Audible Book Review: Voyage of the Defiance: Breaking Free, Book 1, by S.E. Smith

This teen coming of age story ended up more entertaining than I initially expected.
Voyage of the Defiance: Breaking Free, Book 1
By: S. E. Smith
Narrated by: Suzanne Elise Freeman

Series: Breaking Free, Book 1
Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
Release date: 12-15-15
Publisher: S.E. Smith
Genre: Action and Adventure, Family, Teen and Young Adult
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher's Summary
From S. E. Smith, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, comes this emotionally charged coming-of-age story filled with action, adventure, and suspense for listeners of all ages.
An act of defiance will either kill her or change her life forever.
Sixteen-year-old Makayla Summerlin enjoyed one thing in her crazy, messed-up existence: hanging with her friends at school. But her life is uprooted when she suddenly finds herself forced to live with a grandfather she barely remembers. One act of defiance will change her life forever. Having trouble adjusting to her new home, she sets sail in her grandfather's old sailboat. On a journey that will challenge everything she has ever believed about herself, Makayla must overcome her fears if she, and a surprising stowaway, are to survive.
©2015 S. E. Smith (P)2015 S. E. Smith

Review:
Sixteen-year-old Makayla has had to deal with a mother who would rather escape with drugs and a new boyfriend. Makayla finds refuge with a handful of friends at school. But she doesn’t want to tell even them how difficult her home life is. When her mother is in an accident, Makayla is forced to go live with her grandfather.

Her grandfather explains that her mother is in rehab, but Makayla isn’t happy and continues to try to get home to her mother. Grandfather begins to show Makayla how to care for an handle his sailboat, the Defiance. Makayla tries to resist falling for a young man who helps her grandfather, but, in spite of her efforts, her heart becomes engaged. Then she learns that the boy is leaving for college and that he will return with the snobby girl who has become Makayla’s nemesis at her new school.

Makayla decides to run. She loads food and supplies on the boat and heads out to sail home, from one side of Florida to the other. Makayla finds a surprise stoyaway on the boat and then has to face nature, as well as herself, as they struggle to get home safely.

This is definitely a story for teens and young adults. Although her parental situation was sad, I had some difficulty accepting Makayla’s attitude and poor choices. However, as the story progressed and she receives help from an unexpected friend, I enjoyed the friendship and developments of the story. The story does a good job addressing bullying and racial issues.

The survival story was a bit far-fetched but it worked for the fiction. I also liked the Florida settings and the boating details. (I grew up in Florida with close connection to power boats and occasional forays on sailboats.) I recommend this to teens and young adults, and also to fans of family issues and boats.

Audio Notes: Suzanne Elise Freeman does a fine job with the narration. Her tone is clear and smooth and portrays the emotions appropriately. The narration enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

Source: 7/19/2021 Audible Plus Catalog. This qualifies for 2022TBR, 2022Audiobook, and 2022Alphabet (“V”) goal.

Audible Book Review: Sidekick, Raptors, Book 1 by Jaime Castel and C.J. Valin

I found this to be a hero, comic book type story.

Sidekick
Raptors, Book 1
By: Jaime Castle, C.J. Valin
Narrated by: Jack Meloche

Series: Raptors, Book 1
Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
Release date: 03-23-21
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Action and Adventure, Comic, Teen and Young Adult
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.25.

Publisher's Summary
Winner of the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for Young Adult Fiction.
My name is Sawyer William Vincent - I know, it sounds like three first names - but most people know me as the Red Raptor.
Well, technically no one knows I'm the Red Raptor, he's just a bit more popular.
Wow. Enough about my name. Let me start over. I’m a superhero - the legendary Black Harrier’s partner. Not sidekick. I don't care if I'm still in high school. We work together to bring down the city's most dangerous villains.
When the Black Harrier gets a mysterious note, then goes missing in New York City, things are pretty much left up to me. But don’t worry...I’ve got this. Piece of cake.
If you like Tim Drake as Robin or ever wondered what Peter Parker would be like if he lived in Gotham, Raptors is right up your alley.
From number one Audible best seller Jaime Castle and CJ Valin comes a new superhero universe perfect for fans of both DC and Marvel.
Actually, it’s for fans of anything superhero-related. You’re gonna like it. Promise.
©2021 Aethon Books (P)2021 Audible, Inc.

Review:
Sawyer has a very unique and helpful talent. He has been recruited and trained by a superhero, the Black Harrier. Sawyer knows the real identity of the Black Harrier, but the public doesn’t, and they don’t know the identity of the Red Raptor, formerly known as the Red Kite, either. Actually, Sawyer is the third Red Kite and he is becoming frustrated that his hero won’t tell him about his predecessors and really won’t share much at all. Plus his ‘partner’ has loaded his AI interface with a seductive woman’s voice that teenage Sawyer finds annoying.

