Author Diana Farid delivers the verse of her novel with a slow, steady rhythm that mimics the waves that teen Ava surfs. The rhythm also heightens the strain Ava feels from repetitive fights with her mother about not wanting to become a doctor, interactions with a racist at the beach, sadness surrounding her absent father, and the expectations of the Persian community. As turmoil from her best friend Phoenix's recurring lymphoma and her own struggles with OCD comes to a head, Ava finds solace in singing and writing music. The pacing of the verse is too slow at times. Some dialogue-heavy scenes don't fit the lyrical format and can be difficult to follow without character distinctions in the narration. Nonetheless, anxious teens will find a kindred spirit in Ava.
(Verse novel. 11-14)Pub Date: April 5, 2022
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781705064160
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Sunny Lu creates a passionate voice for seventh grader Luna in this coming-of-age realistic fiction. Luna leaves her introverted life behind when she becomes a bibliotherapist for her fellow classmates, recommending books to help them in times of need and eventually writing her own zines with the assistance of her best friend, Scott. Lu perfectly captures Luna's complex emotions as she abandons Scott and joins the popular group. Now rather than writing to help others, she starts to hurt others by writing about their faults and flaws in "fix-its." Listeners will relate to Luna's struggles as she loses her way and will cheer her on in hopes that she finds her way back.
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217081578
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
It's 1975, and eleven-year-old Gao Sheng, a Hmong girl, is living in the highlands of Laos in a one-room house with her family. Then they are forced to flee. Narrator Robyn Morales lends a soft, feminine huskiness to the protagonist's voice as she describes the family's journey to a refugee camp, to gentle and thoughtful effect. The listener is transported alongside Gao Sheng to a new world as she reflects on memory, gender, and family relations in her culture; the events that change her life; and conditions in the refugee camp. An afterword provides context about the author's family's real-life experience. Morales' narration is comforting, even as she describes the difficult circumstances of refugees.
(Verse historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217080861
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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