I loved the gritty, high-stakes adventure in this futuristic sci-fi! Elsa’s fight for survival had me hooked from the start, and the chemistry with her train-hopping ally added a spark to the intense, fast-paced plot. The quest to reclaim the seed maps felt epic, making this a must-read for dystopian fans!

This book takes you into an interesting dystopian world. I wish the world had been described in a little more detail. I think it is a nice book for teenager and young adults.

Set in 2195, SoCal is suffering from the living conditions the Green Corporation has created. Elsa lives the life of a poor, malnutritioned scavenger, but when she unearths a mysterious metal tube, her life gets turned upside down. Walker, a train hopper that is passing through town, helps her escape the clutches of people seeking to keep the tube to themselves. Together they set off on a journey to keep the sought after tube and Elsa safe as they uncover some secrets along the way.

I would categorize this book as a Dystopian, New Adult novel with some romance and themes of friendship. This book contains explicit se*ual scenes as well. I am normally all for spicy books, but the se*ual scenes in this book (of which one is se*ual assault) did not fit the tone of the rest of the book, so much so that I had already kind of forgotten about them by the time I wrote this review.
Considering that this book is called switching tracks, I thought a considerably bigger part of the story would revolve around trains (I was picturing something along the lines of Snowpiercer), but the trains are just a means of transport in the middle of the book and don’t play a major role (at least so far).

The story in itself is interesting, and the writing is easily understandable, but I was not particularly drawn to the characters. I did want them to succeed, but more so because the evil cooperation shouldn’t and not because I liked them very much. The characters are not particularly unlikable either, they just don’t have much going for them (yet), but I am hoping this would change in any future installations of this series. There are a lot of secondary characters as well that have the potential for some exciting plots in the next parts of this series.
I listened to the audiobook, and I was unfortunately not a big fan of the female narrator. She sounded depressed and melancholic throughout the entire book. The whole book is written in third person, but there are still multiple POVs, so that each chapter focuses on one person more than the others. These are interlaced with some letters and diary entries written from a first-person perspective. I did not see the benefit of these switching POVs, compared to a story that is only written from a third-person perspective. The flow of the story felt a bit stalled by this considering that they were also voiced by two different narrators (one doing all the female POVs, one doing all the male) that announced the POV at the beginning of each chapter. A diary entry by Walker would often follow a chapter focusing on Elsa, so the narrator would say “Chapter 9 Elsa/Walker”. And this happened almost every chapter. I feel like this could have been handled more elegantly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for gifting me this ALC of the audiobook to review. All opinions are my own. I was not paid to leave this review.

I loved Switching Tracks: Out of the Trash by Lena Gibson. This book ended, and I want to know what happens next. It made me look forward to my car rides for a chance to continue this story. Overall, this was an excellent listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is a dystopian novel that is set in SoCal in the year 2195 and Elsa is living a life of scrounging for food and anything that she can find to sell to whoever can afford to buy stuff. She comes across a cylinder that contains historic maps and a silver key and soon finds out that this item is wanted by several others. She is also solely responsible for the care of her ageing grandmother who also goes out with her as her spotting partner. The streets are dangerous and they have to make sure they are not caught by the ones in charge of paroling the streets. One day Elsa's grandmother suffers an injury that puts her in the hospital and Elsa begs her sister to take care of their grandmother and let her live in their fancy mansion but in exchange for the cost of covering her grandmother's health bills, Elsa agrees to work as a waitress for her brother-in-law at a local brothel. One night when things go a little too far Elsa barely escapes after a stranger helps her buy knocking her brother-in-law away from her and now they must run for their lives as their is a bounty on their heads. Enjoy!!!

Elsa has a rough life digging in the heap to survive along with her grandmother. And to make it worse some hoppers injured her grandmother so Elsa can’t get enough coin to buy water or food. Until one of the hoppers saved her and they ran away to get away from Green Core. Elsa found a tube while she was digging in the heap before her grandma was hurt and she’s been protecting it. She knew it was special. Elsa just didn’t know how special until her and the hopper found the bunker with all the long ago lost seeds. Now Elsa has a mission. To find the rebels and help diapers the seeds so Green Corp no longer has a hold on everyone.

