Charlie the Anomaly

Anomaly Series, Book 1

By: Shae Ford

Narrated by: Emma Galvin

Humanity wasn't always doomed. There was a time when people were actually pretty decent.

Two hundred years ago, every person on Earth was connected through the stream of AVA: a hyper-advanced artificial intelligence system designed to give the world a fresh start. AVA cleansed humanity and rebuilt it on the ideals of progress and peace. With their pasts bleached and their futures filtered out, humans advanced in a startling leap. They thrived in the new world that AVA created.

Then, the virus struck.

Now, after a centuries' long apocalypse, humanity has returned to its violent roots. The few ragged settlements that remain fight each other for what little the Nothing provides and will do whatever it takes to stay alive.

Charlize Smith doesn't know it yet, but her hometown might be the last civilized place on Earth. Born a Defect and forced to undergo a slew of dangerous experiments, Charlie dreams of the day when she can finally set out on her own. But when a tragedy pushes her to the edge, she's arrested and thrown onto a truck bound for the Nothing - where she's probably going to die.

©2018 Shae Ford (P)2018 Podium Audio

So much action... so much story!!!

Wow reading Charlie the Anomaly makes you feel like you are experiencing everything the characters are feeling and doing!!! Being from Texas myself, I can attest to the awfulness of mesquite tree thorns, fire ants, and the unrelenting heat! Ms. Ford doesn't pull any punches for Charlie... she allows you to experience the trials Charlie goes through using her realistic struggles to stay alive in the Nothing. Ms. Galvin's narration properly expresses Charlie's youth and vulnerability, but also has you laughing with her ability to express the quick wit of the author's writing. At the same time cringing through Charlie's fight for survival against some of the worst of humanity. All in all a great read a good marriage of talent between the author and the narration.

a refreshingly good story full of new ideas!

I love scifi, but most of the time they are not made of new ideas. This one is. I was taken by of original it is, and how taking!

I love finding new authors that can make me live the story as I read it and make me wonder.

keep up the good work!

Love Shae Ford’s book

I really enjoyed the Fate's Forsaken books. They’ve become one of my go to set of books to read when I want to get lost in a story.

Charlie the Anomaly does not disappoint! Found the book very interesting and really well narrated. Also found any excuse to stay plugged into audio device.

This book skips most of the annoying tropes that authors rely on and delivers a unique, entertaining and frequently fantastic book with interesting and strong female characters.

Shae Ford has undeniably become one of my favorite authors of all times.

Narrator's cadence made it difficult

This narrator has a VERY distinct cadence to her voice, annunciation, reading and breath timing. Her narrations are always the same regardless what she's reading. Because of this I hard a hard time hearing and feeling Charlie's character, All I heard was Beatrice the main protagonist from the Divergent Series. Charlie and Beatrice sound identical. The director style is identical too.
Usually, I like familar narrators but not this time. Narrators usually switch things up when they read different series from a different author but not Emma.
If you haven't listened to this narrator before you'll be ok. She's decent. But if you get another book with her as the narrator, you'll know and understand. It's sad that the director doesn't direct her better. It is "narration, narration, narration" pause breath. repeat. You hear the period at the end of the sentence. Emma's reading doesn't flow like a good narrator storyteller. She doesn't sound natural. I would of preferred it if she just read the book naturally instead of trying to 'perform' it. She's one of those actors who always preform the exact same way no matter what the role. She does annunciate her words very clearly.
On average I listen at 1.10-1.15 but this book I could go up to 1.30 due to her vocal cadence. This is one of the few times, I believe, it is better to read this book rather than listened to it. Totally unfortunate because the story isn't bad.

Creative, original, different, and beautiful

It’s so different from what I’ve read from Shae Ford in the past but the writing is so descriptive, so engaging, it reminds me that words can be art even as they tell a story. The story itself is reminiscent of Sanderson’s newest book and no less entertaining. I look forward to anything Shae Ford puts out but this series is going to be great.