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Watcher
- The Watcher Series, Book 1
- Narrated by: Chelsea Stephens, Steve Campbell
- Series: The Watcher Series, Book 1
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
Publisher's Summary
2019 Independent Audiobook Award winner for Young Adult
Hunt the bots. Avoid the carbons. Stay alive.
Sawyer’s life is simple, if not easy. Her home might be in ruins, but she can protect what’s left of it.
A city destroyed by the bots - that’s home. Humans have been hunted, but Sawyer is one of a few who have turned the tables. She’s a watcher. Taking out the bots one by one. Protecting what’s left. It’s the carbons she needs to be wary of. Faster and stronger than humans, they’re dangerous. But Sawyer’s smarter. That will keep her alive.
At least, that’s what she believed. But the carbons are evolving, and their plans are ever more cunning. Suddenly her friends are dying. Safety can no longer be taken for granted - not even for the watchers. At least she has Kenzie. Love is a strong word, but whatever they have, it’s what keeps her going.
Embarking on a desperate mission to save humanity from extinction, Sawyer discovers that the line between friend and foe is no longer easily drawn when one of her own betrays them.
And when a horrific plan comes to fruition, Sawyer will have a choice: who to save, and who to let go.
Divergent meets Terminator in this epic YA trilogy. Get it today.
"A strong start to an exciting dystopian series that promises to be a thrilling trilogy.” (Library of Clean Reads)
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What listeners say about Watcher
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brian
- 2018-10-11
YA Dystopian Done Right
4.5 out of 5 stars
I'm not always a fan of when an author includes an "it's like this thing you like meets this thing you like". It always feels like they are trying to link themselves to something more famous even if their books have nothing to do with it (or very little). Fortunately, for Watcher - Eversley was dead on. It was really like Divergent meets Terminator. It had the dystopian groups (the Watchers reminded me a lot of Dauntless). And then there were humanoid robots and Cabrons who were out to destroy the remaining humans in pretty much any way they could. I'd say that comparing it to those two films (and books) was pretty dead on.
Sawyer was a slight cookie cutter heroine but it didn't take away from the story at all. She was kind of reckless - putting herself and others in danger when she didn't really need to, wasn't really a rule follower, etc. While these are all the norm for books like this. Sawyer was given a little more to like. The guy she meets later in the story is also a little typical (sort of bad boy but also good for her). In my eyes, in YA books like this, it's as much about the world and the interaction with it as it is the characters. I also assume it's really hard to make a standout and unique character when you have the Katniss and Tris's of the YA Dystopian world without making them a little similar.
I was a big fan of Divergent and I thought that Eversley created a world that was more interesting while also making the story stand on its own. Sawyer was one of those should be forgetful characters but something stuck out to me about her. I think the flashbacks and the "it's been 10 years" parts of the book (taking her from 8 to 18) made me feel for her on a deeper level. Realizing that she was basically raised to be a Watcher and nothing else (no teenager moments, boys, etc).
I've never read anything by Eversley before - but I will be continuing the series. I think that it translated really well to audio especially with Chelsea Stephens at the helm. She was able to give a voice to Sawyer - allowing her to jump off the page. The addition of Steven Campbell was also needed in my opinion. For Chelsea to read his parts (even if they were in the third person) would/could have been jarring. But having a male narrate the major male character (especially while getting a glimpse into his mind) really stood out to me. I think it was needed and allowed Chelsea to focus on moving Sawyer forward without much distraction or interruption.
Overall, a YA Dystopian novel that was a genuine surprise to me. So many books try to be the next YA hit and fail on so many levels - but Eversley including the typical YA fare with brooding teenagers, first loves, and suspense. But also threw in a lot of heart, some betrayal (I guess this is pretty typical too), and freakin' robots!
If you liked Divergent or Terminator - give this one a try. If you like YA Dystopian Trilogies - I couldn't imagine this letting you down. I requested a free copy of this book - it has not affected my review in any way.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Midwestbonsai
- 2019-03-22
Who is being Watched?
Sawyer is a strong, street smart young woman who has sworn her life to protecting humans and their humanity from the evilness of a power-hungry scientist. Everything Sawyer knew is false, everything she believed is false and everything she feels is false. With her head spinning, she pursues her hunt of carbons and bots without mercy trying to save the innocent.
AJ Eversley built a strong world with equally strong characters and a storyline that captures the attention of her listeners. The character development is well done, the dialog matches each character and the way they move throughout the story is realistic. Some parts are predictable, most are not. Eversley has a talent for throwing curve balls into her plot twists. Although a bit dark, there are humanizing pieces that make the listener smile – Chevy (dog not the car or actor), teenage love angst and discovering oneself. Rich in detail and vivid descriptions Eversley paints the story with words. Although it is a story of robots taking over the world that has been done in several different ways, Eversley brings a fresh take to it.
The narrators, Chelsea Stephens and Steve Campbell, performance was well done. I enjoyed having Campbell narrating the male thoughts and Stephens narrating the female thoughts. It helped give more perspective to the situations, you were seeing it from two points of view. Stephens and Campbell’s performances were excellent. They provided a connection between the characters and listeners helping to move the story along at a good pace.
I cannot wait to see what Sawyer does, as she continues to uncover half-truths and discovers just how deep the evilness goes.
There were no issues with the production or quality of the audiobook, it was clear and crisp.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.
Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rebecca
- 2019-01-16
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!
I was hooked from the beginning to end!!! Its a great start to a series that I will definitely keep up with. Between the author and the 2 narrators, you could just feel like you were there witnessing all that was happening. Would definitely recommend to anyone that loves dystopian fiction...
I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dawn H
- 2018-11-24
Great beginning to a great series
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by AJ Eversley. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
I read Watcher last year and it was a book I could have read again so when I had the chance to listen to the audiobook, I was thrilled.
