Narrator Kate Simses’s portrayal of 12-year-old Emma is youthful, spunky, and, at times, tinged with the sadness of “the Big Empty,” a feeling that began with the recent death of Emma’s mother. Simses’s Southern accents give a sense of Black Bird Hollow and the Boneyard Café, owned by Emma’s tattooed, motorcycle-riding Granny Blue. Doing great justice to Lloyd’s colorful descriptions and flights of fancy, Simses skips through unique similes, heightens the tension of the haunted graveyard, and bursts into the songs embedded in the story. Her expression of the magical words and situations is as strong as her voicing of Emma’s confusion about the Destiny Dream that will steer her future.
(Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: 2016
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780545910323
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. 4, 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
© 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.
