Greg Chun and Michelle Lee portray the alliance and the attraction between the two main characters whose alternating chapters tell this 1506 Korean mystery. Lee’s narration is suffused with 17-year-old Isuel’s desire to free her older sister from cruel King Yeonsan. Lee projects Isuel’s willingness to learn sleuthing from Prince Daehyun to achieve her ends. Isuel’s hatred of the king, along with her determination and daring, are clear in Lee’s narration. Chun’s portrayal of Daehyun, the king’s wise half brother, has many levels. Chun shows Daehyun yielding regretfully to the increasing demands of the king while slyly plotting treason. Chun’s portrayals of the king are potent with vitriol and menace, reinforcing the author’s trigger warnings for YA listeners.
(Historical thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 14, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593946114
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ellet’s performance accents the growing tension of both storylines until the plots converge at breakneck speed.
Capturing Johnson’s witty writing, Emily Ellet’s narration gracefully merges the many worlds of 18-year-old detective Stevie Bell. Ellet depicts a disheartened Stevie, who has broken up with her boyfriend. Her parents are judgmental about her sleuthing, so she decides not to return home for Christmas. When Stevie’s best friend invites her to his borrowed NYC apartment, Ellet introduces and differentiates a range of the building’s eccentric inhabitants, including a raucous parrot. Then two murders occur in rapid succession, and Stevie finds herself embroiled in another mystery. In alternating chapters, Ellet also immerses listeners in a secondary plot about Blue, a teenager in 1976 who’s seduced into joining a band of pranksters, only to later realize she’s trapped in a cult.
Ellet’s performance accents the growing tension of both storylines until the plots converge at breakneck speed. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 40 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063256040
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2027
After hearing Carpenter’s expert performance, listeners will want in on the next con.
A teenage con artist. An undead crow. The lord of the afterlife. Narrator Joanna Carpenter brings all these characters—and many more—to life in this YA heist fantasy. Left reeling after her brother’s death, Elle Fields is determined to bring him back to life, but she’ll need to reassemble her old crew in order to do it. Elle cons a rich stranger to fund the job, pulls her ragtag team together, and enters the afterlife to steal a resurrection spell. Bringing back the dead proves to be the easiest part, as betrayals abound and old wounds come back to bite Elle. Carpenter’s wit and charm is on full display. She nails the various accents Elle uses, and she brings out the story’s humor and heart.
After hearing Carpenter’s expert performance, listeners will want in on the next con. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 49 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217342068
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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