The Waypoint

By: Ben Haskett

Narrated by: Cody Parcell

Gil Sanders has at least a vague idea of what to expect from an alien abduction - he's seen it unfold countless times in TV, movies, and urban legends since he was a kid.

So when he becomes the unlucky participant in an alien encounter, the biggest question on Gil's mind is why these aliens seem to refuse to play by the book.

Sometimes thrilling, occasionally creepy, and often gross (with a few laughs thrown in), The Waypoint is a science fiction adventure that's sure to keep you guessing until the very end.

©2016 Benjamin Lee Haskett (P)2017 Benjamin Lee Haskett

Not your father's abduction story

This book was better than I had expected, being that's it's not the sort that I usually read. It certainly wasn't like an other alien abduction tale I've heard.
The story was a little slow at times but the writing itself kept a fine pace.

Interesting abduction story with heart

The Waypoint is a good example of how to do a dialogue-light book. It follows Gil and his experience with a traditional alien abduction and shows the reader lots of the Grays culture through his lens. Ben stays away from a lot of frustrating tropes such as deus ex machina, telepathic or powerful humans who stop whole races, but instead tell a more personable story with consequences and weight. Getting to explore the ship, the history, and the culture of these aliens was a lot of fun.

A really good first novel

What I like about this book is that it has a realistic feel to it, even though it's about an alien abduction. There's nothing over top and it's clear that the story was well thought out. There's a sprinkling of humor in it too... I think it could have used a bit more though.

One of the challenges in the book is that there are a lot of chapters where it's just the main character, Gil and some aliens that can't (or don't) talk to him. Furthermore, he's in a confined space. This leaves lots of time for inner monologue and reflexion. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I wish the author had explored this space a little more above thoughts of immediate survival and trying to figure out the motives of his captors. There's room here for deep thought about bigger issues.

All in all, it's really good for a first novel and I'm looking forward to reading more from him.

A few flaws, but worth the ride

I will admit that I had a hard time getting into this book initially. It wasn't until I finished and took a step back to think about the story I had just been through that I realized I enjoyed it. I listen to audio books in my car, and to this stories credit, there were two times that I sat in my parking space, waiting for the story to get to a point I was comfortable stopping, wanting to wait and see how things played out in the later chapters.

The narrator did a wonderful job, and my only real issue isn't something I can attribute to him without seeing the written text. There were a few times throughout the book that the story was being told as Gils internal Monologue. Sometimes the narrator would do it in the voice he used for Gil, other times, he wouldn't. Its such a minor issue that it almost feels silly including it, but it was enough to throw me off from time to time as well.

Story wise, While a unique take on the alien story, I didn't find it overly compelling. I had very little attachment to Gil as a character. He seemingly had few friends, most of which were his neighbors or people who he rented to. No notable family, and outside of sheer defiance and survival, little to fight for. He didn't seem overly concerned with helping the Greys, and I found it hard to relate to him. With the only other notable characters being the Greys, I felt it hard to care about what happened to these characters. I wont spoil it here, but there is a part midway through the book that shows up a slight glimpse of what one of them is thinking, and I wish there was more of that. My only other complaint is that I felt the phrase "Like a ______" used to often. I would have preferred, in sections that phrase was used, to have a greater description granted, as when describing all the alien technology around the ship.

Overall, I found The Waypoint to be a worthwhile journey into an untapped genre. Modern Alien stories that serve more as a unique way to show two races, who know nothing of each other, interacting and trying their best to figure each other out. I would love to see more of the series, and what their first encounters with earth were like.

good listen

I'm not going to lie I wasn't in love with the narrator but the story made up for it. quick read with a great ending to tie it all together.

San interesting take on an alien abduction story

I enjoyed this book (I listened to it on audible), but I did think it had a few flaws. It's an interesting take on an alien abduction story, and I liked the main character, Gil. 

The strengths of the story were also some of its greatest weaknesses, in a strange way. I liked that Gil had such a difficult time communicating with the aliens. That felt realistic--his constant confusion and bafflement, not understanding everything that's going on. Sometimes scifi can give too much away, or have a character understand or know things they really shouldn't be able to, and that's not the case hear. Unfortunately, "mutual bafflement" gets very tedious after a couple of chapters. I felt like the writer could have cut out a large chunk of the middle section, which would have picked up the pace of the story immensely and kept things a bit more interesting. However, I felt that the payoff at the end was very good. Without giving anything away, the ending felt satisfying and earned. 

I enjoyed the main character, Gil, because while he's terrified in the beginning, he eventually starts to think through his predicament, coming up with some clever ideas to interact with the aliens and try to get home. Gil came across as brave but not stupid or foolhardy, and eventually comes to think of the aliens as people rather than monsters, which is an interesting twist in the genre. 

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone interested in alien abduction stories, in particular an interesting twist on the genre.