a 2017 Kansas Notable Book Award winner, and winner of the 2017 High Plains First Book Award.
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August 14, 2018
I am a podcast fan, and a fan of fiction, so it should come as no surprise that the moment I got access to Limetown’s prequel novel also titled Limetown I dug right in. Because it is a novel connected to a podcast I’ve chosen to break this into two parts: a book review, and a review of how they connect.
I’m going to warn potential readers and listeners that the book does spoil major portions of the podcast. I've attempted to keep my review as spoiler free (for the book) as possible.
The book
Limetown is broken into two stories that alternate between chapters. Those stories are that of Lia, and her uncle Emile. Lia is a 17-year-old budding journalist who is searching for answers about her family and their possible connection to Limetown. Emile’s story starts 25 years before the panic at Limetown and revolves around his search for his family, and freedom.
I found Emile’s story the more interesting of the two, he is different, special, and desperate. These were all factors that drove me to keep turning the pages of his story to see what kind of ending he got, did he find happiness? Did he find love? Did he find a place to belong? How would all that change to drive the next part of the story forward?
Lia’s story was less engaging. The writing feels distant and worked so that her story lines up with the events in Emile’s life we gradually learn about. It is very structured to show us the after to Emile’s before. Much of the resolution to her story feels contrived and put together in an unbelievable way.
As for the overall story, Limetown has a way of tying its characters together. It is not subtle about letting readers know just how parallel things are, and unfortunately this takes some of the surprise away from later ‘big reveals’. After one I actually put the book down and rolled my eyes. It relies on this again, at the end as the explanation for why many things happen. This makes the ending feel flat and unsatisfactory to a fan of the podcast searching for connecting threads.
Limetown suffers from a problem that a lot of prequels deal with: It must tell its own story and feel special but also tie it into later narration. Because of this Emile’s story is very condensed, with huge time jumps and not enough breathing room, (which is surprising when you consider the fact that the book is 304 pages long), and Lia’s feels like filler that gets more and more confusing and coincidental as it goes.
I would have liked this book more if it had been two books. Lia’s and Emile’s. If we were given more time to get to know the characters and walk with them as they grew and changed Lia might feel more approachable and Emile’s story could have been further expanded. As it stands it feels like we get highlights from their lives, leaving us little time to process major events or reveals.
It doesn’t help that the writing often feels choppy itself. Lia’s chapters tend to have short sentences and odd tense choices. It can be said that this style was chosen specifically to emulate Lia’s distance or Emile’s oddness but it doesn’t hit home. I will add that the reading does get smoother as you progress through the book, but I can’t say if that was my brain accepting the style of writing or an actual improvement.
The book and podcast together
I did a re-listen of the podcast as soon as I finished the book in order to see just how connected the two are and determine how much a fan of the podcast might get out of the book.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions as I listened to the podcast again, because this time my brain was trying its very best to connect all the new pieces I had to the old ones. There wasn’t a lot to put together with Emile, but his portion of the novel did actually make my listening experience better. I felt like I knew a lot of the characters better and knew his motivations deeper.
Lia is where the trouble seems to be. For the sake of not spoiling anything I’m not going to name certain events in the book, but Lia knows much more than she lets on in the podcast. In the book she meets people who show up in it and she does things that I think should have at least been mentioned in the podcast. Her introductory episode could have easily been structured to have her mention these things, but it does not.
This leads me to believe that the prequel was not planned. This book was not a part of the creators’ original story they wanted to tell, but is instead an afterthought or tool used to boost the podcast. Which isn’t a problem, I love the idea of mixed media storytelling. I think it’s incredible, but I think it needs to be done well. And having a character explicitly go out and look for a person in the book and then never mention that they had been looking for them when they’ve found them in the podcast does not work. I tried to come up with a reason Lia might not have said anything about her book adventure in the podcast, but the only thing I could imagine was her losing her memory of those events and not knowing it happened.
The verdict
The book and podcast do not line up. I can hope that season two changes that, but for now anyone listening and reading will find themselves frustrated by the fact that things don’t seem to make sense. Limetown: The Prequel was trying hard to be its own thing, and would have benefited from simply being Emile’s story, no Lia at all. Her story left me confused and going “But didn’t?” the whole time I read, and again as I re-listened.
I’m giving this book a 3 out of 5, mostly for Emile’s engaging story and my hope that season 2 will fix some of these issues I’m seeing. The book is actually scheduled to come out after season 2 airs, so I may be missing a lot. My recommendation is listen to the podcast, wait for season two listen to that, and then read the book if you want to know more about Emile’s history.
As always I received an advanced copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion which I have stated above.
I’m going to warn potential readers and listeners that the book does spoil major portions of the podcast. I've attempted to keep my review as spoiler free (for the book) as possible.
The book
Limetown is broken into two stories that alternate between chapters. Those stories are that of Lia, and her uncle Emile. Lia is a 17-year-old budding journalist who is searching for answers about her family and their possible connection to Limetown. Emile’s story starts 25 years before the panic at Limetown and revolves around his search for his family, and freedom.
I found Emile’s story the more interesting of the two, he is different, special, and desperate. These were all factors that drove me to keep turning the pages of his story to see what kind of ending he got, did he find happiness? Did he find love? Did he find a place to belong? How would all that change to drive the next part of the story forward?
Lia’s story was less engaging. The writing feels distant and worked so that her story lines up with the events in Emile’s life we gradually learn about. It is very structured to show us the after to Emile’s before. Much of the resolution to her story feels contrived and put together in an unbelievable way.
As for the overall story, Limetown has a way of tying its characters together. It is not subtle about letting readers know just how parallel things are, and unfortunately this takes some of the surprise away from later ‘big reveals’. After one I actually put the book down and rolled my eyes. It relies on this again, at the end as the explanation for why many things happen. This makes the ending feel flat and unsatisfactory to a fan of the podcast searching for connecting threads.
Limetown suffers from a problem that a lot of prequels deal with: It must tell its own story and feel special but also tie it into later narration. Because of this Emile’s story is very condensed, with huge time jumps and not enough breathing room, (which is surprising when you consider the fact that the book is 304 pages long), and Lia’s feels like filler that gets more and more confusing and coincidental as it goes.
I would have liked this book more if it had been two books. Lia’s and Emile’s. If we were given more time to get to know the characters and walk with them as they grew and changed Lia might feel more approachable and Emile’s story could have been further expanded. As it stands it feels like we get highlights from their lives, leaving us little time to process major events or reveals.
It doesn’t help that the writing often feels choppy itself. Lia’s chapters tend to have short sentences and odd tense choices. It can be said that this style was chosen specifically to emulate Lia’s distance or Emile’s oddness but it doesn’t hit home. I will add that the reading does get smoother as you progress through the book, but I can’t say if that was my brain accepting the style of writing or an actual improvement.
The book and podcast together
I did a re-listen of the podcast as soon as I finished the book in order to see just how connected the two are and determine how much a fan of the podcast might get out of the book.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions as I listened to the podcast again, because this time my brain was trying its very best to connect all the new pieces I had to the old ones. There wasn’t a lot to put together with Emile, but his portion of the novel did actually make my listening experience better. I felt like I knew a lot of the characters better and knew his motivations deeper.
