Everything changes for Maggie Pugh in the summer of 1960 in Kinship, Georgia, The abuse she suffers at home and the abuse she sees all around her come into focus when Maggie receives her first camera from her one black friend and begins to take his advice to let it help her tell the truth. This is a stark look at cruelty, ignorance, and racism, yet narrator Kate Forbes manages, with just a touch of a Southern accent, to give Maggie a sweet voice that makes her somewhat reminiscent of Scout in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Her portrayal is deeply felt and evocative, bringing to life a likable and intelligent character. While the story ends on a positive and hopeful note, there are both adult situations and language in this ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Parents Choice Honor Book. Forbes's restrained yet riveting performance illuminates this thought-provoking and painful coming-of-age story.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2001
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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