Slave, Book 1

By: Laura Frances

Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski

Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

There is no sun. There is no moon. There is only gray - the smog belched from coal-fueled factories. The Workers silently shuffle to their assigned posts. The Outcasts watch from the alley walls. On every corner, a Watcher stands stone-faced, a rifle in hand. This is the only life that exists. Beyond the mountains is a dream. But dreams are foolish in a place like this.

Hannah has spent 19 years dodging Watchers and doing as she is told.

Do not look Watchers in the eye. Don't give them a reason to notice you.

When she wakes to the valley exploding in revolution, Hannah is forced onto a dangerous path, where nothing is what she believed. Suddenly freedom is in her grasp, and the way there requires working with the men she fears most.

©2016 Laura Frances (P)2017 Laura Frances

It was good!

Love this narrator she’s good. She read another book I listened and I loved it. But I feel like she makes her sound to whiny all the time in this one. The main character is a little annoying but I hope gets stronger in the second book. And did the author really have to kill off Eden in is this book? I was a little disappointed over all I really liked it.

Worth your time

Any additional comments?

Great start to a series. Definitely worth your time. A creative, well written, very entertaining, completely engaging and thoroughly enjoyable book. Even though the story starts out a bit slow, it still pulls you right in from the start and keeps your full attention until the end. It was one of those books I wanted to listen to straight through without stopping. I listened every chance I could. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

After a lifetime of indoctrination Hannah's life is changed in an instant. Her whole life has consisted of constantly being afraid, controlled, watched and punished for any small infraction. A worker (slave) in a bleak, dreary, controlling and oppressive society. Suddenly, she and those in her unit are freed from their oppressors. They soon learn they have not been told the truth. There is a world beyond their valley that is different from anything they could have ever imagined.

A revolution is brewing. A revolution intent on freeing everyone from the oppressive Council. Hannah soon finds herself a participant in this revolution.

Great cast of characters. Loved both Cash and Eden but especially Hannah. Loved the growth/change in Hannah throughout the story. She was just an average girl in this world. Which just made her that much more likable. You could understand the wide range of emotions she was going through as her understanding of her world changed.

Several interesting and one heartbreaking twists that I did not see coming.

Stacey Glemboski does a fantastic job with the narration as usual. Every book that I have listened to that she has narrated has been a great listen. Pleasant voice that sounded age appropriate for the characters. Clearly spoken with a smooth even pace. Really good character voices. Her male voices could use a bit more distinction. She was able to convey all the emotions of the characters. She brings the characters and story to life through her narration. Hannah's thought's are a big part of the story. It was always easy to tell when it was her thought's or she was speaking. Not every narrator can pull this off. Hopefully she will be narrating the rest of the series. Very enjoyable

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook b the author, narrator or publisher.

loved

I was provided a free copy of this book for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed listening to this book. I lived the story and the characters. the author did a wonderful job hashing out the characters and the plot.

Beautifully written.

This book was all kinds of awesomeness!! It's been a while since a book captivated me so much but this one did, and it's weird because it's a very bleak world. Everything seems grey and dull and everyone is so cowed and afraid that there is no music, no laughter. Yet the author manages to make you want to be apart of this world!

Hannah has always been told to "Do not look Watchers in the eye. Don't give them a reason to notice you." otherwise bad things can happen. She has always done what she's been told, but has questioned everything in her mind. The day that a revolution, of sorts, takes place, Hannah is caught up in it and now finds herself part of the rebels. How can she try to take down the people that made her this way, when she is afraid?

I have to say, I loved Hannah. She felt "real". She isn't a typical heroine but shines non the less. She is forced to become a rebel, and while she loves the idea of freedom, her submissive behaviour has been so ingrained in her, that she finds it hard. She doesn't feel like she is able to do what the rebels want her to do, but knows she needs to find courage somewhere. There were parts where my heart broke for her and parts where I was rooting for her. She was just such an awesome character, and being in her head just made me love her more.

The romance was a slow burner but nice. It kind of snuck up on Hannah even though the reader can see where it's going. I was happy that Hannah found someone, sort of :) The plot kept a steady pace and was engaging. The world building was amazing though. It's such a bleak world, but the author wrote about it beautifully and really captured the atmosphere and desolation. It was easy to picture.

Anyway, this was such an engaging and entertaining read. Well written and developed, with characters that will capture your heart and a plot that will captivate you, this is a must read! Can Not Wait for the next one!!!

