Overall, this is a perfectly fine Star Wars book that I picked up because and mostly enjoyed because of Obi-Wan. I don’t think I would have given this a 4-star rating if not for my favourite Jedi in existence. Not sure whether I will re-read it soon given how repetitive it was in some instances but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

Loved the narration of this audiobook - they got Obi Wan and Qui-Gon's cadences just right. The plot was a nice coming of age story with a good message about Obi Wan accepting his anxieties instead of fighting through or ignoring them.

Star Wars books never disappoint! I love seeing the snippets of what was going on behind the big plot lines of the movies, how people got to where they were and how they changed and grew up. It was great to see Obiwan off on his own and develop dependent of what we see in the movies. I love the expanding world of the Star Wars universe!

Obi-Wan Kenobi is struggling to understand his newly assigned Jedi master and his place in the force, when the pressure finally gets to him, Obi-Wan ventures off onto an adventure to a strange force sensitive planet all on his own.

I was worried when I started reading that this novel would suffer from a lack of Qui-Gon Jinn, since I've always loved books from Obi-Wan Kenobi's padawan years that feature his relationship with Qui-Gon, but this book worked great with just Obi-Wan. I thought it was a great adventure that gave a real sense of where Obi-Wan was when he became a padawan, and I loved the cameo of a future friend of Obi-Wan's. I wish there'd been a little more information at the end about where the other younglings ended up, but otherwise it was a great read. As always I loved the extra sound effects that are added to Star Wars audiobooks that really give them a sense of place within the Star Wars universe.

This is very fun! Great, small Star Wars story that fills in the gaps of a young Obi-Wan and connects his story to some The High Republic characters. I've been reading a lot of those books, but this is my first set during the time period of the movies. Star Wars can be a lot of things, and this services as an enjoyable and fun romp for a fan favorite character.

This is book is AMAZING! The plot is terrific and it really captures OBI WAN when he was young. I loved the notion of a planet that is sentient and the fact that there were younglings abandoned. The concept of THE POWER was intriguing and the narration was absolutely BRILLIANT!

I loved reading (listening) to this book! The narrator, Gary Furlong, did an excellent job at mimicking Ewan McGregor’s voice and tone, as well as creating different voices for the other characters. He has a true storytelling voice, injecting emotion into the characters and not just reading out the story.

Kiersten White knows how to write internal voice, as I knew from reading her previous works. The voice of Obi Wan was clear and well reasoned, putting me in his place easily. I was able to immerse myself and enjoy this new take on the Star Wars universe. That being said, I didn’t like the sounds and music that was constantly in the background. With every other audiobook I’ve ever listened to, the music only occurred at the beginning and to indicate the end of the story. I felt the music was distracting and made it difficult to focus on the story itself. It was something I reluctantly got used to but I never want to hear that sort of thing again. The music didn’t feel well placed and felt like it was trying to make the audiobook more like a movie. A book, and an audiobook, is allowed to be different from a movie.

I recommend this book to anyone who is curious about Obi Wan’s past; it is an excellent addition to his story. I also recommend it as a great introduction into the Star Wars universe. Even if you aren’t embroiled in the current shows and movies, it has plenty of information and can be read as a standalone. I found myself thinking of the Pendragon novels by DJ MacHale, as well: a wonderful teenage adventure. The teen struggles on their own and learns from their own mistakes, with little help from adults. It’s a beautiful thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for this ARC audiobook! It’s one of my first of what I hope will be many audiobooks from NetGalley!

I loved this audiobook! The narrator was perfect for this and I’m a huge fan of Star Wars so this was a fun audiobook to read. I only recently got into audiobooks so I’m glad I decided to request this one. This is the perfect gift for any Star Wars fan.

It's starwars. I enjoyed it and seeing obi wan as a young Padawan and the battles within himself that helped him get to the Jedi he is....was.