Lia is where the trouble seems to be. For the sake of not spoiling anything I’m not going to name certain events in the book, but Lia knows much more than she lets on in the podcast. In the book she meets people who show up in it and she does things that I think should have at least been mentioned in the podcast. Her introductory episode could have easily been structured to have her mention these things, but it does not.
This leads me to believe that the prequel was not planned. This book was not a part of the creators’ original story they wanted to tell, but is instead an afterthought or tool used to boost the podcast. Which isn’t a problem, I love the idea of mixed media storytelling. I think it’s incredible, but I think it needs to be done well. And having a character explicitly go out and look for a person in the book and then never mention that they had been looking for them when they’ve found them in the podcast does not work. I tried to come up with a reason Lia might not have said anything about her book adventure in the podcast, but the only thing I could imagine was her losing her memory of those events and not knowing it happened.
The verdict
The book and podcast do not line up. I can hope that season two changes that, but for now anyone listening and reading will find themselves frustrated by the fact that things don’t seem to make sense. Limetown: The Prequel was trying hard to be its own thing, and would have benefited from simply being Emile’s story, no Lia at all. Her story left me confused and going “But didn’t?” the whole time I read, and again as I re-listened.
I’m giving this book a 3 out of 5, mostly for Emile’s engaging story and my hope that season 2 will fix some of these issues I’m seeing. The book is actually scheduled to come out after season 2 airs, so I may be missing a lot. My recommendation is listen to the podcast, wait for season two listen to that, and then read the book if you want to know more about Emile’s history.
As always I received an advanced copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion which I have stated above.
November 27, 2018
As someone who has never listened to a podcast before (I know, I know.. I'll get there!), I was a little hesitant to read this book. However, as a prequel, it states you don't need to listen to the podcast to read this. I'm not sure I entirely agree with that, but how could I really know since I never listened to it, right?
There's two POVs - Emile and Lia, uncle and niece. He's disappeared in the mystery that is Limetown and Lia is looking for answers. Honestly, I felt lost most of the time. I was intrigued with certain topics that came up and the thought of opening up intellect and brain power from those who are gifted. Maybe the back and forth in timelines, or the offset potential romantic (though extremely slight and left somewhat hanging) parts left me a bit bewildered.
The cliffhanger wasn't quite what I wanted or needed from this book. Sometimes I don't mind them, sometimes I do. I'm not sure how I feel particularly in this case since clearly it's a prequel and my thinking is that they're leaving it wanting for those who haven't listened to the podcast to search it out. Unfortunately it just didn't quite work for me and I can't quite pinpoint the exact things that did not. Maybe it was the confusion of the back and forth timelines. Maybe it was the interweaving of what seemed like a variety of different things... or maybe it just didn't clique for the me the way that I hoped that it would. I don't feel the need to run to the podcast to see what happens but if you've listened to it and want to enlighten me, please do ;).
There's two POVs - Emile and Lia, uncle and niece. He's disappeared in the mystery that is Limetown and Lia is looking for answers. Honestly, I felt lost most of the time. I was intrigued with certain topics that came up and the thought of opening up intellect and brain power from those who are gifted. Maybe the back and forth in timelines, or the offset potential romantic (though extremely slight and left somewhat hanging) parts left me a bit bewildered.
The cliffhanger wasn't quite what I wanted or needed from this book. Sometimes I don't mind them, sometimes I do. I'm not sure how I feel particularly in this case since clearly it's a prequel and my thinking is that they're leaving it wanting for those who haven't listened to the podcast to search it out. Unfortunately it just didn't quite work for me and I can't quite pinpoint the exact things that did not. Maybe it was the confusion of the back and forth timelines. Maybe it was the interweaving of what seemed like a variety of different things... or maybe it just didn't clique for the me the way that I hoped that it would. I don't feel the need to run to the podcast to see what happens but if you've listened to it and want to enlighten me, please do ;).
November 30, 2016
APR Investigative Journalist Lia Haddock delves into the mystery of what happened to the entire population of Limetown that disappeared without a clue.
Season 1 was sooooo good! I hope there is a second season.
Season 1 was sooooo good! I hope there is a second season.
January 2, 2019
When this book came out, a couple of months ago, Audible recommended it to me. I had never heard of the podcast it's based on, but I was entranced by that cover. So I spent the next few weeks catching up on the audio program.
Limetown (the podcast) is fascinating. The format, at least in Season 1, is that of an NPR-style longform investigative radio show (à la Serial), in which reporter Lia Haddock looks into the mystery of Limetown. Ten years ago, all 300+ people in the isolated Tennessee village had vanished, with no trace of any survivors ever found. What had happened to them? Did it have anything to do with the mysterious research facility at the center of town? Lia's personal connection to the case - her uncle Emile, one of the missing - drives her search for answers.
Limetown (the book) is also fascinating. A prequel, it switches between two timelines: Emile as a teenager, and two decades later, Lia as a teenager. To describe too much of the plot would spoil some of my favorite twists and turns of the podcast, but suffice to say: these are captivating characters, and they are well worth getting to know better, especially Emile and Lia's mother, Alison.
Though I enjoyed the book overall, I took away some stars for the ending, which felt sudden and vague, and several details that didn't quite jibe with the podcast (i.e., the characters learned several bits of important information in the novel that seemed to have been utterly forgotten by the time of the podcast).
Recommended for fans of The X-Files, Lost, and other tantalizing puzzleboxes.
Limetown (the podcast) is fascinating. The format, at least in Season 1, is that of an NPR-style longform investigative radio show (à la Serial), in which reporter Lia Haddock looks into the mystery of Limetown. Ten years ago, all 300+ people in the isolated Tennessee village had vanished, with no trace of any survivors ever found. What had happened to them? Did it have anything to do with the mysterious research facility at the center of town? Lia's personal connection to the case - her uncle Emile, one of the missing - drives her search for answers.
Limetown (the book) is also fascinating. A prequel, it switches between two timelines: Emile as a teenager, and two decades later, Lia as a teenager. To describe too much of the plot would spoil some of my favorite twists and turns of the podcast, but suffice to say: these are captivating characters, and they are well worth getting to know better, especially Emile and Lia's mother, Alison.
Though I enjoyed the book overall, I took away some stars for the ending, which felt sudden and vague, and several details that didn't quite jibe with the podcast (i.e., the characters learned several bits of important information in the novel that seemed to have been utterly forgotten by the time of the podcast).
Recommended for fans of The X-Files, Lost, and other tantalizing puzzleboxes.
December 23, 2018
2 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/12/23/...
I confess I’d never heard of the Limetown podcast, but when this prequel novel arrived for me by surprise from the publisher, I thought it might be worth checking out. Apparently you could read it independently of the podcast, and I figured even if I had no idea who all the character were or the background of the story, the fascinating premise should at least help carry me through. After all, a paranormal mystery about a mass disappearance sounds like just the thing I would enjoy.
