New Reviews by Title: U-Z

Narrator Marisa Calin has a voice made for children's audiobooks. Full of wonder, Calin addresses listeners directly, introducing the cast, adding backstory, and warning when things might get a little dark. Clare is the undead fox that guides souls to the afterlife. Calin voices him with meticulous articulation and a disgruntled air. Clare particularly dislikes badgers, so when... Read More

An unsolved disappearance, three mothers, and family trauma are at the heart of this story, which is complemented by Sara Sheckells's somber narration. The novel is told in two time periods more than 30 years apart from the perspectives of three women: new mother Bee; her own mother, Mary; and Diana, the mother of her childhood crush, Leo, who is best friends with her estranged... Read More

This is the ideal audiobook for those who enjoy literate, dark family dramas with a gothic vibe. The crisp, posh English voice of Nathalie Buscombe introduces a quartet of young women whose lives are ruined by a freak shooting accident and the destructive aftermath that follows. Lonely, middle-class Gillian longs to be a part of the social elite, who are represented by the... Read More

Listeners are in for a treat with this sexy Black romance loaded with substance and charm, wonderfully narrated in alternating chapters by Jamal West and Keisa Parrish. Sparks fly when Holland and Noble meet in contemporary Brooklyn. After a health scare, Holland, whose natural warmth and sincerity are invitingly conveyed by Parrish, longs to leave small-town South Carolina for... Read More

Carly Robins's warm, expressive narration suits this delightful rom-com set mainly in New York City. Therapist Nora's life is filled with work; time spent with her best friend, Dane; and caring for her lovable, anxious dog, George. In the seven years she has been anonymously writing an advice column for a London publication, she has struck up a friendship with her copy editor,... Read More

Narrators Caitlin Elizabeth and Bradley Ford delight listeners in this heartfelt college hockey romance. Ro Shariff hasn't always had the best of luck in love and is currently struggling with her on-and-off-again boyfriend. When she's assigned to tutor Matt "Freddy" Fredderic, the star playboy hockey player, Ro forms a newfound friendship that could easily blossom into more.... Read More

This audiobook, a rom-com lover's dream come true, is brought to life by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Lee Osorio. Hutchinson-Shaw is easy to listen to as she convincingly depicts Sawyer's emotions while adding depth and impact to the story. The chemistry between Sawyer and Mason is undeniable, and Hutchinson-Shaw delivers a nuanced performance as the saucy foil to Mason's brooding.... Read More

Sarah Lewis's careful scholarship probes racial hierarchy and its insidious hold on the American psyche; she carries out this examination through paintings, sculpture, and photography. Lewis narrates her work in a gentle tone and, sadly, a rather uneven cadence. She focuses initially on a painting called THE CIRCASSIAN BEAUTY, which contributed to the false belief that the... Read More

Golden Voice narrator Soneela Nankani takes on this paranormal thriller set in an alternative New York City of the mid-1800s. Nankani takes on the role of Miss Radhika Dhingra, a newly minted lawyer of South Indian heritage with a hard shell and the need to overcome racial prejudice. Dhingra's first client is the undead Mr. Evelyn More, a 400-year-old vampire who has been... Read More

After the death of her young husband, Josephine Reynolds decides her life needs a major change, so she buys her ancestors' old mansion in the historic heart of Nashville. Kathleen McInerney tells Josephine's story as she replaces the mansion's inappropriately modern front door with an antique version that fits perfectly. McInerney describes Josephine's astonishment when she... Read More

The vanishing point in a work of art is the point where receding parallel lines seem to meet. In this audiobook, author Paul Theroux uses this concept in his collection of 18 short stories, each involving a critical moment when life patterns come together. The stories are about men in different countries and in different stages of life. Narrator Joe Knezevich's deep, resonant... Read More

Vera Wong is back, bringing with her characters from Sutanto's previous audiobook, along with a host of new suspects and friends. Narrator Eunice Wong turns in another stellar performance, ensuring that this second audiobook featuring the 60-year-old Chinese mother and self-styled super sleuth is just as entertaining and thought-provoking as the first. This time, Vera gets... Read More