This audiobook had a great narrator that kept me engaged in the story. The story was also engaging. I listened to it while driving and I found myself sitting and listening to it even after I had turned off the car.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. Like all Star Wars audiobooks, this audiobook is a whole production with sound effects of lightsabers, blasters, and space and with the musical score by John Williams. All which increase the listening experience for readers. The narrator capture the voice of a young Obi-Wan Kenobi - even delivering some of Obi-Wan's know catchphrases "Hello There", which Star Wars fans will appreciate. Overall a great listen to a new Kenobi story.

What a fantastic Star Wars book. I was not expecting to love this one as much as I did. The narrator did a great job at capturing the character while the author was masterful at crafting an interesting internal conflict that didn't detract from the actual story. One of the best recent Star Wars books I have read.

A fantastic deep-dive into Obi-Wan's young adulthood. His speculation into the future, which we all know about, was artistically done and fantastically ironic in some cases. Especially his reflection into the sure and steady Jedi Council and his musing into romantic interest. Kiersten White represented new and old facets of this beloved character, and got to the heart of the force and the Jedi Order. With the context of future Jedi Master Kenobi we already know and love, the padawan we see here is questioning his connection to the force and his future with the Jedi. He wonders if The Council ever questioned themselves, ever struggled as a padawan, and the reader already knows the answer. He’s going to be one of those masters, the ones that seem like they have everything figured out. Struggling, asking questions, and finding yourself is a part of everyone's path of development and White brought that to light in this book.

The unique adventure that Obi-Wan embarks on puts him in the path of a planet of force-wielding teenagers, unruly and as opposite to his own life of meditation as possible. Finding truth and balance for these children without adult guidance tests Kenobi to the extremes, particularly when this clan has grown to trust only themselves. Can Obi-Wan reconnect to the force and protect his new friends from a looming threat?

Last but surely not least, Gary Furlong did a fantastic job as the narrator for all of the voices. It felt like I dove right into a galaxy far, far away every time I pressed play. As a huge Star Wars fan, this joint effort by White and Furlong was a special treat into the unexplored parts of Obi-Wan Kenobi's youth, I hope we get more!

I haven't read or watched Star Wars before however after reading this book I am hooked. This book shows how a young fighter chooses to go on their own and prove to their teacher what they can do. In the same time learning so much about himself and helping others that he proves to himself what he really is. I really enjoyed seeing the growth and friendship grow as I read this book. This is a great book for not only Star Wars lovers but for all children and adults as it has so many hidden lessons to learn.

This story about a beloved Star Wars character, gives the background of a key lesson imparted by his master and mentor.

In an adventure of self-reliance and self-discovery, a young Obi-Wan Kenobi travels to a hidden planet to learn its mysteries. Was he sent there by the will of the force? Or was it all meant to be a lesson from his master?

This story is really fun, and serves as a good foundation for the younger audience it is aimed towards. What does it mean to believe in something, even when you aren't sure how you fit in the bigger picture.

The narrator of this story is wonderful, and the sound design is excellent.

I'd recommend this book to any young adult reader that's looking for a good adventure, or any Star Wars fan wanting some more depth in the development in one of the greatest Jedi.

Production value: 4/5 stars. Brilliant audiobook rendition, with a great narrator who does a variety of accents and characters well; I also loved the inclusion and use of sound effects. Very well done.

Content: Mixed bag. The author does a great job at bringing the Star Wars universe to life, as well as imagining Padawan teenagers and everything that goes with that. She’s creative and clearly understands teenage life, angst, etc., pairing it well with SW. For me, though, the book became a DNF with unexpected content around gender neutrality (which, to a point I suppose, could be expected in SW land given the wide variety of [fictional] creatures in general) as well as bi nods and winks. I stopped while I was ahead and am DNFing the book per my own personal content policy as a result, so can’t speak to how far that train goes, but it’s there. Disappointing, as I love SW and Obi-Wan, and the read has lots of promise.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

StarWars audiobooks are always top tier. The production quality is so high that it just feels like you're listening to a movie from outside the theater. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.