It’s after World War III and Sawyer is a Watcher, one of a team that watches for and kills Bots and Carbons in the devastated city of Cytos. Bots used to serve people but suddenly turned on them. Carbons are more like humans than robots and are more difficult to kill than Bots. The Watchers also try to rescue people who are stranded in other parts of the city.
The Watchers live in a self-sufficient bunker with hundreds of other people. Sawyer has lost her parents and learned that it’s best to not get too close to others so that she won’t be hurt. That’s easier said than done. When they found her, Kyle took her under his wing and trained her to be a Watcher so he’s like a big brother to her. Then they rescue some people and one of them, Kenzie, takes her breath away. She tries to deny the attraction between them but will she be able to hold out?
When things suddenly start to fall apart, Sawyer finds out that everyone has secrets and she knows that she’s going to have to rethink who she trusts or if she should ever trust anyone.
I like AJ Eversley’s writing style and her characters are complex and well developed. The narrators did a great job with timing, inflection, and character voices. I especially like that there was one narrator for Sawyer’s chapters and one for Kenzie’s chapters.
Watcher is full of action, heartbreak, loss, twists, and betrayal. If you like The Hunger Games or The Divergent series you’ll like The Watcher series.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Turning Another Page
- 2018-11-21
Watcher
If your streets and the buildings around you were all empty, how would you react? It would be quite lonely, one would imagine–if you were one of the only humans left, fighting against robots fro the survival of the human species? That is a lot of pressure for one person to have. Eversley has a gripping science fiction novel that will pull readers in quickly and keep them hanging on every detail.
Sawyer is a watcher. That means that she is one of the last humans who can fight against the Bots and Carbons to protect humanity–what’s left of it. Someone started a mass war years ago to wipe out the humans to make way for a more advanced species, Carbon copies of humans. They look like humans, but are stronger, faster, able to heal rapidly and hard to kill. With the human population dwindling down quickly, Sawyer and the rest of her team must figure out a way to get the upper hand on their power source. Finding a building with human survivors so close to Carbon territory, Sawyer knows that this mission could very well be a trap–but they still have to try to save them. Once the mission ends and the humans are safely brought back to their underground base, Sawyer does the one thing that she vowed never to do. Her feelings for one of the survivors has clouded her judgment and left her vulnerable…vulnerable to her emotions and maybe even vulnerable enough to be betrayed. With time against them, Sawyer and her team know that the biggest fight that they’ve ever had to face will be coming soon and most of their team may not come out alive.
Eversley has a superb story-line, filled with creativity, world-building, and originality. We’ve all heard and seen science fiction novels and movies, but Eversley brings a new twist to fold. The pace is quick and steady from the beginning and carries through the entirety of the story. She is provide that urgency to understand the depth of endangerment the human race faces. Since this review compliments the audiobook, both narrators did fantastic work with voice relay. The scenes were vivid for the imagination and characters were credible. This is the first installment in the Watcher Series, so readers can jump right in. If you are interested in action and science fiction, this may a perfect fit. Fair warning, once you plunge into this novel, you may find yourself picking up the rest of the series soon after.
An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a five-star rating to Watcher by AJ Eversley.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Keith LaDue
- 2018-10-22
A bad time to be a human.
Wow, too real! There is a very good reason for this re-occurring theme. Once you totally give all decision power to an AI, I do believe it is a quick spiral down. Very good entry to this genre. I highly recommend this book and series. Now for the obligatory: "I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Natalie @ ABookLoversLife
- 2018-10-19
Loved this!!
This took a little while to become fully invested in, but once things start opening up and the pieces start to fall into place, I was hooked!!
The plot started off strong, we are brought into the action straight away, and it kept the pace, for the most part, the whole way through. The author does a great job with the world building and I loved getting to know the ins and outs of it. I did wish we got a little more about the last war and would love to see a prequel maybe! I loved the idea of The Watchers, and the idea behind the Carbons and Bots was fascinating. It was a unique take on the YA Dystopian books!!
The characters are all well written and developed. Sawyer is a strong main character and while she was reckless, I still found her easy to like. Kenzie was mysterious and I liked see their friendship develop. I also loved getting to know him more. There is way more to him than meets the eye!!
In all, this was an action packed read. The author did an amazing job of keeping the plot flowing while also letting us get to know the characters. Sometimes if the action is non stop, the character development suffers, or vice versa, but not here! There are still unanswered questions which makes me even more eager to read the next one!!
I loved that we had two narrators read this! Chelsea Stephens was clear and easy to listen to and she breathed life into Sawyer and the rest of the characters. Steve Campbell brought Kenzie to life and I enjoyed his narration. Having both of them read the story just made it pop more. Thoroughly enjoyed this!!
I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Randy Murphy
- 2018-10-14
Terminator and Underworld had a child
I really enjoyed the take that the author presented on a dystopian world. The fact that it was robots and essentially clones that she was faced with gave it a unique flavor. The narrators both did a great job of portraying the world and it's characters.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kyle
- 2019-07-09
Brilliant All Around
Every angle of this book is so well done.
The writing is beautiful and haunting, really immersing you in this new take on a dystopian society. The story is dripping with action, led by strong, well-developed characters.
The narration is perfect--Chelsea Stephens and Steve Campbell are a great duo. Excellent pacing that really flows with the suspense, and a range of character voices that are believable and relatable.
You're going to love this series.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Murdok
- 2019-06-27
Great start
Started off a bit slow for my liking (space opera is my FAVORITE, so I'm used to BOOM BANG POW from the first word) but a little bit in we really got going. The flow of the story is great, not too much side tracking like some authors tend to do. I cant wait to dive into the next book in the series.
2 people found this helpful