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Phreaks
The year is 1970. Emma Gable, a blind teenager coming of age in a small industrial town in Western New York, is about as far from the seismic cultural transformations rocking campuses and city streets across America as a person can get. Emma escapes the chaos of her dysfunctional family by dialing up random numbers on the phone in her bedroom, just to see who'll answer.
But when a fateful call connects her to a mysterious band of proto-hackers calling themselves "Phone Phreaks," the revolution comes home, changing Emma's life for good. Because Bell Telephone, the world's biggest corporation, is not amused that a handful of teenagers suddenly have the power to seize control of its vast and lucrative network and bend it to their will.
Bringing down the Phreaks is the corporate goliath's number one priority, but for Bell Security Agent Bill Connolly, the crusade becomes personal as he struggles to outwit and outmaneuver an adversary that seems always one step ahead of him.
is the story of a fracturing family struggling to redefine itself as the world changes rapidly around it. Set at the dawn of the information age, its characters struggle with the same issues that define us today: privacy and surveillance, misuse of personal data, the ownership of ideas, our century-long obsession with the telephone, and the thirst for community that's driven us, since the dawn of time, to seek out new ways to "reach out and touch someone."
Full voice cast includes: Ben McKenzie, Carrie Coon, Christian Slater, Justice Smith, Bree Klauser, Ashley Williams, Esau Pritchett, Arielle Goldman, Danny Mastrogiorgio, Alejandro Hernandez, Daniel Kim, Dave Ahdoot, Rachel Kenney, Chris Roberti, Katie Hartman, and Therese Plummer.
Written by Matthew Derby
Directed by Shaina Feinberg
Executive Produced by Morgan Jones
Sound design and mix by Brian Flood and Audible Studios.
©2020 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.
But when a fateful call connects her to a mysterious band of proto-hackers calling themselves "Phone Phreaks," the revolution comes home, changing Emma's life for good. Because Bell Telephone, the world's biggest corporation, is not amused that a handful of teenagers suddenly have the power to seize control of its vast and lucrative network and bend it to their will.
Bringing down the Phreaks is the corporate goliath's number one priority, but for Bell Security Agent Bill Connolly, the crusade becomes personal as he struggles to outwit and outmaneuver an adversary that seems always one step ahead of him.
is the story of a fracturing family struggling to redefine itself as the world changes rapidly around it. Set at the dawn of the information age, its characters struggle with the same issues that define us today: privacy and surveillance, misuse of personal data, the ownership of ideas, our century-long obsession with the telephone, and the thirst for community that's driven us, since the dawn of time, to seek out new ways to "reach out and touch someone."
Full voice cast includes: Ben McKenzie, Carrie Coon, Christian Slater, Justice Smith, Bree Klauser, Ashley Williams, Esau Pritchett, Arielle Goldman, Danny Mastrogiorgio, Alejandro Hernandez, Daniel Kim, Dave Ahdoot, Rachel Kenney, Chris Roberti, Katie Hartman, and Therese Plummer.
Written by Matthew Derby
Directed by Shaina Feinberg
Executive Produced by Morgan Jones
Sound design and mix by Brian Flood and Audible Studios.
©2020 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.
Audiobook
Published August 4, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 20, 2021
The history of Phreaks, AT&T Bell phone freaks, was interesting. I had no idea how the phone system worked/works nor about these kids/college students
who cracked the systems. But the dramatic license, the storylines created/included by Derby were all over the place: phone phreaking, a blind main character (although a search pointed out that some of the phreaks were blind), a hippie cult in upstate NY, a nuclear plant and radiation poisoning, and a main character struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality and the trauma he inflicted upon a fellow camper as a teen while he abandons his blind teenager after the death of his wife/her mother. Like I said—it’s a lot all over the place. And although I fangirled over Christian Slater in the 80s, his voice just added an extra layer of creepiness to the father character; I didn’t like the character partly due to his voice. The only other interesting aspect was that the story was performed as a radio show more than as a book being read aloud.
who cracked the systems. But the dramatic license, the storylines created/included by Derby were all over the place: phone phreaking, a blind main character (although a search pointed out that some of the phreaks were blind), a hippie cult in upstate NY, a nuclear plant and radiation poisoning, and a main character struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality and the trauma he inflicted upon a fellow camper as a teen while he abandons his blind teenager after the death of his wife/her mother. Like I said—it’s a lot all over the place. And although I fangirled over Christian Slater in the 80s, his voice just added an extra layer of creepiness to the father character; I didn’t like the character partly due to his voice. The only other interesting aspect was that the story was performed as a radio show more than as a book being read aloud.
