Five-year-old Anna and her 2-year-old brother must survive on their own in remote Canada after a bear kills their parents. Told from Anna's point of view, the story is made doubly harrowing by narrator Cassandra Morris's childlike voice. When a rogue bear attacks the family's campsite, Anna and Stick are saved by the desperate actions of their father but then must fend for themselves. Morris's emotional range matches that of the child she portrays, changing at the turn of a thought. With convincing authenticity, Morris creates the childish "Mom voice" Anna uses to cajole her brother to obey, as well as the internalized sulkiness of a young girl who is unaccustomed to sacrificing her own needs for another's. Like Emma Donoghue's ROOM, THE BEAR is a discomforting, but ultimately emotional and compelling, story.
Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2014
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781478952718
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Part of the joy of Tom Clancy novels is one's belief that the stories could come true. His latest entry stretches that some as we find international terrorists building a nuclear bomb which is used to set Americans and Russians against one another. Jay Robertson reads with a newscaster's voice, crisp and clear with a light touch of drama. However, he does little to help listeners identify Clancy's huge cast of characters, and dialects seem difficult for him as he occasionally slips in and out of character. Nonetheless, patient listeners are rewarded as the plot unfolds. This will be a welcome addition to any library justifying the price of the multi-cassettte volumes.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John Sanford is back with another psychological thriller in his Prey series. Surgeon, psychopath and serial killer Bekker is on the loose again after the easiest jailbreak in recent memory. Ken Howard's reading moves along with all the brooding energy a reader could want from a suspense book. His narration is deep, clear and well-suited to the gravelly voices of retired detective Lucas Davenport and the other cops. While Howard manages good dialects and shifts in character, his female voices leave a lot to be desired. For the most part, the abridgment gleefully throws logic and characterization overboard in favor of thrills, but the basic flavor of many characters is still fairly well maintained.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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