• The City Center

  • The New Agenda, Book 1
  • By: Simone Pond
  • Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
  • Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (26 ratings)

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The City Center  By  cover art

The City Center

By: Simone Pond
Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
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Publisher's summary

Ava didn't want to be right. Not about her city. Not about their leader, Chief Morray. But when Joseph gives her a secret journal from the past, the truth is revealed. She escapes with Joseph to the Outside, sending Chief Morray on an obsessive pursuit to retrieve his property. Ava has to decide if she should keep running, or return to the city center to save her people.

Gold Medal Winner Dystopian Fiction - Readers' Favorite.

©2013 Simone Pond (P)2015 Simone Pond

Critic reviews

"This story is decorated with familiar things, and at its heart contains thrilling characters and heroic journeys." ( RevolutionSF) "The power of this novel actually comes from the world building and the action." ( Smart Girls Love Sci-fi) "The revelations before the conclusion are properly shocking and quite insidious." ( SF Crowsnest)

What listeners say about The City Center

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Pond has beautifully crafted a bleak future

Several hundred years in the future, an elite group of humans live in a sheltered and controlled society. Protected by a dome from the outside poisonous air and toxic radiation from the sun, the inhabitants live out their 36 years in the rolls they were engineered for. At the end of this brief period of labor, they retire to “Red Haven” a paradise of leisure.

Ava, along with a handful of others, have been bred to live at the top of society called the royal court. At 18, as the most beautiful and perfect of all engineered beings, she will be queen. But she suspects something is wrong with society and with their creator, Chief Morray.

City Center often follows the classic, “Brave New World,” with its story of an engineered working class and its bred-to-perfection ruling class. Though it eventually departs, the parallel is obvious and perhaps meant to be a nod to Huxley’s masterpiece. There is also the feeling of the perfect society on the surface, but something terribly wrong brewing underneath.

Pond has beautifully crafted a bleak future, the toxic landscape spreading across the earth, with only the protection of the City Center dome for those lucky few born into its cocoon. The mood is established immediately and well.

The protagonist Ava starts off promisingly enough, a strong female character, who at only 18 takes incredible risks with her life to save those around her; but later seems to devolve into a victim, dependent on the stronger males around her. This was somewhat disappointing, and an opportunity missed in this reviewer’s opinion. You may decide otherwise. It is a detail and the book is enjoyable, none-the-less.

The story is read beautifully by Sarah Zimmerman. She has a clear strong voice that conveys the mood and dystopian landscape, author Simone Pond has so lovingly crafted.

Pond has taken the idea of genetic manipulation to organize society, now nearly 100 years old, and made it her own. As we move into real genetic engineering of human beings, the idea can and should be continually explored; especially for its moral implications as Pond has done. City Center is part of a series, but wraps up nicely, feeling like a completed novel with just a bare hint of what may come next. It is a thoroughly entertaining book that deserves a listen.

Audiobook provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

AMAZING STORY!!!! LOVED IT!!!!

If you could sum up The City Center in three words, what would they be?

Fabulously well written!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The City Center?

The end, when Ava stands up for the people!!

Have you listened to any of Sarah Zimmerman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't think so, but I would, she nailed it!!!!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Ava first realizes she has been lied to her whole life...I felt very bad for her..

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

I loved this, I am a fan of dystopic society books...and this is one of the better ones I have listened too! I love the concept of a society being manufactured and re-uploaded into pre-made bodies over and over again....This society is a cross between old style because of the monarchy and new style because everyone is micro-chipped.... Ava has never felt she belonged, she has feelings and emotions...and most people do not because of the way they were wired, so to speak...well Ava comes across an outsider who gives her a book, and thing from there become clearer and clearer to her...she helps this man escape before he goes on trial...and her whole world changes....

AWESOME BOOK! I RECOMMEND! I WILL CONTINUE THIS SERIES!

Thank You, Audiobookblast(dot)com

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

There is Freedom

Simone Pond's praise worthy and unique dystopian novel truly captures the idea of how humanity's desire for control and perfection can lead to dire consequences, but through community, perseverance, and above all faith, one can be set free from the slavery of life.


Sarah Zimmerman was ideal for this narration. Her cadence was spot on and I was wholly impressed by her ability to subtly portray each character with ease and little need for flare.

I was truly impressed by this novel and would recommend it to all.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A city created in the destruction of the world...

If you could sum up The City Center in three words, what would they be?

Dystopian, Science, Realization

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ava, who's the main character is my favorite. She is different from others in the city and thinks out of the box guidlines that were given to her. She's created new but she's created with a purpose, and she fights that purpose. She grows through the book to become more than a shell.

Which scene was your favorite?

I would have to say the escape of Ava and Joseph. This shows how crafty Ava is and starts to show us that the world on the outside is different than we believed as residence of the city. That there's a whole history we are learning about, and things are different even from what we think they are in the city.

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

I didn't laugh or cry at the story, but I was attracted to the story as I wanted to see what would happen next. What would the characters do in reaction. And I had to see more of the world that was created here. The world and it's people are so intricately entwined that the story drew the world for us at the same time.

