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Slave, Book 1  By  cover art

Slave, Book 1

By: Laura Frances
Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
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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

What listeners say about Slave, Book 1

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not quite there....

The book has great potential, but lacks the building of the characters which carries the storyline to the end.
I struggled to listen to this book to the end of the story..... it just did not keep my interest.

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6 people found this helpful

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

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.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

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.

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5 people found this helpful

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

.One of the best dystopian society books I've read

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

The book was incredible .Its set in one of the most dystopian societies I have ever read about.It was eerily beautiful the way that Laura Frances showed us this world and the journey that we get taken on was one nobody should miss out on.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Slave, Book 1?

I really liked that the story was told primarily from Hannah's point of view.She is a reluctant heroine but a heroine none the less.Things were bad for her before the revolution but during and the time after the main events showed her strength of character in the face of such a dehumanising world and situation.I loved her resilience and her ability to adapt .

What about Stacey Glemboski’s performance did you like?

I had a very emotional reaction to this book. The emotional journey for the listener is up to the performer, and Stacey Glemboski delivered in a big way. She kept me engaged in the book, and elicited a wide array of emotional reactions.

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

A reluctant heroine thrust in to a grey grey world.Can she bring hope to her situation?

Any additional comments?

I received this title for free in exchange for an unbiased review.I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

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4 people found this helpful

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

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.

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3 people found this helpful

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

boring and predictable

I could not finish this book. I could not listen to the week willed and constantly crying protagonist for one more second.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • TU
  • 10-02-18

weak and whiney main character...

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

So, I'm really torn with this book. It was kind of interesting, but the main character is kind of whiney and seems worthless for a 19/20 year old who grew up in a dystopian world. The overal premise, and the great narration is the only thing that got me through the book. I already committed myself to listening and reviewing book 2, but if it weren't for that, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't go for book 2.

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2 people found this helpful

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

The best and worst of human nature

I'm not really sure where to start, honestly I'd rather be listening to it again than taking the time to write this review.

I don't want to give anything away that would affect your enjoyment of the book, but I will say that this is a story with layers, there are lots of secrets and things are not as they seem.

The story deals with some pretty awful parts of human nature but it's balanced with the good as well. The characters are interesting and complex and their interactions are even more complex.

The narration is spot on, enhancing the emotions created by the story. The character voices were impressive, at times I forgot that I was listening to just one person.

This book was supplied free by the author/narrator/publisher and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.

If you found this review helpful would you please take a moment to click yes below, thanks

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2 people found this helpful

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

Don’t waste your money

Ok so the book was written beautifully and I honestly did like the story line, BUT the main character was so helpless. I mean she literally did nothing and then they parsed her like she was the bravest person in the world. She cried so much like girl stop crying and do something. If she hadn’t relied SO MUCH on the other guys and had a back bone I probably would have liked this book. Seriously don’t get this book, I think the author’s writing and story telling is amazing but I think she needs to work on making her characters more likable. (I won’t be getting the second book)

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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

This was a great book one

Any additional comments?

I listened to this book equating much of what Hannah, the main character, went through with what I learned in school about slavery in America. The fear, lack of hope, hunger and pain were palpable. This was a dystopian society past or future but many of the real themes of slavery and the slavery mentality were evident throughout. Bravo author.

The narration was incredible. Most of the book took place inside Hannah's head. We felt her fear, her dashed hopes, her innocence.

I loved this listen on so many levels. I look forward to book two.

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