By Erin Bowman
I listened to the audiobook in approximately 10 hours over the course of 41 listening sessions, some of which were as short as 5 minutes, because, well, I don’t have to drive far to get to work.
The short listening sessions might be partially to blame for my opinion of this book. I had a hard time keeping the characters straight. The narrator did a good job of voicing each character, but I had a hard time keeping track of who was who and how old they were and what their role was in the story and … You get the idea.
In this story, a group of young employees (most in their twenties, but at least one was a teen) go to investigate a distress call from a company drilling site on a planet just outside the normal reach of human society, which had grown to a handful of core planets (Cradle and the Trios) and a few colony planets (the Fringe). The group was led by a twenty-something young woman (the captain) who is brash and reckless. In an attempt to impress her father, who she hoped to find alive and well on the planet from which the distress call was coming, she led her team to the surface of the planet, against orders. The result is disastrous. Let’s just say there’s zombie chasing, and teeth-gnashing, and blood gushing from eyes, noses, and ears.
Oh, but there’s a twist at the end, and a clear lead into book two, “Immunity,” which appears to be coming out on July 2nd of this year. So, there’s hope for this story.
If you read/listen to this book, it might be a good idea to consume it more than 5 minutes at a time.
Favorite quote from this book:
Never meet your idols. They rarely live up to your image of them.
Do you think this is true? Have you ever met a person whom you have looked up to or admired from afar?
I can’t say that I have. If I had to name a celebrity that I would want to meet, I’d say it would be Harrison Ford. I wonder what he’s like in “real life.”
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Here is a little insight into what you will find in this book.
Right away, I noticed that one of the main character’s favorite way to describe other characters was through the use of the word “ass” (i.e. “smart-ass” or “uptight ass”). Everybody was an “ass” in this one character’s opinion. I only noticed this in the first chapter, but I probably tuned it out after that. It’s used seven times after chapter one (I love technology and the power of the Search feature in Libby), but mostly as a noun instead of an adjective. However, there is other cursing in the book (such as “damn” (16x’s), “shit” (14x’s), and everybody’s favorite, the “F” word (3x’s)). I wouldn’t describe it as pervasive (Ok, well I didn’t until I searched a few “keywords” in Libby and counted them…), but it is present.
Aside from a brief mention (about a paragraph) of a kiss shared between two of the lead female characters, there was no other discussion of physical intimacy between characters.
I picked up on a few different themes in this story, such as women in business, nepotism, and age discrimination. Although the crew of the Odyssey consisted primarily of young women, there was little love between these characters. They always seemed to be at each other’s throats. Over and over throughout the story, the captain (Dylan Lowe) makes negative comments about the opinions of temps and interns. She makes it very clear that she will make the decisions. She disagrees with anything anyone said that wasn’t her idea to begin with.
Is this book for you? Is this a good book for your teen or young adult? Only you can decide, but I hope that the information I have provided will help you determine whether to find and read this book immediately or to pass on to the next option.
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It’s March, and Spring is just around the corner.
In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to get the garden started, and the bicycle tires aired up. The gloom of winter will soon pass, and the sun will be our companion. What is one thing you will do this year to make this your best summer yet? Share your ideas in the comments.
The Nutcracker Trilogy
I will continue to shamelessly promote these books because I’m so excited about being a small part of Drosselmeyer’s journey. If you’re new here, let me encourage you to check out The Nutcracker Trilogy by Paul Thompson. All three books are available in print and as e-books. Books one and two are available as audiobooks, narrated by yours truly. Click the links below to explore.
Oh, and it doesn’t have to be Christmas for you to enjoy these stories (just like it doesn’t have to be Christmas to enjoy Harry Potter).
Apple Books / Apple Audiobooks / Amazon / Audible
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David Sheley 