Narrator Annie Q's voice breathes life into the characters of this YA debut. The main character, Scarlett, jumps between events that happen over the course of high school and those that take place on a cross-country road trip during the summer after her freshman year of college. She unfolds her story only as quickly as she is willing to share it, leaving listeners hanging on every word to figure out what might happen next. With the nonlinear plot, it would be easy for listeners to lose track of the narrative thread, but guided by Annie Q's use of inflection and tone to distinguish Scarlett at various points in time, the audience is never questioning where they are in the story or how all the pieces fall together.
. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2019
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593153109
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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