Narrator Emma Galvin reprises Blume’s timeless novel of grief and self-discovery for today’s teens. Fifteen-year-old Davey Wexler struggles to accept her father’s murder and her family’s relocation to Los Alamos, New Mexico. A chance meeting with an intriguing boy gives Davey a secret joy that helps her cope. Galvin eschews Blume’s dreamy, remote text for an immediate, intimate reading. Her choice to avoid accents helps the story retain its universal nature. However, Galvin sets a rapid pace in the first chapters, which makes it difficult to absorb the backstory. Some secondary characters don’t have distinct voices. And while Galvin doesn’t overact, her youthful insouciance labors to capture Davey’s poignant desperation. Still, TIGER EYES is a classic that makes for a powerful audiobook.
Young AdultPub Date: Aug. 9, 2011
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780307747778
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A moving exploration of consequences, making amends, and figuring out who you are and what kind of person you want to be.
The second-person perspective of this thoughtful audiobook makes the experiences of the two 14-year-old boys at its center feel immediate and relatable. Narrators Major Curda and Arya Shahi deliver the points of view of Dayton and Farshid in alternating chapters. When Dayton yells a homophobic slur at an assembly, the repercussions follow him beyond suspension. The fallout also affects his classmate Farshid, who begins to question his own identity, working out obsessively and clashing with his mom. Curda and Shahi’s performances make it easy for listeners to empathize with both boys. Sound effects, while not strictly necessary, add texture to the production and evoke the soundscape of high school.
A moving exploration of consequences, making amends, and figuring out who you are and what kind of person you want to be. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: March 17, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250433350
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
As the friends help each other negotiate life, Anton develops a vulnerability that transforms him into a nurturing leader.
Narrator Michael Ajao easily depicts 14-year-old Anton’s swagger, maximizing the wit of the writing and the hubris that makes Anton and his mates feel like kings. Ajao excels at accents and quickly distinguishes between different classes and personalities—from the fast, spicy dialogue of Anton’s South London friends to the gentleness of his grandmother. Anton’s mother enrolls him in the Happy Campers, a community service group. When he’s paired with loner Matthew, who saves his life after a bee sting, they become unlikely secret friends. Ajao expresses the way Matthew’s soft vulnerability tames Anton’s toxic masculinity and the way Anton’s sarcasm teaches Matthew about the world.
As the friends help each other negotiate life, Anton develops a vulnerability that transforms him into a nurturing leader. (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668654521
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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