Narrator Santino Fontana enters the Hunger Games arena, capturing fans' attention and hearts with his impactful performance of this prequel to the popular trilogy. This action-packed audiobook reveals how the impoverished, sometimes sentimental teenage Coriolanus Snow morphed into the man who would become the merciless leader of Panem, overseeing the live reality event in which 24 teens are forced to battle it out until only one remains alive. Fontana's consistent characterizations and clear distinctions between dialogue, thoughts, and narrative text guide listeners through this multilayered story of sociopolitical maneuvering and friendship and betrayal, set in a land of unrest. With spot-on pacing, Fontana builds suspense and maximizes the excitement, all the while impressively signaling Coriolanus's maturation and self-acceptance by subtly toughening the teen's voice.
(Science fiction. 12-adult)Pub Date: June 16, 2020
Duration: 16 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781338635201
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
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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