ESCAPING EXODUS

Listening to this audiobook is a visceral, bizarre, unsettling experience. After leaving earth, humans have settled inside giant space beasts, using them as habitat, sustenance, and ship. The story centers on two young women: Seske, the future matriarch of the ship, and her childhood friend, Adalla, one of the lowly beast-workers who keep it running. Both are caught in the endless destructive cycle of their people. Adenrele Ojo, as the revolutionary Adalla, uses a cadenced voice full of longing; whereas, Cherise Boothe, as the privileged Seske, takes on a brash tone. Both excel at voicing minor characters--from the haughty ring of Seske's mother to the throaty rasp of Adalla's bone-worker friends. Their strong but unobtrusive narration allows the lush prose and exquisite world-building in this audiobook to shine. L.S. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2019]