From the opening of this audiobook, narrator Lauren Ezzo gives an edgy, anxious tension to each word. Wren details how the blight--a quicksilver-like substance that distorts everything it touches--has leapt from farm to farm near Hollow's End, tainting the soil and invading both its animal and human inhabitants, transforming them into zombie-like creatures operating as a single unit. With her ex-boyfriend Derek's help, Wren finally realizes how to correct the sins of their fathers to save their community. Ezzo's deft performance of this dystopian fantasy is crisp. Changes in volume and pacing as Wren and Derek process their situation and deal with threats make this a compelling listen.
(Paranormal fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593506356
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Castano captures the message of this teen paranormal romance: Never let life pass you by.
Sylvie Castellano goes on an unexpected adventure with a vintage gold watch and Penn, the ghost who comes along with it. Barbara Castano’s narration expresses 18-year-old Sylvie’s loneliness. She’s recovering from a concussion, and while her family members' lives continue without her, Sylvie wishes for a more fulfilled life; she wants to have fun as well as take on new responsibilities. Alongside Penn, Sylvie embarks on a series of summer activities, which Castano describes beautifully. But Castano's optimistic tones turn grave as the story unfolds.
Castano captures the message of this teen paranormal romance: Never let life pass you by. (Speculative romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9781547619481
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
This young adult audiobook is full of secrets and lies.
When they were 4, identical twins Aria and Caliste’s mother, Grace, disappeared, and the sisters were separated. Years later, Grace’s body is discovered in a lake haunted by the Ghoul. The two young women travel to Minnesota and uncover family secrets—including each other’s existence. Narrators Rebecca Ho and Chantria Tram capture the twins’ emotions as they discover what has been kept hidden from them. Carolina Do exquisitely performs the point of view of the Ghoul. However, audible pick-ups make this production sound uneven and may distract from the listening experience.
This young adult audiobook is full of secrets and lies.Pub Date: Dec. 9, 2025
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217157983
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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