Jorjeana Marie's quiet, somber narration adds to the eerie beauty of this haunting story about grief, chosen family, and the ghosts we carry. When 18-year-old Mila ages out of the foster system, she takes a job on a remote farm on the California coast. The farm is home to children with nowhere to go, who all carry pain similar to Mila's. Marie's raw, husky voice is melodic and mesmerizing. She imbues her narration with the rhythms of the sea and wind, transporting listeners to the farm where trauma, love, healing, and magic mix. As she expertly captures the many stages of Mila's journey from pain and denial to joy, she also creates memorable voices for young children and ghosts. This is an absolutely gorgeous listen.
(Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593288207
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Rich language, relatable feelings, and powerful storytelling unite in this successful audiobook.
Acevedo moves listeners with her dramatic plot, poignant emotions, and fresh images as she soothes with her rhythmic, lyrical narration. Seventeen-year-old Liliana’s impulsiveness has landed her in the juvenile justice system. After Lil returns home and faces a court appearance, Acevedo conveys her shame for bringing turmoil to her loving Indigenous Salvadoran and Afro-Dominican family. Lil chafes against legal constraints that demand she live life cautiously, often against her own intuition, as she returns to school without her best friends or the support of her beloved older brother, Aldwin, who is away at college. Lil is worried about Aldwin’s instability, and this care puts her in a precarious position.
Rich language, relatable feelings, and powerful storytelling unite in this successful audiobook. (Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063574236
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
Pabon breathes life into this story of a father and son desperate to connect.
After the death of his beloved mother, Miles is spending a year with his estranged father, Jake. Jake owns a failing art house movie theater, and he’s pinned his hopes on convincing a famous Spanish director to show her latest film there. Jake and Miles set off on a trip through Spain, searching for the director and rebuilding their relationship along the way. Timothy Andrés Pabon's pronunciation of Spanish words and phrases brings authenticity to descriptions of the food, traditions, and landmarks. His emotional portrayals of a broken teen and a yearning father who reach for yet miss each other will simultaneously break listeners' hearts and give them hope.
Pabon breathes life into this story of a father and son desperate to connect. (Fiction. 13-17)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 19 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217348589
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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