Aliens of Extraordinary Ability

By: Maeve Higgins, Shaina Feinberg

Narrated by: Maeve Higgins, Cristela Alonzo, Alysia Reiner, Cole Escola, Karim Nematt, Carlos Ibarra, Paul Beaubrun

Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

"A funny and moving story of immigrants, beautifully written, at a time when it's needed the most." -Jon Ronson

Funny, sad and brilliantly human, this timely original series follows five friends – lovable but sometimes infuriating - as they make a life for themselves in New York City. The tie that binds them? They are all immigrants, struggling to find their place in an increasingly hostile America. 

Sadie, fresh from her small hometown in Ireland tries out for the elusive O1 visa – meaning she has three months to prove she is an ‘alien of extraordinary ability.’ She joins a collective called ‘Nature Fans’, whose members are also on a clock, all trying to figure out how to stay in the country. Together they alternately fight and work the system, growing close in the process. 

Brother and sister Rodrigo and Erika are from a mixed status family and have wonderful and busy lives in NYC. Rodrigo, desperate not to go back to Mexico but sick of living in the shadows, gets politically active. Tam is smart, handsome and Haitian, when he finds out he’s about to lose his legal status, he uses his charm to find a marriage to save him. Mazen, the loveliest Lyft driver you’re likely to meet, awaits his asylum interview and tries to forget about his life back in Syria, only to discover that he needs to stay connected or his heart will break. 

The stakes couldn’t be higher – an adventure story, a love story, a story of borders and the people who cross them - can they stay in this country they call home?

©2019 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Not what I expected but that’s good...

I wasn’t expecting the live action narration of the book and initially wasn’t sure I’d like it. However, I did. It made the story more authentic. The story was believable and a reflection of the inhuman way people of color and immigrants of color are treated in the U.S.

great cast

i really hoped it would have a proper ending but i guess it reflects the reality of people stuck in immigration limbo. does it really matter what kind of visas they're getting? the title was a jab at how dehumanizing calling immigrants "aliens" is. I'm not american and i think the dialogue did a good job at presenting what americans are like - oblivious, blinded by their definition of race, little to no knowledge about other countries - the whole package. i did think sadie was a touch too clueless on the verge of annoying though.

Just the right amount of cliché

This is a good, entertaining, not too deep immigration story. If you are in the mood for “light social justice” you will enjoy this. It uses some stereotypes of races and sexual orientations but not enough to turn me off. And the most annoying character is the clueless white girl which rings true to reality. The one thing I did not like at all was the music in between chapters. Elevator music has never been fun and I did not appreciate being forced to hear it.

What an amazing story

This is what this world needs. This take you by the heart and shows you that this life is worth living.

It was alright

This was an interesting listen about various immigrants living in New York City. The plot revolves around talking about immigration, xenophobia and white privilege.

The Story: The plot was all right but it didn’t absolutely captivate me. I feel like there was a lot of potential that wasn’t tapped into here and it got let hanging. The main character, Sadie, was very annoying and her little quips got old very fast. That’s just a personal note though. I have definitely met people who are like her. The other characters were well voiced but not necessarily developed. I was most interested in the Syrian character and his story.

The Cast: The cast was absolutely fantastic. I was completely engaged because of the variety of actors.

The Bad: The only thing that was bad enough that I would comment on it is the annoying transition music that lasted way too goddamn long. With all of the amount of time spent on the transition music, they could’ve easily fit in another chapter. I feel like it was a waste of audio. Fix it that.

Overall good

Overall this was good. Story line and performances really well done. My one issue is the extremely long music breaks. It broke the story up too much for me and I found them frustrating.

Very Sad

I wanted to like this story but I guess I am not young enough. The main character was so blind it hurt. Or rather that is how it appeared to me. Her success was at the unintended expense of others. She didn’t think of the consequences of her actions. Also I am not a New Yorker and don’t understand the culture. I understand the power and influence some people have. I believe perhaps it takes some knowledge and understanding of that power to grasp this story. While I tried to like the characters I couldn’t. I hurt for their situation and the injustice of it. I can’t grasp what their public actions were going to accomplish for the group. It certainly helped some individuals but not the group as a whole. Nor did it help their cause. The story painted New Yorkers as mean and short sighted. In spite of it being a city of immigrants and of many cultures it is also very racist and uncaring as a whole. Not an image I would want to show the world if I were a New Yorker. It is a place that has greatness because of so many people from so many places and backgrounds. The richness and diversity of its cultures is the essence of its success. I waded through the story in hopes I would get to cheer for the groups success but I was left disappointed. Members of the group are successful but as a whole the group fails. Perhaps not because some do succeed in reaching their goals. It doesn’t offer a blueprint for success to others. The lives left destroyed don’t get resurrected.

Characters you can really root for!

Their struggle is real. I grew to really care for all the people these characters represent. The readers and the haunting guitar kept me hooked!!

Ought to be a TV series.

Even though I found the chapter transition music irritating and I didn't agree with all of the immigration political agenda. I agree we should treat all people with respect as a country too. I felt deep character identification and as if I were part of the story. I look forward to a sequel with what happens to Sadie.

No

If you are illegal, take steps to get legal. Font be illegal. That’s dumb! This topic did not impress me.