Doctorow’s story is set in the near future in a world in which entertainment companies have forced governments to enact laws that jail people for the slightest copyright violation. That makes life hard for 16-year-old movie buff Trent McCauley, who enjoys taking scenes from old movies and mixing them together into mini-movies he shares on the Internet. Can a kid from the wrong side of town fight the British government? Bruce Mann performs in the voice of a young man on the verge of adulthood. The Brit slang sounds natural and exotic at the same time. Mann’s sometimes breathy delivery ratchets up the suspense, and his careful use of accents gives even more personality to the likable characters.
(Science fiction. 13 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2012
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780307879585
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Gilli Messer narrates this YA thriller set in a dystopian future on Earth. Two hundred years after WWII, 18-year-olds around the world must report to government centers to have their past lives revealed. Sivon, who is unremarkable aside from her board-game skills, fears she'll be pronounced a bad soul. Instead, her unprecedented talent pushes her into the spotlight, and she finds herself wondering what secrets the leaders of the world have kept hidden for lifetimes. Messer's distinct character voices make it easy for listeners to distinguish dialogue from narration and women from men. She respectfully depicts a nonbinary character, as well. Overall, her sobs, excitement, anguish, and flirtatious inflections for the various characters add personality to the audiobook.
(Dystopian. 12-18)Pub Date: July 29, 2025
Duration: 15 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668138243
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Jefferson White shows remarkable skill balancing a youthful cast with the sobering reality they must face. Twenty-four years before Katniss's games, Haymitch, from District 12, must compete in the Hunger Games--with twice the tributes (competitors). White's perfect pacing adds intensity to the brutality of the games and lingering melancholy as Haymitch struggles to maintain his integrity as the people around him keep dying. White smoothly distinguishes a large cast of characters, including stuffy Capitol residents, tributes of all ages and genders, and familiar mentors that fans of the series will remember. Near the end, Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" is interspersed with the narrative, and White's emotional delivery enhances Haymitch's heartbreak, which is sure to bring listeners to tears.
(Dystopian. 13-adult)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781546171492
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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