A unique portrait of a teen who finds himself by embracing the love, grief, and activism that surround him.
Fifteen-year-old Bryce was born on the Ojibwe Wolf Creek reservation and lived there happily until his father’s death. Now he lives far away, surviving in a shadowy existence with his drug-addicted mother and her abusive boyfriend. Narrator Meegwun Fairbrother effectively expresses Bryce’s fear and anger. When Bryce’s mother is imprisoned, he returns to Wolf Creek to live with his grandmother and dying grandfather. Fairbrother uses accents judiciously and evocatively to ground listeners in the strength and caring of Bryce’s grandparents and other elders. Similarly, Fairbrother conveys the support of Bryce’s old friends, who introduce him to skateboarding, a passion his father also shared.
A unique portrait of a teen who finds himself by embracing the love, grief, and activism that surround him. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 20 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063160453
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
Lee captures the slow-burn romance as well as the heroes' fears of and fights against censorship.
Michelle H. Lee has narrated several of Hur’s books, and here she proves her talents once again. Her narration easily moves between the dual perspectives of novel-loving commoner Haewon and writer Lord Yu Seojun in 1792 Korea, during the Joseon Dynasty, a time when fiction has been banned. Lee clearly identifies the many secondary characters while she portrays the oil-and-water meeting of the protagonists. Seojun dismisses Haewon because of her lower class, while Haewon detests his arrogance. Listeners may realize sooner than the protagonists do that they have already revealed their true hearts while exchanging secret letters. Haewon is “Magpie,” a committed fan of “Black Lotus,” Seojun’s alter ego.
Lee captures the slow-burn romance as well as the heroes' fears of and fights against censorship. (Historical romance. 14-adult)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217345687
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
Elements of art, neurodivergence, historical fiction, fantasy, love, loss, and grief blend into a compelling audiobook.
Narrator Kira Fixx contemplatively presents the thoughtful inner monologues of autistic, art-loving 18-year-old Nora. As she arrives in France with her mother’s ashes and a plan to carry them to a beloved location, Nora reflects on years of her mother’s counsel about how to respond to the world by masking her natural behaviors. When she escapes an attack and ends up going through a portal that transports her to 1946, she finally learns to express her authentic self. At Saint-Alban, an asylum, Nora finds acceptance and enlightening perspectives about how her mother’s fears have limited her life.
Elements of art, neurodivergence, historical fiction, fantasy, love, loss, and grief blend into a compelling audiobook. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 5, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 27 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063471689
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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