Narrator Ashley J. Hobbs brings vibrancy to this audiobook about the family you build with the people who know you best. Raised by her grandfather, Aaliyah craves a connection with her real parents, who left her as a toddler. When she secretly contacts her mother on Facebook, it sets off a string of events. Hobbs voices Aaliyah as a whip-smart but emotionally fragile young woman who struggles with anxiety and low self-esteem. Hobbs's narration captures Aaliyah's brutal inner monologues on why she feels unworthy of love, as well as her growing awareness of how much her grandfather, cousin, and friends truly care about her. Grandpa Joe is a cantankerous delight, and Hobbs attacks his every cranky turn of phrase with relish.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217157457
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Golden Voice Ramón de Ocampo, who narrated each of the author's memoirs, delivers this hard-hitting YA novel in verse. De Ocampo guides listeners on its emotional journey, using the genre's rhythms to illuminate the relationship between high school seniors Diego and his best friend, Lawson. De Ocampo's poignant delivery highlights the contrast between anxious, rule-following, academically driven Diego and Lawson, who is close to failing in school and turns to selling hard drugs to support his mother. De Ocampo captures the story's highs and lows--from the teenage bliss of riding in a car with a friend to the reality of confronting a violent drug dealer. De Ocampo's narration balances lyrical writing and a gritty story.
(Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798896790570
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Brittany Pressley portrays a character who, at first, seems like an over-the-top heroine. Eleanor, a senior in high school, was abandoned by her father, Hugo, when she was born. Emotionally abused by her mother, she dreams of living with her father and his family. In response to a job ad, she does just that, hiding her identity and becoming a nanny for her toddler half-brother and a friend to her warm stepmother. She even experiences her first love. But Hugo, a rich tech bro whose most recent invention is a questionable AI product, is far different from what Eleanor imagined. Pressley's portrayals invite listeners into Eleanor's conflicted life. In particular, Pressley captures all of Hugo's ruthlessness in business and pleasure in his privileged lifestyle.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217015061
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: yesterday
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
