Two narrators enhance the darkness that pervades this novel as its characters experience Idaho's everlasting winter. Dan Bittner gives expression to the somber attitude of 17-year-old Jack Dahl. Bittner conveys the responsibility Jack feels for his brother, a second grader named Matty. When their drug-addicted mother hangs herself, the threat of eviction and foster care looms. Upon contacting his estranged father, who is in prison, Jack is thrust into a chase for dirty money. Bittner excels at contrasting Jack's tenderness with the heartlessness of brutal villains. Interspersed are Emma Galvin's poignant readings of the cryptic thoughts of Jack's schoolmate, the compassionate Ava Bardem. These provide moments for pauses and foreshadow the chilling coldness of Ava's controlling father, who drives the fast-moving climax.
(Fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250780447
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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