Preston Butler's and Shayna Small's youthful and engaging voices are perfectly cast to portray two misfit teens who serendipitously run into each other on every holiday. Butler's performance is high-pitched and excitable as Reggie, a passionate but insecure Dungeons & Dragons player who develops a fake confident persona to impress punk singer Delilah. Delilah, portrayed by Small, is starting to doubt if she belongs on the stage, but Reggie's confident act inspires her to keep going. Small's voice has an easy laid-back quality that matches the cool, aloof singer. The teens are often the only Black kids in their chosen spaces; Butler and Small dial up the emotion as the teens bond over this shared experience. Their delightful narration elevates this twist on a holiday romance.
(Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063213029
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Desean Terry delivers a touching performance of this reimagining of "The Great Gatsby," in which the protagonists are gay Black prep school students. Aspiring journalist Nick Carrington leaves Oklahoma to begin school at Harlem's West Egg Academy. Out of his element, Nick keeps his gay identity a closely held secret, but love interest Jay Gatsby Jr.--the academy founder's son--openly embraces his own gay identity. As they write letters to each other, each more daring and affectionate than the last, they receive threats that their budding relationship will be exposed in the school newspaper. Terry clearly presents every piece of dialogue that warrants an emotional charge and adds subtle suspense to his straightforward tone when needed. Terry's narration is always on the money.
(Historical fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063312517
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An exceptional and authentic listening experience.
Three narrators—the author and his real-life wife and brother—each tell this heartfelt and witty story with their own approach. Carter is stuck in a loop. Every year on his birthday, he turns 16 again and forgets the previous year, while everyone else, including his younger brother, Lincoln, ages normally. But loop six seems different, and Carter, supported by his family and former girlfriend, Maggie, will do anything to end the cycle. As the three narrators introduce each character’s perspective and deliver their experiences with emotional depth, the dynamic between Carter, Lincoln, and Maggie sounds natural and complex.
An exceptional and authentic listening experience.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063330405
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
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