Anna Fikhman's melodic Ukrainian accent briefly sets the scene of a close-knit family. Twelve-year-old twins, outgoing Dariia and quiet Rada, live in Mariupol with their parents. Rapidly Fikhman plunges listeners into a sleep disturbed by the 2022 Russian attack, which separates the family and hurls Dariia and her mother into a world she couldn't have imagined. Fikhman excels at placing listeners on dangerous streets, where death lurks, and into crowded shelters, where safety is questionable. Fikhman's emotional tone reflects the horror when Dariia and her mother are separated without warning: Dariia is sent to live with a family of cheery Russians who assault her with propaganda. Neither author nor narrator holds back during agonizing situations.
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781546137269
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Complete with creative production touches, the result is a dark, satisfying listen.
Listeners don't just experience a fascinating historical drama--they also become steeped in a bloody gothic Western. Stellar performances are the center of this compelling listening experience. Narrator Marin Ireland fully embodies the beleaguered humanities professor who, while deep diving into the campus archive, discovers the story of her ancestors. At the same time, she is struggling with her tenure committee. In a deft transition back to 1912, Owen Teale's performance of a Lutheran pastor exhibits gravitas as he slowly unwinds the secrets of his relationship with Good Stab, a Blackfeet Indian who mysteriously appears in his congregation. Shane Ghostkeeper provides Good Stab with a subtle yet ferocious performance as the two face each other's buried truths.
Complete with creative production touches, the result is a dark, satisfying listen.Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
DD ISBN: 9781234567890
Publisher: Troy's Publishing Company for Vicky Test
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2026
Narrator Sunny Lu creates a passionate voice for seventh grader Luna in this coming-of-age realistic fiction. Luna leaves her introverted life behind when she becomes a bibliotherapist for her fellow classmates, recommending books to help them in times of need and eventually writing her own zines with the assistance of her best friend, Scott. Lu perfectly captures Luna's complex emotions as she abandons Scott and joins the popular group. Now rather than writing to help others, she starts to hurt others by writing about their faults and flaws in "fix-its." Listeners will relate to Luna's struggles as she loses her way and will cheer her on in hopes that she finds her way back.
(Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: 2026
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217081578
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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