Gabby Beans performs this suspenseful novel about a Black nonbinary protagonist who is haunted by the events that occurred at their childhood home. After years of living in the UK, Ezri finds themself on a plane back to the U.S. to visit their parents in their suburban home outside Dallas, Texas. There, Ezri finds their parents dead and begins trying to reconstruct their last moments. Beans's narration captures the dialogue of Ezri and their two sisters, highlighting the vibrant dynamic between them. Beans's approach creates emotional depth for the siblings as they work through the trauma of their pasts and confront the horrific truths they've fought so hard to forget.
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250353962
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Munson's flat and direct narration creates an uncanny intimacy that makes a mental unraveling impossible to resist.
Munson's deliberately monotone narration proves unexpectedly suited to this Kafkaesque tale of domestic horror. His flat delivery amplifies the story's surreal absurdity as a family discovers their sofa has been mysteriously replaced with an identical one. What distinguishes this author-narrated performance are the frequent asides directed at listeners that heighten the unsettling atmosphere rather than diminishing it. Munson’s vocal approach mirrors the prose itself: deceptively simple on the surface yet punctuated by moments of lush, beautiful phrasing that he renders with understated precision. Munson's steady pacing creates a hypnotic quality that propels listeners through a spiral into insanity. His restrained performance transforms the story into an intimate, disquieting experience.
Munson's flat and direct narration creates an uncanny intimacy that makes a mental unraveling impossible to resist.Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798228681873
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2026
Piper Goodeve narrates this dark academia audiobook set in New Mexico. After five years away, Cella Gibbons returns to her alma mater to help solve a magical mystery involving students and staff. Coming back to campus after dropping out of her master's program dredges up a myriad of feelings for Cella, and Goodeve balances the guilt, shame, and nostalgia she feels. Cella also carries multiple personal traumas from her own time as a student, which Goodeve highlights in her portrayal. But Goodeve's handling of accents, such as Cella's ex-boyfriend Max's drawl, is inconsistent. Additionally, the production choice to have the same narrator read both the main text and the footnotes and other ephemera makes it difficult to keep the structural integrity and flow of the story intact. Overall, a mixed production.
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798895947333
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