Kira Fixx narrates a chilling story of obsession as five young women call upon the occult and learn everything has a price. Jo and her friends at a prestigious art school become tangled in their own friendship when they perform a ritual, hoping to spark inspiration and curse a professor. Fixx evokes the youthful energy of the five women with a breathy eagerness. Each has a... Read More

Most histories of the Tudor era focus on royals and their male underlings, but this absorbing audiobook takes a fresh look at the women who served Henry VIII's queens. Ladies-in-waiting fade into the background of most accounts, but in this introduction author Nicola Clark takes a firm feminist stand, reopening the narratives of their varied and complicated roles during the... Read More

Joe Hempel is the primary narrator of this apocalyptic horror story. Noah has distanced himself from his conspiracy-minded Fax-News- obsessed family, but his mother's recent voicemail about the "Great Reawakening" worries him. When his calls go unanswered, he travels to his childhood home to find it ruined and his parents catatonic. Hempel's narration captures Noah's increasing... Read More

Narrator Peter Noble's clear voice, rich timbre, and impeccable pacing bring to life the complex and often bizarre world of art authentication. It begins with art collector Joe Simon's call to longtime art critic Richard Dorment in 2003, requesting assistance in getting a detailed answer about why the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board declared two works in his collection to... Read More

An upfront caution: The plot of this audiobook revolves around a serial rapist and includes intense first-person accounts from both the perpetrator's and victims' points of view. Set in New Zealand, the story is brought to life by three talented narrators. Clare, who has been commissioned to write a book about convicted rapist and killer Travis Crill, serves as the primary... Read More

Jenna Coleman's skilled narration elevates this heartfelt and hilarious family drama. Lila attempts to co-parent her kids with her ex-husband, who left her. Her oldest daughter has been skipping school, and her sweet and grieving stepfather has quietly moved into their home, which is in constant need of repair. Lila faces writer's block and is navigating the complexities of... Read More

Author and narrator James Robinson combines his documentary filmmaking skills and familiarity with audiobooks to render his experience with serious visual disability in audio. Sound effects immerse the listener in Robinson's memories, like the ticking of the school clock as impatient classmates wait while he struggles to read. Slow pacing reflects the gravity of each memory. He... Read More

Tara Novie's youthful voice reflects a sense of wonder for the topic of this audiobook: whales. While her bright delivery contrasts with the somberness of those majestic animals that were pushed out of former habitats by human expansion, she does convey a sense of hope as the Hudson River flows clear again and the whales return. In the second part of the audiobook, Novie's tone... Read More

In the small town of Soledad, Texas, in 1952, 12-year-old Pineda encounters a young alien when she crash-lands on his family's pecan farm. Unfortunately, the U.S. military has just taken over the town for a war games exercise. Giordan Diaz gives a winning performance as Pineda, communicating his humor and kindness and switching easily between English and Spanish, which Pineda... Read More

In this hopeful audiobook, the soft-spoken author asks 20 diverse experts what's needed to slow down climate change. The people she interviews share their well-informed views, and three of them--the additional narrators--narrate their own poems and other writing. Together, they make this lengthy production a fast-moving joy to hear. Rather than being discouraged about the... Read More

Amanda Stribling's Southern accent evokes the Ozarks background of 17-year-old Dove Warner. Stribling also captures the horror Dove faces when she--like others affected by her family's curse--hears the bones of murdered people calling out for her to discover their burial places. Stribling's tone becomes calmer when Dove spends time with her best friend, Lo, until he expresses... Read More

Paleontologist Riley Black's vivid writing and Wren Mack's wonderstruck narration make these vignettes of prehistoric life on Earth fascinating listening. Traveling through the planet's geologic epochs, Black imagines detailed scenes, and Mack's engaged performance evokes the weather, landscape, creatures, and interactions that Black describes. Yes, dinosaurs, insects,... Read More