September 26, 2021
Another random audio book from Audible. It was OK.
They did go into phreaking a lot which I am guessing means a lot less to kids these days than it once did. Mobile phones completely change the narrative.
I remember those days though. Old geek here.
The weird thread with her parents seemed unnecessary. Maybe it is setting up the series for the future but I am not even sure if this is a series.
Is it worth reading? Hmm... this is a hard one. This is a high three and maybe if it goes through another edit. Hands up! I will do it.
3 free calls out of 5.
They did go into phreaking a lot which I am guessing means a lot less to kids these days than it once did. Mobile phones completely change the narrative.
I remember those days though. Old geek here.
The weird thread with her parents seemed unnecessary. Maybe it is setting up the series for the future but I am not even sure if this is a series.
Is it worth reading? Hmm... this is a hard one. This is a high three and maybe if it goes through another edit. Hands up! I will do it.
3 free calls out of 5.
September 19, 2022
This was a ridiculous waste of time. What did I subject myself to? It took way too long to listen to, because I simply couldn’t get up enough energy to care about any of it.
Each character, and I’m talking every one of them, would go to another character and begin an argument. It was mind boggling just how bitter these characters were towards everyone.
The main character, Emma, is written as being blind. Okay? That has very little to do with anything until the end and even then it’s shrugged off. She starts off as an entitled brat and does not improve much from there.
Carrie Coon is a phenomenal talent and she’s wasted. Christain Slater plays another iteration of himself. Ben McKenzie was in this. I guess that’s something. He was good, he’s always reliable.
The story is about a young girl, Emma (Bree Klausner) who, with a bunch of “Phreak” friends (phone hackers basically) cause havoc here and there. Meanwhile, her mom is very sick and her dad is just trying to get ahead while questioning his whole existence. On the other end, an agent with Ma Bell is trying to impress everyone and generally gets nowhere fast.
The one great thing about this story? The fact that the plot threads were all nicely summed up by the end. However, if there were a sequel, I truly wouldn’t care.
This maybe great to some, but for me, I had a hard time being engaged.
Each character, and I’m talking every one of them, would go to another character and begin an argument. It was mind boggling just how bitter these characters were towards everyone.
The main character, Emma, is written as being blind. Okay? That has very little to do with anything until the end and even then it’s shrugged off. She starts off as an entitled brat and does not improve much from there.
Carrie Coon is a phenomenal talent and she’s wasted. Christain Slater plays another iteration of himself. Ben McKenzie was in this. I guess that’s something. He was good, he’s always reliable.
The story is about a young girl, Emma (Bree Klausner) who, with a bunch of “Phreak” friends (phone hackers basically) cause havoc here and there. Meanwhile, her mom is very sick and her dad is just trying to get ahead while questioning his whole existence. On the other end, an agent with Ma Bell is trying to impress everyone and generally gets nowhere fast.
The one great thing about this story? The fact that the plot threads were all nicely summed up by the end. However, if there were a sequel, I truly wouldn’t care.
This maybe great to some, but for me, I had a hard time being engaged.
September 26, 2022
Occasionally, I'll pick up a title on Audible that I wouldn't ordinarily listen to or care about, and the radio play Phreaks by Matthew Derby is one such. Granted, it didn't take much to twist my rubber arm because one of my favourite actors lends his vocal talents to the production. If you ever watched Gotham, you'll know and love Ben McKenzie as much as I do. Of course the added tease (and here I'm wearing my 1990s on my sleeve) is that Christian Slater also has a decent part.
This full-cast radio play that is set in 1970 grabbed my attention from the get go. We meet teen Emma Gable, who is obsessed with making random phone calls so she can chat with whoever picks up. Despite her disability (or perhaps because of it) she is plucky and possesses a sharp tongue. These phone calls are her idea of entertainment and a link to a world beyond her current life, and honestly, I don't blame her. If you're blind, your parents are troubled, and you've got little else to keep you occupied after school, then why the hell not. Except it's all fun and games until she stumbles onto a bunch of people who use the phone systems to run what was then (very) basic hacks.
