Variant by Robison Wells

Variant by Robison Wells

Variant series, book 1

Harper Audio, October 4, 2011

8 hours and 5 minutes, narrated by Michael Goldstrom

Book Source: Audible

Benson Fisher thought a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

--Summary From Goodreads.com

Judging by the cover...: I'm about to say something that I can't say very often. Get ready folks... It actually depicts what's going on in the story. I know! I was shocked, too!

Favorite Elements:

• Private School - A common favorite on this blog, but it's true. Although, judging by what goes on at places like this, I'm extremely glad that my parents kept me in public school. Good lord those places are scary, but ripe for good fiction.
• Becky - I can't say much without giving it away, but that girl has a lot of things going for her.
• Paintball - I don't normally like battle scenes, so I was surprised when I found myself looking forward to the paintball wars.

Overall: C- story / C audiobook

If you're looking for a story that makes sense, has a well thought out plot, and does not annoy you once a minute, please do not pick this up. The narrator is too far out of his teens to make a convincing voice for Benson, and I almost stopped listening simply because of this. Benson has a knack for whining about the same idea over and over again, becoming obnoxious after the millionth time he states that he plans to escape. Hey, Benson, let's have less talk and more action!

I was under the impression that it was going to be a stand alone novel, but I was wrong. There's a sequel. Oh joy.

Recommendation: Push the fast-forward button and bypass Benson and Maxfield Academy all together. Variant is predictable, boring, and repetitive, and these are things we can all live without.