Wil Wheaton narrates the newest comic sci-fi novel by John Scalzi. When the moon unexpectedly turns to cheese, humanity has to deal with the aftereffects. Wheaton chronicles the reactions of a sweeping cross-section of Americans during the first lunar cycle post-change: Scientists and government officials, billionaires and moguls, cheesemongers and retirees--literally everyone... Read More

Narrated primarily by Helen Laser, this fast-paced horror story starts with a bang. Jess, a struggling actress, finds a scared 5-year-old boy hiding outside her apartment. When the boy's angry father attempts to retrieve him, a monstrous creature attacks Jess's neighbors and roommate, leaving behind death and destruction. Jess has no choice but to take the boy and run, but... Read More

Narrator Imani Jade Powers's nuanced portrayals of a friend group's reflections on aging, in contrast to their adolescent expectations, result in a hilarious, heartbreaking, and relatable audiobook. Clare, "the grown-up one," feels her life is beginning to unravel. The group of six nearly 30-year-olds love to recall shared memories, and this vacation is no exception. Clare... Read More

Golden Voice Ramón de Ocampo, who narrated each of the author's memoirs, delivers this hard-hitting YA novel in verse. De Ocampo guides listeners on its emotional journey, using the genre's rhythms to illuminate the relationship between high school seniors Diego and his best friend, Lawson. De Ocampo's poignant delivery highlights the contrast between anxious, rule-following,... Read More

It takes just the right narrator to weave a story of the world ending. Eunice Wong proves up to the task in this fascinating audiobook. In Naylor's gripping cybernetic thriller, governments across Europe start to crumble when their AI leaders begin to fail. Wong skillfully brings to life a handful of characters who get caught up in the turmoil of a deteriorating Europe. She... Read More

Sophie Jo Wasson transports listeners to Ireland in 1847 with her poignant performance. Like many throughout the country, Nell's family's potato crop is infected with a black rot that makes the potatoes inedible. Farmers are forced to choose between paying their rent from the sale of their oat crops, or feeding their families and facing eviction. Amid those tragedies, Nell and... Read More

Narrator Jaime Lamchick's bright, engaging performance is a great fit for this young adult audiobook about humanity's complicated space age relationship with planet Earth's moon. Listeners are launched into the competitive race to the moon between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the 1950s-60s, setting the stage for technological and scientific advances, and the complexities of... Read More

Narrator David Thorpe outdoes himself in this supernatural horror/mystery set in 1980s and 2000s rural England. Listeners meet five 14-year-old boys who witness a murderous attack at an old railway line that leaves one classmate dead and a girl seriously brain damaged. They fearfully report a mentally unstable acquaintance--credibly portrayed--as the likely perpetrator.... Read More

Narrator Sam Rushton creates a compelling audiobook experience as he guides listeners through the world of wild cacao that is unique to the terroir of the Bolivian Lowlands, Brazilian Amazon, and parts of Mexico. This engaging narrative weaves the complex social and economic history of wild chocolate--from its medicinal, ritual, and familial uses in ancient and contemporary... Read More

This eco-thriller is set on a research island near Antarctica. Saskia Maarleveled portrays Rowan, a woman who washes up on the island half-dead. Steve West depicts the island's caretaker, Dom. Cooper Mortlock portrays 9-year-old Orly. Kat Littrell voices teenagers Fen and Raff, along with scientist Alex. As Rowan's injuries heal, she suspects that there's something the... Read More

While the onset of adolescence is traumatic enough in itself, the young protagonist in this eerie audiobook ends up facing so much more. Narrator Nick Mondelli captures the confusion of a preteen boy whose perfect life in coastal South Carolina is thrown into turmoil at the appearance of his mother's estranged father, whose overly long stay leads to tension between his parents.... Read More

In a lilting voice, narrator Christopher Hampton captures the hope and curiosity of Will, a young Black boy who is hoping to claim land during the Oklahoma Land Rush. Will's companions include his stern father and their mule, Belle, and later the gentle but wizened ex-Union soldier, Caesar. Southern accents, including Will's, and twangy cowboy voices enhance the historic... Read More

