Michael Crouch and Sophie Amoss narrate Sam and Ilsa's viewpoints in alternating chapters. The 18-year-old twins are hosting an extravagant dinner party to honor their grandmother--whom they lovingly refer as "Czarina"--who is giving up her rent-controlled apartment in Manhattan. The six eccentric guests bring big personalities, Dolly Parton action figures, and a sock puppet that is treated like a story character. Fans of Cohn and Levithan's other books will likely enjoy this story, but they may find the audiobook confusing. There are lengthy sections of dialogue where the narrators don't differentiate the characters' voices effectively enough for listeners to tell who is speaking. Additionally, the same characters are voiced by two different narrators, which makes the characterizations seem inconsistent.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: April 10, 2018
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780525593768
Publisher: Listening Library
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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