I'm so invested! I enjoyed this post apcalyptic story of Elsa and Walker. Living on the edge of starvation in a city made of garbage, ekeing out an existence under the thumb of the controling company that owned everything, Elsa finds something in the refuse that could change the world. What follows is the adventure they go through trying to find a better life for all. Amazing characters! I'm anxiously waiting book 2.

I really liked the narrators for this, the way that they switched back and forth between the female and male narrators, depending on the chapter perspective, really served to effectively tell the story better than if only one person had served as the narrator. As far as the story is concerned, I felt that the dystopian world had a few tropes, but I liked the characters, and overall it was a good read. I appreciated the journey that they went on internally and externally throughout the book.

"Switching Tracks: Out of the Trash" by Lena Gibson, narrated by Rusty Mewha and Angelina Rocca, threw me into a dystopian world filled with danger and intrigue. From the very first chapter, I was hooked by the storytelling and immersive world-building.

Gibson's narrative skillfully navigates through Elsa's journey of survival and self-discovery, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout. While the romance between Elsa and Walker felt a tad rushed, the multiple points of view and narrative formats added depth to the story, enriching the overall experience.

But what truly made this audiobook shine was the exceptional narration by Rusty Mewha and Angelina Rocca. Their dynamic performances brought the characters to life with such authenticity and emotion that I found myself completely engrossed in the story. Their delivery added an extra layer of excitement and intensity, making "Switching Tracks" an unforgettable listening experience. Overall, this audiobook is a must-listen for fans of dystopian adventures.

WOW!! That was fantastic! 4⭐️.

Else is leading a harsh but dreary life in Socal, nearly two centuries after the fall of civilisation where she and her Granny etch out an existence scavenging ancient trash. But a run in on the trash heaps with train hoppers, Walker and his addict brother, she is unable to work. In an act of desperation she takes a job that indentures her to her wealthy brother-in-law and his powerful brother Jace. When they come to claim her as their property, everything goes awry and Else finds herself on the run. With the help of Walker, she sets out on a mission to revive humanity and cut power to corporate greed.

This book had great pacing, and the world that was being built was a clear and beautiful dystopian landscape. But what I enjoyed most was being a part of Elsa’s journey, and her discovery of the world outside of the only home she’d ever known. While the story is told predominately from Elsa’s perspective there are multiple POVs and in a couple of different formats, including 3rd person, letter writing and journaling, and it is very clear in the Audiobook whose POV is being shared. The writing style was not complex, and has my attention from the get go. While there was instant attraction between the MCs, the author has taken time to develop the relationship. That said the one explicitly spicy scene felt like it was a touch rushed, well written and not cringy, but rushed.

I feel like there needs to be a content warning, unless I missed it?

I gave this book four stars, vibe wise this was an amazing book and I loved the experience, but just a couple of little things, as already mentioned. I didn’t know I needed this dystopian adventure romance in my life but I CANNOT wait for the next instalment and will be seeking out more Lena Gibson books in the meantime.

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

Narrated by Rusty Mewha; Angelina Rocca
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Both narrators where really good.
Story by Lena Gibson ⭐⭐

The premise of this story sounded really fantastic and I was super excited to listen to this, but unfortunately there is nothing terribly gripping in this story that would make me want to continue with it if it becomes a series. It's a little too 'Wild west, cat and mouse' for my liking.

I enjoyed this book, which would be best described as a dystopian new adult fiction ( Age 20 and older) as there is a graphic sexual assault somewhat near the beginning of the book and some other sex scenes. I enjoyed the general premise of the story and think Lena Gibson is an excellent storyteller — I also enjoyed how the characters came to be involved in the story and how the author gave enough backstory of each character before they all become entangled. I am hopeful that the next book will explore the world and the situations more as this is the beginning of a trilogy. The characters were mostly well developed and believable overall — I listened the the audiobook and I liked both narrators that were chosen — the both did well at portraying the story helping me get more invested in the characters. Looking forward to more books by this author and the narrators of the audiobook.