We also meet Bell security agent Bill Connolly (McKenzie – he's such a typical detective type down to his voice) who's chafing at how his career is going nowhere. That he's stuck working for Bell when he has greater aspirations ... and it looks like he's going to spend most of the play grumbling until he gets a whiff of this group of hackers, and figures that Emma is the key he needs to unlock the problem.
While there're no high-octane car chases, this is still a thrilling listen, and the characters you encounter are fascinating and flawed. I love how Emma, ever the misfit, garners a degree of social clout thanks to her skill with gaming the phone system. Emma's father (voiced by Slater), is his own worst enemy, and I'd cheerfully like to slap him upside the head for the way he treats Emma's mum, who is clearly quite ill thanks to the hazards of her job.
Beneath the slow burn of the gradually evolving plot, we are faced with the small-town tragedies that everyday people face, drawing to a bitter-sweet conclusion. I admit that I know very little about hacking and how the phone systems worked back then, so it was fascinating having a glimpse into an era that was the reality for so many people less than a decade before I popped out of my mum's womb. Our world is very different now, and Phreaks feels like a little bit of a time capsule for those who might be curious.
This full-cast radio play that is set in 1970 grabbed my attention from the get go. We meet teen Emma Gable, who is obsessed with making random phone calls so she can chat with whoever picks up. Despite her disability (or perhaps because of it) she is plucky and possesses a sharp tongue. These phone calls are her idea of entertainment and a link to a world beyond her current life, and honestly, I don't blame her. If you're blind, your parents are troubled, and you've got little else to keep you occupied after school, then why the hell not. Except it's all fun and games until she stumbles onto a bunch of people who use the phone systems to run what was then (very) basic hacks.
We also meet Bell security agent Bill Connolly (McKenzie – he's such a typical detective type down to his voice) who's chafing at how his career is going nowhere. That he's stuck working for Bell when he has greater aspirations ... and it looks like he's going to spend most of the play grumbling until he gets a whiff of this group of hackers, and figures that Emma is the key he needs to unlock the problem.
While there're no high-octane car chases, this is still a thrilling listen, and the characters you encounter are fascinating and flawed. I love how Emma, ever the misfit, garners a degree of social clout thanks to her skill with gaming the phone system. Emma's father (voiced by Slater), is his own worst enemy, and I'd cheerfully like to slap him upside the head for the way he treats Emma's mum, who is clearly quite ill thanks to the hazards of her job.
Beneath the slow burn of the gradually evolving plot, we are faced with the small-town tragedies that everyday people face, drawing to a bitter-sweet conclusion. I admit that I know very little about hacking and how the phone systems worked back then, so it was fascinating having a glimpse into an era that was the reality for so many people less than a decade before I popped out of my mum's womb. Our world is very different now, and Phreaks feels like a little bit of a time capsule for those who might be curious.
June 14, 2023
You ever seen a book or a movie that the blurb on the back or the trailer shows it to be one thing and then you start it and are like "WTH!?!?!?!?" Yea that is what I got with this audiobook. I have been interested in the history of the folks that in the 70s and 80s that found ways around the hold of Bell systems had on the phone system in both the local and the long distance systems. These phone hackers were, and even now, are treated with a form of mystical worship by some hackers and anti-corp types.
So the blurb for this seems to be like some movies, where its "based on real events" that fictionalized some events or blended folks into one character while the narrator runs through the events and some of conversations are reenacted with actors. Again, this is all supposed to be about some of the major players in the phone hacking community in the 1970s.
Okay sounds freaking awesome and at least gives me more than a few paragraphs in other books on hackers and electronics. Except, this is audio-drama instead in 15 mins had multiple characters introduced, with no explaining how they become tied together something about a girl who is blind but maybe isn't blind. A mom who maybe is dying. A rogue FBI agent. Finally some other adults who are living in a commune and wanting free love and all that but think that cheating on each other is bad. There was only a few lines referencing Bell telephone company, a telephone, and using tracers. I couldn't see how it was going to get better in the 5 hour run time, when most of the characters spent their time lamenting their horrible lives in the 1960s.