Any additional comments?

I loved Sarah's tone at the beginning of the story. Ava is not happy with the way life is specifically drawn out for her, from the day of her inception. Sarah's tone sounds as it follows suit with Ava's feelings. She carries attitude, good and bad, very well in her voice. Sarah's voice has become Ava for me. She felt to slip into Ava's character in all of Ava's emotions and story. The fact that someone was reading me the story slipped away as I listened to Ava unfold and her adventure happen.

The story starts off with a strong first chapter. It builds the world and our main character, Ava, with curiosity on my behalf as a reader. There are small hints dropped of the world, inside the walls and outside, along with Ava possibly being different. This chapter was well done to bring me to want to continue. I had to pay attention closely in the audio as there is a lot of information here along with the feeling of the characters. This already feels like a deeper world and creation. It made me want to continue on even more.

The world is a combination of life in villages out in the world and technology. This had a scifi feel to the creation of the people, but it's not a complete science fiction story. This story has a dystopian side to it as the background for the creation of City Center.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book!

A very well written, performed and interesting book. The characters come alive and draw you into the world!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

makes you think

this story was really interesting. it makes you consider what it would take to bring society down and how far a government would go to keep control. It is a long book but it kept my attention the whole time. definitely worth it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great read

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."

enjoyed listening

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Insurgent fans will love this story!

Any additional comments?

The City Center by Simone Pond is an excellent Dystopian story that is a cross between The Hunger Games and Insurgent. It includes a compelling love story, action and adventure, as well as the fight for freedom.

The story centers on Ava who grew up knowing she would compete one day to be queen of City Center. City Center is a biosphere that was built over 200 years ago when it became too dangerous to live on the outside of Los Angeles. Their leader is Chief Morray, who over the years engineered the human population for the skills and aptitude needed for each of their intended professions. Ava has never relished the idea of being chosen to be queen one day and instead enjoys independent ideas (which she keeps secret) and the desire for something more. That "more" comes in the form of Joseph who is an outsider; soon Ava's world, and her life, are in grave danger.

I listened to the Audible version of this story narrated by Sarah Zimmerman. She had great intonation and pace, including differing voices for male and female characters as appropriate. I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable read

What did you love best about The City Center?

I loved the concept. At first I was worried that this would be something akin to the divergent series. But that was not the case. The story was unique. It was a society that had been genetically created to fulfill certain roles and to maintain the status quo. Then there were those who live on the outside of the city who are regular - not part of the system. Those who lived in the city had grown up believing that the outside was ruined..dangerous/deadly and filled with disease etc.

Then we learn more about the city and the darker going ons. But I wont go into detail so not to ruin the story.

The ending did help roll things up nicely. But it did leave some wiggle room for another book.

Which character – as performed by Sarah Zimmerman – was your favorite?

I liked quite a few characters. Eva and Joseph made good - good guys

and Chief Morray made a very good bad guy. Unfortunately a lot of the other characters werent that fleshed out. And I kind of wish we got to know more about some of the other 10 contenders aside from Eva.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to this book a lot faster than I do many. I dont think I can ever read a book in a sitting (short attention span). But I read through this story a lot faster than is usual.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was gifted to me from Audiobook Blast for an honest review.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The City Center - would make a good movie

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Sure, anyone who is a fan of the dystopian genre and who wants a fun quick read (listen) should check it out.

What did you like best about this story?

I definitely liked the main character Ava. She is quick thinking and acting and knows what to say and when to say it.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the scene when Ava addresses the residents of the City Center (near the end of the book).

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

This would definitely make a good film! The tag line could be The New Agenda truth will be revealed.

Any additional comments?

The City Center is an interesting futuristic dystopia with sci-fi elements that I found very interesting. The people living in the City Center are genetically engineered to be a certain way, and only later do we realize the true sinister purpose for this. I thought the overall premise was great, the main character Eva is pretty dang awesome, and the villain is kind of a mad genius. I liked how Eva was already different and after reading the journal given to her by the Outsider and using her wit, she starts to see how things are not what she has been brainwashed to believe. However, I think this book is a little on the short side and honestly would make a better movie than it does a book. There is a ton of action and a lot of dialogue, but I don’t feel there is enough of a descriptive nature that I have come to expect in novels. It felt rushed and was more “tell” than “show”. Even though this is a series book, everything you expect to be in a dystopian trilogy happens here – from the world introduction and the conflict, to the escape, the capture, and finally the overthrowing of the current system (though there is an unresolved issue that can be continued in further books). That is just too much for one short book, and so most of it felt like I was reading a summary rather than the unfolding events leading up to the finale. Sure, I don’t like when a story drags out over books just to sell more books, but this one has the opposite problem. (After reading the blurbs for the other books in the series this kind of makes sense, as each subsequent book follows a different character in a different timeline in the New Agenda world.)

I was provided this audio book in exchange for my honest review from Audiobook Blast.

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