The story is told through the eyes of two main characters. Lia Haddock is a seventeen-year-old student journalist whose life is changed forever the day she hears about the disappearance of three hundred men, women, and children at a research facility in Limetown, a small community in Tennessee. There is also a personal connection, as one of the missing is her uncle, Emile Haddock. The event sets Lia on a path to uncovering the mystery about what happened to the people of Limetown, as well as her own family’s connection to the place. Why are her parents so reluctant to talk about Emile and what might have happened to him?
Alternating between Lia’s chapters, we also get Emile’s POV, which takes place years before. Emile is revealed to have special powers, and his strange, secretive ways also makes him a bit of a pariah at his school. He and his brother Jacob (Lia’s dad, who is much younger here) live with foster parents, but Emile cannot stop obsessing about the whereabouts of their missing mother. Running away to look for her, he winds up at a secret research facility where his psychic abilities are identified, resulting in him becoming a subject of forced experimentation.
So yes, after reading Limetown, I have concluded you can indeed pick this story up without having any knowledge of the podcast. But should you? Probably not. After some research, I did learn that Lia is the narrator of the podcast, in which she is a reporter chronicling her investigation into the missing people of Limetown, presenting her findings in a serialized fashion over the course of six episodes in the first season. Perhaps if I was a listener of the podcast, I would have felt a deeper connection to her character, but I found myself really struggling to engage with her chapters while reading the book. Granted, being somewhat reticent and aloof might have been part of her personality, but because the writing seemed to always keep the reader at arm’s length, I never felt truly invested in her storyline.
Emile fared a little better. While Lia was all about getting down to business, Emile had an openness to him as well as a humanness to his conflict which made him a more sympathetic character compared to Lia. However, after a while, his storyline paralleled hers so neatly and unconvincingly, that gradually it began to feel more forced than mysterious.
Though I hate to say it, things became rather dull after that. Part of the problem is that the mystery became lost in all the plodding details about family drama and other unnecessary distractions. The connections and big reveals were also predictably spelled out for you, so as a reader I didn’t even have to work hard to figure things out. It made me question the point of this novel. Obviously, you don’t get any answers about Limetown, since those are probably held in reserve for future seasons of the podcast, leaving this book feeling like a hastily thrown together side story with too much padding.
All told, as someone entering the world of Limetown for the first time, I found it hard to care about anything that went on in this prequel novel. Based on my experience, I can’t really say it worked too well as a standalone, but it is now also clear that I am not its target audience. Perhaps the podcast’s fans will find some things in here that will enhance their experience, especially if you are interested in getting more of Lia’s backstory.
I confess I’d never heard of the Limetown podcast, but when this prequel novel arrived for me by surprise from the publisher, I thought it might be worth checking out. Apparently you could read it independently of the podcast, and I figured even if I had no idea who all the character were or the background of the story, the fascinating premise should at least help carry me through. After all, a paranormal mystery about a mass disappearance sounds like just the thing I would enjoy.
The story is told through the eyes of two main characters. Lia Haddock is a seventeen-year-old student journalist whose life is changed forever the day she hears about the disappearance of three hundred men, women, and children at a research facility in Limetown, a small community in Tennessee. There is also a personal connection, as one of the missing is her uncle, Emile Haddock. The event sets Lia on a path to uncovering the mystery about what happened to the people of Limetown, as well as her own family’s connection to the place. Why are her parents so reluctant to talk about Emile and what might have happened to him?
Alternating between Lia’s chapters, we also get Emile’s POV, which takes place years before. Emile is revealed to have special powers, and his strange, secretive ways also makes him a bit of a pariah at his school. He and his brother Jacob (Lia’s dad, who is much younger here) live with foster parents, but Emile cannot stop obsessing about the whereabouts of their missing mother. Running away to look for her, he winds up at a secret research facility where his psychic abilities are identified, resulting in him becoming a subject of forced experimentation.
So yes, after reading Limetown, I have concluded you can indeed pick this story up without having any knowledge of the podcast. But should you? Probably not. After some research, I did learn that Lia is the narrator of the podcast, in which she is a reporter chronicling her investigation into the missing people of Limetown, presenting her findings in a serialized fashion over the course of six episodes in the first season. Perhaps if I was a listener of the podcast, I would have felt a deeper connection to her character, but I found myself really struggling to engage with her chapters while reading the book. Granted, being somewhat reticent and aloof might have been part of her personality, but because the writing seemed to always keep the reader at arm’s length, I never felt truly invested in her storyline.
Emile fared a little better. While Lia was all about getting down to business, Emile had an openness to him as well as a humanness to his conflict which made him a more sympathetic character compared to Lia. However, after a while, his storyline paralleled hers so neatly and unconvincingly, that gradually it began to feel more forced than mysterious.
Though I hate to say it, things became rather dull after that. Part of the problem is that the mystery became lost in all the plodding details about family drama and other unnecessary distractions. The connections and big reveals were also predictably spelled out for you, so as a reader I didn’t even have to work hard to figure things out. It made me question the point of this novel. Obviously, you don’t get any answers about Limetown, since those are probably held in reserve for future seasons of the podcast, leaving this book feeling like a hastily thrown together side story with too much padding.
All told, as someone entering the world of Limetown for the first time, I found it hard to care about anything that went on in this prequel novel. Based on my experience, I can’t really say it worked too well as a standalone, but it is now also clear that I am not its target audience. Perhaps the podcast’s fans will find some things in here that will enhance their experience, especially if you are interested in getting more of Lia’s backstory.
January 14, 2019
Oof, this was disappointing.
This is a prequel to the hugely popular podcast, which tells the parallel stories of Lia Haddock and her uncle Emile. Flipping back and forth in time, from the perspectives of Lia and Emile, we learn about Lia finding out about the disappearance of the citizens of Limetown and the events that led Emile to the founding of the city.
I was very excited when I heard about this book, because I adored season one of the podcast. (I liked season two until the last episode. Still not sure how I feel about it overall). The mystery on the podcast unfolds in a compelling way, the characters were interesting, and there was more than one genuinely frightening moments. The book didn't live up to that. First, I don't really think it stands on its own. Neither Emile or Lia is written in a way that will make you care about them if you don't already. In fact, I ended the book liking Lia less than I did before I started. Second, it gives pretty major spoilers for the show, if you wanted to listen to it but hadn't yet.
And most importantly, the events don't line up. Lia finds out things in the book (her part of the story is set when she's 17) that she doesn't know in season one, which is set some years later when she is investigating the disappearances. There are so many inconsistencies that I wonder what the creators were doing. It makes no sense and I ended up being very angry. I'm still angry if I'm honest, because I think the book has spoiled the podcast for me. Rarely have I been so disappointed in something I had really been looking forward to. If you enjoy the podcast, skip this one.
This is a prequel to the hugely popular podcast, which tells the parallel stories of Lia Haddock and her uncle Emile. Flipping back and forth in time, from the perspectives of Lia and Emile, we learn about Lia finding out about the disappearance of the citizens of Limetown and the events that led Emile to the founding of the city.
I was very excited when I heard about this book, because I adored season one of the podcast. (I liked season two until the last episode. Still not sure how I feel about it overall). The mystery on the podcast unfolds in a compelling way, the characters were interesting, and there was more than one genuinely frightening moments. The book didn't live up to that. First, I don't really think it stands on its own. Neither Emile or Lia is written in a way that will make you care about them if you don't already. In fact, I ended the book liking Lia less than I did before I started. Second, it gives pretty major spoilers for the show, if you wanted to listen to it but hadn't yet.