This is just a hot mess that it immediately made me stop it and I loaded something else up on my audible player to listen to instead. Which is really a shame because the story about what these early hackers did, the chase by the FBI and Bell, and how they eventually did get caught would be interesting book to read or even hear as a "based on real events" sort of drama piece for audio.
So the blurb for this seems to be like some movies, where its "based on real events" that fictionalized some events or blended folks into one character while the narrator runs through the events and some of conversations are reenacted with actors. Again, this is all supposed to be about some of the major players in the phone hacking community in the 1970s.
Okay sounds freaking awesome and at least gives me more than a few paragraphs in other books on hackers and electronics. Except, this is audio-drama instead in 15 mins had multiple characters introduced, with no explaining how they become tied together something about a girl who is blind but maybe isn't blind. A mom who maybe is dying. A rogue FBI agent. Finally some other adults who are living in a commune and wanting free love and all that but think that cheating on each other is bad. There was only a few lines referencing Bell telephone company, a telephone, and using tracers. I couldn't see how it was going to get better in the 5 hour run time, when most of the characters spent their time lamenting their horrible lives in the 1960s.
This is just a hot mess that it immediately made me stop it and I loaded something else up on my audible player to listen to instead. Which is really a shame because the story about what these early hackers did, the chase by the FBI and Bell, and how they eventually did get caught would be interesting book to read or even hear as a "based on real events" sort of drama piece for audio.
March 10, 2022
So, the story revolves around a young freshman girl who is blind, and feels like a lone wolf seeking a pack, oh while her mother is sick with a mysterious illness, and her dad is dealing with a deteriorating marriage and his own internal denial about who he really is and who he’s attracted to. The story also involves a man who wanted to be a soldier and never really got the chance, the only thing he got, was the chance to take inventory of beer and coffins.
As the story unfolds, the girl finds her people, a father never fully comes to grips with who he is, and that would be soldier finds a purpose only to discover it might not be all it’s cracked up to be. This is part coming of age story, part conspiracy, and historically inspired.
As someone with a disability, I found Emma, the young girl to be one of the most relatable characters in the story. And having a grandfather who served in both Korea and Vietnam and was exposed to agent orange, I could also empathize with and understand the worldview of the other characters in the story.
I have always been fascinated by the beginnings of what we would call hacking, that started with the phone freaks, and the story brought that whole zeitgeist to life, as the world changes, so do the mindsets of the people living in that age. I would definitely recommend
As the story unfolds, the girl finds her people, a father never fully comes to grips with who he is, and that would be soldier finds a purpose only to discover it might not be all it’s cracked up to be. This is part coming of age story, part conspiracy, and historically inspired.
As someone with a disability, I found Emma, the young girl to be one of the most relatable characters in the story. And having a grandfather who served in both Korea and Vietnam and was exposed to agent orange, I could also empathize with and understand the worldview of the other characters in the story.
I have always been fascinated by the beginnings of what we would call hacking, that started with the phone freaks, and the story brought that whole zeitgeist to life, as the world changes, so do the mindsets of the people living in that age. I would definitely recommend
January 27, 2023
I enjoyed the full cast production of this story. It was like a low tech drama version of the TV Show *Mr. Robot*. I'm a fan of that show so this story sort of appealed to me due to my fandom of the Mr. Robot show.
The full cast of Ben McKenzie, Carrie Coon, Christian Slater, Justice Smith, Bree Klauser, Ashley Williams, Esau Pritchett, Arielle Goldman, Danny Mastrogiorgio, Alejandro Hernandez, Daniel Kim, Dave Ahdoot, Rachel Kenney, Chris Roberti, Katie Hartman, and Therese Plummer did a wonderful job of bringing their characters to life. I could vividly see each character in my head as I listen. It was like a little TV movie playing in my head.
Although I'm a big fan of actor Christian Slater and his raspy voice I really didn't like his character's side story with the commune. So after a while I didn't find it really relevant to the main storyline featuring Emma. So anytime that side story of Emma's dad and his commune friends came up I just fast forward. And I was correct, his story had no real impact on the main story so nothing was loss by skipping that unnecessary storyline. So I advise people to just skip it because the real story is Emma and her cohorts going up against BELL and Security Agent Bill Connolly.
This isn't my favorite Original Production by Audibles but it was entertaining all the same.