Sawyer meets another masked person on the roof top during his nightly rounds. After a short confrontation the two begin to face a gang of thieves. Sawyer and Osprey may have good skills against normal criminals, but they aren’t prepared to take on super villains without the help of others. Sawyer wants to continue to work with Osprey, but the Black Harrier tells him she is not licensed by the guild and Sawyer shouldn’t work with her.

Sawyer is facing two difficulties: hiding his superhero status from his mother and classmates and trying to find the Black Harrier when he disappears. Sawyer finds another superhero at headquarters, and they learn that a super villain previously thought to be captured or dead is threatening Black Harrier. As crime increases in the city, will they be able to find Black Harrier and rescue the city while maintaining Black Harrier's primary rule: "No killing"?

I picked this out as a short and lighter listen. It definitely has a Batman and Robin or Superman and Super Boy theme and tone. There is an interesting plot, but I wasn’t enthralled with the delivery from the perspective of a teenage boy. It just isn’t my cup of tea but would very likely be fun for young adult readers and fans of the superhero genre.

Audio Notes: I enjoyed the narration by Jack Meloche. He delivers a wide range of voices for the good and evil characters. The pacing is good and moves along well. I am glad I had the opportunity to listen to this.

Source: 6/10/2021 3 books in the series Free from Audible Plus Catalog. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Psycho Inside Me by Bonnie R. Paulson

This is a dark but interesting listen.

Psycho Inside Me
By: Bonnie R. Paulson
Narrated by: Jenifer Krist

Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins
Release date: 03-04-14
Publisher: Bonnie R Paulson
Genre: Dark Fiction, Horror, Psychological, Teen and Young Adult
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.
#Fraterfest

Publisher's Summary
***Mature YA listeners recommended - sexual content, violence, language***
I killed my first victim at thirteen years old - my age, not his. He was going to rape me, him and a couple of his friends. And so, I killed him. And then.... I killed again. And again.
At seventeen, I'm killing four to six times a year - maybe more. Don't stress out. I only go after the pedophiles and rapists. There are more out there than I could cover in a lifetime.
Saying I did this on my own would be selfish. Enforcing justice holds a glory all its own. But now, my lifelong friend and backup, Deegan, has been arrested. I have to decide if I want to give myself up and take his place or leave him with all the damning evidence. I don't want to stop killing. But if I let him take the fall, I can't kill anymore. And I need to keep doing that.
But the worst part of it all? I love him.
Cover artist - Ashley Byland of Redbird Designs
©2013 Bonnie R. Paulson (P)2014 Bonnie R. Paulson

Review:
Cassie was almost raped by a trio of bullies when she was only thirteen. Her childhood friend, Deegan, pulled the boy off of her but in the tussle Cassie accidentally killed the teen boy. Rather than report the event, Deegan helped Cassie dispose of the body and get away before the boys two friends returned to the scene.

On the anniversary of the first killing Cassie finds herself compelled to kill again. She specifically targets another sexual predator and Deegan arrives just in time to help her complete the killing and coverup. This pattern continues and grows. Deegan tries to convince Cassie to stop but she is intent on saving other innocent victims from men she has been able to identify as rapists and pedophiles.

It is surprising that the pair isn’t caught but finally they are betrayed, and Deegan is taken into custody. Cassie is desperate for a way to get him out of jail even if it means she will be arrested. After all she is still a minor when he might be tried as an adult.

This is a dark, macabre read/listen. It is told from Cassie’s viewpoint and the listener is tempted to feel sympathy for her while also being horrified and repulsed. The killings are not fully planned and carried out which seems fitting for the youth of the characters. The tentative and twisted friendship to romance is an interesting element in the story. I attribute a lot to the author’s writing skill to keep this in the edge of bizarre and interesting rather than totally depraved. Still, it is certainly dark, not for the squeamish reader/listener and not actions to be emulated! This is listed under "Children's Audiobooks" at Audible which I think is totally inappropriate. Perhatps YA, teen or NA but physological horror is more accurate. I do recommend it to fans of horror or those, like me, who read monsters and horror for the month of October.

Audio Notes: Jenifer Krist did a fine job with the narration. She adequately provided different voices for the characters, but more importantly for this work, she conveys the twisted, teen mind which I think Ms. Paulson intended.

Source: 4/10/2020 Author Codes. This qualifies for 2020Audiobook and Author review goals and #Fraterfest.

Audio Book Review: Starfire by Jenetta Penner

This a good beginning for a YA sci-fi thriller.
Starfire
The Starfire Wars, Book 1
By: Jenetta Penner
Narrated by: Rebecca Johnson

Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 01-03-20
Language: English
Publisher: Jenetta Penner
Genre: Alien, Dystopian, Teen and Young Adult, Sci Fi
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher's Summary
A lush, new world. A reluctant passenger. A stranger with swirling cyan eyes.
Cassiopeia loathes the idea of leaving her withering home to settle the lush new planet, Arcadia - Earth’s salvation.
Two years ago, her mother died in a horrible accident, and leaving Earth means leaving her memory behind.
But Cassi’s father is the architect of this new, grand civilization, and she has no choice but to go.
So when a terrorist attack strikes and her father is killed, her world falls into complete chaos.
Cassi is plunged into a reality of dark secrets and lies. Everything about Arcadia proves to be a sham, and a war spanning the stars is looming.
Enter a gorgeous, mysterious, and undeniably dangerous boy...
Who either wants to help Cassi...
Or destroy her.
Dreamers and lovers will crave this star-crossed romance and adventure set in a new world.
Listen to Starfire today!
©2018 Jenetta Penner (P)2019 Jenetta Penner

