A not-too-scary horror audiobook.
Dan Bittner gives a polished performance of Stine’s middle-grade horror novel, narrating with melodramatic flair and dramatic pauses at the end of each cliffhanger chapter. When the Ferber family moves into a creepy old house on Nightmare Street, Joe’s parents are oblivious to the scary things happening in the house. In a parallel story, the Hannigan family moves into the same house, where Shawn has different creepy experiences. Both Joe and Shawn have nightmares in which they encounter horror tropes—headstones, a creepy rag doll, a looping camera, a ventriloquist’s dummy, and masked teachers—in their house and at school. Bittner’s pacing works well, and fans of the Goosebumps series will enjoy the familiar shivers and tongue-in-cheek humor.
A not-too-scary horror audiobook.Pub Date: April 18, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228588288
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2026
Ebner’s well-paced narration will engage listeners to the very end of this excellent audiobook.
Jeff Ebner's youthful, enthusiastic voice immediately pulls listeners into this fun-filled summer adventure. Eleven-year-old Felix and his neighbor, Marigold, find a mysterious wooden box that contains a field recorder and a coded message that subsequently sends them on a fantastically sound-filled scavenger hunt. The inclusion of actual sound effects—an ice cream truck’s jingle, a barking dog, bird song, and more—throughout the audiobook enhances the listening experience. The music, the voices, and the clues as Felix and Marigold run all over town are irresistible. The story’s conclusion features an unexpected reconnection.
Ebner’s well-paced narration will engage listeners to the very end of this excellent audiobook. (Mystery. 7-11)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217351961
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
The audiobook is uneven, but the story and Milford’s unique world are worth the effort.
Ivy and Dahlia Vicker and their parents are spending their vacation with friends in Rialto, Missouri, a town known for an amusement park that vanished decades ago. The mystery begins when Remy, the son of the family the Vickers are visiting, asks for their help delivering bequests his departed aunt left for him to distribute. Narrator Eleanor McCormick’s voice is smooth and easy on the ears, but she is inconsistent in distinguishing the voices of the many characters. We don’t hear Ivy’s frustration as she struggles to be the best big sister to Dahlia or Dahlia’s anxiety as she deals positively with her unique brain chemistry. And listeners will miss a map that appears in the print book.
The audiobook is uneven, but the story and Milford’s unique world are worth the effort. (Speculative mystery. 10-14)Pub Date: April 14, 2026
Duration: 15 hrs, 20 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501998904
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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