Stacey Glemboski did an amazing job of capturing the feel of the place and she nailed the performance of Hannah. She brought across her cowed spirit but also showed us her inner thoughts and the hope she has in her heart. I need to see what else she has narrated!!

I was voluntarily provided this free copy by the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.

Awesome YA dystopian read...

What made the experience of listening to Slave, Book 1 the most enjoyable?

Starts a little slow but picks up quickly. Shows the bravery of a young woman in a rather hostile environment and how she makes it out and finds friendship and love along the way.

I was gifted with this free book for an honest review.

Will definitely be purchasing the other books from this series.

On the fence about this one

Pros:
1. Solid writing.
2. Likeable main character (kind of a nice change from these kick-butt heroines—I mean, not every girl/woman is a killing machine, which seems to be the standard in this genre these days.)
3. Interesting enough story—I was never bored.
4. Very good audio narrator.

Not so sure about:
1. This is in the adult sci fi category. Probably should be in YA, though the character is 19/20, and the “romance” is about 75% less nauseating than what you find in YA. But she seems young.

2. The novel is very interior—lots of Hannah’s thoughts and feelings and not a lot of action. I don’t need action-packed, but I think this could have used a bit more.

3. The world. All we see is this place (what seems to be a city) with only “workers” who are in essence, slaves. It’s a landscape of buildings and constantly grey skies—the main character has never seen blue skies, the pollution is that bad. They’re in a valley so I guess I’ll buy that. But where are the people they are slaving away for? The council is mentioned, but that’s it. Hannah works in the cosmetics factory but never wonders who uses the cosmetics or even how they’re used. You never SEE anyone but the slaves and the watchers—the black-clad men who keep the slaves in their places by shooting them for the most minor of infractions. They are told that beyond the valley are mountains where wild beasts are. Still, nobody tries to escape? Granted they are given only the minimal amount of food to survive so they aren’t exactly energetic but…

It was good enough that I'll probably listen to the next one as long as the price is low. I would not use an audible credit or spend more than a few bucks.

Good Read

I enjoyed listening to this book. It started off slow, but then the story began to build. Looking forward to the next book.

3.5 stars

I was thrilled to win a free copy of this as an audiobook, even though it was a little outside my normal comfort zone.
Although I quite often read Young Adult novels, I usually tend to shy away from Science Fiction and Dystopian.

The young heroine, Hannah, is trained to obey orders without question and never to look a Watcher in the eye. Her parents are dead and she lives alone in a Unit, with only her elderly neighbours, Norma and Albert, for company.
Norma always assures her that there's more than one side to any story, but Hannah is angry and remains unconvinced.

When revolution turns her life upside down, Hannah is a reluctant heroine, but she also learns what her friend Norma had meant and that not all Watchers are the evil men they appeared to be. In fact, they were as much slaves as her.

The ending let the book down a bit, a bit too convenient., but I can't say too much for fear of spoilers. Some interesting explanations regarding the identity of the Slaves and plenty of opening for the next book in the series.

What struck me, as I was listening to the narrator describing the lives of these workers, who lived only to serve the Council and who were constantly observed by the Watchers, was how much like North Korea this sounded. And as events unfolded, there seemed to be more and more similarities.

The narration by Stacey Glemboski was clear and atmospheric, just sometimes, a bit too breathless in the less exciting passages. She didn't fall into the trap of periodically lowering her voice, which can make audios so frustrating to listen to in background noise.

Although this was a free review copy of the audiobook, my review is completely unbiased.

Fun heroine and great story

I really enjoyed this novel and am excited to dig in to book two! Hannah isn’t your typical heroine. I liked that she had a lot of inner conflict and wasn’t sure about the decisions being made around her. She was a very believable and yet like-able character and I think most women could relate to some of her hesitations and considerations. I loved the description of the Watchers, and how they fit seamlessly into the world. I thought the book was really thought provoking, and had a ton of great twists, especially right before the ending. The romance fit the story but didn’t overpower it. I also appreciated that it was a fun story, but wasn’t juvenile. I received this novel in exchange for an honest review. My feelings are completely honest and my own.

Dramatic

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the first time the workers saw the blue sky and real sunlight. It was so touching.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I felt quite emotional many times during the book. Hannah goes through so much throughout the story and you feel her fear, sadness and joy.

Any additional comments?

The reading was superb, dramatic where necessary and full of emotion.