Amped

A Novel

By: Daniel H. Wilson

Narrated by: Robbie Daymond

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Technology makes them superhuman. But mere mortals want them kept in their place. The New York Times best-selling author of Robopocalypse creates a stunning, near-future world where technology and humanity clash in surprising ways. The result? The perfect summer blockbuster.

As he did in Robopocalypse, Daniel Wilson masterfully envisions a frightening near-future world. In Amped, people are implanted with a device that makes them capable of superhuman feats. The powerful technology has profound consequences for society, and soon a set of laws is passed that restricts the abilities - and rights - of "amplified" humans.

On the day that the Supreme Court passes the first of these laws, 29-year-old Owen Gray joins the ranks of a new persecuted underclass known as "amps." Owen is forced to go on the run, desperate to reach an outpost in Oklahoma where, it is rumored, a group of the most enhanced amps may be about to change the world - or destroy it.

Once again, Daniel H. Wilson's background as a scientist serves him well in this technologically savvy thriller that delivers first-rate entertainment, as Wilson takes the "what if" question in entirely unexpected directions. Fans of Robopocalypse are sure to be delighted, and legions of new fans will want to get "amped" this summer.

©2012 Daniel H. Wilson (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

Raves for the New York Times Best seller Robopocalypse:"An ingenious, instantly visual story of war between humans and robots." (Janet Maslin, The New York Times)

"Terrific page-turning fun." (Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly)

" Robopocalypse reminded me of Michael Crichton when he was young and the best in the business. This novel is brilliant, beautifully conceived, beautifully written (high-five, Dr. Wilson)...but what makes it is the humanity. Wilson doesn't waste his time writing about 'things', he's writing about human beings, fear, love, courage, hope. I loved it." (Robert Crais, number-one New York Times best-selling author)

No Michael Crighton but still worth a listen

Some have compared Dr. Wilson, a PHD in Robotics, to Michael Crichton. While they both base their books on their scientific expertise, Dr. Wilson???s story line lacks the imagination of the writer of Jurassic Park; but it is still entertaining.
Amped is a familiar story line about discrimination between super-humans and ???mere mortals,??? (X-men). Set in the near future where people suffering from physical ailments are given neuro implants that not only correct problems such as seizures, ADHD, and Autism, but make them far superior to normal humans. As the group of Amps grows, ???normal" society starts to feel at a disadvantage and passes a law restricting the rights of the Amps. This creates a conflict between the two sides and possible war.
Running from a crime he didn't commit, the hero of the story Owen Grey has a very special implant that he must figure out what exactly it does and how it works before war breaks out.
It???s a quick listen, fast paced, and the narrator Robbie Daymond does a good job; but if you???re looking for a profound concept like extracting Dino DNA from mosquitos stuck in amber, you would be disappointed.

My first Daniel Wilson listen

Complicated where it didn't need to be and yada yada where detail was needed. It is worth the listen but it left me wanting.

Power Outage

'Amped??? certainly sounds awesome and the cover art looks like a button begging to be pressed. In the end though, this book falls victim to an uninspired hero who is almost hopelessly incapable of action. I believe the book ACTUALLY begins at 4 hours and 37 minutes in, when the character finally turns on his amp.

The book focuses more on the notion of second-class citizenship, rather than amplified human abilities. Daniel H. Wilson???s future society is rather thin and hovers on the periphery; it never comes up close. It never immerses you. Don???t get me wrong, the concept is excellent. The slang in the book is pretty cool and the word "amp" or "amped" really worked. Each chapter also has a pseudo- snippet of future news that I thought complimented the story very well, but it just wasn???t enough. Conflicts are half-hearted and confrontations just stop in the middle too many times, as if the characters themselves weren???t really motivated to resolve anything.

Finally, the author???s metaphors and similes become very distracting. There were too many uncalled for descriptions that I couldn???t relate to. ???Like a Martian cyclone,??? or ???like a barbed wire blanket,??? or ???fists like neutron stars.??? What? Some of the metaphors either didn???t make sense or were overwritten??????bruised teeth,??? or ???a rust-kissed screen,??? or ???a yawning doorway.???