And most importantly, the events don't line up. Lia finds out things in the book (her part of the story is set when she's 17) that she doesn't know in season one, which is set some years later when she is investigating the disappearances. There are so many inconsistencies that I wonder what the creators were doing. It makes no sense and I ended up being very angry. I'm still angry if I'm honest, because I think the book has spoiled the podcast for me. Rarely have I been so disappointed in something I had really been looking forward to. If you enjoy the podcast, skip this one.
November 12, 2018
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Limetown is one of my favorite podcasts and I was absolutely thrilled to be approved for this prequel novel on NetGalley. While I liked the premise of the this story, it never managed to quite live up to the premise or my expectations. It tries to copy the style of the podcast, but here it comes off as too choppy for my tastes and it doesn't quite pull off the sense of unease as the original podcast. Plus, there seemed to be some differences in the timelines between the formats as well which got kind of frustrating. All this being said, this prequel still manages to be a compelling read regardless of its flaws. Even if you aren't familiar with the podcast, I have a feeling you'll be after to along without too much trouble. Personally, though, I recommend giving the podcast a try first.
Limetown is one of my favorite podcasts and I was absolutely thrilled to be approved for this prequel novel on NetGalley. While I liked the premise of the this story, it never managed to quite live up to the premise or my expectations. It tries to copy the style of the podcast, but here it comes off as too choppy for my tastes and it doesn't quite pull off the sense of unease as the original podcast. Plus, there seemed to be some differences in the timelines between the formats as well which got kind of frustrating. All this being said, this prequel still manages to be a compelling read regardless of its flaws. Even if you aren't familiar with the podcast, I have a feeling you'll be after to along without too much trouble. Personally, though, I recommend giving the podcast a try first.
November 9, 2018
I listened to all of Limetown Season 1 in a day and was immediately devastated to be finished with it, so when this popped up on NetGalley, I was thrilled! The book follows Lia Haddock and her uncle, Emile Haddock, on their alternate journeys to discovering Limetown.
Unfortunately, I think the book is not nearly as good as the podcast. Each podcast episode ends on a slight cliffhanger, where the listener (or the reporter) is just discovering something deeply unsettling. The book tries to replicate this, but instead of making the story more compelling, it just becomes more and more frustrating as new mysteries appear without resolution. It was definitely compelling - I read it in two days - but it wasn't nearly as good as listening to the podcast.
(An aside: can we all agree that not every story needs to be told in *every* medium? Podcasts are being adapted to television shows, FFS. This is getting nonsensical.)
Unfortunately, I think the book is not nearly as good as the podcast. Each podcast episode ends on a slight cliffhanger, where the listener (or the reporter) is just discovering something deeply unsettling. The book tries to replicate this, but instead of making the story more compelling, it just becomes more and more frustrating as new mysteries appear without resolution. It was definitely compelling - I read it in two days - but it wasn't nearly as good as listening to the podcast.
(An aside: can we all agree that not every story needs to be told in *every* medium? Podcasts are being adapted to television shows, FFS. This is getting nonsensical.)
November 22, 2018
DNF page 160
These people know how to make an amazing podcast, one of my all-time favorites. I am sorry not to find out what the characters actually discover re: Limetown in this novel. But once I realized I cared about absolutely nobody, was tracking all the ways this book didn’t follow the things I learned in my fiction writing class, was not enjoying the journey, and was only in it for insights about the podcast, I quit. Who knew psychic powers could be this dull?
These people know how to make an amazing podcast, one of my all-time favorites. I am sorry not to find out what the characters actually discover re: Limetown in this novel. But once I realized I cared about absolutely nobody, was tracking all the ways this book didn’t follow the things I learned in my fiction writing class, was not enjoying the journey, and was only in it for insights about the podcast, I quit. Who knew psychic powers could be this dull?
November 15, 2024
I watched the first season of the TV series a couple of moons ago; and, severely traumatized as I was by the Warren Chambers / Napoleon subplot—which absolutely devastated me (the “Napoleon” episode single-handedly earned the series my respect)—I was still left with questions compelling enough to make me dig up this book.
Most of my questions revolved around Allison, Lia’s mother, and how she came to know about “Them”. I also wondered why I sensed an affection from her toward Emile, Lia’s uncle on her father’s side—an affection that didn’t seem to extend to her husband, Jacob, Emile’s older brother. How did Oskar Totem, the mastermind behind the Limetown project, discover Emile’s gift, and what trials did Emile endure before ending up in Limetown? I found my answers, and I’m perfectly pleased with them; however, I can’t help but feel that the writers of the TV series should have found a way to include them, rather than compel the audience to seek them out in another medium.
Overall, it was a good book—well-written, fast-paced, but ultimately nothing special. It’s very enjoyable for light reading.
Most of my questions revolved around Allison, Lia’s mother, and how she came to know about “Them”. I also wondered why I sensed an affection from her toward Emile, Lia’s uncle on her father’s side—an affection that didn’t seem to extend to her husband, Jacob, Emile’s older brother. How did Oskar Totem, the mastermind behind the Limetown project, discover Emile’s gift, and what trials did Emile endure before ending up in Limetown? I found my answers, and I’m perfectly pleased with them; however, I can’t help but feel that the writers of the TV series should have found a way to include them, rather than compel the audience to seek them out in another medium.
Overall, it was a good book—well-written, fast-paced, but ultimately nothing special. It’s very enjoyable for light reading.
January 19, 2026
I have to premise this with the fact that Season 1 of the Limetown Podcast/audiodrama is among my all-time favorite pieces of fiction across any medium. It was just had-to-be-there bottled lightning and unlike anything I've listened to before or since. The second season was... also produced and released, but you'll never take those first few episodes from 2015 away from me.
This book has been sitting on my physical TBR shelf for almost three years now because I hold the source material in such high regard that there was no way this book could measure up. But I finally got over myself and dove back into a setting I haven't visited in a long time. This book acts as a prequel to the podcast, set about 10 and 30 years beforehand, respectively, as we follow our two leads: niece Lia Haddock and her uncle Emile.
Tonally, this is a lot less threatening and eerie than the show, but dials up the mystery and sense that there are machinations that the protagonists are only catching glimpses of. It's also wrapped up in a whole bunch of familial guilt and feelings of betrayal, justified or otherwise. This poor family is just a magnet for bad luck.
It's not so much that it ends on a cliffhanger, but by design this story which is meant to supplement a different one could never offer much resolution. I appreciated the context, but wouldn't recommend it as a standalone piece of fiction, nor do I think it's required to enjoy the podcast. It's not detrimental or phoned-in however, and I can respect that.
This book has been sitting on my physical TBR shelf for almost three years now because I hold the source material in such high regard that there was no way this book could measure up. But I finally got over myself and dove back into a setting I haven't visited in a long time. This book acts as a prequel to the podcast, set about 10 and 30 years beforehand, respectively, as we follow our two leads: niece Lia Haddock and her uncle Emile.
