Schrefer’s nonfiction audiobook for teens is fascinating, frank, funny, and, above all, compassionate. Joel Froomkin performs the main narration, and it’s easy to imagine that his voice is the author’s, though he does make the curious choice to narrate chapter titles in an officious British accent. Dustin Ballard, Hope Newhouse, and Neo Cihi narrate interludes (illustrated in the print book) and Q&A interviews with scientists. Listeners will learn about the wide and varied spectrum of animal sexuality—and about how biases in scientific research have often hidden or omitted this variety. Schrefer is open about his own identity as a gay man, and he writes, "This is partly a book for lonely eleven-year-old Eliot.” Indeed, LGBTQIAP+ teens especially may find this to be an illuminating and comforting listen. J.M.D. 2023 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
(Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: May 24, 2022
Duration: 5 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063069527
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Saddle up with narrators Rachel Jacobs and Tristan Wright as they take listeners to the Texas panhandle for a heartfelt cowboy romance. Nineteen-year-old bull rider Case Michaels is trying to keep it together after the death of his best friend, Walker. Walker left Case a list of things to accomplish. One of those tasks is befriending Winnie Sutton, a sassy ranch hand who works for Case's family. Jacobs's expressive tone and fluid cadence capture Winnie's hardworking spirit, while Wright's warm Southern drawl conveys Case's vulnerability and charisma. Both Jacobs and Wright create the perfect amount of tension, longing, and love to keep listeners smiling.
(Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2024
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Spotify Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Aida Reluzco and Andre Bellido do a beautiful job of narrating this story about the uncertainty of young love. Soleida flees her native Cuba and eventually finds herself alone in a Costa Rican refugee camp. Dariel is visiting from California. He comes from a wealthy family, and, at first, the pair do not seem to have much in common. But soon they develop intense feelings for each other. They are both concerned about climate change and committed to helping environmental causes. Reluzco and Bellido both switch from English to Cuban Spanish easily. They have a youthful quality in their voices that adds authenticity to the listening experience. Reluzco is good at conveying Soleida's precarious mental state by adding the right amount of hesitation to her delivery.
(Verse novel. 12-17)Pub Date: April 18, 2023
Duration: 1 hr, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797156811
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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