Welcome to the Occupied States of America

By: Peter Cawdron

Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo

Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Ashley Kelly is your typical American teenager - or she would be if it wasn't for the cluster bomb that crippled her. Seven years after the invasion, over a hundred million Americans have been displaced by the war, with millions more dead. Ash has spent seven years learning to walk again, and she'll be damned if she's going to lie down for anyone, human or otherwise.

©2016 Peter Cawdron (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

love the first contact series!

the first contact series is a fantastic series, they're all unique and interesting, highly recommend

Good listen

It was captivating, but a little slow at times. Still held your attention and stirred your emotion.

Wonderfully done.

Any alien invasion story in one book, told through the point of view of a crippled teenage girl. This had everything needed for a successful story - realistic dialogue, developed characters, full arch...I highly recommend this one.

excellent story

it was a different look at apocalyptic fiction. Good lead character and story line.

fabulous!

I don't remember where I found this book but I'm so glad I got it because I thoroughly enjoyed it. The narration was spot on and the story line was fabulous. It was a really interesting take on alien invasion from the viewpoint of a teenage girl who is a cripple in a wheelchair and living through I never ending war that they can't even figure out why they're fighting and certainly not how To win.

I love this book!

I appreciate Ashley's, the protagonist, snide humor... Get this exchange!

"Do you have baggage?” a Mexican woman asks. “Physically, or metaphorically?” I ask in reply, but my comment goes past the goalkeeper and straight into the net. She misses it completely."... [She keeps writing]...
..."In my mind, I’d like to imagine she’s composing a haiku...
Crippled girl in a wheelchair,
Clothed in dust and sweat,
Grubs eat babies.
OK, the last line has only has four syllables, but it’s got sufficient shock factor to work."

Oh my goodness this is rich! Thanks Peter!

I know that "Oh, Wow!" ... isn't a real review! But I keep finding myself saying, 'oh wow,' throughout the book... either that or simply, 'I love this.'

I have said in the past that I haven't met a book by Peter Cawdron that I haven't enjoyed, and Oh-Boy-Howdy, does he ever deliver this time! This is a fast action, apocalyptic story that makes you think. The story is told from the POV, of Ashley, a girl who is mostly confined to a wheelchair. Ashley is amazing and not about to let anything, let alone wheels-instead-of-walking, get in her way... When I finished the book, I went ahead and purchased another, gifting it to a friend... So go get your copy today, and see what you think! Now excuse me, I need to reread the ending!
A couple of years later, I've just re-read/listened to the audio version, and I don't feel any difference for the love I hold for this book. If anything I love the book more as it felt like Lauren Ezzo the narrator was actually channelling Ashley as she rolled that damn wheelchair to the books conclusion...

This isn't like any other alien book ever!

Welcome to the Occupied States of America
By: Peter Cawdron
Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
Everytime I listen to one of Peter Cawdron's books I feel so satisfied and refreshed. I love his books. I feel my brain has gotten what it has been craving. This book was no different.
This is after the arrival of alien life but it is not like any other alien life in any other book! No, this is soooo different and strange. I wish I could invite all sci-fi lovers to PLEASE read his books. A girl in a wheel chair, a touch chick she is, she is the one that makes this book POP, her and Chuckles, lol. I can't and won't give more details but read some of his books.
Awesome!!!
The narrator, oh my god!! Perfect!!! I felt like I was there, I almost forgot I was home and not there with the soldiers and the girl. She is one heck of an actress!

Intelligent Sci-Fi Cawdron is a Genius

Where does Welcome to the Occupied States of America rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Easily in the top 10

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ashley Kelly as a 17yr old girl caught up in a world that has been at war with aliens for nearly a decade, and was disabled in a bomb strike and has had to not only grow up in this world, but survive through numerous operations in a world in which surgery is difficult to find now, Ash has had to grow up quickly. As a result, she is quick witted, sarcastic to a fault, highly intelligent, has her moments of compassion, and would rather be eaten by aliens than deal with bureaucracy - and she is happy to let bureaucrats know this at every opportunity.
She is by far, one of the best characters in this book, and as with all of Cawdron's writing, an exceptional character.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are numerous scenes that could be listed here, but as someone who recently has found themselves having to use a wheelchair, the scene in which she stops and turns to find dozens of wheelchairs following her along a deserted highway is both terrifying, and at the same time, highly amusing - when you read this you will understand it. And if you are unfortunate enough to have to use a wheelchair, you are never going to look at yours in the same way again...'Chuckles....is that you....'