Tonally, this is a lot less threatening and eerie than the show, but dials up the mystery and sense that there are machinations that the protagonists are only catching glimpses of. It's also wrapped up in a whole bunch of familial guilt and feelings of betrayal, justified or otherwise. This poor family is just a magnet for bad luck.
It's not so much that it ends on a cliffhanger, but by design this story which is meant to supplement a different one could never offer much resolution. I appreciated the context, but wouldn't recommend it as a standalone piece of fiction, nor do I think it's required to enjoy the podcast. It's not detrimental or phoned-in however, and I can respect that.
November 10, 2018
Fans of the Limetown podcast rejoice! Many of your lingering questions are answered within these pages. Plus there are no spoilers for future podcasts.
Lia wants to be a reporter. Her first investigation is of the missing residents of nearby Limetown. She discovers that her Uncle Emile is somehow involved, which makes it personal. Her father and uncle’s origin stories are told in flashbacks. What type of experiments were done at Limetown? Who were the people behind the experiments? What were their motivations? Why was Lia’s family so intimately involved?
I had heard of the Limetown podcast but hadn’t listened to any episodes before acquiring this book. I had only read about 20% when I decided I couldn’t wait any longer and binge listened to season 1. The podcast is formatted as interviews with survivors of the Limetown disaster. This book starts before Lia is a reporter or Emile has joined the Limetown project. By looking back, the podcast is inherently more mysterious and shocking than the book that is more linear. However, they complement each other well regardless of the order they are imbibed.
If you like mysteries with a creepy scientific setting, both the Limetown book and podcast are highly recommended. 4 stars! If you are already a podcast fan, you have to read this book!
Thanks to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Lia wants to be a reporter. Her first investigation is of the missing residents of nearby Limetown. She discovers that her Uncle Emile is somehow involved, which makes it personal. Her father and uncle’s origin stories are told in flashbacks. What type of experiments were done at Limetown? Who were the people behind the experiments? What were their motivations? Why was Lia’s family so intimately involved?
I had heard of the Limetown podcast but hadn’t listened to any episodes before acquiring this book. I had only read about 20% when I decided I couldn’t wait any longer and binge listened to season 1. The podcast is formatted as interviews with survivors of the Limetown disaster. This book starts before Lia is a reporter or Emile has joined the Limetown project. By looking back, the podcast is inherently more mysterious and shocking than the book that is more linear. However, they complement each other well regardless of the order they are imbibed.
If you like mysteries with a creepy scientific setting, both the Limetown book and podcast are highly recommended. 4 stars! If you are already a podcast fan, you have to read this book!
Thanks to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2019
3.5 stars
December 4, 2018
(originally reviewed at
thelibraryladies.com
)
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an eARC of this book!
As the resident podcast junkie on this blog, it may be a bit surprising that until recently I hadn’t set aside time to listen to “Limetown”. For those unfamiliar, “Limetown” is a fictional thriller/supernatural podcast that is written in a “Serial”-esque format, following journalist Lia Haddock as she investigates the mysterious disappearance of an entire town population. Given that it’s totally up my alley, I don’t really know why I didn’t put it in the constant rotation of podcasts I listen to. But when I was given an invitation to read “Limetown”, the prequel novel, by Simon & Schuster via NetGalley, I decided that it was time to listen. I devoured the podcast in a couple days time, totally taken in by the mystery and the creepiness as Lia gets closer and closer to the solution, and the conspiracy, involving the town, the research it was doing, and the connection it had to her missing uncle Emile. And once I was done with that, I felt that it was time to finally read the prequel novel, hoping that it would expand upon the universe and give us some insight into the brand new Season 2.
I didn’t quite get that from “Limetown”, and I’m starting to wonder if the ever expanding media connections to podcasts is really necessary.
I’ll start with the good first, as I am wont to do. Given that the podcast “Limetown” is laid out in an investigative format, all we are seeing is what Lia Haddock, the host of the show, would have access to. Given that that narrative structure is only going to give us so much, I did like that we got to see a LOT more about Limetown within the novel. A lot of this comes from the storyline concerning Emile, Lia’s uncle who disappeared when the town population did. While the podcast does let us in on the true purpose of Limetown (spoilers: it’s a place that was being used as a research facility for psychic abilities in humans), getting to see Emile make his journey from outsider teenager to Limetown resident definitely shed some insight that we didn’t get to see otherwise. I liked Emile’s perspective and his somewhat tragic story, a person with abilities and feels on the outside of those around him. His connection to his brother Jacob (Lia’s father) is expanded upon, as is his relationship to Lia’s mother Alison. I definitely enjoyed his parts of the story. I had bigger problems with Lia’s parts. I like Lia as a character both in book and on the podcast, but within this prequel I feel like they retconned quite a bit about her character because of things she finds out in the book as opposed to what we THINK she knows in the podcast. There are certain moments and revelations within the narrative of the book that I would have THOUGHT that she would have addressed in the podcast just based on her character and her drive to find the truth, but as it is, in spite of the fact the book is definitely BEFORE the podcast, it seems that these truths either a) aren’t what they seem and the podcast is more unreliable than we thought, or b) don’t match up because of an unplanned prequel book. I’m inclined to believe the latter.
This isn’t a BAD book, and I think that fans of the podcast would definitely find things within it to like. But, much like “Welcome to Night Vale”, I’m not certain that it would stand on it’s own two feet to non-fans to intrigue them enough to bring them into the fold. Does it have to? No. But I do think that if the show wants to perhaps reach out to non-fans to build their fandom, their non-podcast media should be able to stand alone.
It’s not an unfamiliar story for a podcast to get expansions via other means of consumable content. “Welcome to Night Vale” has two books now. “Dirty John” is getting a TV adaptation with Connie Britton and Eric Bana. Julia Roberts is starring in an Amazon Prime Adaptation of “Homecoming”. And hell, even “Limetown” is getting a Facebook Watch adaptation starring Jessica Biel along with this book. It will be interesting to see how these various adaptations fare. But if they aren’t bringing in many reasons to expand, it may end up feeling a bit pointless. “Limetown” the book was fine, but I don’t see it as being essential reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an eARC of this book!
As the resident podcast junkie on this blog, it may be a bit surprising that until recently I hadn’t set aside time to listen to “Limetown”. For those unfamiliar, “Limetown” is a fictional thriller/supernatural podcast that is written in a “Serial”-esque format, following journalist Lia Haddock as she investigates the mysterious disappearance of an entire town population. Given that it’s totally up my alley, I don’t really know why I didn’t put it in the constant rotation of podcasts I listen to. But when I was given an invitation to read “Limetown”, the prequel novel, by Simon & Schuster via NetGalley, I decided that it was time to listen. I devoured the podcast in a couple days time, totally taken in by the mystery and the creepiness as Lia gets closer and closer to the solution, and the conspiracy, involving the town, the research it was doing, and the connection it had to her missing uncle Emile. And once I was done with that, I felt that it was time to finally read the prequel novel, hoping that it would expand upon the universe and give us some insight into the brand new Season 2.
I didn’t quite get that from “Limetown”, and I’m starting to wonder if the ever expanding media connections to podcasts is really necessary.
