Narrator Giordan Diaz has a dreamy quality to his voice, perfect for this reimagined version of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. After nearly drowning, 16-year-old Andres made a bargain with Death to avoid dying. Now living in Miami with bitterly divorced parents, Andres finds refuge with his friends Liora and Renee. The trio form a romance, which comes to a halt when Liora dies in a car accident. Determined to bring Liora back, Renee and Andres travel to the underworld. Diaz has an expressive voice with a raspy quality that works well with the range of emotions in the story. He aptly narrates in Portuguese and Spanish when necessary. Using changes in pacing and tone, he conveys the emotional roller coaster ride in the underworld.
(Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
Duration: 4 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593909980
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Eloquent and hauntingly spare.
Freeman performs her novel in verse with a sensitivity to lines and rhythms, carefully conveying the immense spectrum of feelings in this poignant audiobook. The unnamed narrator, in her junior year of high school, is counting the days until she can escape a fragmented family where she feels invisible. The concise writing accentuates the rapid-fire drama as her parents take her allocated tuition funds to support her brother in rehab. Freeman expresses the desperation and despair that drive the heroine to apply for and receive a scholarship to study in Norway, even though she knows none of the country’s culture or language. Freeman describes a caring Norwegian family, a first love, and the places and people that help the protagonist discover true belonging.
Eloquent and hauntingly spare. (Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 2 hrs, 33 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668184332
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2026
Rich language, relatable feelings, and powerful storytelling unite in this successful audiobook.
Acevedo moves listeners with her dramatic plot, poignant emotions, and fresh images as she soothes with her rhythmic, lyrical narration. Seventeen-year-old Liliana’s impulsiveness has landed her in the juvenile justice system. After Lil returns home and faces a court appearance, Acevedo conveys her shame for bringing turmoil to her loving Indigenous Salvadoran and Afro-Dominican family. Lil chafes against legal constraints that demand she live life cautiously, often against her own intuition, as she returns to school without her best friends or the support of her beloved older brother, Aldwin, who is away at college. Lil is worried about Aldwin’s instability, and this care puts her in a precarious position.
Rich language, relatable feelings, and powerful storytelling unite in this successful audiobook. (Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063574236
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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