Michael Crouch's Southern accent depicts the East Tennessee origins of Cash Pruitt and stresses the gentleness and sensitivity at the core of his character. Crouch also portrays the headstrong certainty of his brilliant friend Delaney Doyle, whom Cash met in a support group for children whose parents struggle with drug addiction. Their friendship has weathered the death of Cash's mother, the discovery of a science-changing bacteria-eating mold, and leaving their impoverished hometowns for an elite boarding school in the Northeast. Crouch tenderly renders the fragility, kindness, and wisdom of Cash's Papaw, who has raised him and is dying from emphysema. Crouch shows his gift for adding richness to the spot-on, emotion-filled dialogue, powerful shared moments, and Cash's lyrical view of the world.
(Fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593399033
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Three narrators find the essential humanity of a group of antiheroes in an action-packed dark academia stunner.
Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick, E.A. Castillo, and Nicky Endres voice characters who change identities in this body-switching fantasy/sci-fi mashup. When Annabelle Gage uses her illusion magic to steal the wrong object, she’s forced to be the top student’s personal assistant at the infamous Paragon Academy. There, she’s recruited to join a vengeful student, Wes, in capturing the Black Wraith, leader of a violent rebel group. Ana finds both family and secrets, learning quickly that those she once admired might be on the wrong side of history. Castillo captures the nuance of an emotive Ana, who’s trapped in a rotting male body, bringing complexity to her personality and identity. Fitzpatrick nails the seething anger of Wes, while Endres offers a genderfluid perspective on various side characters.
Three narrators find the essential humanity of a group of antiheroes in an action-packed dark academia stunner. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
Duration: 16 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250432407
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
Tune your ear to a rap beat and prepare for a great listen. It's 1999, and Pernell, a failing high school student, uses a pen recorder to capture his thoughts for posterity in case the Y2K hysteria is true and civilization collapses. Author and narrator Idris Goodwin showcases the personalities of Pernell's caring parents and friends, as well as an antagonistic teacher, through tone. Sometimes it takes a few seconds to determine who's speaking, but Goodwin's approach definitely works. Pernell is thoroughly likable. He's smart but often derailed by ADHD. Rapping is his thing. He records his triumphs and struggles, including his attempts to be the Cypher King of summer school. Listeners will find that his sincerity and occasional self-doubts ring true.
(Verse fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
Duration: 3 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668147696
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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