Jules has a lot on her plate: She works long hours in her family's restaurant, her depressed father is no help, and she's secretly in love with a rival restaurateur's son. To top it off, anytime she looks at a flat surface, she sees a horrific fiery crash followed by a row of body bags. Is she crazy like her dad? Narrator Allyson Ryan manages to keep Jules's first-person narrative on a fairly low boil, occasionally spilling into overwrought anxiety as Jules struggles over what to do. Jules's heated discussions with her parents and brother are especially vivid. Ryan's narration suits this slice-of-life story, even though the seeing visions part is, well, half-baked.
. (Supernatural thriller. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781442357587
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A brilliant, empathetic narration worthy of its complex characters.
Will Watt’s narration shines in this queer Frankenstein retelling. Brilliant scientist Victor is certain that he can find the answer to human reanimation. Desperate to prove himself, he kidnaps innocent Elias, destroys his body, stitches it back together, and revives him using a mix of alchemy and electricity—with horrifying results. Victor then journeys across Europe to reverse his mistake with vengeful Elias on his trail. Watt depicts the alchemists Victor seeks advice from in a variety of languages and accents. He embodies suffering, betrayal, regret, and even budding love with an emotional intensity that will leave listeners in tears. Clarifying footnotes with historical context are interwoven with the prose.
A brilliant, empathetic narration worthy of its complex characters. (Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 14 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063449053
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
Watson’s conversational style will delight listeners of all ages.
Marli Watson narrates this first installment of a YA mystery series. Ellen is a prep-school scholarship student who knows how to follow the rules. But her life takes a turn when she moves into her aunt’s Edgar Allan Poe-themed B&B and starts having nightmares about a family who died—including Gus, a new student at school. When Ellen finds a journal that she believes was written by Poe, she meets the ghost of her long-dead relative, who calls himself Eddie. Watson makes the characters believable from the start. She portrays Ellen as feisty, and Gus as a vulnerable charmer. Aunt Marie is sweet, but not too sweet.
Watson’s conversational style will delight listeners of all ages. (Paranormal mystery. 12-18)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 19 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668654774
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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