At least twice I almost stopped listening. Between the really bad science (not hard science, but basic stuff like explosions in space) and the cliché plot, it was only a somewhat likeable veneer of character development that made me keep going. Not bad enough to return, but not good enough by a country mile to pick up the next book. If you have NOTHING else, and like VERY light science fiction for pre-teens, go ahead. Like a cheese pizza – you may not love it, but you won’t starve.