I’ll start with the good first, as I am wont to do. Given that the podcast “Limetown” is laid out in an investigative format, all we are seeing is what Lia Haddock, the host of the show, would have access to. Given that that narrative structure is only going to give us so much, I did like that we got to see a LOT more about Limetown within the novel. A lot of this comes from the storyline concerning Emile, Lia’s uncle who disappeared when the town population did. While the podcast does let us in on the true purpose of Limetown (spoilers: it’s a place that was being used as a research facility for psychic abilities in humans), getting to see Emile make his journey from outsider teenager to Limetown resident definitely shed some insight that we didn’t get to see otherwise. I liked Emile’s perspective and his somewhat tragic story, a person with abilities and feels on the outside of those around him. His connection to his brother Jacob (Lia’s father) is expanded upon, as is his relationship to Lia’s mother Alison. I definitely enjoyed his parts of the story. I had bigger problems with Lia’s parts. I like Lia as a character both in book and on the podcast, but within this prequel I feel like they retconned quite a bit about her character because of things she finds out in the book as opposed to what we THINK she knows in the podcast. There are certain moments and revelations within the narrative of the book that I would have THOUGHT that she would have addressed in the podcast just based on her character and her drive to find the truth, but as it is, in spite of the fact the book is definitely BEFORE the podcast, it seems that these truths either a) aren’t what they seem and the podcast is more unreliable than we thought, or b) don’t match up because of an unplanned prequel book. I’m inclined to believe the latter.
This isn’t a BAD book, and I think that fans of the podcast would definitely find things within it to like. But, much like “Welcome to Night Vale”, I’m not certain that it would stand on it’s own two feet to non-fans to intrigue them enough to bring them into the fold. Does it have to? No. But I do think that if the show wants to perhaps reach out to non-fans to build their fandom, their non-podcast media should be able to stand alone.
It’s not an unfamiliar story for a podcast to get expansions via other means of consumable content. “Welcome to Night Vale” has two books now. “Dirty John” is getting a TV adaptation with Connie Britton and Eric Bana. Julia Roberts is starring in an Amazon Prime Adaptation of “Homecoming”. And hell, even “Limetown” is getting a Facebook Watch adaptation starring Jessica Biel along with this book. It will be interesting to see how these various adaptations fare. But if they aren’t bringing in many reasons to expand, it may end up feeling a bit pointless. “Limetown” the book was fine, but I don’t see it as being essential reading.
December 29, 2016
Unrealistic, however I was still compelled to finish it
January 2, 2019
A novel based on a #1 podcast is sure to create a buzz, but does this buzz live up to the hype?
Check out my review at www.projectbooklist.com or by CLICKING HERE
https://www.projectbooklist.com/2019/...
Check out my review at www.projectbooklist.com or by CLICKING HERE
https://www.projectbooklist.com/2019/...
July 28, 2024
DNF at 4 chapters in. This book is such a snooze and I can’t stand when “world-building” means “I’m just gonna tell you everything that’s happening”
November 28, 2018
I love the Limetown podcast. It is the only podcast I’ve listened to twice, and the latest season is wonderful. So it’s almost shocking how little I liked this book.
There’s a danger to prequels. Rarely do the questions that we “want” to know have a satisfying answer, and a bad prequel can harm the foundation of the original story. Unfortunately, that’s the case here. Leah in the podcast is serious, driven, and brave; Leah in the book is directionless, uncaring, and astoundingly shortsighted. Emil in the podcast is mysterious and powerful; Emil in the book is petty and quick to establish himself as the victim. I walked away from the book with more dislike for the characters than I had in the beginning.
In hindsight, the only thing that could have been useful from a Limetown prequel novel is understanding the characters’ motivations, and this book completely failed at this. I have no idea why Leah cares so much about Limetown and her uncle, or why she did 90% of the things she did in this book. I don’t know why Emil never used his abilities for selfish reasons, why he is convinced Leah is important, or why he decided to help establish Limetown. Again, I feel like I had a better understanding of the characters BEFORE I read this book than after.
I really wish this book was good—the writing in the podcast is spectacular, so I don’t where the disconnect is here. If you like the podcast, read a summary of this book for all the important life details; I see no reason why reading the book would be a better use of your time.
There’s a danger to prequels. Rarely do the questions that we “want” to know have a satisfying answer, and a bad prequel can harm the foundation of the original story. Unfortunately, that’s the case here. Leah in the podcast is serious, driven, and brave; Leah in the book is directionless, uncaring, and astoundingly shortsighted. Emil in the podcast is mysterious and powerful; Emil in the book is petty and quick to establish himself as the victim. I walked away from the book with more dislike for the characters than I had in the beginning.
In hindsight, the only thing that could have been useful from a Limetown prequel novel is understanding the characters’ motivations, and this book completely failed at this. I have no idea why Leah cares so much about Limetown and her uncle, or why she did 90% of the things she did in this book. I don’t know why Emil never used his abilities for selfish reasons, why he is convinced Leah is important, or why he decided to help establish Limetown. Again, I feel like I had a better understanding of the characters BEFORE I read this book than after.
I really wish this book was good—the writing in the podcast is spectacular, so I don’t where the disconnect is here. If you like the podcast, read a summary of this book for all the important life details; I see no reason why reading the book would be a better use of your time.
December 31, 2018
A fascinating look at the events leading up to Limetown. I loved seeing how Emile ended us as the man everyone was there for, and I loved seeing what Lia is really like and how involved she truly is. It didn't answer all my questions but it definitely felt just as exciting and intense as a season of the podcast.
January 16, 2019
B R U H
March 15, 2019
There are aspects of this prequel that deserve four stars for intriguing twists and plot development, but I've always suffered a bit of trepidation regarding novels developed around existing podcasts. It isn't so much that the books are poorly written, or the podcasts themselves are thin gruel to wrap a book around. Rather, the books often gain undue popularity because of the popularity of the podcasts. No better case can be made than It Devours! by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, which bears some odd similarities to the Limetown book. In the former, tied to the "Welcome to Night Vale" podcast, the description of a wildly surreal and unpredictable town is hobbled by character development that is often downright corny. Nevertheless, It Devours! became a runaway best seller. Limetown is the opposite in some respects. It takes some unusual twists in telling the backstories of some characters in the podcast, but makes some hiccups in logic in getting from here to there.
Make no mistake, if you are a fan of the "American Public Radio reporter Lia Haddock" (played in the podcast by Annie-Sage Whitehurst), you will love this book. The novel takes us back to Haddock's birth to an unusual couple, and it alternates chapters of her story with those of her uncle Emile, who was even more unusual, at least in terms of his neurological (and maybe parapsychological) abilities. The problem is that this kind of dual-track narrative, taking place in different decades, has been used before in horror and sci-fi novels, often with a more deft hand. Many of the plot tricks in Limetown similarly have been used before, often in days long before podcasts.
Even with some knowledge of the podcast, it's a little hard to track the geographical interplay between Lawrence, Kansas, the hometown of Lia Haddock, and the hill country surrounding Sparta, Tenn., where the mysterious Limetown was located. (Since my 2018 family reunion took place in the area outside Sparta, very close to where Limetown supposedly existed, I had every reason for playing GPS games here, yet even I got confused.) Toto, the reader might say, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas any more - but are we in Tennessee, Oregon, or Colorado? It's often not that clear. The fictitious locations often seem corny, as well. Archer Park, Colorado and its Eldridge Hotel bear too much similarity to Estes Park's Stanley Hotel. Like the podcast itself, the novel often aims for melodrama that could have used a more subtle hand.
