Narrator Hewot Tedla perfects the strengths of this teen thriller: a tone of brassy independence, fiery romance, and chilling terror. Charity, who is about to start her senior year of high school, has almost completed her seasonal job in which she plays the final victim of a full-contact terror experience on the old set of a camp horror film. Tedla gives Charity a tone that balances adolescent bounce and competency, both of which are spiced up when her girlfriend comes to help close down the camp. When employees go missing and strange happenings pile up, Tedla's tone devolves into gut-wrenching emotion as she uncovers the real evil that lurks in Mirror Lake. Richly voiced secondary characters fill out this taut slasher-movie homage.
(Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2023
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Castano captures the message of this teen paranormal romance: Never let life pass you by.
Sylvie Castellano goes on an unexpected adventure with a vintage gold watch and Penn, the ghost who comes along with it. Barbara Castano’s narration expresses 18-year-old Sylvie’s loneliness. She’s recovering from a concussion, and while her family members' lives continue without her without her, Sylvie wishes for a more fulfilled life; she wants to have fun as well as take on new responsibilities. Alongside Penn, Sylvie embarks on a series of summer activities, which Castano describes beautifully. But Castano's optimistic tones turn grave as the story unfolds.
Castano captures the message of this teen paranormal romance: Never let life pass you by. (Speculative romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9781547619481
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
This young adult audiobook is full of secrets and lies.
When they were 4, identical twins Aria and Caliste’s mother, Grace, disappeared, and the sisters were separated. Years later, Grace’s body is discovered in a lake haunted by the Ghoul. The two young women travel to Minnesota and uncover family secrets—including each other’s existence. Narrators Rebecca Ho and Chantria Tram capture the twins’ emotions as they discover what has been kept hidden from them. Carolina Do exquisitely performs the point of view of the Ghoul. However, audible pick-ups make this production sound uneven and may distract from the listening experience.
This young adult audiobook is full of secrets and lies.Pub Date: Dec. 9, 2025
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217157983
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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