Narrator Andrew Eiden is youthful and engaging as Warner, a poor but plucky teenager living in an alternate United States. Physical size and access to resources, jobs, and education are determined by the munmun (money) in one's bank account. Along with his sister, Prayer, and best friend, Usher, Warner ventures forth in search of money-making "scale-up" opportunities. The only currency Warner carries is his special ability to create dreamscapes for others in "Dream World." Eiden's astute characterizations, especially of Warner, reveal humor and frustration during the miniscule teens' encounters with law enforcement, judiciary, gangs, and well-intentioned benefactors in "Life and Death World." Slang and colloquial expressions, ably performed, infuse this thought-provoking narrative on social and economic inequalities with authenticity.
(Dystopian fantasy. 12-17)Pub Date: May 22, 2018
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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