My 7-year-old has been begging me to listen to this with her after she saw the movie at a sleepover. And I'll be honest - I was skeptical. Aliens? Superpowers? This felt very much like Lucas territory, not Emma territory. But she was persistent (wonder where she gets that from), and I figured hey, 11 hours of something we can listen to together during errands? I'm in.
Here's the thing though - I ended up getting way more invested than I expected.
When the Action Actually Kicks In
The first few hours? Slow. Like, really slow. I kept checking how much time was left because we were doing a lot of setup - new town, new school, John trying to blend in. Emma was getting fidgety and honestly so was I. But somewhere around hour three or four, things start clicking into place. The Mogadorians show up, the powers start developing, and suddenly I'm white-knuckling the steering wheel in the school pickup line because I need to know what happens next.
The story itself is pretty straightforward YA sci-fi - chosen one, evil aliens hunting him, found family vibes with his guardian Henri. Nothing groundbreaking, but sometimes you don't need groundbreaking. Sometimes you need aliens with superpowers and a clear good vs evil storyline that doesn't require a wiki to follow. This delivered exactly that. Space Prison has that same straightforward sci-fi energy—survival story, clear stakes, no overthinking required.
Neil Kaplan Nails John (But Those Female Voices...)
Let me just say - Neil Kaplan absolutely nails John's internal voice. Like, really nails it. When John is scared, determined, confused about his powers - you feel it. The action scenes? Pacing is on point. I found myself actually tensing up during the fight sequences, which is saying something when you're simultaneously trying to remember if you packed Sophie's extra diapers.
But. (And this is a big but.)
Emma noticed before I did. "Mom, why does Sarah sound weird?" And she's right. The female character voices are... rough. Like, nails-on-a-chalkboard rough according to some reviews I saw, and honestly? Not an exaggeration. Every time Sarah spoke, it pulled me right out of the story. Same with some of the other female characters. It's like Kaplan just couldn't figure out how to voice them without going into this strained falsetto that sounds nothing like an actual teenage girl.
Also - and this might just be me being picky - but Kaplan's voice sounds too mature for a 15-year-old narrator. It works fine once you adjust your mental image, but for the first hour I kept forgetting John was supposed to be a teenager. Emma didn't seem to notice this one though, so maybe it's a mom thing.
Who's This For?
Perfect for parents looking for a shared listen with kids who can handle some alien violence - nothing graphic, but there are fight scenes. Skip it if bad female voice acting is a dealbreaker for you, or if you need complex, layered sci-fi. This is popcorn entertainment, and it knows it.
Emma's Verdict (And Mine)
Emma's take: "Can we listen to the next one? Please please please?" So. There's that.
My take: It's a solid YA sci-fi that survived being paused approximately 847 times between school runs, grocery store trips, and Sophie having opinions about her car seat. The story is engaging enough to follow even with constant interruptions - high praise from me. The action sequences are genuinely exciting. The world-building is accessible without being dumbed down.
But that narration issue with the female voices is real. If you're sensitive to that kind of thing, sample first. I powered through because Emma was invested and honestly the story carried me past the rough patches.
Is it better than the movie? Absolutely, 1000%. (Emma agrees and she actually liked the movie, so that's saying something.) Is it the most sophisticated sci-fi I've ever consumed? No. But it's exactly what we needed - an adventure we could share that kept us both entertained without giving me anything to explain awkwardly to a 7-year-old.
We're already on the waitlist for The Power of Six at the library. Apparently this is our thing now. I've made peace with it.