Aoife McMahon and Aidan Kelly manifest a pantheon of Irish gods in this enchanting story of family and loss. After killing dozens with a never-ending frost, Cailleach is forced to live multiple lives to learn the responsibility of godhood. Newly human and fragile, Cailleach forms unshakable bonds with a small dog, several lovers, and her daughter--only to lose them again and... Read More

British narrator Penelope Rawlins gives her American accents some exercise in voicing FBI Agent Kimberley Reynolds in this Rivers of London urban fantasy series. The Oklahoma native recounts her adventure with a slight twang, which Rawlins smoothes out for the Upper Midwest characters Kimberley encounters in her investigation of strange occurrences in northern Wisconsin.... Read More

Susanna Clarke's spellbinding performance of this enhanced audiobook brings out the alluring beauty of this mystical tale. Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scot is most at home when she's walking in the woods with her dogs and Apple, her pig. Evocative sound effects and music add to Clarke's haunting narration, highlighting Merowdis's deep connection to nature as she engages with the... Read More

Amanda Leigh Cobb delights listeners with the first in the Queens of Villainy series, which is perfect for those who like their romantasy on the lighter side. A case of mistaken identity has Archduke Felix serving as librarian and wizard for the wicked witch, Queen Saskia. The empire thinks Felix is a tyrant bent on conquering all. In reality, he is kept under the thumb of his... Read More

Come aboard an unexpected journey through the Scottish countryside with narrator Angela Dawe as she delivers a lively, comedic performance. Alice is finally taking her long awaited trip to Scotland in an effort to repair her broken heart. She embarks on a bus tour with a cast of kooky fellow tourists--quirky older women in search of adventure who are led by a charming, devilish... Read More

Will Malloy performs this moving fantasy audiobook with skill and care. A's parents have been dragging him to painful group conversion therapy meetings ever since he came out as trans. Ironically, it's the only place A has been able to befriend other trans kids. Then his friend Yarrow is taken away for intensive "treatment," and A discovers demons are behind the abduction--and... Read More

Elizabeth Knowelden narrates a light and frothy Regency romance. After a year of mourning, Young cousins Issie and Bella travel to London, where they are mistaken for each other. Rather than correct the error, they let it continue. Knowelden creates distinctive personalities for the two girls: She depicts Bella as charming and vivacious, while Issie is portrayed as more subdued... Read More

Winson Ting's narration invites listeners into the urban oasis of Yeonnam-Dong's Smiley Laundromat. Ting speaks in a clear, soothing tone that is well suited to a story about a place where ordinary people find unexpected solace through anonymous entries in a random notebook. His measured pace reflects the gradual unfolding of the customers' shared experiences. As the notebook... Read More

Teen Ukrainian American actress Sofia Sanchez's halting, uneven narration is quickly explained by her self-description: "I have Down syndrome . . . and I want to inspire people and make a difference." Her narrative is yet another representation of the amazing things she's accomplished because of her bravery. The audiobook gives apt life lessons on not having to be perfect,... Read More

Podcaster Kelsey McKinney offers up an entertaining analysis of gossip. Using research, opinion, and her own personal experiences, McKinney digs beneath the surface of "spilling the tea" and takes a passionate, captivating, and bubbly approach to her narration. In a casual tone, she introduces a history of gossip and its contributions throughout generations, as well as the... Read More

Narrators January LaVoy and Shayna Small deliver vivid, highly animated, and thoughtfully developed performances in this audiobook. The saga begins in 1865 with a couple separated by slavery and war and makes its way to the present day and a new couple. Thanks to the skilled narrators, the wide array of characters come to life whether they're speaking in 1865, the 21st century,... Read More

With a full cast led by Michael Sun Lee as the title character, this audio drama takes listeners to the Japanese-American internment camps of WWII. Zeni is a former baseball star who shares his beloved sport with his fellow detainees to give them a sense of purpose and dignity. The writing is occasionally clunky, and some of the acting is overly earnest, but there are... Read More