Everything in Alistair's simple life changes when he agrees to write the biography of his classmate, Fiona. Narrator Graham Halstead's hypnotic intonation lulls the listener as the story slowly reveals the puzzle of Fiona's visits to the parallel world of Aquavania, where the Riverman steals the souls of children. As the lines between fantasy and reality blur in this dark tale, Halstead clearly delineates between Fiona's stolid insistence that Aquavania and the Riverman exist and Alistair's initial skepticism of her story. Halstead also captures Alistair's fierce protectiveness of her. Secondary characters are portrayed equally well. Alistair's best friend, Charlie, has the jumpy, impatient voice of a gamer while Charlie's older brother, Kyle, has a laid-back, amused tone.
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2014
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781490616308
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ebner’s well-paced narration will engage listeners to the very end of this excellent audiobook.
Jeff Ebner's youthful, enthusiastic voice immediately pulls listeners into this fun-filled summer adventure. Eleven-year-old Felix and his neighbor, Marigold, find a mysterious wooden box that contains a field recorder and a coded message that subsequently sends them on a fantastically sound-filled scavenger hunt. The inclusion of actual sound effects—an ice cream truck’s jingle, a barking dog, bird song, and more—throughout the audiobook enhances the listening experience. The music, the voices, and the clues as Felix and Marigold run all over town are irresistible. The story’s conclusion features an unexpected reconnection.
Ebner’s well-paced narration will engage listeners to the very end of this excellent audiobook. (Mystery. 7-11)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217351961
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
A not-too-scary horror audiobook.
Dan Bittner gives a polished performance of Stine’s middle-grade horror novel, narrating with melodramatic flair and dramatic pauses at the end of each cliffhanger chapter. When the Ferber family moves into a creepy old house on Nightmare Street, Joe’s parents are oblivious to the scary things happening in the house. In a parallel story, the Hannigan family moves into the same house, where Shawn has different creepy experiences. Both Joe and Shawn have nightmares in which they encounter horror tropes—headstones, a creepy rag doll, a looping camera, a ventriloquist’s dummy, and masked teachers—in their house and at school. Bittner’s pacing works well, and fans of the Goosebumps series will enjoy the familiar shivers and tongue-in-cheek humor.
A not-too-scary horror audiobook.Pub Date: April 18, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228588288
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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