Narrator Joniece Abbot-Pratt delivers a dynamic listening experience of a book originally published 25 years ago. When 14-year-old Gayle becomes pregnant again, her mother sends her to live with her uncle's family in Georgia, along with her baby, José. Away from her friends, she's stuck hanging out with her straitlaced cousin, Cookie, and caring for her dying grandmother, Great. Abbot-Pratt excels at adding personality to each character, switching seamlessly between Cookie's clear enunciation, Gayle's black vernacular, and Great's low, gravelly timbre. Listeners will be endeared by Gayle's candid tenacity as she discovers more about her roots through caring for Great. A heartwarming, authentic performance affirms the power of family.
Ages 14+Pub Date: Dec. 30, 2019
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062997142
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Susannah Jones's high-speed pacing conveys Maeve's jangly thoughts and obsession with every potential scary outcome of her life--complete with research that feeds her anxiety. Jones does an equally fine job portraying minor characters. Whether calm, compassionate, or frustrated, these secondary characters allow listeners a bit of relief from Maeve's intensity. Maeve does have reason for concern as she moves in with her father and his family for six months. Her situation is complicated: Her father struggles with alcoholism, her stepmother is determined to have a home birth, her mother is working far away in Haiti with a new lover, and Maeve has broken up with her girlfriend. Jones builds the tension and then relieves it as Maeve develops honesty, courage, and love for her new girlfriend.
(Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2017
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: Audible, Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Vikas Adam and Soneela Nankani animate alternate chapters of the dynamic love story between Pinky and Samir in this companion to WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI. Coincidence unites the two teens when Samir's promised internship falls through and Pinky invites him to become her pretend summer boyfriend because he meets her mother's expectations. This fast-paced rom-com pairs two unlikely heroes, and the narrators capture the reversals and tensions of their growing relationship. Nankani shows Pinky's prickly side while also revealing her hidden vulnerabilities. Adam communicates Samir's loosening up in response to Pinky's passionate approach to living, his willingness to let go of anger, and, finally, his flourishing love for Pinky. Head and heart, tension and humor are reflected in this engaging listen.
(Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781797108759
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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