Limetown is a fun prequel sort of read, and worth the effort for those hooked by the podcast. But when podcast-related novels become best sellers, one must take the furor with a grain of salt. There will no doubt be printed novel tie-ins to many Netflix/Amazon Prime TV series or independent podcasts in the future. Many will be great fun for late-night scary reads, but they won't always be great literature. If the novel of Limetown had slightly better editing, though, it might well have deserved four stars.
Make no mistake, if you are a fan of the "American Public Radio reporter Lia Haddock" (played in the podcast by Annie-Sage Whitehurst), you will love this book. The novel takes us back to Haddock's birth to an unusual couple, and it alternates chapters of her story with those of her uncle Emile, who was even more unusual, at least in terms of his neurological (and maybe parapsychological) abilities. The problem is that this kind of dual-track narrative, taking place in different decades, has been used before in horror and sci-fi novels, often with a more deft hand. Many of the plot tricks in Limetown similarly have been used before, often in days long before podcasts.
Even with some knowledge of the podcast, it's a little hard to track the geographical interplay between Lawrence, Kansas, the hometown of Lia Haddock, and the hill country surrounding Sparta, Tenn., where the mysterious Limetown was located. (Since my 2018 family reunion took place in the area outside Sparta, very close to where Limetown supposedly existed, I had every reason for playing GPS games here, yet even I got confused.) Toto, the reader might say, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas any more - but are we in Tennessee, Oregon, or Colorado? It's often not that clear. The fictitious locations often seem corny, as well. Archer Park, Colorado and its Eldridge Hotel bear too much similarity to Estes Park's Stanley Hotel. Like the podcast itself, the novel often aims for melodrama that could have used a more subtle hand.
Limetown is a fun prequel sort of read, and worth the effort for those hooked by the podcast. But when podcast-related novels become best sellers, one must take the furor with a grain of salt. There will no doubt be printed novel tie-ins to many Netflix/Amazon Prime TV series or independent podcasts in the future. Many will be great fun for late-night scary reads, but they won't always be great literature. If the novel of Limetown had slightly better editing, though, it might well have deserved four stars.
November 1, 2018
I received a copy of an uncorrected proof at NYCC this year - thank you to Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this book!
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The first few chapters had me a bit concerned - I don't know why I didn't expect the alternating narratives, and both Lia and Emile's high school days were a bit slow to get through. That being said, around 100 pages, this book really got interesting. I definitely preferred Emile's story, and kind of wish it had just been Emile for the most part - the Lia in the book didn't line up with the Lia in the podcast so much. She felt too cold and distant?
I haven't gone back through Limetown since I finished the book (I did it before starting, but I'll be binging it again tomorrow) to see how the entire book colors the listening, but I know it will. There are characters mentioned in the show that definitely appear in the book, as well as understanding how we actually got to Limetown.
I will be curious to pick up a copy of the finished book to see if it's cleaner. Some of my biggest problems with the book do lie with the inconsistencies of it maybe being an uncorrected proof. For instance one character - Robyn- changes pronouns three times. And not in a "this is part of the character" way, but more in a "we hadn't quite figured out what gender we want to make this character" kind of way (because really, the character is minor.) The ending is also a bit weird - as in the last three or four pages - because it switches to second person, almost within a sentence. I had to read it twice to understand what exactly was happening, and it was incredibly rushed. Honestly, if the ending of the book doesn't show back up in the podcast given how rushed it was, I will be a bit disappointed.
I'm wavering between 3.5 and 4 stars, but overall, if you are a fan of the podcast, check out the book. If you haven't listened to the podcast....I'm not 100% sure the book stands on its own as interesting, but it is a good place to start!
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The first few chapters had me a bit concerned - I don't know why I didn't expect the alternating narratives, and both Lia and Emile's high school days were a bit slow to get through. That being said, around 100 pages, this book really got interesting. I definitely preferred Emile's story, and kind of wish it had just been Emile for the most part - the Lia in the book didn't line up with the Lia in the podcast so much. She felt too cold and distant?
I haven't gone back through Limetown since I finished the book (I did it before starting, but I'll be binging it again tomorrow) to see how the entire book colors the listening, but I know it will. There are characters mentioned in the show that definitely appear in the book, as well as understanding how we actually got to Limetown.
I will be curious to pick up a copy of the finished book to see if it's cleaner. Some of my biggest problems with the book do lie with the inconsistencies of it maybe being an uncorrected proof. For instance one character - Robyn- changes pronouns three times. And not in a "this is part of the character" way, but more in a "we hadn't quite figured out what gender we want to make this character" kind of way (because really, the character is minor.) The ending is also a bit weird - as in the last three or four pages - because it switches to second person, almost within a sentence. I had to read it twice to understand what exactly was happening, and it was incredibly rushed. Honestly, if the ending of the book doesn't show back up in the podcast given how rushed it was, I will be a bit disappointed.
I'm wavering between 3.5 and 4 stars, but overall, if you are a fan of the podcast, check out the book. If you haven't listened to the podcast....I'm not 100% sure the book stands on its own as interesting, but it is a good place to start!
October 18, 2018
Thank you NetGalley, Cote Smith and Simon & Schuster Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Seventeen-year old Lia’s life is rocked when she finds out that the entire populations of the small research facility in Limetown have disappeared without a trace. Among the missing is her uncle, Emile Haddock. It’s all everyone can talk about, except Lia’s family, the refuse to discuss anything that has to do with it. With Lia wanting to be a journalist, she delves into her own investigation and discovers clues about Emile’s past that lead to a secret that you never imagined.
I wasn’t sure what exactly to think as I have never heard the podcast, but the premise sounded interesting enough for me to want to give it a try. I found it interesting that the book was split up into chapters from Lia’s perspective now and Emile’s perspective from what was happening before Limetown. I was a bit surprised to find out that the book has “special” people in it that others want to study to find a way to open up the brains of the rest of us. I found Emile’s story line much more interesting to me because I liked seeing what was going on back then before Limetown started and the craziness he had to endure. Lia’s story is also interesting, but I found it more choppy and I didn’t enjoy the character very much overall.
I found most of the timeline in the past a little far fetched for me, but it was still interesting and made me wonder what was going to happen in Lia’s timeline. This book to me was a bit of science fiction almost, but in a thriller way. I found that I had to continue to read on because it was getting intense and I needed to know what was going on and it was so cryptic that I didn’t even have a good guess about what was going to happen. I usually don’t like books that end with a cliffhanger, but it works for this book because now I just want to go and listen to the podcast and see what happens next.
Pick it up November 13th!
Seventeen-year old Lia’s life is rocked when she finds out that the entire populations of the small research facility in Limetown have disappeared without a trace. Among the missing is her uncle, Emile Haddock. It’s all everyone can talk about, except Lia’s family, the refuse to discuss anything that has to do with it. With Lia wanting to be a journalist, she delves into her own investigation and discovers clues about Emile’s past that lead to a secret that you never imagined.