This is a great book to start especially if you just finished the Obi Wan series on Disney+. I always love seeing some of our favorite characters as younglings and padawans.

First line: The tentacles appeared with no warning, wrapping around Obi-Wan Kenobi’s wrist in a deadly barbed grip.

Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi is a young padawan in the Jedi order. He has spent nearly his whole life learning the ways of the Force. Now he is studying under the tutelage of his master, Qui-Gon Jinn. However, he is finding this part of his training even more difficult than he thought. It involves lots of meditation and waiting for his master to decide what to teach him next. But when he finds a mysterious message in the temple he hopes that he can convince his mentor to travel to an unknown planet to search for the answers and a little adventure. When Qui-Gon does not show, Obi-Wan decides that he is going to seek the answers on his own. No matter the consequences.

My Thoughts: I was very excited to get this book especially after the airing of Obi-Wan on Disney+. In the original trilogy, Ewan McGregor and his portrayal of Obi-Wan was my favorite part. He did a great job bringing the younger version to life on the screen. And I have to say that the narrator of this audio book was excellent at copying the speaking patterns of the character/actor.

I enjoyed seeing the struggle that Obi-Wan dealt with during this time in his life. He always seems to be in control and very mindful of the force in the movies but to see him questioning gave his character a bit of humanness. And we get introduced to a minor character from the movies, which was a fun easter egg to throw into the storyline.

For fans who want a little bit more of this character after the Disney+ show, I would highly recommend giving this audio book a try.

Other readers are slamming Star Wars: Padawan accusing Disney of tampering with Obi-Wan Kenobi's sexuality. After listening to the audiobook, I think everyone is overreacting. I understand that Disney has shoved their left-wing agenda into their cartoons and films, but a teenage Obi-Wan mentioning his brief attraction to another male doesn't suggest he's bisexual or gay. Nowhere in this story does it say Obi-Wan engaged in a sexual relationship. Does Obi-Wan's sexuality need to be questioned in a young-adult novel? No, it doesn't. Does Obi-Wan's sexuality affect the story's narrative at all? Nope.

The story itself is entertaining but overly long for a young-adult novel. The audiobook is over 7 hours, and the hardcover is over 400 pages. The beginning focuses too much on Obi-Wan questioning Qui-Gon's training style. The narrative picks up after Obi-Wan lands on a mysterious planet and meets its inhabitants. I lost complete interest in the story near the ending, where it's obvious the author ran out of ideas and rushed to the finish line.

Overall, Star Wars: Padawan is better than what the naysayers have made it out to be, but unfortunately, the story runs out of hypermatter and crashes and burns near the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Books for the Advanced Listening Copy of this audiobook!

I absolutely would never read a Star Wars book without accompanying it with the audiobook because it is such a PRODUCTION! This isn’t my first SW audiobook, but it is my first one narrated by Gary Furlong. I really enjoyed it - his voice resembled Obi-wan Kenobi to me, so it was really fitting (and I also love his Qui-Gon voice haha).

As for the novel - I am living for all the Obi-Wan content this year. Here, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Padawan, with his master Qui-Gon Jinn. He finds some information about an unknown planet and embarks on a journey alone to figure out what it means. Seeing Obi-Wan as a Padawan and hearing his thoughts, struggles, and insecurities as he is figuring out his place in the Order is so different than how you see Obi-Wan as a Jedi Knight and Master. I haven't read Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray yet, but I can imagine both books help to explain how Obi-Wan became the Jedi Knight and Master that we see in the prequels.

It really reminded me of The High Republic YA novels - lots of new characters, lots of action, funny banter here and there.

***SPOILERS***
The easter eggs in this book are AMAZING. The tie-in to The High Republic is so fun to see! When Orla Jareni and Cohmac Vitus' names showed up, I literally GASPED out loud when I read it. And then also meeting Obi-Wan's good friend Dexter Jettster for the first time! I was hoping to see Satine Kryze show up somewhere, but maybe in the future we'll get more of her and Obi-Wan's storyline. *crossing fingers*