The full cast of Ben McKenzie, Carrie Coon, Christian Slater, Justice Smith, Bree Klauser, Ashley Williams, Esau Pritchett, Arielle Goldman, Danny Mastrogiorgio, Alejandro Hernandez, Daniel Kim, Dave Ahdoot, Rachel Kenney, Chris Roberti, Katie Hartman, and Therese Plummer did a wonderful job of bringing their characters to life. I could vividly see each character in my head as I listen. It was like a little TV movie playing in my head.
Although I'm a big fan of actor Christian Slater and his raspy voice I really didn't like his character's side story with the commune. So after a while I didn't find it really relevant to the main storyline featuring Emma. So anytime that side story of Emma's dad and his commune friends came up I just fast forward. And I was correct, his story had no real impact on the main story so nothing was loss by skipping that unnecessary storyline. So I advise people to just skip it because the real story is Emma and her cohorts going up against BELL and Security Agent Bill Connolly.
This isn't my favorite Original Production by Audibles but it was entertaining all the same.
December 9, 2024
This was an audible original audiobook that I stumbled across. The last audible original that I listened to was very entertaining, so I gave this a shot the production behind this was incredible! You could really hear the difference of when you talked on a landline versus what it now sounds like on wireless phones. I loved that they embodied that even if it was based in the 1970s.
The main character, Emma, is a blind teenager who happens to be obsessed with the phones and figures out how to hack the phone lines. She finds another group of teenagers who also can do the same thing and they start doing little pranks. A Bell Telephone agent catches wind of this and tries to track them down and stop their antics.
The story was quite entertaining as it showed a little perspective of the personal life that Emma deals with as well as a massive conspiracy theory these teenagers figure out and try to take down. It wasn’t so good that I would be recommending it to everybody, but it was highly enjoyable and very well done
The main character, Emma, is a blind teenager who happens to be obsessed with the phones and figures out how to hack the phone lines. She finds another group of teenagers who also can do the same thing and they start doing little pranks. A Bell Telephone agent catches wind of this and tries to track them down and stop their antics.
The story was quite entertaining as it showed a little perspective of the personal life that Emma deals with as well as a massive conspiracy theory these teenagers figure out and try to take down. It wasn’t so good that I would be recommending it to everybody, but it was highly enjoyable and very well done
November 18, 2024
I would not suggest this book to anyone who is triggered by sounds. I'm not and some of this audiobook gave me anxiety because of the clicks and phone sounds, not to mention the subject of the story.
I'm not sure if this is something that happened in the past with phone lines or if the author came up with it on their own, but I could totally see the Bell company going to these lengths as to not lose out on money.
I couldn't with Cal. He is the absolute worst. He spends the whole story trying to figure out his sexual life when he has a family - with a sick wife and blind daughter - at home. What's even worse is the people he sleeps with knowing he has that and sleeping with him anyway and then acting like it's 100% his problem. You slept with a man who has a child! You are just as at fault as he is.
I'm not sure if this is something that happened in the past with phone lines or if the author came up with it on their own, but I could totally see the Bell company going to these lengths as to not lose out on money.
I couldn't with Cal. He is the absolute worst. He spends the whole story trying to figure out his sexual life when he has a family - with a sick wife and blind daughter - at home. What's even worse is the people he sleeps with knowing he has that and sleeping with him anyway and then acting like it's 100% his problem. You slept with a man who has a child! You are just as at fault as he is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2023
2.5 stars -- Full cast recording of kids in the early 70's that are phone fanatics, or phreaks. These kids aren't just doing prank calls, although they definitely do a lot of these, they are also technical geniuses that figure out how all the telephones, switch boards, switching stations, tone activations, etc. work and how to hack them. That part of the story is fairly interesting. I also enjoyed Christian Slater, Carrie Coon, and the full voice cast that worked on this recording.
The story itself was ok -- the dialog was predictable, and the plot felt rushed, but it was just fine. I most likely will not be recommending this to others, but I didn't feel like it was a waste of my time.
The story itself was ok -- the dialog was predictable, and the plot felt rushed, but it was just fine. I most likely will not be recommending this to others, but I didn't feel like it was a waste of my time.
