Amanda Stribling's Southern accent evokes the Ozarks background of 17-year-old Dove Warner. Stribling also captures the horror Dove faces when she--like others affected by her family's curse--hears the bones of murdered people calling out for her to discover their burial places. Stribling's tone becomes calmer when Dove spends time with her best friend, Lo, until he expresses his own feelings of being haunted by those who have been killed. Dove manages to disregard the lurid tales of townsfolk until the killing increases. Stribling adds tension as Dove and Lo become more determined to learn who--or what--is responsible. Stribling's narration maximizes the atmospheric setting, lyrical writing, and many twists and turns of this audiobook.
(Paranormal thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217017010
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ell Potter narrates this YA novel, inspired by the legend of the Zikmund bell in Prague. The Strauss family has been tasked for generations with caring for their sentient city's bell towers in order to contain a great evil that lies sleeping within. When teenager Mina's bell rings 13 times on her patrol, it's up to her to prevent the ensuing destruction. Potter's sophisticated British accent gives a sense of importance to Mina and her legacy. However, more often than not, Potter's tone leans toward the melodramatic and woeful, sometimes even taking on a warble. This over-the-top delivery lends a sense of urgency to the narrative, and, while somewhat tiresome, matches the gothic fantasy atmosphere of the story.
(Fantasy. 13-17)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250411891
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Kevin R. Free's emotional connection to the dark, romantic audiobook tugs at listeners' heartstrings. Teenaged George, a vampire, is about to lose his life partner, James, to old age. Free's tone projects George's slowly breaking heart, even as a new opportunity for romance appears. Howard can't wait to finish high school, where he feels frustrated at the lack of support for queer students like him. Free's voice for Howard is higher and more youthful, reflecting his naïveté and emotional volatility. Howard and George's connection is undeniable, despite George's vampiric secret. Free's depictions are easily distinguishable and are perfect for this dual-perspective story.
(Paranormal. 14-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668139103
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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