This dystopian story never lets up, and narrator Soneela Nankani hooks the listener from the start. The tension in Aya's voice is palpable after her family is slaughtered and she's hunted down, captured, and taken to the Garden to be groomed and sold at auction for her breeding potential. Nankani meets this gripping story head-on. Aya's determination and constant struggle are evident in her defiant tone as she repeatedly makes herself unsuitable to appear at auction. Nankani's portrayals of the other girls run the gamut from terrified submission to haughty superiority. During a stint in solitary, Aya meets Kirin, a mute outcast, who helps her escape. The truly ghastly male characters from the capital city are given voices that would give anyone nightmares.
(Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2015
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781490651156
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Gilli Messer narrates this YA thriller set in a dystopian future on Earth. Two hundred years after WWII, 18-year-olds around the world must report to government centers to have their past lives revealed. Sivon, who is unremarkable aside from her board-game skills, fears she'll be pronounced a bad soul. Instead, her unprecedented talent pushes her into the spotlight, and she finds herself wondering what secrets the leaders of the world have kept hidden for lifetimes. Messer's distinct character voices make it easy for listeners to distinguish dialogue from narration and women from men. She respectfully depicts a nonbinary character, as well. Overall, her sobs, excitement, anguish, and flirtatious inflections for the various characters add personality to the audiobook.
(Dystopian. 12-18)Pub Date: July 29, 2025
Duration: 15 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668138243
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Jefferson White shows remarkable skill balancing a youthful cast with the sobering reality they must face. Twenty-four years before Katniss's games, Haymitch, from District 12, must compete in the Hunger Games--with twice the tributes (competitors). White's perfect pacing adds intensity to the brutality of the games and lingering melancholy as Haymitch struggles to maintain his integrity as the people around him keep dying. White smoothly distinguishes a large cast of characters, including stuffy Capitol residents, tributes of all ages and genders, and familiar mentors that fans of the series will remember. Near the end, Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" is interspersed with the narrative, and White's emotional delivery enhances Haymitch's heartbreak, which is sure to bring listeners to tears.
(Dystopian. 13-adult)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781546171492
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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