This gripping and thought-provoking audiobook will not only please fans of dystopian stories, especially the author's, but will also add new listeners to both groups. In a post-Covid world, Crown Royale, a new virus that is seen as life ending--whether or not the sick recover--is spreading rapidly. All those who do recover experience enlightenment, losing any negative feelings they held before they were infected. The dramatic change causes some people to see the recovered as zombies. Greg Tremblay and Neal Shusterman's narrations clearly convey the multiple characters, making it easy to follow their varied points of view toward the new enlightenment.
(Dystopian. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
Duration: 14 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781797161358
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Original songs paired with a kaleidoscopic narrator make this satirical audiobook a winner.
This timely dystopian audiobook, narrated in an English accent by Hannah Berchtold, features original songs performed by four vocalists who lift the lyrics off the page. Starmaker, a popular reality TV competition, seeks talented singers and dancers to form their next all-girl idol group. But there’s a catch—each week, the contestant with the lowest rank faces public execution. Taryn sees the competition as the only opportunity to help her sick brother. Berchtold cycles through several world accents to portray the large and diverse cast of characters, as well as delivering show promos, social media posts, and gossipy articles about the contestants.
Original songs paired with a kaleidoscopic narrator make this satirical audiobook a winner. (Dystopian. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 48 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668186794
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2026
Boyle's emotional performance immerses listeners in this world of war and ever flowing water.
Rafe and Jule were destined to kill each other in battle, as their warring factions—the Rogues and the Crowns—have fought over a flooded London for centuries. However, fate has other plans for them. Zoe Boyle brings these characters—and the London of 2425—to life. Her enthusiastic narration perfectly depicts the circumstances that befall them. Boyle imitates the sound of whizzing arrows, the crack of a discharging rifle, the heaving breaths of a desperate swimmer, and more. Her voice cracks after heartbreaking deaths, and it soars when the characters experience love.
Boyle's emotional performance immerses listeners in this world of war and ever flowing water. (Dystopian. 13-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 41 mins
DD ISBN: 9798225035815
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
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