Orphan X (Orphan X, #1)

by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

5★⎮Ohhh, buddy! I felt like I needed to catch my breath after hearing Orphan X. It was hands-down the best audiobook I've heard in a while. The funny thing is that it's probably not something I would have been drawn to on my own, if it hadn't been recommended it to me by a trusted friend.

I sped through this book in two days and it simultaneously felt longer and shorter than that. Orphan X was like a roller coaster ride that only goes up. There was no respite from the adrenaline pumping action and paranoia inducing twists until the end of the book. But this wasn't your run-of-the-mill action thriller. From the start, I knew there was something more to Orphan X.

My favorite thing about this book is that Evan Smoak (a.k.a. Orphan X) isn't just a government trained assassin. In fact, by the time we meet Evan Smoak, his days of running secret op missions are done. Those are all in his past and now he lives a life of vigilante justice, sort of like Batman. Evan uses the skills he learned from the Orphan program to help those in need. That's what makes the orphan X series unique. He's a spy, but he's not running spy missions. He's doing something better.

Other thing that made this book stand out to me was Gregg Hurwitz. His writing was superb, beyond what is usually found in this type of book. Hurwitz understands how to tell a story, better than most. I became so immersed in the details that I felt like I was in Evan's loft with him. The vivid descriptions of his security measures were both stimulating and comforting, if that's even possible. Orphan X was so intelligently written that every detail was by design.

Evan is my favorite protagonist right now. He's smart, resourceful, badass, and... Ahhh! I don't even know how to explain him. He's just so pure and good. His interactions with Peter, a child who lives in his building, were absolute gold. They provided a much-needed contrast to Evan's more lethal interactions with the bad guys in the book.

It would have been so easy for Evan to have been a one dimensional character. So many of the protagonists of spy thrillers are one dimensional. They are killing machines and that's all. It's all about the mission. But Hurwitz makes a point of repeatedly talking about and showcasing Evan's humanity. He is more than his job. He's a guy trying to balance what he does with what's right. We see the roots of this internal conflict in flashbacks to his childhood, before and after entering the Orphan program. Those briefs flashes give a sense of not only where he came from, but who he is because of it and how it impacts him currently. This same internal conflict pops up again in his relationship with Mia and Peter, a mother son do well living in his condo building. These interactions show us that Evan has never really learned how to effectively balance this juxtaposition and it leaves us (and him) wondering if it can even be balanced at all.

That sort of ambiguity reminds me of the way George RR Martin writes his characters. They are neither good nor bad, or rather, they are sometimes good and bad. There aren't always clear answers to the questions posed by the writing, sometimes There are no answers at all. In this way, the writing is reflective of reality. This type of writing holds up a mirror to the reader and encourages introspection.

Narration review: I've heard Scott Brick narrate before, but never like this! I actually checked (more than once) to confirm that he was the same Scott Brick I heard narrate a World of Warcraft book last year. He was, and I'm not saying the previous performance was bad, by any means. But this just goes to show what a symbiotic experience audiobook listening is, because this character and this writing completely transformed my perception of Scott Brick's narration.

Scott Brick will forever be Evan Smoak to me. He epitomizes Evan Smoak, in my mind. While doing my digging, I actually ran across a photo of Scott Brick and had a hard time reconciling his image with the voice coming out of my speakers. I have a clear image of Evan Smoak in my mind (based on Hurwitz's writing) and I refused to believe that I was hearing anyone other than Evan Smoak speak to me. Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but I'm hoping hard-core audio listeners will at least semi-understand what I'm saying!

Not only did Brick do a phenomenal job voicing Evan, but he provided a stellar overall listening experience as well. I binged all four books successively and still could not get enough of Brick's voice. I especially love the way he voiced Peter, who is a child, but is described as having a raspy voice. Not having been around a lot of children personally, I was confused by this description, but Brick still managed to pull it off.

I can't wait to hear him narrate the next installment in the series (he better be back as the narrator, so help me…). In the meantime, I plan on exploring more of his work to tide me over until then. ♣︎