The lead character, Owen Gray, best described my reading experience when he said it???s ???like watching someone else???s life, seeing events unfold precisely according to a plan that nobody told you.???

Great potential but falls short

This story of enhanced humans had great promise. I mean, who wouldn't want to learn they had superhuman powers? The main character was likable and I wanted to root for him, but what a wimp he turned out to be. Sure, he found his strength in the end but he ended up on the short end of just about every fight he was forced in to, nearly beaten to death a dozen times despite his "powers" and vomited or got lightheaded from all the violence more than a frat boy with a hangover at sping break. If your given superhuman abilities wouldn't you try to change the world for the better and embrace them? The romantic element seemed forced as well and we barely got to know any of the supporting cast. The whole story justs seemed rushed and there doesn't appear to be a setup for a sequel. It read more like a short story that was rushed out to the public. On the bright side, I really like the narrator. He seemed right for the character and did other voices well.

If you liked Robopocalypse...save your credit

Would you try another book from Daniel H. Wilson and/or Robbie Daymond?

After this one.... now I have my doubts

Would you ever listen to anything by Daniel H. Wilson again?

Possibly, but only after strong recommendations from other listeners.

What aspect of Robbie Daymond???s performance would you have changed?

Performance was fine, the content of the book just did not deliver.

What character would you cut from Amped?

They all need work.....

Any additional comments?

I was a fan of Wilson's Robopocalypse so I was expecting more of the same action and interesting story-line. This book simply did not deliver. I found it boring, predictable, and was very disappointed.

Some redeeming qualities. But...

Not a bad book. Some characters I liked and rooted for. And some interesting plot twists and turns. The big problem with this book is the premise and the underlying technological argument. It's just terribly hard to believe that society would shun hundred of thousands of citizens who have performance-enhancing implants. The voice in my head kept saying, "That could/would never happen..." And it spoiled the book for me. The premise behind the X-Men story is essentially the same as this book, but because having mutant power is so outside the realm of our experience, and having implants isn't, this book's assertions don't get past the brain's ability to match text with known facts.

Disappointed

I never got into this book. The story was anti-climactic throughout for me. In order for a book to be good (IMO) you have to feel a connection to the characters. That just never happened for me. The story line was interesting enough but did not keep my interest. I think the narrator was handicapped by the prose in this book.

Dark, a bit depressing, too much ethics...

The concept of a cyber-enhanced mankind isn't new, so any novel using that as a lynchpin should present new ideas, or at least a strong plot to carry it along. This story, unfortunately, while well written, does not have that support to move forward, and bogs down with prejudicial ethics, so much to the point that such prejudice is essential to the very storyline. That's too bad, because in this case, there was so much the author could have done to take us on a fresh journey. Also, there has to be a great reason to take that journey, as well as a reward for taking such a journey. Too little, too late, and too depressing. The characters needed more depth for the reader/listener to invest in - Without that, it's a shallow read/listen.

That being said, the the plot became predictable, and very two dimensional. It's not a BAD audiobook, but it's obvious that it could have been MUCH better. I hope to hear more work from Wilson - And practice CAN make perfect. Just not in this audiobook.

Do you consent?

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

Very engaging book, great action, and good character development. The story was original and not overly predictable.

What does Robbie Daymond bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Robbie Daymond did a good job with this narration. He gave variety to the characters and voiced them in a very believable way.

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

At times, the tension was very palpable to me. I found myself talking to the characters to make choices they weren't ready for. Very engaging.

Any additional comments?

Very enjoyable book. I would highly recommend it to adult audiences.

I enjoyed it

If you could sum up Amped in three words, what would they be?

wanted more time

What other book might you compare Amped to and why?

?

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

no, but he is good

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

? i am not sure

Any additional comments?

This is a good one