Thank- You to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for this ALC. This is my honest review.

I had mixed feelings about this; the writing wasn't too bad technically but there was way too much telling over showing, with the writer spelling things out for the reader that didn't need to be. Also the POV and writing format kept changing without any clear reason, it didn't serve the story at all.

So much here I loved! The plot was perfection. The primary struggle was prolonged with secondary plot points that would come up exactly when they were needed to reinforce my interest. While there is a strong romantic storyline, it isn’t the sole focus and that really worked for me.

There are multiple perspectives that help give the story dimension. I found it interesting how different the writing style felt between characters.

The characters themselves were a little basic, the male main character in particular, but they were used well in the narrative.

I can’t wait for the sequel and would recommend this highly to anyone interested in a futuristic dystopian story. Bonus: it doesn’t feel like a retelling of The Hunger Games as so many do.

Plot - 5
Writing and Editing - 4
Character Development - 3
Narration - 4
Personal Bias - 5
Final Score - 4.2

Thank you Lena Gibson, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for my advanced review copy! My opinions are my own.

njoyed the dystopian, post-apocalyptic theme. I thought the plot was well done, adding mystery, landscape changes, running and rebel themes.

The characters felt a bit flat and there wasn’t a ton of character development. You understood Elsa’s emotion in the midst of what was going on but it felt like hers and Walker’s characters jumped quickly from plot change to plot change without much transition or fleshing out. Some of the other semi-main characters I would have liked more backstory/fleshing out as well.

Overall it was interesting though and I enjoyed the story, and am interested in the next book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

The dystopian world built in this first book of the Train Hoppers series is dark, intriguing and exciting! The characters are interesting and likeable.
At points, the storyline was a little predictable and rushed, but overall, I really enjoyed the storyline and really enjoyed the world the author is building. I am looking forward to continuing the series as the next book(s) come out!
There should definitely be a trigger warning for sexual assault though. Just one scene, but very graphic.

This book reminds me of divergent, which was the reason I wanted to read this in the first place. I would say that I didn’t disappoint me at all, and I am so excited for the second book in this series.
I will say that there probably should have been a trigger warning that was a bit more detailed for readers that can get trigger more easily. I usually don’t have problems with reading about stuff like this, but I do think it was a bit too much described for my taste. That is probably the reason I won’t give the book 5 stars.
But I choose to keep listening and I can assure you that as soon they hoped the first train the book only gets more and more interesting.

The way the chapters are made in multiple POV’s was a bit confusing in the beginning, but I got used to it pretty fast and ended up liking the different POV’s. I especially liked that walker was writing diary.

I have read a couple other Si-Fi books recently, and I was really happy to find this book because it was so different from the others I have read.

Overall, I mostly enjoyed this book and therefore I have chosen to give it 4,4 stars (. I only choose 4,4 because I usually round up and give 5 stars when I give a book 4,5)

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks for making me cry with the idea of Ogden being long gone. I loved picturing the new Salt Lake in this dystopian world, and yeah Ogden would make a great place for the farm. But still, I was heartbroken.
I loved the characters, the narration was great, and the world building was admirable.
The ending was great!

"Switching Tracks: Out of the Trash" by Lena Gibson is Book 1 of Train Hoppers. This is set in dystopian 2195, following a pandemic and then a comet hitting the Earth. It's a thriller, too.

The main character, Elsa, lives with her 100 year old great grandmother. They work together to scavenge in trash heaps to find useful items from 2025 to exchange for food and water tokens. The US is controlled by the Green Corps, a corporation that acts like a government organization. They control the supply and demand of food and water and goods of all kinds.

One day, Elsa finds a locked metal tube in the heap. When she opens it, there are maps to underground bunkers with survival supplies and seeds of all kinds. She knows it is important. So does Green Corps. They want to get this from her by any means.

It's a good story, and the characters are well developed. I really enjoyed this story! I'll definitely read the rest of the series when it comes out! If you like future stories with thriller elements, try this one!

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 5/5
Unputdownability - 5/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 5/5

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, Dreamscape Lore, and Lena Gibson for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

One of the best books I've read in a long while.