Jorjeana Marie’s gift for embodying teens shines in this character-driven audiobook. Seventeen-year-old Jessie is still grieving her mother’s death when her father moves the two of them to Los Angeles to live with his new wife and family. Jessie is enrolled in a private school where she knows no one. Almost instantly she becomes the object of mean-girl bullying, her stepbrother’s resentment, and peer dynamics she doesn’t understand. Marie portrays Jessie’s uncertainty when she begins to receive anonymous texts from “Somebody Nobody” (SN), who promises to act as her “virtual spirit guide.” Depicting the seeming realness of this virtual relationship as well as the insecurity and anger beneath Jessie’s snarky front, Marie fully captures Jessie’s attempts to sort out past feelings, present truths, crushes, and real love.
(Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780147521286
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Both narrators lean into the opposites-attract chemistry.
Stephanie Rose and Alex Knox perform this cute, cozy teen romance in dual narration. Rory’s passion in life is cheerleading, and her goal is to win the big competition, but her plans hit a roadblock when a member of her squad is injured. Jacob is a soccer star turned cheerleader, and he’s willing to join the squad and save the day. Too bad he’s the most annoying person Rory has ever met. Rose’s expressive, lively voice portrays Rory’s reluctance and drive as she strives to do what's best for the cheer squad, while Knox’s warm, inviting timbre conveys Jacob’s charm and confidence.
Both narrators lean into the opposites-attract chemistry. (Romance. 13-17)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 10 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063513457
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2026
Matsui-Colby successfully delivers the second-person voice, which listeners discover is Margaret’s love letter to Mars.
Narrator Sara Matsui-Colby quickly makes it clear that anxious, introverted high school junior Margaret Vittorio is a passionate person. Matsui-Colby’s empathetic performance invites listeners into Margaret’s deepening relationship with cute, quirky, astronomy-loving Mars. From their immediate attraction to a tragic end, the plot is rich, as Margaret and Mars explore facets of life and love, support each other through family challenges—her controlling father and his possessive mother—and experience a true connection. Matsui-Colby is as skilled at developing the characters as their relationship. Her excellent pacing reflects the intensity of Mars’ sudden death and Margaret’s slow, painful journey through regret, questioning, and grief to self-forgiveness.
Matsui-Colby successfully delivers the second-person voice, which listeners discover is Margaret’s love letter to Mars. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 9, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 55 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217295272
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