Review:
Cassi isn’t one of the many people from earth who are happy to be on a space ship to colonize a new planet, Arcadia. Cassi’s parents are scientists who were instrumental in locating a compatible planet and arranging for the colonization program from crowded Earth. Sadly Cassi’s mother died in an accident so only Cassi and her father, Richard Foster, plan to move into the new settlement. Shortly before landing Cassi inadvertently hears an altercation between her father and his nemesis, the President of the Board, Elizabeth Hammond. They disagree on how to move forward with development on the new planet with Foster seeking to protect the existing culture and Hammond leading the greedy interests to exploit the mines of the planet.

As the colonists prepare to celebrate the landing, an unprecedented explosion kills Foster and others near the speakers’ platform. Hammond refuses to explain what happened, leaving the event shrouded in mystery and leaving Cassi determined to find out if her father is really dead.

Cassi was in the room when the explosion took place. She had just had an encounter with a strange young man with eyes flashing cyan. When she wakes Cassi finds a new friend, Max, trying to help her. But she has a vague memory of the stranger who pulled her away from the fire. Soon she will begin to wonder who she can trust to help her or who will lead to her destruction.

I would describe this as writing clearly geared to young adult audiences. I did enjoy the sci fi elements and the alien conflict even though I felt many characters, including Cassi, were not deeply developed. Cassi just assumed some companions were safe to share her secrets with while ignoring that some may well have been seeking to betray her. The romance is a quick crush of young love and light contact which is fitting for YA level. Although I am not pulled in by the romance, I am curious to see what develops as the war among the conflicting colonists and the hidden, conflicted aliens progresses. I would be interested in reading book 2.

Audio Notes: Rebecca Johnson does a good job with the narration. Her voice and reading match the YA characters. The narration made it an easy, quick listen.

Source: January 2020 Audible Code from the Author. This qualifies for 2020Audiobook and Author Review goals.

eBook Review: Meet Your Match by Lindzee Armstrong

This is a fun, quick prequel drawing me to the first full book in the series.

Meet Your Match (No Match for Love Book 4)
by Lindzee Armstrong

File Size: 2525 KB
Print Length: 117 pages
Publisher: Snowflake Press (April 8, 2015)
ASIN: B00VVU72Y0
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Teen and Young Adult
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Nothing slows love down like the friend zone.
a No Match for Love prequel novella
Sixteen-year-old Brooke Pierce doesn’t need her mom to tell her all boys are trouble. After watching her dad break up the family for a woman half his age, dating is the last thing on her mind.
On the first day at a new high school Brooke meets Luke, the school flirt with a reputation for heartbreak. He’s interested. She’s not. That only makes him chase her more.
After a shocking revelation from her dad, Brooke and Luke form an unexpected bond, complete with crazy rules to keep them safely in the friend zone. Problem is, that’s the worst place to be when you’re falling in love.
Part of the No Match for Love series, Meet Your Match is a delightfully sweet prequel novella that can be read as a stand-alone. It's sure to delight readers who love Hallmark movies and sweet romance. This series combines complex characters with smart dialogue and a fast-paced plot.

Review:
Brooke is sixteen when her parents separate because her dad has an affair with an employee in his office. Brooke’s mom moves them away from the family home and difficult memories. Brooke isn’t thrilled about having to go to a new school and make new friends. On the first day of school Brooke overhears a conversation between cute Luke and his fun friend Chris. Now Brooke is certain she doesn’t want to get caught up with the cute classmates who are clearly players. Brooke is keeping her distance, even more so when she learns her father is still seeing the younger woman even while participating in required counseling.

Luke really wants to go out with Brooke but he agrees to settle for being her friend after he learns all that she is going through and the distrust she has developed. He hopes that at some point she will accept his sincere interest, but his friend Chris isn’t helping with his competitive antics.

Brooke hopes to make a career of match making after she graduates from high school. She has a knack for seeing whether couples are well suited or need to part ways. Unfortunately, this knack doesn’t apply to seeing her own feelings.

I enjoyed this light romance which reads very quickly. The characters a natural and I appreciated that the story is clean and suitable for YA. There is a sense of frustration as one part of me felt Brooke was being too cautious with Luke but the other said “good thing, they are so young”. The ending leaves the reader hanging. Although this is listed as “book 4” it is actually the prequel to the series. I do want to get the first full book to see what happens. I recommend this to readers who enjoy clean, young romance.

Source: 2017 Author Newsletter Sign up. This qualifies for 2018TBR and Alphabet Challenge.