Audible Book Review: Sovereign by Jeff Hirsch

It's not gripping but it is an interesting listen, suitable for younger readers.

Sovereign
By Jeff Hirsch
Narrated by: Jesse Einstein

Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
Release date: 01-31-19
Publisher: Audible Originals
Categories: Adventure, Children's Audiobooks, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Space
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Content 3.75; Narration 4.0.

Jeff Hirsch, the mastermind behind such dark YA dystopias as The Eleventh Plague and The Darkest Hour, goes interstellar with Sovereign, a middle grade Audible Original voiced by Jesse Einstein, who listeners have called "first-rate."

Micah Cole has been in deep space for four years now. While his parents chase their obsession with finding intelligent life deeper and deeper into the universe, Micah can’t help but dream of the friends he’s left behind and counts the days until the family returns to Earth. When a devastating meteor shower nearly destroys the Coles’s ship, Micah is separated from his family and stranded alone on Sovereign—a vast planet of raging rivers and towering forests. If Micah ever wants to see his family or his home again, he’ll have to learn how to survive on this hostile alien world. Armed with only his wits and determination, he’ll have to battle the elements, his own deepest fears, and a strange presence that might just hold the key to his parents’ obsession—and be his ticket back home.
©2019 Jeff Hirsch (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Micah is a young teen who has been ‘dragged’ off to space exploration with his parents. He misses his friends from middle school and often dreams of getting back to them. His parents are set on their obsession of finding intelligent life beyond earth. They have found at least one unique species but continue to push on to the next planet.

A meteor storm forces Micah’s parents to send him off in a lifeboat to a nearby planet that they probed and found suitable for life. He is stranded on Sovereign hoping his parents will be able to make quick repairs and return for him. In the first few days, Micah’s lifeboat is caught in a flash flood while he is outside. Now he has to struggle for shelter and supplies on an alien world with unknown elements. Micah knows he can send a distress call if he can reach the probe his parents sent before the storm. But he will have to travel over rivers and forests to get to the high mountain. As the days pass, he survives hostile attacks and is imagines his best friend from childhood is exhorting him to get up and keep going. Is Micah’s friend a memory or a strange presence helping him to survive?

I had to remember that Micah was just an impulsive teen when he made so many unwise choices that get him into trouble. Fortunately, luck is with him and then an unexpected friend. I appreciated the creative world building of the planet and creatures – friendly and dangerous. There is also a bit of a nice message as the story moves toward its conclusion. I found this to be entertaining for a quick read/listen. I recommend it for younger readers or those who might want to spend six or so hours that don’t require intense attention.

Audio Notes: Jesse Einstein does a good job with the narration. He captures the youth and immaturity of Micah as well as the energy of the story. For me, the narration helped the story move along.

Source: 2/10/19 Free Audible Original. This qualifies for 2021TBR and 2021Audiobook goals.

Audiobook Review: The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

This is a thought provoking dystopian tale with YA characters but good for adult listening too.

The Eleventh Plague

by Jeff Hirsch (Author), Dan Bittner (Narrator)

• Audible Audio Edition
• Listening Length: 7 hours and 3 minutes
• Program Type: Audiobook
• Version: Unabridged
• Publisher: Scholastic Audio
• Audible.com Release Date: September 1, 2011
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005KFQPQ8

Genre: Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic
My Rating:  4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
In the aftermath of a war, America's landscape has been ravaged and two-thirds of the population left dead from influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived. But when Stephen's grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma, Stephen finds his way to Settler's Landing, a community that seems too good to be true. There he meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny. When they play a prank on the town bully's family that goes horribly wrong, they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler's Landing forever.

Review:

This story tells of terrible danger, loneliness, prejudice, fear and ends with a message of hope.
Fifteen year old Stephen and his family survived the war that devastated America. Somehow they also survived ‘the eleventh plague’ that killed two-thirds of the population. The life that Stephen knows has been harsh. He has learned to follow his strict and demanding grandfather’s rules or suffer for disobedience. His sweet, kind mother died in childbirth, and Stephen, his father and grandfather have lived as scavengers. They are constantly traveling to find what they can to trade and along the way they have to avoid towns where their might be illness and avoid being picked up by slavers. Stephen’s father might occasionally long to settle down but it would mean a risk from the routine that has been drilled into them.

Stephen’s grandfather dies and Stephen and his father struggle on. In a break of discipline, his father intervenes to help others break away from slavers.  As Stephen and his father then try to escape his father is injured and falls into a coma. Although fearful of strangers, Stephen has little choice but to accept their help. He follows them to a small community which is unlike anything Stephen has known.  The people share their burdens, their bounty and their skills.  The families live in homes and the young people even attend school.

It is hard for Stephen to adjust and fit in especially since the primary community leader’s son has taken a dislike to him and claims he is a spy for another community up the road.  The bully and his friends taunt and harass Stephen every chance they get hoping Stephen will be thrown out of the community. Stephen slowly warms to the family that has taken him in. The son befriends him as a brother and Stephen is intrigued by their adopted Asian daughter, Jenny. She too is looked upon with suspicion by many in the community so she holds herself as an outcast.

As Jenny and Stephen are drawn to one another they tend to get into trouble. This puts the family at risk and eventually triggers a confrontation with the neighboring community.  When the slavers show up to enter the fray the people have to decide how they are going to defend themselves. Even more importantly, how are they going to treat each other as they move into the future?

I enjoyed the plausible struggles and traumas portrayed in this story. The pacing is good and the characters’ diversity gives room for thought. Although the narrator did a good job of presenting different voices I felt at times that he lacked some extra ‘umph’ or spark that could have given greater life to the story.  All in all though I recommend this as solidly engaging and a good listen.

I received this as a free download as part of Audiofile Sync YA 2012  Summer Program. That is a great program that pairs a new audiobook with a classic of similar tone to encourage young people to read/listen to the classics as well as new authors.

I'm not quite sure where the community is located... mid south I think. I will add it to my New Author, Audio and Post-Apocalyptic Challenge lists.