When We Were Human

By: Kate L. Mary

Narrated by: BettySoo

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

They came four years ago. Invaded our planet, rounded us up, and decimated the human race. We fought back, and some even say we won, but they're wrong. The invaders took everything from us. Our family. Our hope. Our humanity. We won the war, but there are no humans left. Only monsters who will do anything to survive. Some look human and some don't, but they are all the same.

Eighteen-year-old Eva has spent the last year punishing herself for her sister's death and hiding from everyone she comes into contact with, human or otherwise. With the population destroyed and Earth left in ruins, she sees little hope left for the future.

But when she crosses paths with Walker and Tara, something inside her awakens. Something she thought had died along with her entire family. In these new friends Eva sees a promise of what the future could be, as well as evidence that humanity might not be extinct after all.

When a ghost from Eva's past makes an unexpected appearance, the group sets out on a cross-country trek that will teach Eva how to love and hope again, and will remind her what it truly means to be human.

©2015 Kate L. Mary (P)2016 Kate L. Mary

Good book but last 10 min. no sound

I really enjoyed this book but the last 10 min. of the story has no sound. i couldnt make it work in two devices. I hope they upload the complete recording soon. id like to know the ending!

Awesome story!

I love post apocalyptic tales and this one definitely does not disappoint. 5 stars all around!

THIS WAS A GREAT STORY!!!

Eva has just about given up. she is practically feral...She comes across Walker and Tara and of course, she is very leery of them. She knows in this new world you can not trust most people. They are very calm and kind to her and she starts to warm up...They quickly form a bond and Eva comes slowly back to life, learning there is room for friendship and love in the alien apocalypse!! I really enjoyed this story...the characters are really well written, and the narrator was perfect! I hope Kate decides to write another one...I want to know what's going to happen with those leftover aliens...they definitely have a vendetta with Eva!!!

COMPLETELY RECOMMEND!! GREAT LISTEN FOR ANY AGE!!!

Very entertaining and enjoyable

Very enjoyable story. I was really looking forward to this book and was not disappointed at all. The story pulled me in immediately and held my complete attention from start to finish. Even though this is a YA story don't let that stop you. It's a very entertaining and engaging story with a great balance of action, mystery, suspense and friendship as well as a budding romance and a HEA. The action is good without being to bloody or gory, the suspense and mystery are enough to keep the story moving, the budding romance is believable and doesn't turn into love triangle and the HEA is they find what they are searching for and then some.

I really like that it's a complete story and gives you an ending with no cliffhangers. At the same time I'm hoping it will be turned into a series. If it were to be turned into a series I would definitely continue with it.

When your whole world has been devastated and you've everything how far would you go and what would you do to be reunited with those you love.

Good cast of characters. Eva, Walker and Tara were all immediately interesting and likable. Eva is an interesting character. While she's a strong female character she also has her weaknesses. Her inner rage causes her to become as brutal in many ways as the aliens that invaded Earth. At the same time she is battling her own personal demons created by a situation she had no control over and those urges are a weakness she can't control. The hard exterior and her inner mental turmoil/despair make her a great character. Her feelings are realistic and relatable.

The main character Eva does "cut" herself in the story. There is a reason behind her actions but some may find this disturbing or a trigger.

Betty Soo did a really good job with the narration. Pleasant voice that is easy to listen to for long periods of time. Her voice sounded age appropriate for the characters and fit the story perfectly. The little hesitations and pauses in her narration fit Eva's character. Her depression, despair and loneliness and her situation as a whole. Good character voices. Clearly spoken with a nice pace. She was able to bring the characters, their emotions and the story to life through her narration. Very enjoyable.

Chapter 2 There is a slight hissing sound in the background when she is speaking. Not sure how else to describe it.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily provided this review.

A realistic approach to a post apocalyptic world.

One thing I dislike in some young adult post-apocalypse book; clean and perfectly coifed teenagers falling in love. This book is not one of those. We actually get to see the messy part and the not so romantic side of surviving in a word that has been taken away from humankind. Eva is really realistic as a character and we get to see her life through the distress of having lost everything she ever knew and dealing with the built up rage and sadness within her.

