Narrator Angel Pean brings to life this beautiful coming-of-age story written in verse. Jaelyn Coleman is 16 years old, and her world revolves around WestSide Roll, a roller skating rink in her community. Her parents met there, and they're the ones who taught her to skate. Her friendships are tied to skating. Her community remains linked because of the music, history, and connection the rink provides. So when the rink is closed because of gentrification, Jae must deal with the reality of her changing neighborhood and the impact on her life. Pean captures Jae's devastation, passion, and determination while also matching the tone and pacing of the story. Listeners will be immediately drawn in by Pean's emotional delivery.
(Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217071265
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A voice that turns verse into lived experience, lingering long after the final line.
Author Sawyerr delivers a raw, intimate performance that captures a teenager’s guarded bravado and quiet vulnerability. She inhabits Truth with striking authenticity, balancing sharp, rhythmic slam poetry with softer, uncertain inner reflections. Sawyerr’s vocal shifts—sounding sometimes defiant, sometimes aching—give dimension to a young woman navigating family tension, fractured friendships, and an unplanned pregnancy. The format, free verse mixed with journal entries, poetry prompts, and text messages, feels especially suited to audio, allowing Sawyerr’s cadence and timing to heighten emotional impact. Refreshingly, the story moves quickly beyond Truth’s decision to have an abortion, captivating listeners with an honest, immediate portrait of her evolving sense of self.
A voice that turns verse into lived experience, lingering long after the final line. (Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798899744747
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: March 25, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
Amber McBride's narration of her novel paints a picture of careful, rule-abiding 17-year-old Gospel, a Keeper who lives in the Leaving Room. She's responsible for helping young souls transition between life and death. McBride's precise delivery echoes her stunning images of evocative memories and settings. Gradually, McBride's narration is colored with questioning as Gospel wonders at the rules she lives by. These rules collapse when she connects with Melodee, another Keeper, even as the narration reflects the joys and tenderness of their love. Finally, the memories Gospel has collected from all the Leavers give context to her own life experience as she remembers and owns her past. McBride's lyrical narration weaves together love, loss, grief, and the liminal space between life and death.
(Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
Duration: 2 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250411440
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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