Nathalie Pownall narrates an unconventional young adult romance audiobook. After her father dies, Josie takes a gap year before starting university. As she begins to renovate the English estate her father bequeathed to her, she comes across letters addressed to her that were written by someone 200 years earlier. Pownall’s performance, though spirited, is far from stellar. Josie’s closest friend, Faith, an American, is performed with an inconsistent accent. Other characters’ voices are frequently indistinguishable. The story shifts between the two time periods, with the current-day conversations helpfully designated by the sounds of the messages being sent and received. Still, this production is serviceable at best.
(Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780785236207
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An effervescently fresh spin on Dirty Dancing that will resonate with modern teens.
Katherine, who likes being called Kat and hates her childhood nickname, Kitty, reluctantly agrees to spend the summer engaging in family bonding time at Camp Ochoa in Southern California. After stumbling upon a staff party where teen dance instructors Jordan and Toni are showing off their moves, Kat impulsively volunteers to learn the routine so that Jordan can audition for a dance scholarship when Toni isn’t available. Guillory’s Kat is funny and relatable, alternately brimming with confidence and self-doubt. Her heart is still tender from quitting ballet two years earlier amidst intense scrutiny and body-shaming, but Kat’s joy in the freedom of hip-hop dance rings through the voice Guillory crafts for her.
An effervescently fresh spin on Dirty Dancing that will resonate with modern teens. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798225081423
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2027
Soler's spellbinding voice turns a melancholic fable into an intimate experience listeners will feel long after it ends.
Rebecca Soler narrates this haunting audiobook with a lyrical quality that draws listeners deep into its magical realism and its many-layered story. Her emotional control serves the narrative well, allowing the story's quietest moments to land with weight. Soler voices Lexie and Chester, two teens with heavy pasts and dark secrets who are drawn to each other by an undeniable cosmic pull. On a freezing winter morning, five people, including Chester, go for a swim and wake the next day transformed into birds, their lives forever altered. Measured pacing and tender characterizations give each teen a distinct inner life.
Soler's spellbinding voice turns a melancholic fable into an intimate experience listeners will feel long after it ends. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 56 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217351152
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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