June 17, 2023
If you are old enough to have used dial up telephones then you may also have had a bit of fun with prank calls. This is something Emma enjoys doing as a teenager in this story set in the 1970’s. It is pretty much the only enjoyment she has these days. Her mother is unwell and her parents' marriage seems to be going through a rough patch.
Emma is a very clever and inquisitive person who stumbles upon a phone hack one day. She meets a group of other like minded people and it feels like she has finally found her tribe. They have cracked the Bell Telephone network and have fun evading the security team.
This was a really different but entertaining audio read for me :)
Emma is a very clever and inquisitive person who stumbles upon a phone hack one day. She meets a group of other like minded people and it feels like she has finally found her tribe. They have cracked the Bell Telephone network and have fun evading the security team.
This was a really different but entertaining audio read for me :)
August 20, 2022
Dark. Adult themes. If you want to read a book that portrays Mariage as loveless, Capitalism as evil, Police as judgmental and thoughtless, and finally virtue can only be found in nursing or alternative lifestyles, then you might enjoy this book. Propaganda of an ideology that hates the United States.
I was interested because I have read other materials on Phreaking. The premise had promise to me. I completed it because I have difficulty not completing a book I start and get enough through. Story takes a while to show its true colors.
I was interested because I have read other materials on Phreaking. The premise had promise to me. I completed it because I have difficulty not completing a book I start and get enough through. Story takes a while to show its true colors.
October 16, 2022
This was a fabulous audio drama about phone freaks, teens who hacked Bell’s telephone system and made hundreds of free calls. Bell employs a determined company rep to find and stop the freaks. He is especially concerned with a nearly blind teen named Emma. She freaks to get away from a sad home life. Many of the characters are unlikable, but it is an interesting battle of wits between Emma and and Agent Cross. Production is fantastic and cast is superb.
October 29, 2022
Interesting idea regarding the telephone Phreaks but was somewhat muddied up with the side stories. The characters were stereotypes and downright nasty people. Found the things they did and said quite implausible and nasty. Most of the adults had few if any redeeming attributes.
The staged production was good but the acting was overdone.
Not really worth reading. Many young readers won’t appreciate what toll calls are all about.
The staged production was good but the acting was overdone.
Not really worth reading. Many young readers won’t appreciate what toll calls are all about.
January 9, 2023
It's an entertaining and addictive listen. The story is fascinating about a blind girl named Emma who learns to work the phone system from the inside out. Each of her parents is a hot mess, her mother being very sick because she works at a uranium plant and her father impulsively cheating. A phone company agent is after her for fraud and a whole team of phone hackers gets behind Emma's goals. The cast was great and the story flows really fast.
January 19, 2023
This is an engaging audio play about when phreaking was really at its prime while also discovering what a toxic hellscape corporate greed was already making the United States and how easily young people were abandoned by their parents and schools. There are some very hard things to hear if you are sensitive to any sort of inequality.
Overall I really liked this and how it pulled in nuggets from various phreakers to create some rich characters just wanting to change the world for the better.
Overall I really liked this and how it pulled in nuggets from various phreakers to create some rich characters just wanting to change the world for the better.
January 15, 2022
I really enjoyed this one. I had never even heard the term "phreak" before this book, but it appears to be a real thing, haha! I enjoyed the entire storyline of this book... a little funny at times, somewhat mysterious. It kept me intrigued. And Christian Slater! :D I'd read/listen to more by Matthew Derby.
January 30, 2022
interesting but too many storylines trying to be introduced in the beginning so it feels like the story doesn’t really start until the last two or three chapters…. then it ends. dads storyline just kept getting crazier. he definitely needs a book confronting his internalized homophobia & getting justice for the men who were affected by it! Booooo Cal 🍅🍅🍅
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2022
2.5- I honestly think the biggest issue is that I didn't know going into this story that I don't enjoy audio plays compared to audio books. The story was fine and I have no complaints about the acting. I just hated all the background noise that was supposed to add ambiance. I didn't know how much I would miss adjectives and adverbs so much!
August 20, 2022
Just be warned- the book is pretty different from what the description leads you to believe. There’s a random side story that seems like a political statement that has nothing to do with the rest of the book and you kind of feel like you wait and wait for the climax of the book then sort of get let down.
December 5, 2022
This Audible original had good production value. I liked the music, the sound effects, and voice performances.
