Audiobook Review: The Humans by Matt Haig
The Humans
Author: Matt Haig
Narrator: Mark Meadows
Published: May 9, 2013
Audiobook: 8 hours 11 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: May 6-11, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
When an extraterrestrial visitor arrives on Earth, his first impressions of the human species are less than positive. Taking the form of Professor Andrew Martin, a leading mathematician at Cambridge University, the visitor wants to complete his task and return home to his planet and a utopian society of immortality and infinite knowledge.
He is disgusted by the way humans look, what they eat, and the wars they witness on the news, and is totally baffled by concepts such as love and family. But as time goes on, he starts to realize there may be more to this weird species than he has been led to believe. He drinks wine, reads Emily Dickinson, listens to Talking Heads, and begins to bond with the family he lives with, in disguise. In picking up the pieces of the professor’s shattered personal life, the narrator sees hope and redemption in the humans’ imperfections and begins to question the very mission that brought him there–a mission that involves not only thwarting human progress…but murder.
Jessica’s Review:
This was a book club read for May. Overall, I did enjoy it; I just had some issues with the narrator. An unnamed alien takes over the form of Math professor Andrew Martin because he (Andrew Martin) made a math discovery which could cause the human race to gain advantages in their development as a species. This could be a detriment to them, so the unnamed narrator is sent to destroy all evidence of the discovery…. and more.
This is the basic synopsis of the story but the journey this unnamed narrator goes on is the entire story. His first thoughts of humans are that they are ugly (especially their noses)! I wondered why a nose was on the cover of the book. And then you read it and know! Humans are also greedy, selfish, and worse!
I was entertained with our unnamed narrator and his discovery of the necessity of clothing for humans at the beginning of his journey. Along with the after-effects of that throughout the novel. The reader sees the ‘new’ Andrew Martin with his family and in a way the ‘new’ Andrew Martin becomes human: He begins to experience empathy, love, understanding and more. But this ‘new’ Andrew Martin also makes mistakes as we humans do. He then has a conundrum of sorts: Complete his mission and return to his home planet or stay in human form.
This book was entertaining and I did giggle quite a bit. I did have some issues with the narrator; he did not totally work for me. His narration was a bit flat and toneless, which made it harder for me to listen to. I did get used to it, but it didn’t really work for me. This could also be the narrator’s interpretation and presentation of the alien character. The narration did cause me to rate this novel 3.5 stars.
It is a good book, but I would say read it over listening to the narration.
Audiobook Review: eMortal by Steve Schafer
eMortal
Author: Steve Schafer
Narrators:
Rebecca H. Lee
Stacy Carolan
Published: November 15, 2024
Audiobook: 8 hours 35 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: February 17-22, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
She made him. He’s just code. She’s almost sure.
…But what if he’s real?
When Liv entered a contest to code an advanced AI, she never anticipated what her creation might become-Breck is thoughtful, self-aware, and incredibly. . .human. And she certainly never intended for him to learn the truth about his existence or the fact that his world ends when the contest closes in six days.
But he does learn. And he revolts.
Liv’s efforts to save him fall on deaf ears. Nobody believes her. Breck’s efforts to outrun his fate only complicate his situation.
What neither of them know is that someone else is watching. Intensely. When they get involved, both Liv’s and Breck’s worlds are turned upside down. . .
Jessica’s Review:
This book was an unexpected surprise. I went in not expecting much and this book ended up being a complete 180 from that. It was such an engrossing novel! I never expected it to go in the direction it went in. eMortal leaves you thinking about where we are very quickly going with AI and sentience. The machines are alive: Or are they? Skynet is coming for you… And we are doomed! AI can have… feelings!?!?!
Liv has entered a contest to code an advance AI and the winner receives a glorious internship that she could only dream of. The contest is nearing the end and her creation Breck is seemingly becoming self-aware, has deep thoughts, and just seems human. But Breck is not aware that when the contest is over, so is he.
We have dual narrations of both Liv and Breck, the AI she created. We see Liv’s home life and with Breck we see the challenges he is working on for the contest. All while seemingly becoming more ‘real’.
Both narrations were intriguing for me, but Breck takes it all. You can see him evolving into something, and he begins to question so many things. I adored Breck, while his and Liv’s situations leave you thinking. There are so many thoughts this book leaves you with such as Who Am I?, Why are we (humans) here?, and Can AI learn and develop emotions? Are they truly alive?
The narrators both did an extraordinary job. Rebecca H. Lee was great a Liv while Stacy Carolan was perfect as Breck for me!
The surprising direction the book takes just adds to the thoughts the book leaves you with. This was my first book by Schafer and I really glad I came across it. Many thanks to the publisher BooksGoSocial for offering it on NetGalley as a “Listen Now”. I might not have ever found this book otherwise.
Something fun for you to do, which I also did: If you go on the author’s website you can actually converse with Breck. He will ask you lots of questions!
eMortal is a must read!
This is Breck on the author’s website. Feel free to converse with him!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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Short Story Sunday: Severance: The Lexington Letter
Severance: The Lexington Letter
Author: Anonymous
Published: March 1, 2022
E-book: 43 pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Read: January 20, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Short Story Description:
When does the cost of staying silent become greater than the price of speaking up?
A desperate woman risks everything to expose the sinister company at the heart of Severance, the thrilling Apple Original series from director and executive producer Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson, now streaming on Apple TV+, about a daring experiment in “work-life balance.”
From the minds behind the series, this is the story of Lumon Industries employee Margaret “Peg” Kincaid.
When Peg gets hired at Lumon, she undergoes Severance, a surgical procedure pitched by the company as an effortless way to separate her personal and work lives. Everyone has their reasons for wanting the easy solution Severance promises, but when Peg realizes that not all is as it seems at the company, she uncovers a reality that’s far worse than the problems she wanted to escape.
At the heart of this story, Peg’s shocking confession reveals the darkest side of corporate America. It raises a chilling question: How far will Lumon Industries go to protect its secrets?
Jessica’s Review:
Before you read this short story Severance: The Lexington Letter you need to have watched season one of Severance, which came out in 2022. If you have never heard of the show the trailer is here:
I don’t remember when I watched season one, I think 2023 and it is so good! It leaves you thinking about so much, especially with that ending! And it also leaves you with so many questions! It took way too long for the second season to come out due to some filming issues and then the Hollywood strikes, but season two is finally here! It started back on January 17th and will becoming out weekly through March 21st. I had planned to rewatch the season one finale, but after reading The Lexington Letter I will have to rewatch that first season again!
The Lexington Letter is short at just 43 pages consisting of an email originally from a former Lumon employee contacting a reporter and telling her what seems hard to believe story. (If you have watched the show then you know the truth!) It then consists of emails from the reporter to her editor, whom has a familiar last name to those who have watched the show. This short story is cannon to the television show, so it adds to the mystery of the show.
Reading this short story has me all excited for the show again! If you are intrigued by the trailer, watch season one, read The Lexington Letter, then watch season two! Then if there is to be a season three let’s hope it doesn’t take three years to come to fruition.
Purchase Links:
The Lexington Letter is available on Apple Books for free.
Apple Books