Jennifer Jill Araya narrates the first-person viewpoint of 17-year-old Jess, a practiced imposter. Araya's wry tone works well for a girl who lies to her boyfriend and who plans to go to Harvard just to make her parents happy. When Jess discovers the journals of her late great-great-aunt, she hires brainy Evan to translate the Russian diaries into English. While the contrast between Evan's honesty and Jess's duplicity is clear, Araya reflects their genuine relationship as it develops. She also transitions smoothly into portraying the story's other protagonist, the vibrant, sensitive young woman who just may be Anastasia Romanov, possibly the only member of the Russian royal family to have escaped assassination in 1918. Romance, history, and a search for identity are well balanced in this production.
(Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: 2022
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063049420
Publisher: Harper 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:
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date:
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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