Jasmin Savoy Brown's pleasant, dynamic voice captures the climate-razed Earth and the few people selected for survival as part of the Inside Project. Women's rights advocate Jacqueline Mellinder directs its Manhattan location, allowing only women inside in order to eradicate masculinity. Ava is one of those women; her voice is growing steadily dreamier as she lets go of her worries and accepts her new life. Olympia has a slight Texas drawl and a bold personality as she resists Jacqueline's mission. Shelby's dream job as Jacqueline's assistant affords her access to gender-affirming hormones; she is voiced with boredom that grows into curiosity as she investigates her boss's actions. With saccharine optimism, Jacqueline's corporate, cis-white feminism imposes her vision of the perfect world on women who are unaware of her intentions.
Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2023
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250290762
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Four narrators help listeners discover a mysterious, underwater world.
Four narrators bring this debut novel to life. Otta is an experienced diver returning to her hometown, where she meets May. May enlists her help to search for her daughter, Daphne, who has disappeared from an underwater community created years ago by a flooded valley. Charles Linshaw narrates interstitial chapters that give insight into the underwater town’s difficult beginnings. His voice reflects both uncertainty and tenacity. Emma Ladji pours world-weariness into Otta, who is reeling from a recent tragedy. Leeanna Albanese fills Daphne’s voice with hope and wonder as she makes discoveries. As May, Gail Shalan sounds almost hysterically desperate.
Four narrators help listeners discover a mysterious, underwater world.Pub Date: April 21, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 29 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217173983
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Gregoire's performance of these original stories stimulates listeners' imagination, providing plenty of food for thought.
Samek's collection of 12 short stories is thought provoking, surreal, and original. These creative stories are linked by several common threads: psychology, technology, and time. Narrator Chandler Gregoire adopts a personable tone, feminine and relatable, though her pacing can sometimes become a little bit rapid. Several standout stories from the collection include the titular tale of an older brother who has a puppeteer to control him; “Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe,” in which a couple is matched by an algorithm but it ends up feeling artificial; and “The Cloud,” in which mothers' limbs are stored in the cloud.
Gregoire's performance of these original stories stimulates listeners' imagination, providing plenty of food for thought.Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217278107
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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