In his first novel, Hank Green proves his writing gift is equal to his vlogger fame. Kristen Sieh's breezy narration fits the fast pacing of the story and the quick wit of self-absorbed, acerbic April May. Life changes (and so does Sieh's adept portrayal) when April May discovers that a ten-foot-tall statue has suddenly appeared on a Manhattan sidewalk. A YouTube video of the statue she names Carl rockets April May into celebrity. Sieh marks her growing addiction to the limelight. Soon, April May's character deepens as she becomes the center of a mystery about the alien origin of 64 mysterious Carls all over the world. Ultimately, she must choose between fame and her humanity. Green himself delivers the surprising final chapter. Though marketed as an adult novel, this also has great YA appeal.
Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2018
Duration: 9 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780525641797
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Intricate, textured weirdness rewards listeners throughout this sprawling, gloriously strange epic.
Colin Mace and Emma Spurgin Hussey narrate a generations-spanning tale of grief, conspiracy, and horror that takes its haunting premise deadly seriously. Hussey voices Maur, desolate after her son's mysterious death and desperate for answers, with a restrained intimacy, tracking her slide from mourning into obsession through shifts in pace and breath. Mace brings weathered gravel to Allerdyce, a veteran undeterred by the grim, often gross underbelly of those answers, letting long silences land before revelations. The author's interjections add an eerie texture. Both narrators keep the dense, allusive prose clear across a century of violence, building dread without tipping into melodrama.
Intricate, textured weirdness rewards listeners throughout this sprawling, gloriously strange epic.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 40 hrs, 43 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217020959
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
Maarleveld’s smooth, dark narration makes this murder mystery hard to pause.
Saskia Maarleveld narrates this dark academia audiobook about five mage healers whose final test is interrupted by the death of their classmate. Ysabel was a talented healer, and despite what others conclude, her cohort is certain she didn’t take her own life—she was murdered. As the healers are put to the test during the five-day exam, they come together despite their differences to solve Ysabel’s murder. Maarleveld masterfully differentiates among the main cast, crafting distinct personalities. Banter between characters shifts as the cohort combats their prejudices, warms up to each other, and even enters into romances. Maarleveld pronounces French names and terminology with a refined air that elevates the setting.
Maarleveld’s smooth, dark narration makes this murder mystery hard to pause.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 18 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250472182
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: tomorrow
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2027
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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