Author Jeanne Thornton performs her novel with a charming casualness that will immediately draw listeners in. In 1998, three queer teenagers bond over creating video games in the early days of Internet chat rooms. Nineteen years later they are all trans women in their 30s, and though they've lost touch and never met in person, they're still haunted by the game they never finished. Thornton's narration is intimate but understated. She uses similar voices for the three main characters, but with enough variation that they sound like distinct people. She's especially good at capturing the rhythms of online communication. This is a heartfelt, melancholy, and insightful novel about early Internet culture, nostalgia, queer and trans identity, and the physical and virtual spaces that shape us.
Pub Date: April 1, 2025
Duration: 15 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798895941102
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Emotional, timely, and powerful, Picoult's latest is a must-listen.
A talented team of narrators brings this compelling story to life. Molly Fitzgerald, voiced by Rebecca Soler, lost her mom during the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Twenty-five years later, she runs the Rhode Island Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response and is all too aware of life's many potential risks. Her husband, Jesse, is a police detective—and was also a character in Picoult's earlier novel, My Sister's Keeper (2004). When the unexpected happens, everyone in Molly's life is impacted and must navigate the fallout. The narrators’ pacing perfectly matches the unfolding storylines as the perspective shifts between Molly, Jesse, and Molly's mother, Eloise. All three narrators bring an authenticity to the characters that will keep listeners engaged and invested until the very end.
Emotional, timely, and powerful, Picoult's latest is a must-listen.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 15 hrs, 39 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217404483
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026
A raw, wry take on family dynamics and the realities of aging.
Howrey’s latest follows three far-flung sisters who return home to help their ailing mother. Sloane is an actress turned therapist, Laurel is a mom trying not to buck against societal norms, and Nanette is training to be a nun. When their mother’s health worsens, the sisters converge to figure out next steps but can’t agree on much. Howrey effectively shows how siblings with large age gaps grow up differently, even within the same household. Although Howrey’s measured reading of each woman is thoughtful, she does little to differentiate the characters, which renders her performance one-note.
A raw, wry take on family dynamics and the realities of aging.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 20 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217406388
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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