Variant

Author: Robison Wells

Series:  Variant, Book 1

Year: 2011

Publisher: Harper Audio

Narrator:  Michael Goldstrum

Audible Synopsis:

Benson Fisher thought that 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. 

I enjoyed this audiobook a lot. I liked Benson and loved some of the supporting characters such as Becky and Jane. It's a very action packed story with lots of cool twists. Although, I do have to admit that at times it felt a lot like The Maze Runner.  And there's the obvious comparisons to Lord of the Flies. Wells does a good job of telling a story and what was with that ending! This is the first time I remember coming across this narrator and I really liked him. Overall, it wasn't a fantastic, wonderful and amazing book but it is well worth the read. I will definitely be reading the second book in the series.

On a side note, I listen to the author and his brother, Dan Wells' podcast, Do I Dare to Eat a Peach? It's a great podcast and so much fun. I love listening to the make their lists and talk. It's one of my favorite podcasts. I highly recommend it. You can find it on iTunes.