This audio book, read by the author, is a real delight. The premise of "there are those who are special among us" is nothing new, but the likeable protagonist Nick Chambers takes us along for a ride through about the first week of the Sovereign Era. Nick is weird kid and social reject. He's coming of age with a chip on his shoulder, a dead father and oddly enough, has just acquired a girlfriend who can see past his physical and social oddities. The relationships are believable and will bring back all that social angst of High School. Set in a 1980's alternative history, this gem is worth a listen.
There are some minor continuity issues with the book itself. Unfortunately the most egregious one is key to 2 major twists in the plot. They are far enough apart in the story that I think most people will miss them, so it's not really disturbing to the flow.

I think that the written version might not be as exciting and enjoyable as the audio book, but I'm sure if that is your preference it is worth a try also. The author is very genuine in his reading, adds a lot of emotion and thankfully avoids any bad character voices.

Worth a listen.