Lost in Rooville [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Ray Blackston (Author), Andrew Petersen (Narrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the final installment of his Flabbergasted trilogy, Blackston takes his characters on an Australian adventure. In Flabbergasted, Blackston's narrative techniques were fresh, but here they feel warmed over. For example, when Jay, the narrator, and his best friend, Steve, spend 40 pages exchanging witty repartee about their impending marriage proposals, the conversation quickly wears thin. Blackston goes for erudite insouciance in virtually all his main characters (so carefree are they that they complain about their ruined shoes as they're sinking in quicksand). Unfortunately, most everything—the narration, the dialogue, the distracting metaphors—is overwritten. To his credit, Blackston sustains a reasonably interesting plot, especially in the first half, when two of his main characters are in danger. His description of their struggles has the feel of a solid adventure novel. While there are a few interesting moments after this crisis is resolved, the novel is compromised by an ending that readers will have seen coming. With many oblique references to events and characters in the other novels, this book is likely to appeal only to existing fans of the trilogy. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From AudioFile

Andrew Peterson tries hard--at least 75% of the time--to spur along the action of this "lost in the wilderness adventure," set in the Australian Outback. But even the attractiveness of the hero and heroine, two 20-something love-struck but unbelievably chaste American missionaries, can't pull the saga out of endless hours of stuck-in-the-red-mud boredom. Peterson gathers speed as the couple, after numerous attempts, almost die trying to find a way out, but when the rescue finally comes, the narrator, as well as the listener, stumbles into disbelief over the deus ex machina improbability of it all. M.T.B. 2006 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Oasis Audio; Unabridged edition (July 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598590405
• ISBN-13: 978-1598590401
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 5.6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #757,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED IT! LOVED IT! LOVED IT!, June 11, 2005

By 

T. Box "bookaholic" (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lost in Rooville: A Novel (Paperback)

I was introduced to Ray Blackston on a road trip, courtesy of Cracker Barrel and its books on tape. That was his first book, Flabbergasted. I was looking for something without hash language, violence, or sex in it. This fit the bill and then some. My 14 year old newphew who was traveling with me, loved it as well.

This book, Lost in Rooville, the third in the series, may in fact be my favorite. This time the crew goes on a trip to 'Stralia and the romance and adventure abounds. All of the major characters return to add their quirkiness and flavor to the story, which is so much of the charm of these books. Ray Blackston doesn't disappoint when it comes to first person narratives. The reader gets sucked into the story from the opening and is instantly living in Jay Jarvis's world. You can feel the heat, taste the dust (and fried chicken), and see the relationships in the novel unfold, from a MALE perspective. How rare and interesting to get a look into the male psyche, especially christian male. Jay asks the questions and brings forth the feelings that all christian singles, especially dating or engaged, face at one point or another. (Especially when actually LOST in Rooville!) I don't want to give too much of the story away, because I hate it when reviews ruin the book for you.

That being said, I picked the book up, and couldn't put it down. I read it in one afternoon, (this afternoon in fact), because I was so enthralled with the characters and overall momentum of the story. If you enjoyed Flabbergasted or Delirious Summer, don't miss this last installment. It will tie up all the loose ends that were left dangling in A Delirious Summer.

If you've ever been on a singles weekend to the beach, or even part of a singles ministry in a church, don't miss the entire series. You'll find yourself and your friends among the characters, guaranteed.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What book did the Publisher's Weekly Reviewer read?, June 20, 2005

By 

Mark A. Dierker (Rushville, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lost in Rooville: A Novel (Paperback)

When someone reviews a book by Ray Blackston and uses words like "erudite insouciance", I have to figure he picked up the wrong book or got his computer files mixed up. Or maybe it's Frustrated Writer Syndrome. The only thing I can find wrong with this trilogy is that there are only three books. I want to be able to keep peeking in on the lives of Jay and the gang, more than three books allows me to do. Like another reviewer, I was turned on to Ray's books via a Cracker Barrel audio book. I loved Flabbergasted so much I ended up not returning it. And then bought Delirious Summer for another road trip and couldn't stop listening. I was so anxious for more, I took the time to read 'Rooville and loved it just as much if not more than the previous two. When a trilogy about the lives of Christian singles appeals to a reader who is non-Christian, you know you have something there. I dearly hope Ray writes more about these intriguing characters. Good job Ray!

Mark StoneBear Dierker

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 Stars...Life and Love on the Rocks, November 6, 2005

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Lost in Rooville: A Novel (Paperback)

We first met Jay Jarvis in "Flabbergasted." He was a man focused on women and money, but feeling a need for something more--whether he acknowledged it to himself or not. In "A Delirious Summer," Jay matured in his relationships, gaining deeper friendships with men, women, and God. The story was not as breezy and humorous as the first, but it matched Jay's transformation.

In "Lost in Rooville," Jay is leaning toward long-term commitments--to the mission field, to a certain woman, and to his savior. With this commitment comes a freedom to enjoy life and love and--in this adventurous third book--the Australian Outback. I was smiling, giggling, and shaking my head as Jay travels Down Under with his friends. He lets romance take him by the hand, leading him into the unknown both physically and figuratively. He spends time in jail, finds his life on the rocks, faces bigger obstacles than Uluru.

Ray Blackston delivers the story in his characteristic male brio, with humor and relational faux pas, with spiritual concepts in a non-threatening manner. Although I saw the resolution to Jay's struggles too early, I still enjoyed every page of his journey. For those who've followed this man's story, you will miss out if you don't carry on to its conclusion. Blackston ends on a fun note, tying together loose ends, giving us what we wanted--without seeming too sappy. Will there be more? Will he explore other characters' lives? We can only hope so.