Narrator Phoebe Strole's youthful tone captures 16-year-old Lily Larkin. When Lily was young, her older sister, Alice, saved her from being swept out to sea by a riptide. Quickly, Strole contrasts the loving stability of Lily's childhood with the overwhelming feelings she is coping with now. She's worried about Alice, who is cutting herself. Lily feels like she has to be perfect. Sometimes she even wonders if she's going mad. Strole develops a strong characterization of Lily when she blooms as a secret poet. When Lily is paired with artist Micah Mendez, who has had his own issues with mental health, Strole paints a picture of his steady caring and their growing trust. Strole's strong characterizations of major and minor characters create an empowering message about voicing the words that matter.
(Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593506417
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Al-Kaisi’s performance reflects Asad’s gradual transformation, making his growth and his hopeful next steps...
Seventeen-year-old Asad is the eldest of seven children living and working in a Gazan refugee camp. Asad’s father is in prison, and the family lives in poverty with no possibility of relief. This audiobook’s power lies in Asad’s poignant inner monologues. Fajer Al-Kaisi’s narration immerses listeners in Asad’s desolation and overwhelming sense of responsibility. Al-Kaisi’s renderings of Asad’s conversations with Um Fawzi, a frank and wise elderly woman, depict both her caring and the vividness of her journeys beyond Gaza. Houriya is an erudite young woman who expands Asad’s worldview with well-chosen books.
Al-Kaisi’s performance reflects Asad’s gradual transformation, making his growth and his hopeful next steps believable. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 27 mins
DD ISBN: 9798898852153
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: tomorrow
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
Nassif gives an emotional voice to survivors of bullying.
Victoria Nassif narrates this story of magic, grief, and racism. Syrian American Jihad Dabbagh enters a private school in her senior year of high school, and she hopes to attend an art school for college. Her name and the hijab she wears make her the target of dangerous bullies. To cope, she draws in a magical sketchbook, telling the story of her deceased mother’s journey from Syria to the U.S. Nassif relates Jihad’s story beautifully, taking her from a shy, introverted teen to a strong Muslim woman willing to call out bullies for their behavior. Her Arabic pronunciations lend authenticity to this story, helping to bring Jihad’s world to life, and she’s equally adept with the pretentious accents of the privileged white students at the academy.
Nassif gives an emotional voice to survivors of bullying. (Fabulism. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 46 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668657515
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2026
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