Natalie Naudus captures Stevie's playfulness and passion toward her secret girlfriend, Nora. The pair are excited about their plan to leave their homophobic Pennsylvania community to find acceptance in California. But an accident robs Stevie of two years of memory, including her feelings for Stevie and her sexuality. Naudus embraces Stevie's confusion and desperate need to fill in the voids. She depicts Nora's constancy before the accident and afterward reads Nora's unsent letters to Stevie with sorrow. The distant tone she gives to Stevie's conservative mother reflects the mystery that Stevie can't understand. At the end, Naudus's tender narration works well as Stevie rekindles her relationship with Nora, recalls her sexual orientation, and reconciles with her parents.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: 2023
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797156255
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date:
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date:
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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