Narrator Elizabeth Acevedo's bold vocals and lyrical style take this contemporary retelling of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE to amazing heights. For years Zuri Benitez and her four sisters have been watching their tight-knit Bushwick neighborhood succumb to gentrification. When Darius Darcy and his wealthy family move in across the street, Zuri and Darius make snap judgments about each other. Zuri is an aspiring poet, and her poetry maps her emotional journey; Acevedo--an award-winning slam poet--gives these introspective verses the perfect flow, displaying her mastery and skills as a performer. Overall, Acevedo's performance is soulful and rhythmic, bringing a tone of intensity and uncertainty to Zuri's struggles with saying farewell to her neighborhood and going after the future she desires.
(Fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062855046
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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