Audiobook Review: The Chosen Path by Jason Hershey
The Chosen Path
Series: Thelonious Mitchell #2
Author: Jason Hershey
Narrator: Jacob Ross
Published: May 3, 2017
Audiobook: 1 hour 47 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: May 4, 2026, re-listen: May 18, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Thelonious “Theo” Mitchell thought he’d finally found his spark. After losing his mother and best friend, Draven, college was supposed to be his fresh start—a chance to play football, chase his dreams, and maybe even fall in love.
Then he meets Sabrinna. Beautiful, broken, and guarded, she becomes the person who makes him feel whole again. For the first time since his mother’s death, Theo allows himself to hope, to trust, to open his heart completely.
But Sabrinna carries wounds of her own—a painful past that makes her push away the one person who truly sees her. As their relationship spirals through passion, confusion, and heartbreak, Theo must confront an impossible question: How do you hold on to someone who’s determined to let you go?
When a devastating encounter forces Theo to face the truth about their relationship, he’s left with a choice that will define his future. Walking away might break him, but staying could destroy him.
Raw, honest, and achingly real, The Chosen Path is the second book in the Theo series—a powerful story about first love, self-discovery, and learning that sometimes the most important person you need to save is yourself.
Jessica’s Review:
Jason Hershey is back with the second novella in the Thelonious Mitchell series. Theo is starting his college career which includes playing football. Of course a girl comes into the picture, so we have a novella that includes Theo’s first love and everything that encompasses. The novella is realistic in that not everyone gets a ‘happy ever after’, but that is life and Theo takes life as it comes to him. He learns about life and experiences some self- discovery and that sometimes that he himself is the most important person.
I didn’t like Sabrinna from the beginning, something about her did not sit right with me. Because of that I felt more emotions for Theo as he experienced his first love. In some ways I think I identified with Theo’s experience, just a female perspective. And I am just attached to Theo after To Die To Live!
I have to add that I really love the cover to this one! Life is a journey for us all and we have to choose our life path and take what it brings. The cover is just perfect for this part of Theo’s life. I myself have experienced going down a different life path than expected with my divorce almost two years ago.
We have a new narrator with this story, Jacob Ross. Theo comes off older with Ross’s narration, and his voice felt perfect for portraying Theo this time around. The only issue I had with the audiobook was the transition between chapters. When one chapter ended and the next began, it felt pieced together too quickly. For me, the narration needed an extra second or two of pause before Ross started the next chapter and said “Chapter X,” and went into the new chapter.
The Chosen Path is a quick read/listen and Hershey just brings Theo’s story to life for me. Now, be forewarned that this one ends in a bit of a cliffhanger as Theo makes a decision for himself. This novella was written back in 2017, and fortunately I do not have to wait years to see what happens next in Theo’s life as the third novella will be coming out very soon!
Many thanks to Jason Hershey for sending me an audiobook copy to listen to and review!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Audiobook Review: To Die To Live by Jason Hershey
To Die To Live
Series: Thelonious Mitchell #1
Author: Jason Hershey
Narrator: Justin James
Published: October 17, 2017
Audiobook: 1 hour 11 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Listened To: May 2, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
Thelonious “Theo” Mitchell is a down-on-his-luck teenager, wandering aimlessly through life with no desire or focus. When tragedy strikes, he is taken in by his aunt and uncle. Thrown into a new school with unfamiliar surroundings, he befriends the class “troublemaker”. After yet another tragedy, will Theo fall victim to life, or use the tragedy as a spark and motivation to embrace all that life has to offer?
Jessica’s Review:
This novella is a debut and it was powerful! I was pulled in and attached to Theo from the beginning. He is young and has already been dealt a hard life. He has gone through a hard loss and taken in by his aunt and uncle. A new place means new changes and also challenges. Teens can be brutal, even more so to ‘the new guy’ who doesn’t fit in. But then Theo meets and eventually becomes friends with Draven, and they bond over similarities. What happens over the course of the novella shows what some kids go through and life is not easy for everyone and the hardships that can affect someone for their life.
I listened to the audio version and it is just one hour 11 minutes long, but Hershey packs so much into it: The importance of close friendship, heartache, loss, and determination to live the life we are given in spite of what happens to us. The narrator Justin James brought Theo to life for me!
This novella was written nine years ago and some parts of it have aged: Teens mostly do not use Facebook anymore. They have Snapchat, TikTok, and I am sure other apps that I am not familiar with. It’s not a negative, times and technology just change!
I look forward to more stories involving Theo and what happens next in his life.
I received an Audible copy from the author in exchange for a review. Thank you so much! I enjoyed my introduction to Theo.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Audiobook Review: Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Rebellion 1776
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Narrator: Phoebe Strole
Published: April 1, 2025
Audiobook: 10 hours 00 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: April 5-12, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
A historical fiction middle grade adventure about a girl struggling to survive amid a smallpox epidemic, the public’s fear of inoculation, and the seething Revolutionary War.
In the spring of 1776, thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper wakes to the sound of cannons. It’s the Siege of Boston, the Patriots’ massive drive to push the Loyalists out that turns the city into a chaotic war zone. Elsbeth’s father—her only living relative—has gone missing, leaving her alone and adrift in a broken town while desperately seeking employment to avoid the orphanage.
Just when things couldn’t feel worse, the smallpox epidemic sweeps across Boston. Now, Bostonians must fight for their lives against an invisible enemy in addition to the visible one. While a treatment is being frantically fine-tuned, thousands of people rush in from the countryside begging for inoculation. At the same time, others refuse protection, for the treatment is crude at best and at times more dangerous than the disease itself.
Elsbeth, who had smallpox as a small child and is now immune, finds work taking care of a large, wealthy family with discord of their own as they await a turn at inoculation, but as the epidemic and the revolution rage on, will she find her father?
Jessica’s Review:
We have a middle grades historical fiction novel taking place in 1776 Boston. In addition to the war for Independence, the city of Boston is dealing with a smallpox epidemic. Our MC is 13-year-old Elsbeth whose father disappears and she ends up working as a ‘serving girl’ for the Pike family and their ward 16-year-old Hannah.
The listener or reader goes along with Hannah over a short time period and experiences many activities with her. At times Hannah addresses the reader/listener directly. We experience 1776 in Boston and the effects of smallpox, including the inoculation process. As the listener we realize how serious smallpox is and all of its effects. We also see how the town feels for or against the vaccine.
The novel takes place over a short time period, March 4- November 29, 1776. At the beginning of each chapter we are given the date(s) for the time period, but with the audiobook I had issues remembering how long of a piece of time each chapter was. I did not realize how important this was until I met with my book club. Reading a physical book/ kindle you could go back and look at that again. That isn’t really possible with an audiobook. Other than this issue, the narrator is a good job portraying Elsbeth.
This is a good YA novel that shows the time period and the everyday person’s struggle to survive war and disease.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK