Nodd, home to an isolated religious cult, is 12 square miles of paradise in Montana, 100 miles from Yellowstone. This has been 17-year-old Jacob's home since he was 5 years old, the only world he knows. Todd Haberkorn gives Jacob's voice the childlike intensity one would expect from such a sheltered person. He speaks Jacob's simple declarative sentences with a tone of unwavering faith in the truth that the cult's leader espouses. But when Jacob befriends a girl from the Outside while patrolling the perimeter fence and is exposed to a reluctant new member's ideas, he begins to see the cracks in his world. Haberkorn's tone reflects Jacob's growing doubts and questions as he tries to reconcile what he's been taught with what he now sees.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: April 14, 2015
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501221705
Publisher: Brilliance Audio/ Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Shayna Small is excellent as she portrays Leena, a 16-year-old girl who is being raised by her single mother, Asiyah. Leena has always dreamed of being part of a big family, but so far her family is just two people. When an unexpected phone call reveals that she has a Muslim grandfather and great-aunt, Leena is forced to rethink everything about her identity and consider the differences between her secular African American mother and her newly discovered relatives. Small's narration perfectly reflects Leena's emotional journey as she is confronted by questions of identity, family, culture, and faith. Listeners will be invested in Leena's exploration of where she came from, who she is, and what her future holds.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798897567874
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Sophie Amoss narrates this story set in nineteenth-century Russia's Jewish communities. After fleeing from an arranged marriage, 17-year-old Sorel navigates gender identity. Sorel assumes the masculine identity Isser Jacobs, only to learn that Isser Jacobs is a real person who sold illegal political pamphlets translated into Yiddish. Magical elements including dybbuks (angels) and demons, some of whom have Russian accents, are interspersed in the story. Characters speak in hushed tones when discussing censorship, growing determined as they seek answers. Sorel often stutters when flustered, and when Sorel becomes Isser, Amoss uses a deeper voice. Amoss masterfully handles the pronunciation of Yiddish and Hebrew words in this solid, well-paced performance.
(Historical fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2024
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798894862484
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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