Narrator Kevin Collins is eminently likable as Ethan Wate, a teenager trying to navigate the loss of his mom and emotional distance of his dad, the intriguing new girl at school, and the increasingly mysterious goings-on in his small Southern town. Even better, Collins is just as convincing as the town's cast of characters, including love interest Lena, caretaker Amma, best friend Link, high-school mean girls, and the imposing ladies of the DAR. Occasional sound effects, which are used mainly to distinguish dream sequences or flashbacks, distract from the narrative instead of enhancing it. But listeners will be charmed by the setting and story elements—call it Southern gothic meets contemporary witchcraft—and by Collins’s skill with all of it. J.M.D. 2011 Audies Winner, SYNC 2015 © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
Young AdultPub Date: Nov. 20, 2012
Duration: 17 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781600248474
Publisher: Hachette Audio
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
Winslow’s deep voice and emotional resonance suit an overwhelmed teenager with too much on her plate.
Andia Winslow narrates this witchy YA fantasy. The witches in 17-year-old Mikaela’s coven are having their magic stolen, and as the next Witch Queen, she’s expected to solve this mystery. She also helps out at her family’s occult shop, and when a beautiful new girl in town visits Mikaela for a tarot reading, she is struck by a vision of her own murder at the stranger’s hand. Winslow easily differentiates characters of different genders and ages and seamlessly shifts between African American Vernacular English and Standard American English. She elegantly adjusts her pacing for action scenes and political debates.
Winslow’s deep voice and emotional resonance suit an overwhelmed teenager with too much on her plate. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 38 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217342082
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026
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