Inés del Castillo gives spirited voice to absolutely everyone in this packed first novel about a flamboyant Venezuelan family living illegally in Trinidad. Everything is fine until a gangster named Mr. Ugly forces the family to pay off their late aunt's debt by working in his strip club. Del Castillo gives our protagonist, the feisty 20-something daughter named Yola, a nice mix of sarcasm, drama, and sweetness. She also handles with flair Yola's love of swearing and over-the-top descriptions. The rest, from Yola's in-your-face mother to the menacing Mr. Ugly, are rendered just as believably. With some discussion of the plight of refugees intertwined with the story's wackiness, the audiobook is as timely as it is eye-rollingly amusing.
Pub Date: July 7, 2020
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797110035
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A resonant listening experience rich with biting social commentary.
Narrator Katharine Chin elevates this contemporary coming-of-age story featuring four Asian American friends. Diana, Justin, Errol, and Vivian all attended great schools and earned good grades, but in the aftermath of graduating into the Great Recession of 2008, they find themselves unemployed and living at home. Grace, a former classmate, makes a YouTube video about the group and their failure to meet expectations called “Bad Asians.” The video goes viral, upending their lives in the early days of the internet. Chin brings each character distinctly to life through subtle tonal shifts. Her reflective tone conveys the story’s thought-provoking exploration of identity, cultural expectations, and the meaning of success.
A resonant listening experience rich with biting social commentary.Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250433244
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
Narrated by an ensemble cast, this audiobook explores the lives, successes, failures, and frailties of a half-dozen friends from the early 2000s to 2024. The novel's narrators are all talented and capture the millennial characters' struggles well. Jill Paice performs Mia, a writer who is the only single person in the group, with fine tempo and pacing while conveying her angsty tone. Santino Fontana is equally impressive as the brilliant Marco, and Christian Barillas nails the complex alcoholic Richie. The stories unfold during a series of parties, events, and celebrations (New Year's, wedding, birthday, Halloween, funeral) that reveal the characters' issues and relationships over their two decades since graduating from Penn. A meaningful look at millennial lifestyles and a worthwhile listen.
Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797194356
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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