The loop

by Roberto Scarlato

Just when you thought it was safe to take the train....

It was supposed to be an uneventful trip. A three-day visit to Chicago to attend a funeral. But Eugene Pharrell has just stumbled into a maddeningly treacherous journey back home. One that has pitfalls, phantoms, lost worlds and, possibly, no way out.

Audiobook

Published November 14, 2018

About the author

Scarlato grew up in a small suburb of Chicago, where his love of a good story was cultivated by shows like “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Twilight Zone.” A bibliophile from the moment he learned to read, he began weaving together his own tales at an early age. The absurdity that accompanies the transition from childhood to adulthood only enriched his already profound creativity.

He married his high school sweetheart in 2010 and they live with their daughter, Sophia, and their cat, Bandit.

Reviews

[Pseudo Nymph]

I don't understand how this story was made into an audiobook when there's only 3 ratings. I suppose it's part of an anthology or something? I found it online somewhat randomly. I'm not going to leave a star rating because I don't like how much weight my less than 5 star review would carry with the small amount of existing reviews. I think it was a good story. It wasn't particularly original, and and I think it's a little cliche to have your main character be a male writer when you're also a male writer. I think the story has some plot holes and lose ends, but the writer shows potential. If I wasn't such an avid reader I would probably be more impressed, but I've seen these themes repeated so many times that's it's now difficult to make a good impression. It's like trying to make a police procedural television show that stands out. Blake Crouch did it better.

The book was still better than listening to a podcast, and the reader was quite good. It's only a little more than an hour long so if you get to the point where you're actually looking at reviews of this book then please don't let my review stop you. While this short story was not world changing it was also fairly entertaining and I wasn't tempted to turn it off at any point.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Brief, Endless Loop Novella

This peculiar novella (not even 1-1/2 hours long in audiobook format) has a Groundhog Day vibe with occasional sinister, otherworldly twists. The protagonist has learned of the recent death of a beloved uncle and is taking the train to his funeral. But this is not your average train ride! The hero meets strange people and is forced to repeat variations of this trip, leaving the train several times without truly getting off. The character doesn't understand what is happening and doesn't quite know how to break out of the cycle or endless loop he’s trapped in. I found the story confusing and hard to follow at times, as this is a decidedly unreliable narrator. It feels as though the author is attempting literary fiction, but its purpose was not clear.

I received a promo code for this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.

[N.V. Cefalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This book was given to me by the author at my request, and I provided this voluntary, unbiased review.*

3.6/5, rounded up

This was a wild ride, and a really quick listen for me. The whole concept of the loop had me for... wait for it... a loop! Time is an interesting concept, one that is bent and displayed in a strange manner in this book. There isnt much time for robust character development, such as the antagonist, but at least we got *some* answers. By the end, I it was thrilling and I did enjoy it, even if the story was a bit rough around the edges.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time Loop
I listened to the audio version of the book. I recommend listening to the story two or more times. I listened to the entire story twice, and got more out of it the second time. This is not the run of the mill story, it is a bit different. The author created layers, sometimes I did not catch until a second listening. I really enjoyed this book, and am interested in more works by this author. Narration was well done. I received a free copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Harmony Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Narration on a Mind-bending Listen!


OVERALL: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PERFORMANCE: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STORY: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This short story gave more than many full length novels, and I thoroughly enjoyed the listen. It throws so much at you that I feel it’s worth a second listen, and one where you’re not sharing your attention with anything/anyone else, lol. Highly recommended and five stars from me 🙂

Many thanks to Roberto Scarlato for this free ARC listen!

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"The key to inner peace is to find the centre."
When author, Eugene Ferrell, takes the six hour return train journey from his uncle's funeral, he finds that the anticipated boring journey is anything but that.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this - it got you thinking and you were with the main character and completely lost at times. I had to listen to it again to get all the nuances, it was a good listen something completely different.

I liked the narration.

[timj26 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind trip on a train
Well narrated and perfect if you enjoy sci-fi horror
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review

[Bayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite tropes. Takes place on a train. Executed nicely, the length was perfect, would’ve worked longer too, the writing and narration were very good. 4,75 stars.