The Weirdies: Maybe This Is a Bit Too Weird by Michael Buckley (Narrated by Helena Bonham Carter) 🎧📉
My Rating: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2 Stars)
The eccentric saga of Deadeye Manor continues, but this third outing unfortunately completes a steady downward slide for the franchise. What started as a stellar 4-star introduction has devolved into a messy, disjointed experience that barely scrapes together 2 stars. While a few creative subplots offer brief glimmers of hope, the story ultimately collapses under bizarre plot twists and a highly disappointing production shift.
First Impression
After the frustrating cliffhanger of the last book, I hoped this installment would right the ship. I was initially intrigued to see how a new spooky element would play into the family dynamic, but my excitement immediately deflated the second the audio started and I realized the iconic voice guiding the series had been completely replaced.
My Reactions & Emotions
A Devastating Narrator Downgrade: I absolutely adore Helena Bonham Carter as an actress, but her performance here simply could not live up to the standard set by Kate Winslet. While I can appreciate that the production team took the time to weave a clever, canon side-story explaining why the narrator changed, the actual listening experience was way less satisfying. She didn't differentiate the character voices properly, making it feel like someone lazily reading a book aloud to me rather than dynamically performing an immersive story.
Frustration with the "Pure Crack" Plot Twists: The storyline has completely lost its footing. The shocking twist they forced upon Ms. Emily felt incredibly unearned and genuinely frustrating to sit through. To quote my husband, the final act of this plot was "just pure crack, and not the good kind." It felt entirely too absurd, messy, and forced just for the sake of being weird.
A Heartbreaking Downward Trend: It is deeply disappointing to watch a series slide so rapidly. This installment lacked the cohesion, structure, and whimsical charm of the original, leaving me completely checked out by the end.
What I Loved
An Entertaining Ghost Subplot: The brightest spot of the entire narrative was the introduction of the vengeful spirits. The ghost aspect was a genuinely interesting, fun concept that brought a welcomed touch of classic gothic atmosphere back to the manor when the main plot began to derail.
Clever Meta-Consistency: On a purely conceptual level, the narrative dedication to explaining the audiobook’s voice change as an "imposter narrator" plot point was a highly creative, witty meta-touch that perfectly matched the universe's eccentric vibe.
Constructive Criticism
To salvage the remains of this series, the production desperately needs to prioritize narrative substance over sheer shock value. Subplots like the ghost storyline need to be the focal point rather than being overshadowed by alienating character twists. Most importantly, if a narrator change is required, the performance must maintain the established character profiles; losing the distinct vocal identities and unique accents entirely drains the life out of a character-driven audio experience.
Overall, despite an intriguing ghost subplot and a clever meta-explanation for the production change, the flat narration and disastrously absurd plot twists drag this once-charming series down to a disappointing two-star finish.
