Yinka Ladeinde elevates a delightful story to new heights with impeccable comic timing and her ability to convey a wide range of characters. She brings the many members of a Nigerian Canadian family to life with infectious energy and charm. Joy is preparing for her mother Mama Mary's 70th birthday, when the matriarch unexpectedly dies before the celebration. When Joy's Aunt Nancy insists that her sister will rise from the grave three days later, Joy is both exasperated and secretly hopeful. Ladeinde navigates the intricacies of a tale that mixes grief and family dynamics. She smoothly delivers this exploration of loss, religion, and the ties that bind us. Ladeinde transforms this unique multigenerational story into an unforgettable listening experience.
Pub Date: March 12, 2024
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797176055
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A resonant listening experience rich with biting social commentary.
Narrator Katharine Chin elevates this contemporary coming-of-age story featuring four Asian American friends. Diana, Justin, Errol, and Vivian all attended great schools and earned good grades, but in the aftermath of graduating into the Great Recession of 2008, they find themselves unemployed and living at home. Grace, a former classmate, makes a YouTube video about the group and their failure to meet expectations called “Bad Asians.” The video goes viral, upending their lives in the early days of the internet. Chin brings each character distinctly to life through subtle tonal shifts. Her reflective tone conveys the story’s thought-provoking exploration of identity, cultural expectations, and the meaning of success.
A resonant listening experience rich with biting social commentary.Pub Date: yesterday
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250433244
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
Narrated by an ensemble cast, this audiobook explores the lives, successes, failures, and frailties of a half-dozen friends from the early 2000s to 2024. The novel's narrators are all talented and capture the millennial characters' struggles well. Jill Paice performs Mia, a writer who is the only single person in the group, with fine tempo and pacing while conveying her angsty tone. Santino Fontana is equally impressive as the brilliant Marco, and Christian Barillas nails the complex alcoholic Richie. The stories unfold during a series of parties, events, and celebrations (New Year's, wedding, birthday, Halloween, funeral) that reveal the characters' issues and relationships over their two decades since graduating from Penn. A meaningful look at millennial lifestyles and a worthwhile listen.
Pub Date: yesterday
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797194356
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