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

It is difficult to discuss those without actually giving away significant spoilers.

Any additional comments?

‘Welcome to the Occupied States of America’ tells the story of Ashley Kelly, a 17yr old girl with spinal injuries and mostly confined to a wheelchair. How did she get these injuries? Fleeing an alien invasion and getting bombed in the process. We join her 7yrs after the alien invasion has begun, as she is trying to survive in this new world, and as she has mostly adapted to her new body. And facing aliens, called ‘Grubs’ that can strip anything, including a human of all its flesh, in seconds. No one knows why they are here, but they have either killed or displaced most of the human population.
This is the incredible story of a disabled girl in an alien war zone, trying to not just survive, but help the survival of the human race.
Whilst this might seem the usual story, teenage girl, alien invasion, survival story, you have to remember, it's a Peter Cawdron story. And for anyone that knows Cawdron, you know that this is going to be a fascinating ride, with engaging and clever characters. And Cawdron doesn’t disappoint.
This has been made all the better by the Narration of Lauren Ezzo, who has a rather beautiful voice, and is able to reproduce the voice of what you would consider the sarcastic tones and sounds of an irritated 17yr old with consummate ease (I have to have some pity for her parents on hearing the way she delivered some of the lines in this story!)
However, she is totally brilliant, and brings Ashley to life. She also does a stunning job with the other voices in the story, portraying male and female voices extremely well.
Cawdron makes reference to paying homage to ‘War of the Worlds’, and whilst this story does have a similar feel (as well as to his earlier work ‘Xenophobia’), this is an outstanding story, that is at sometimes funny, other times heartbreaking, and times terrifying to the point you will want to turn on the light and poke various objects just in case (You will get this once you read it). If you are a fan of ‘War of the Worlds’, you will love this.
One of the key points that Cawdron explores through the book is peace, as in, what happens when you can’t win or lose a war? This is what makes this story so incredibly fascinating and different.
The most amazing part of Cawdron’s work is his characters. There is so much realism in how he writes Ash, her emotional state, what she is thinking, feeling, even down to her physical sensations when she is in the chair.
He does a masterful job of describing her physical disability, her pain and the attitude that comes with it, and her resolve to go on. As someone with a chronic back injury, I could relate to some elements of Ash, and found it incredible the writing job that Cawdron had done to bring this girl to life. Even when she is flung out of her chair at one stage, it's like Peter has actually thrown himself out of a chair so he knows how it feels and can write it clearly.
Without giving away too much of the story, there are several other characters in the story as Ash proceeds along her path, and they are all equally incredible, so much depth.
However, it is not until the end, do we really see Cawdron’s true brilliance come to light, as the plot unfolds, and the dialogue between several of the characters plays out. The realism of the scenes and those involved, the conflict, angst, torment for fighting what you believe in, this is the writing that makes Peter Cawdron the exceptional character author he is, and the reason you should listen to this story.
This is a story for anyone who loves great Science Fiction. If you like a story with wonderful characters, then this is a story for you too.
Peter Cawdron just keeps getting better, and this is another example of his writing masterclass.

Wow! a novel with punch.

This is truly different take on alien invasion. I cheered for the teenager in her wheelchair. she has grit, compassion, and more common sense than many adults.

I highly recommend this book.

The reader was very good. She smoothly moved between the characters, never confusing them. Kudos!

SPECTACULARLY AWESOME

this was beyond just a good book it almost seemed as a awesome retailing of true events it was that good and believable this my 3rd book by this author and I will be listen or reading more a d the narrator was extremely perfect for this book and yoh could easily tell which character she was on but she was spot on for main character