At first, I was a little unsure about where the love story was going. I was dreading the typical love triangle or the possible demise of Tara by the invaders, which would propulse Walker into Eva's loving arm. Kate L. Mary surprised me into that sense where she made a believable friendship between Walker and Tara. None of this so-called "friend zone".

I was a little disappointed in the ending, which is why I docked a star. I feel like the book cut out without any ending or anticipation for a sequel. It just ended. I would have loved to hear a little more about Walker and Eva and what happened with the invaders. I thought they were really nicely designed in the story yet I have no satisfaction of knowing the reason they came. Hopefully, a sequel will be written.

I find Kate L. Mary's writing to be easy to listen to yet well written. I am not a native English speaker and loved to hear unusual words. I would definitely love to hear more story from her.

BettySoo, the narrator, does a fantastic job! I feel her performance greatly enhanced this book.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Interesting take on Alien Apocalypse

When We Were Human tells the story of 18-year-old Eva, who was orphaned in the alien apocalypse four years earlier. She and her younger sister survived for years, only to be separated when her sister was abducted by the aliens (or Creepers, as Eva calls them) a year before the story begins. Eva has been wandering alone, doing what she must to find food and shelter, and punishing herself for her sister's capture, for which she feels responsible. Eva meets two other survivors, Walker and Tara, and they set out together to find a place to settle down.

The story has adventure, mild violence, mystery, and a little romance. It's an entertaining book that ends in a way that is satisfying yet open to a sequel. The main characters are largely likeable, although I had trouble relating to Eva's self-harm. The setting is an interesting take on paranormal/apocalypse/sci-fi, but I would have preferred more detail on exactly what happened and the current state of the world. For example, it's unclear if the invasion was limited to the US or occurred all over the world. It's also unclear just how many people are still around and whether there is any effort to rebuild, now that the war has been won by the humans. If there is a sequel, more world-building would be helpful.

The narrator is very good; however, the pauses between sentences were too long for me, so I listened at 1.25x speed, which was a little too fast for some of the dialogue but preferable to lengthy pauses. I enjoyed her tone, style, and voices, though.

Overall, I liked the story. It kept me engaged, and I finished it, which is saying a lot compared to many books I've listened to lately! I recommend this story for anyone who enjoys YA and paranormal/apocalypse/sci-fi books.

I received this audiobook free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

YA Alien Apocalypse

This is more about change in yourself for the better. There is nothing really new but it is not a bad read/listen.

I received a review copy at my request and voluntarily reviewed.

Slow start then pulls you in

It was a slow start and it took me a couple of times starting to get passed the slow hump after that though it really pulls you in and is really good. I wish it would have been a triology..:-( The narration had to be speed up to 1.3 for me and it took several chapters to get use to her voice but, once I did she totally fit and did a great job with all the different characters.

An extraterrestrial good read.

First, I have to start off by stating that I got this book free of charge in exchange for a review, but as I always state, this does not in any way impact my review. My reviews are always honest and my own.

The story is interesting and draws you in right from the beginning. I enjoyed feeling like you are right there with the characters in their world. Couldn't put it down!

An alien race invaded Earth four years ago. Though Earth won, there were few survivors and a mostly decimated landscape remained. Small groups of survivors have banded together in search of a new existence - and humanity. When Eva meets Walker and Tara, she discovers hope for a new beginning.

I enjoyed Eva's story of torment and survival. She had become as ruthless as the aliens that had tried to take over the planet. It was difficult for her to trust others after seeing the worst of mankind when they had been liberated, only to be in another kind of prison. There were some terrifying moments as well as a little romance to keep my interest. The story seemed open-ended at the conclusion and I suspect there might be a sequel. It was mentioned that the aliens that remained appeared to be regrouping for a possible future attack, so I can easily envision another book. BettySoo's voice was age appropriate for the characters and I could easily distinguish between them. She did an excellent job of drawing in the listener and conveying their emotions. When We Were Human was an enjoyable listening experience and I would recommend it.

Good Story!

I received a free copy of this audio book from the author.

I love a lot of this author's stories. This one was pretty good. Sometimes I don't care for the narrators and it turns me off to a book I'd otherwise like. This narrator I liked. Her voice was pleasant and not grating. This is a little different than other stories by this author, but I liked it.