A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is a difficult play to follow in audio only. Many of the scenes, especially those involving Bottom and his motley troupe of actors, rely heavily on their visual elements. This Arkangel production does include some interesting voices, however. Most notably, Oberon and Titania are played by black actors David Harewood and Adjoa Andoh, whose accents--Jamaican and West African, respectively--give a refreshing texture to the fairy scenes. It's too bad some of those same scenes are undone by lame echo effects that are not only cloying, but at times make the lines difficult to hear.
(Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: 2005
Duration: 2 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Audio Partners/ Arkangel
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ivan Mok, Quyen Ngo, and a full cast narrate this award-winning 2020 graphic novel. Mok portrays 13-year-old English-speaking Tien, and Ngo portrays his mother, Helen, a Vietnamese refugee. Mok shows Tien's confusion as he crushes on a male classmate. Ngo conveys Helen's despair at losing her own mother and her longing for the past. Mother and son have always bridged language differences and found connection by reading fairy tales together, so it makes perfect sense that these actors' on-target depictions are interwoven with dramatic, beautifully rendered scenes from stories that resemble "The Little Mermaid," "Tattercoats," and others. Throughout, well-cued sound effects aid in setting scenes, while a superb musical score differentiates contemporary and fantasy settings.
(Fiction. 13-17)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 1 hr, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217072811
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A full cast, backed by sound effects and music, transform this queer adaptation of Jane Austen's EMMA from the graphic novel to an audiobook. High school senior and Instagram influencer Evan, a leader in his high school's LGBTQ+ student association, sees himself as Cupid and can't resist the opportunity to set up shy and dowdy newcomer Natalia--despite the warnings of his best friend, Davi. Mark Sanderlin's age-appropriate voice projects Evan's emotions. The subplots are helped by the other cast members' ease with portraying their characters. Examples include André Santana's capable depiction of Davi's growing frustration and Shannon Tyo's high-pitched, fast-paced presentation of the chatterbox Anika.
(Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: 2024
Duration: 1 hr, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668644126
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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