I wasn’t sure what exactly to think as I have never heard the podcast, but the premise sounded interesting enough for me to want to give it a try. I found it interesting that the book was split up into chapters from Lia’s perspective now and Emile’s perspective from what was happening before Limetown. I was a bit surprised to find out that the book has “special” people in it that others want to study to find a way to open up the brains of the rest of us. I found Emile’s story line much more interesting to me because I liked seeing what was going on back then before Limetown started and the craziness he had to endure. Lia’s story is also interesting, but I found it more choppy and I didn’t enjoy the character very much overall.
I found most of the timeline in the past a little far fetched for me, but it was still interesting and made me wonder what was going to happen in Lia’s timeline. This book to me was a bit of science fiction almost, but in a thriller way. I found that I had to continue to read on because it was getting intense and I needed to know what was going on and it was so cryptic that I didn’t even have a good guess about what was going to happen. I usually don’t like books that end with a cliffhanger, but it works for this book because now I just want to go and listen to the podcast and see what happens next.
Pick it up November 13th!
January 20, 2019
In the years before the incident at Limetown, Emile Haddock seeks ways to cope with his strange ability to hear other's thoughts that leads him down a winding path and ultimately to the heart of the Limetown experiment. Years after the incident, Emile's niece, Lia, wades through young adulthood, trying to understand the secret history of her family and what it has to do with the mysterious mass vanishing of the population of Limetown.
The book is, ultimately, flavor for the podcast and really nothing more. There's a lot of potential in the characters, their tangled webs of relationships to one another, and the complicated journeys Emile and Lia find themselves on, respectively, but it's ultimately squandered in trying to explain the logistics of Limetown's back end and how the people involved came to be involved.
I was more interested in the complicated dynamic between Emile, his brother, and his brother's wife. As well as in Lia's prototypical search for purpose and identity in college tangled up in family secrets. Instead, the novel focused on who was where, what they were doing, and how Limetown ultimately came to be. It was fascinating and a great read for any fan of the podcast, but as a book in its own right, it comes across as shallow and even hard to follow at times--even for a podcast fan.
I also took a little bit of issue with the cast of characters across the writing. In Lia's chapters, specifically, it felt as though the writers were still writing for a podcast: throwing in one-off characters who are defined entirely by their manner of speaking and their interactions with Lia, rather than being characters in their own right. They faded quickly into the background of Lia's world leaving me wondering if they should even have been there at all.
Ultimately, a fun, quick read for a big enough fan of the podcast but a book that pales in comparison to the richness of its podcast source material.
The book is, ultimately, flavor for the podcast and really nothing more. There's a lot of potential in the characters, their tangled webs of relationships to one another, and the complicated journeys Emile and Lia find themselves on, respectively, but it's ultimately squandered in trying to explain the logistics of Limetown's back end and how the people involved came to be involved.
I was more interested in the complicated dynamic between Emile, his brother, and his brother's wife. As well as in Lia's prototypical search for purpose and identity in college tangled up in family secrets. Instead, the novel focused on who was where, what they were doing, and how Limetown ultimately came to be. It was fascinating and a great read for any fan of the podcast, but as a book in its own right, it comes across as shallow and even hard to follow at times--even for a podcast fan.
I also took a little bit of issue with the cast of characters across the writing. In Lia's chapters, specifically, it felt as though the writers were still writing for a podcast: throwing in one-off characters who are defined entirely by their manner of speaking and their interactions with Lia, rather than being characters in their own right. They faded quickly into the background of Lia's world leaving me wondering if they should even have been there at all.
Ultimately, a fun, quick read for a big enough fan of the podcast but a book that pales in comparison to the richness of its podcast source material.
August 28, 2018
I absolutely adore the Limetown podcast. In fact, after reading this, I'm going to give it a second listen, something I never do with podcasts. I jumped at the chance to read this prequel novel, told in alternating POVs of Lia and her uncle, Emile. I was enthralled with the plot and how it all set up the podcast so beautifully without really giving anything away. Some of the major reveals were actually helpful in connecting dots in the audio narrative. I think everyone would love this podcast, even people who don't traditionally like the medium. It is absolutely engrossing and leaves you itching for the next season. I did take one star off, however, because I truly liked the audio format much better. The podcast is like a puzzle you slowly piece together, whereas a novel just tells you the plot. I much prefer the puzzle. I wish some parts of the novel had been left to the imagination like in the podcast.
December 31, 2018
*3-3.5 stars. I was offered an arc of this prequel to the popular Limetown podcast series from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review. I had never heard of this series but the premise sounded quite intriguing so I accepted: Three hundred people living near a research laboratory in Limetown, TN, suddenly disappear without a trace. Among them is Lia Haddocks' uncle, Emile. The government is not releasing much information and her parents will not talk about it, so Lia does some investigating on her own. The mystery dips into the paranormal with Emile's backstory, told in alternating chapters.
Good story-telling! With a cliff-hanger-type ending, I'm totally hooked, wanting to know more, so will probably HAVE to listen to the podcast now.
Good story-telling! With a cliff-hanger-type ending, I'm totally hooked, wanting to know more, so will probably HAVE to listen to the podcast now.
December 2, 2018
'Limetown' is a prequel to a hit podcast by the same name. I've never heard of it, and while only recently starting to listen to podcasts, I really enjoy them. The story centers around three hundred people who disappear from a research facility in Limetown, Tennessee. One of the people who disappeared without a trace was Lia Haddock's uncle Emilie. Lia is captivated by the mystery of the missing people, spending all of her time looking for both answers and Emilie. Her parents refuse to talk about Limetown and Emilie, leading Lia further into her search for answers. I admit that less than half way into the book I became disinterested. I'm positive that listening to the podcast and THEN reading the prequel might have made the experience different and perhaps more enjoyable. On the other hand, I don't usually enjoy prequel's. They just don't seem to answer questions I have! The writing in this book while at first was quick paced and enjoyable, became rather dense and slow which also increased my disillusionment in the story line. I did finish it however.
March 22, 2019
I listened to the podcast and enjoyed it. When I heard there was a prequel book I was really excited to read it. It alternated between Emile and Lia. Emile's story started when he was in high school and slowly revealed his life from then until Limetown. Lia's story started right around the time things went down at Limetown and followed her search for answers about her family. As much as I wanted to like this book, I really had a hard time getting into it. I almost gave up a few times but stuck with it. Things started to pick up around the halfway point when things got scandalous! It was an ok book but definitely wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be.
November 7, 2018
Right up front- I'd not even HEARD of the podcast before reading this intriguing and at times frustrating novel (?). Told in dual voices and time lines, it's the story of Emile, who vanished, and his niece Lia who is searching for information about him. Is this horror or sci-fi? Not clear but it was a good read. Thanks to net galley for the ARC.
December 9, 2018
Limetown was one the first podcasts that I listened to and it is still one of my favorites. I was so excited to hear it was coming back, but I thought I could pass on the book. I was so wrong! There is so much background information that is really pretty essential to understanding the whole story.
This book is as good as the podcast. It is a must read!
This book is as good as the podcast. It is a must read!
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