Welcome to a dystopian hellscape in which coastal cities are washed away and survivors scavenge for scraps of plastic to trade for food and goods. Narrator Brittany Pressley enhances the bleakness of this world. As her voice depicts the environment, every word is heavy with hopelessness. She brings grim resignation to Coral, a plastic "plucker" whose young son, Shanghai, is forced to work in a factory. Pressley adeptly shifts between Coral and the voices of child slaves, erotic dancers, drugged-out factory guards, and the "mayor" of Trashlands, who rules through violence and exploitation. When a journalist arrives to research life in "Scrappalachia," Coral begins to envision a different future for herself and her son. Listeners are left feeling their engaging story is only just beginning.
Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781488212550
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This immersive audiobook exemplifies how a full cast can animate a work of fiction.
This speculative novel is exceptionally well performed. All the narrators capture the unique voices and distinct diction of these near-future souls. Kimberly Farr as Ari and James Aaron Oh as Sebastian are outstanding. The novel is set in the 2030s, just after the United States splinters into city-states and regional governments. The party at the center of the plot occurs in LA and presents many of the central characters—and their doppelgängers. Violence and fear hang over this dystopian world like a toxic mist. In the future, Paris consists of domes to separate the haves from the have-nots. Violent militias roam the U.S. People work for The Service, a secret police agency that watches all.
This immersive audiobook exemplifies how a full cast can animate a work of fiction.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 29 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217406500
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026
A haunting and heartwarming must-listen.
Nneka Okoye captivates in her performance of this gripping tale about Londoners in the midst of catastrophe. A mix of family drama, social commentary, and apocalyptic thriller, the story focuses on the Minton family, whose world literally blows apart on the day of a family wedding. Okoye’s inviting narrative voice welcomes listeners into the family, while her intense delivery heightens the pulse-pounding events surrounding the worldwide disaster. She personifies the diverse cast, changing her pitch, pace, and attitude to believably inhabit Black and white characters of different ages and social backgrounds—everyone from the four sisters, ages 7 to 22, and the Minton parents to panicked London residents.
A haunting and heartwarming must-listen.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 46 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668165317
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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