This audiobook is essential listening. Narrators Therese Plummer and Emily Shaffer shine as Lo and Bea Denham, two teenage sisters whose lives are upended when their parents are killed in a car accident. The younger sister, Lo, injured in the accident, is sent to live with her reclusive aunt. The older sister, Bea—whose survival guilt has left her particularly vulnerable—falls prey to the leader of a religious cult. The story is told through dual points of view. Shaffer’s take on Bea offers a chilling portrayal of a teen who slowly unravels as the cult’s abuse escalates. In contrast, Schaffer’s grief-and-rage-filled portrayal of Lo has listeners rooting for the abandoned younger sister to pry her sibling away from the dangerous cult. G.P. 2022 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
(Thriller. 14-adult)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250760630
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This thriller’s tension never lets up thanks to Amoss’ attentive performance.
Listeners unearth a small town’s sordid past. After spending 10 years trying to escape the shadow of her father, infamous serial killer Gabriel Thorn, 17-year-old Ryan Shipley is forced back to Starling, Tennessee. Narrator Sophie Amoss captures Ryan’s guarded, cynical point of view with an uneasy detachment, while also populating Starling with a full range of Southern small-town folk and true-crime obsessives, all of whom are harboring secrets of their own. Amoss shifts convincingly among them and delivers a tense performance that keeps listeners on edge throughout.
This thriller’s tension never lets up thanks to Amoss’ attentive performance. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: June 30, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217295289
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2026
A stellar, immersive auditory experience.
Stunning. Brilliant. Vulnerable. Righteous. Zeno Robinson’s dynamic narration makes this clever political and environmental thriller a tour de force. Benton Young, a love-struck high school senior, posts an earnest and passionate online plea for young people to stand up and demand better for their future. His post galvanizes a youth revolution, and Benton is elected president of the United States. As the movement spreads across the world, more young people are elected to lead nations. As Benton faces roadblocks from problematic adults in government and complicated geopolitics, he realizes that building a new world order is hard—and deadly. Robinson’s nimble and dynamic performance is accompanied by newscasts, social media posts, and intelligence reports, all delivered by a full cast. Listeners will have lingering thoughts about the role we play in our own future.
A stellar, immersive auditory experience. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 5, 2026
Duration: 15 hrs, 44 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217171972
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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