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
A swashbuckling adventure with lots of heart.
Barnaby Edwards will have listeners hanging onto every word of this action-packed audiobook. This worthy sequel to Thunder City finds the crew of the Fire’s Astonishment helping the university city of Museion. Its inhabitants are willingly joining the city of London in order to preserve their knowledge and artifacts. But in order to do that, they’ll have to travel safely to the rendezvous point without being eaten by another traction city. With his panoply of accents, Edwards is just as skillful narrating close calls and violent skirmishes as he is with quieter moments between characters. Vespertine, the mechanical Revenant, and her relationships with Small Cat and Professor Stanislaus are particular standouts.
A swashbuckling adventure with lots of heart. (Science fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798225035891
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