I thought it was an interesting story about a girl with a phone addiction, in the 1970s, before there were smartphones. And it was because she was searching for a connection because her family life was dysfunctional.
The antagonism with the phone company was clever and Ben McKenzie's character was comical in a stoic, dry way.
I did give it only a 3 out of 5 because it wasn't a "page turner," as they say. I paused listening to it over the Thanksgiving weekend. Also, I was not into the dad's (Christian Slater) story at that hippy commune. Actually in the second half I started fast forwarding his scenes.
I did like the end and how Emma became an avenger to take down the big baddie.
3 out of 5 Dial Tones.
I thought it was an interesting story about a girl with a phone addiction, in the 1970s, before there were smartphones. And it was because she was searching for a connection because her family life was dysfunctional.
The antagonism with the phone company was clever and Ben McKenzie's character was comical in a stoic, dry way.
I did give it only a 3 out of 5 because it wasn't a "page turner," as they say. I paused listening to it over the Thanksgiving weekend. Also, I was not into the dad's (Christian Slater) story at that hippy commune. Actually in the second half I started fast forwarding his scenes.
I did like the end and how Emma became an avenger to take down the big baddie.
3 out of 5 Dial Tones.
March 14, 2024
I grabbed this out of professional curiosity and enjoyed it, especially the main plotline. The secondary ones were meh, but overall it was very well produced. Typically, I don't listen to audio dramas as I find the lack of a narrator makes the dialogues overly descriptive (and thus fake). Fortunately, this was not the case here.
April 24, 2024
Funny… in that every whistleblower has grounds to be concerned about the skulduggery
corporate america will perpetrate for profit before people.
Brilliant listen thank you Matthew Derby for your words and Ben McKenzie, Carrie Coon,
Christian Slater, Justice Smith, Bree Klauser your eloquence, very much appreciated people. :-)
corporate america will perpetrate for profit before people.
Brilliant listen thank you Matthew Derby for your words and Ben McKenzie, Carrie Coon,
Christian Slater, Justice Smith, Bree Klauser your eloquence, very much appreciated people. :-)
October 9, 2025
Three full stars for the nostalgia of land lines, pay phones, and crank calls. I enjoyed this side of the story. Emma is a very likable character. Her parent’s storyline didn’t work for me as much. While it was on point with big business pulling one over on the rest of us, I just didn’t think it was put together as well as it could’ve been.
October 9, 2021
Radio show style (actors with folly and no narrator necessary). There were two main plots that didn’t really wind together satisfactorily, but the main phone phreaking story was fun. Not sure how factual it is, but I thought this happened mainly in the 80s and not the late 60s.
December 8, 2021
Overall disappointing. The issue of radiation affecting families is only danced around and the contrived Christian Slater subplot pointlessly dead-ends. Waste of a good cast and an interesting set of premises. Skip.
January 26, 2022
Fun and engaging radio drama with decent character development with a bunch of young phone phreaks sticking it to the man with subplots of family dysfunction, Vietnam, nuclear power, peace, free love, disappointment….or just a good way to kill off time during holidays.
September 5, 2022
*2.5 stars rounded down*
It felt more like listening to a movie rather than listening to an audiobook story. I'm not sure how "into" these audible originals I am, but it might be good for someone who likes podcasts/hearing movies without needing to see character-face associations.
It felt more like listening to a movie rather than listening to an audiobook story. I'm not sure how "into" these audible originals I am, but it might be good for someone who likes podcasts/hearing movies without needing to see character-face associations.
December 1, 2022
Audible Freebie 3.5 stars
Breakfast club meets Pirate Radio meets Erin Brokovich.
Likes:
Learned a lot about how phone systems worked.
Dislikes:
I don't know why the Dad's character and storyline were even there but the most unbelievable part was how good Emma was at whistling.
Breakfast club meets Pirate Radio meets Erin Brokovich.
Likes:
Learned a lot about how phone systems worked.
Dislikes:
I don't know why the Dad's character and storyline were even there but the most unbelievable part was how good Emma was at whistling.
April 21, 2023
An interesting book about phone needs from history. I imagine that this was the original form of hacking before the internet. Interesting from a historic perspective, but hard to relate to since I don’t have a passion for phones or anything to this extent.
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