Leonard Peacock is a complicated character, and narrator Noah Galvin quickly conveys his disturbing emotions. On his eighteenth birthday, a day his mother forgets to remember, Leonard plans to kill his former best friend and then himself. There’s drama in the situation, and Galvin portrays Leonard’s quick changes from hot, vengeful anger to cold, sarcastic distance as well as his flashes of longing and sadness. As Leonard delivers gifts to four people who improved his “worthless” life, Galvin marks Leonard’s mix of self-loathing, tenderness, and regret. Galvin’s success is in unifying the many facets of the book. He integrates the narrative and footnotes seamlessly, and, more importantly, he connects the many feelings and tones into a powerful whole with a haunting ending. S.W. 2014 Audies Finalist, SYNC 2014 © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
(Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2013
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781478979777
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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