Jan Cheripko’s experience as an English teacher gives him a window into the inner lives of teenagers. His book, SUN MOON STARS RAIN, tells the story of Danny Murtaugh, an 18-year-old piano prodigy and college dropout. Danny is home to face his ghosts and deal with the death of his father, which he witnessed nine years earlier. The prose is poetic, and the cast does a professional job of breathing life into the story. Spencer Murphy is believable as Danny, a young man on the verge of adulthood who is wrestling with grief, guilt, and God. Carmen Viviano Craft also gives an outstanding performance as Stephanie, a waitress with a past who catches Danny’s eye. Musician Todd Hoban enhances the atmosphere with Bach, Sibelius, and some original keyboard work. N.E.M. 2009 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
Young AdultPub Date: 2008
Duration: 3 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN:
Publisher: Full Cast Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Golden Voice Ramón de Ocampo, who narrated each of the author's memoirs, delivers this hard-hitting YA novel in verse. De Ocampo guides listeners on its emotional journey, using the genre's rhythms to illuminate the relationship between high school seniors Diego and his best friend, Lawson. De Ocampo's poignant delivery highlights the contrast between anxious, rule-following, academically driven Diego and Lawson, who is close to failing in school and turns to selling hard drugs to support his mother. De Ocampo captures the story's highs and lows--from the teenage bliss of riding in a car with a friend to the reality of confronting a violent drug dealer. De Ocampo's narration balances lyrical writing and a gritty story.
(Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798896790570
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Brittany Pressley portrays a character who, at first, seems like an over-the-top heroine. Eleanor, a senior in high school, was abandoned by her father, Hugo, when she was born. Emotionally abused by her mother, she dreams of living with her father and his family. In response to a job ad, she does just that, hiding her identity and becoming a nanny for her toddler half-brother and a friend to her warm stepmother. She even experiences her first love. But Hugo, a rich tech bro whose most recent invention is a questionable AI product, is far different from what Eleanor imagined. Pressley's portrayals invite listeners into Eleanor's conflicted life. In particular, Pressley captures all of Hugo's ruthlessness in business and pleasure in his privileged lifestyle.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217015061
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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