Severance
A Novel
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Severance
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Narrated by:
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Nancy Wu
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Written by:
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Ling Ma
About this listen
Maybe it’s the end of the world, but not for Candace Chen, a millennial, first-generation American and office drone meandering her way into adulthood in Ling Ma’s offbeat, wryly funny, apocalyptic satire, Severance.
Candace Chen, a millennial drone self-sequestered in a Manhattan office tower, is devoted to routine. With the recent passing of her Chinese immigrant parents, she’s had her fill of uncertainty. She’s content just to carry on: She goes to work, troubleshoots the teen-targeted Gemstone Bible, watches movies in a Greenpoint basement with her boyfriend.
So Candace barely notices when a plague of biblical proportions sweeps New York. Then Shen Fever spreads. Families flee. Companies cease operations. The subways screech to a halt. Her bosses enlist her as part of a dwindling skeleton crew with a big end-date payoff. Soon entirely alone, still unfevered, she photographs the eerie, abandoned city as the anonymous blogger NY Ghost.
Candace won’t be able to make it on her own forever, though. Enter a group of survivors, led by the power-hungry IT tech Bob. They’re traveling to a place called the Facility, where, Bob promises, they will have everything they need to start society anew. But Candace is carrying a secret she knows Bob will exploit. Should she escape from her rescuers?
A send-up and takedown of the rituals, routines, and missed opportunities of contemporary life, Ling Ma’s Severance is a moving family story, a quirky coming-of-adulthood tale, and a hilarious, deadpan satire. Most important, it’s a heartfelt tribute to the connections that drive us to do more than survive.
©2018 Ling Ma (P)2018 Macmillan AudioYou may also enjoy...
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What the critics say
"Narrator Nancy Wu delivers an outstanding performance of this cheeky satirical novel...Listeners will be entertained by the world building; cast of amusing, eccentric characters; and bizarre charm of the aloof heroine." (AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award Winner)
What listeners say about Severance
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- NIcole
- 2024-04-09
Motifs of an Age
Wonderful, timely Great American Novel update. I also have the physical copy of this book, and this narration provides essential voice inflections for the otherwise ambiguous dialogue.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jitterbug2222
- 2020-05-08
Loved it!
Would love to read more about Candace!! Loved it so much. Thank you Ling for perfect isolation reading :)
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2024-07-28
Great story. Love the narrator.
Very clever and often hilarious description of globalization. I wanted Candace to make it. Narrator captures very well Candace’s personality.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Viktoriya Gutsuzyan
- 2023-01-25
Interesting concept
This was a very interesting book, overall I enjoyed the plot but I found the performance to be very flat and monotone. I don’t understand why the author ended the book where they did. There was no sense of resolution or conclusion. This was okay. I could have gone my whole life without consuming this and I wouldn’t have regretted it.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Atari
- 2022-04-08
Doesn't feel new.
It did remind me of so many references that it feels déjà-vu. Too much Clinique, Pepsi and bible for me. The narrator was also, to my ear, sounding quite mature, in her 50's maybe, which is not in accordance with the young protagonist.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2024-07-24
Monotonous
I know the point was to be monotonous, but this took it to another level. I’d say it was all written, but just not my vibe, if that’s your style, you might really like it.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-09-21
There are better books to read/listen to.
Honestly, not worth the time. Was interesting at some points but it only lasted a minute; most chapters were painful to sit through. Recommend putting it on 1.5 speed if you are feeling adventurous.
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