Lena will receive her cure in 95 days. So in just over three months, she’ll be safe from the deliria. Then she’ll have a government-approved marriage match and will never feel pain, hate, or the most forbidden emotion: love. Sarah Drew perfectly exudes Lena’s confused emotions, especially her passion, as she learns to feel. As Lena slowly becomes more aware of the world around her and learns its secrets and horrors, Drew masterfully infuses the story with tension and fraught emotions. Tender moments between Lena and her secret boyfriend, Alex, allow Drew to create warm vignettes amid the depictions of Lena’s life in a rigidly controlled society. Ultimately, Lena’s transformation from a timid teen to a brave young woman who faces innumerable dangers will leave listeners eager for the next volume in this dystopian trilogy.
Young AdultPub Date: Jan. 22, 2011
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062087508
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Desean Terry delivers a touching performance of this reimagining of "The Great Gatsby," in which the protagonists are gay Black prep school students. Aspiring journalist Nick Carrington leaves Oklahoma to begin school at Harlem's West Egg Academy. Out of his element, Nick keeps his gay identity a closely held secret, but love interest Jay Gatsby Jr.--the academy founder's son--openly embraces his own gay identity. As they write letters to each other, each more daring and affectionate than the last, they receive threats that their budding relationship will be exposed in the school newspaper. Terry clearly presents every piece of dialogue that warrants an emotional charge and adds subtle suspense to his straightforward tone when needed. Terry's narration is always on the money.
(Historical fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063312517
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An exceptional and authentic listening experience.
Three narrators—the author and his real-life wife and brother—each tell this heartfelt and witty story with their own approach. Carter is stuck in a loop. Every year on his birthday, he turns 16 again and forgets the previous year, while everyone else, including his younger brother, Lincoln, ages normally. But loop six seems different, and Carter, supported by his family and former girlfriend, Maggie, will do anything to end the cycle. As the three narrators introduce each character’s perspective and deliver their experiences with emotional depth, the dynamic between Carter, Lincoln, and Maggie sounds natural and complex.
An exceptional and authentic listening experience.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063330405
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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