This YA story collection on audio reimagines Edgar Allen Poe's classics by focusing on people who were marginalized in Poe's time. The myriad stories and narrators delve into the dark psychology of Poe with an odd new edge of triumph. Jeanette Illidge superbly inflects Caribbean soul as a woman who avenges misogyny in a story reminiscent of “The Cask of Amontillado." JorJa Brown is luminous as a bubbly and fierce trans woman hanging onto the detective in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." Many of the authors read their own works; Fran Wilde's tight pacing and pathos enliven her class warfare story of bringing down the House of Usher. Placing all of the original Poe stories at the end of the audiobook provides belated context.
(Anthology. 14-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250242617
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Castano captures the message of this teen paranormal romance: Never let life pass you by.
Sylvie Castellano goes on an unexpected adventure with a vintage gold watch and Penn, the ghost who comes along with it. Barbara Castano’s narration expresses 18-year-old Sylvie’s loneliness. She’s recovering from a concussion, and while her family members' lives continue without her without her, Sylvie wishes for a more fulfilled life; she wants to have fun as well as take on new responsibilities. Alongside Penn, Sylvie embarks on a series of summer activities, which Castano describes beautifully. But Castano's optimistic tones turn grave as the story unfolds.
Castano captures the message of this teen paranormal romance: Never let life pass you by. (Speculative romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9781547619481
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
This young adult audiobook is full of secrets and lies.
When they were 4, identical twins Aria and Caliste’s mother, Grace, disappeared, and the sisters were separated. Years later, Grace’s body is discovered in a lake haunted by the Ghoul. The two young women travel to Minnesota and uncover family secrets—including each other’s existence. Narrators Rebecca Ho and Chantria Tram capture the twins’ emotions as they discover what has been kept hidden from them. Carolina Do exquisitely performs the point of view of the Ghoul. However, audible pick-ups make this production sound uneven and may distract from the listening experience.
This young adult audiobook is full of secrets and lies.Pub Date: Dec. 9, 2025
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217157983
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
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