Jorjeana Marie portrays the innocence, resilience, and burgeoning rebellion of 16-year-old Jane, daughter of punk rock star Mina Placenta. The years of spousal abuse experienced by Mina are revealed by security tapes taken in her home. Marie's narration gains gravity and menace when Vernon, Jane's controlling, abusive father, speaks. It softens when expressing the tenderness of Mina who, when not touring, is imprisoned in pneumatic tubes throughout the house. A.S. King's authoritative voice, along with musical riffs, delineates the punk opera sections that are Jane's creative outlet. Max Meyers's threatening tones define the evil of a shape-shifting rat who promises destruction. Amid these surreal elements, Marie projects Jane's intensity, her determination to escape the abusive environment of her family, and the freedom experienced by all at the audio's end.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593744390
Publisher: Listening Library
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: N/A
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: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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