Wally Roux, Quantum Mechanic

BRILLIANT narration!
The number one thing you need to know is that this narrator is probably the best one I have EVER heard. His voices, his timing, his mastery of the teen speech patterns, etc. was soooo good. I was engaged from the very beginning.Number two–the story, though playing with the fantastical, magical realms of theoretical science, is exceedingly relatable. The feelings and preoccupations of Wally are the kinds of things all teens can understand–loneliness, crushes, feeling like an outsider, wondering about your identity, getting along with parents, etc. It gives the story heart without being about something really awful like sex trafficking or drug abuse or suicide (like so many teen books can be nowadays).The number three thing is you don’t have to be a science geek to understand this story, but if you are, it’ll be just that much better. The main character has an almost playful, carefree relationship with quantum physics that makes him seem like any other kid who happens to have an obsession with one particular thing.Content Warning–there is quite a bit of swearing in the story, including the F-bomb. For some, that will be an instant NO. I’m usually very sensitive about things like that, but I didn’t feel like these were shock value / gratuitous swear words. They flowed naturally from the characters’ emotions. IF swearing bugs you, don’t get this. If it does not, then this should be a fantastic way to spend a lazy afternoon. Zero sex. Zero violence. There are moments when I thought something might happen, but nothing escalated.Did I mention that the narration was BRILLIANTLY done? Seriously. So so so good.

Bad
Complete garbage. Not sure what audience this is aimed at. Offensive on many levels. Got it free from Audible…..

Snapshot of high school in a new place for an extraordinary boy
Plot Summary (No spoilers!): Growing up is hard enough without the added pressure of a hiccup in the fabric of space-time. Wally Roux is a teenage genius with a big imagination and a big heart, who just moved to Savannah, GA, from Maine with his mom, who adopted him when he was an infant. Wally investigates what is causing several strange events and occurrences. He explores and gets lost within space-time – an infinite, indefinable, and mysterious void that you can’t see but when you slice into it you can feel it. Part science fiction and part coming-of-age story, it follows one boy’s journey of self-discovery and self-identity.What you liked: While space-time abnormalities are not unique in science fiction novels, this was treated in a unique manner. Wally is a mechanical genius with gifts in the quantum realm, and his attempts to repair and fix problems often result in unexpected outcomes. I found the writing of his voice very believable for a high school teenager. His mother’s voice was also dear to my heart because I adopted a teenager 3 years ago and she is my only child.What you did not like: I did wish the novel was longer, and I found the scene with the older high school girl a bit unnecessary and disjointed. I would have like to see more understanding and recognition by both Wally and his mom as to the hard work they put into their relationship.If audiobook, performance thoughts: The narrator acted very genuinely as Wally and was completely believable and funny. I wish his variances based on character, particularly the females, was larger, but overall, quite enjoyable.