The List (by Gregg Hurwitz)

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Written by Natalie

Joey Takes Center Stage

Happily making progress through Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series, I recently finished The List (#5.5), a compact short story that shifts the focus to Joey Morales, the last recruit of the government’s secret Orphan Program.

Joey, a teenage former trainee assassin rescued by Evan Smoak (Orphan X), is trying to live a more ordinary life while attending college and sharing an apartment with her dog. On campus she witnesses a young woman, Becca Morgan, attempt suicide and is unable to stop her. Investigating afterward, Joey discovers “The List”—a document created by male students that ranks and rates women on campus according to their sexual appeal and performance. Learning of the list helps explain the despair that drove Becca to such a desperate act.

Determined to identify the students behind it, Joey draws on her hacking and combat skills and enlists help from her mentor. She must step out of the shadows and put herself at risk not only to confront those responsible but also to protect other women targeted by the list.

I loved this compact thriller that explores campus misogyny through Joey’s perspective as she balances her lethal training with her attempt at ordinary college life. I especially enjoyed that the story primarily focused on Joey and less on Orphan X. Joey is a complex teenager given her involvement in the Orphan Program, lack of a traditional support system, and absolutely brilliant mind. She is a wonderful addition to the series, and I’m glad Hurwitz wrote a short story centered on her. Throughout the series, Hurwitz writes his female characters with respect, accuracy, and compassion, and that care is especially clear in his handling of Joey.

I purchased the audiobook from Audible, narrated by one of my favorites, Scott Brick. It ended with lovely comments from readers of the Orphan X series along with remarks from Hurwitz about the short story, Joey, and Orphan X. It was entertaining and a unique way to close out the audiobook.

Overall, The List is a sharp, satisfying detour in the Orphan X world that deepens Joey’s character while delivering the series’ signature tension in a tighter package. If you’re already invested in these characters, it’s well worth the short time it takes to read or listen.

A final note about the photo that accompanies this post: I took it at the indoor pool during our recent stay at the West Baden Springs Hotel. If you’d like to see more from that trip, you can read about our adventure in this earlier blog post.

You can find my reviews for other standalone novels and books in the Orphan X series I’ve read so far below.

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Natalie
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Where the Wildflowers Grow (by Terah Shelton Harris)