Narrators Rebecca Soler and Brittany Pressley team up to present a poignant picture of sisters who are exploring gender, identity, and individuality. After their brother's unexpected death, 14-year-old twins Audrey and Clare struggle to regain their footing, looking inward in order to confront issues of identity and self. Neurodivergent Audrey despairs at being seen as different and wishes only to be "normal," while Clare cautiously explores her gender and sexual orientation. Alternating chapters, Pressley gives voice to Audrey, and Soler takes the part of Clare. Pressley channels Audrey's clarity and disarming directness, while Soler's Clare starts as world-weary and tough but ends on an optimistic note. Both narrators sound sincere and authentic as they deliver impactful performances that reflect important and timely topics.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2020
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780358437802
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Winslow’s deep voice and emotional resonance suit an overwhelmed teenager with too much on her plate.
Andia Winslow narrates this witchy YA fantasy. The witches in 17-year-old Mikaela’s coven are having their magic stolen, and as the next Witch Queen, she’s expected to solve this mystery. She also helps out at her family’s occult shop, and when a beautiful new girl in town visits Mikaela for a tarot reading, she is struck by a vision of her own murder at the stranger’s hand. Winslow easily differentiates characters of different genders and ages and seamlessly shifts between African American Vernacular English and Standard American English. She elegantly adjusts her pacing for action scenes and political debates.
Winslow’s deep voice and emotional resonance suit an overwhelmed teenager with too much on her plate. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 38 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217342082
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026
First love, community, and self-discovery triumph over secrecy and confusion.
With a gifted narration, Brenda Arteaga-Walsh shifts between Spanish and English to portray the changing thoughts and emotions of 17-year-old Ezzie Ramos. On the precipice of college choices, Ezzie discovers a surprising letter of resignation written by her biologist father shortly before his death. Determined to uncover truths hidden by the silence of her Mami and Abuelita, she volunteers at the nonprofit garden he started. Arteaga-Walsh expresses Ezzie’s increasing passion for art and writing, which conflict with her family’s view that she should enter the sciences, and traces Ezzie's developing relationship with the once-hated Gabe McCallister. When Gabe shows himself to be loving and eager to help, Ezzie finally opens up.
First love, community, and self-discovery triumph over secrecy and confusion. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 31 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063071919
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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