Characterizing herself as a "life watcher,” Scarlett finds that her watching often turns to helping and then to mayhem. Teri Linden gives Scarlett a sensible voice as she recounts her newly married sister’s arrival home with a new husband and a baby on the way. In contrast, sister Juliet has a tinny, whiny voice, perfect for her annoying presence but belying her fame as a professional singer. Similarly, Scarlett’s peers are a squeaky, irritating bunch. However, neighbors, Mom, and others in Scarlett’s everyday life have stories that are neatly conveyed by Linden in a medley of characters who range from bratty boys to confused elderly folks. Scarlett’s deep talks with her brother-in-law and her growing infatuation with him are also beautifully written and narrated.
Young AdultPub Date: 2010
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781423396697
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Golden Voice Ramón de Ocampo, who narrated each of the author's memoirs, delivers this hard-hitting YA novel in verse. De Ocampo guides listeners on its emotional journey, using the genre's rhythms to illuminate the relationship between high school seniors Diego and his best friend, Lawson. De Ocampo's poignant delivery highlights the contrast between anxious, rule-following, academically driven Diego and Lawson, who is close to failing in school and turns to selling hard drugs to support his mother. De Ocampo captures the story's highs and lows--from the teenage bliss of riding in a car with a friend to the reality of confronting a violent drug dealer. De Ocampo's narration balances lyrical writing and a gritty story.
(Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798896790570
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Brittany Pressley portrays a character who, at first, seems like an over-the-top heroine. Eleanor, a senior in high school, was abandoned by her father, Hugo, when she was born. Emotionally abused by her mother, she dreams of living with her father and his family. In response to a job ad, she does just that, hiding her identity and becoming a nanny for her toddler half-brother and a friend to her warm stepmother. She even experiences her first love. But Hugo, a rich tech bro whose most recent invention is a questionable AI product, is far different from what Eleanor imagined. Pressley's portrayals invite listeners into Eleanor's conflicted life. In particular, Pressley captures all of Hugo's ruthlessness in business and pleasure in his privileged lifestyle.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217015061
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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