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Reviewed by Jennifer Reinoehl for Readers' Favorite
Harp and the Lyre: Exposed by H.C. Roberts is a unique first book in a dystopian trilogy. Exposed begins in a country just before its takeover. Viona was raised by a father who left his traditional upbringing to marry her “foreign” mother. She befriends Ezra, who is a “trad.” While Viona starts dating Nash against her parents’ advice and struggles with his unfaithfulness, the world comes crashing down around them. Everyone, except trads like Ezra, is plugged in on Earth Rishona. Lyre controls all media, and their smart earbuds are the hottest thing on the market. Viona’s parents forbid her to have them, but Viona finds a jeweled pair of Harp earbuds in her mail one day, which get her parents' approval. The Harp is similar to the Lyre in that it plays songs reflecting the wearer’s moods. But after a natural disaster hits the town and Lyre moves in on a more personal level, Viona begins to see things that make her believe Lyre is not just a harmless media outlet and that the end of Earth Rishona may be near. Will she be able to solve the mystery and resist Lyre’s temptations, or will she sell out to her desires for popularity and love?
Harp and the Lyre: Exposed is a much-needed book in a youth-friendly audio format that goes beyond most audiobooks by having full-length, catchy, clean, pop-style songs as a part of the storytelling process. This book has some references Christians will recognize, but the end times on Earth Rishona could be the end times of many world religions: Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, etc. This is really a story about being a teenager who was raised in a family that does not embrace being logged on to a device 24/7. It is about keeping family traditions in a world that is trying to erase them. It's about figuring out what to do when your faith and beliefs are no longer accepted, but you still believe them.
The audible version is told in a variety of English accents by the same narrator. The real value of this format is the music performed and written by H.C. Roberts, which plays seamlessly whenever Viona listens to her Harp or shares the music with troubled friends. It was like getting an audiobook and a music CD in one. This is a clean book that is appropriate for middle schoolers and teens, as well as adults. I highly recommend it.
