Tag: Audiobook

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: The Better to Eat You With by Tehlor Mejia

  • The Better to Eat You With 
  • Author: Tehlor Mejia
  • Narrated by Victoria Villarreal
  • Penguin Random House
  • Publication Date: September 23, 2025
  • ISBN: 9798217157129

Evan’s annual summers at a rented cabin have always been a haven for her, when she gets to see her best friend, Billie, again. But so many things are changing: Evan’s parents are arguing more and more, Billie seems more interested in boys than in spending time with Evan, and Evan can’t shake her mom’s voice from her head, reminding Evan to make healthy, perfect food choices and constantly watch what she eats. And the more she listens to the voice, the more sinister clues she finds of a mysterious creature terrorizing the resort… 

Evan and her complex, competing inner narratives come alive through Victoria Villarreal’s narration. Each character is distinct, including the voices that Evan hears in her mind throughout the summer, from the one that sounds a lot like her mom to the inner knowing of her body’s hunger. The audiobook heightens the suspense that is core to this middle grade horror novel that is light on gore but still darkly allegorical.

The Better to Eat You With is recommended for fans of Happy Town by Greg van Eekhout, Blood in the Water by Tiffany Jackson, and Louder than Hunger by John Chu.

-Lee Cooney (they/them)

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

  • Beth Is Dead
  • Author: Katie Bernet
  • Narrated by Caitlin Kelly, Emily Tremaine, Ferdelle Capistrano, and Piper Goodeve
  • Simon and Schuster Audio
  • Publication Date: January 6, 2026 
  • ISBN: 9781668157596

The March sisters are as famous as their father who wrote a wildly controversial bestseller based on their lives. Feminists excoriate him for taking advantage of his daughters, and stalkers are doing the freaky things stalkers do, so there are plenty of suspects when Beth March winds up dead at the bottom of a ravine. Determined to discover her killer, Jo March begins a dogged search for answers. 

Four heavy hitting narrators bring the story to life with pitch perfect renditions of the March sisters. Past and present events are telegraphed well, and the vocal mannerisms are distinctive, keeping this complexly plotted reimagined classic clear for readers.

This is an ideal suspense/thriller listen for teens who liked That’s Not My Name written by Megan Lally and narrated by Sophie Amoss and Robb Moreira, or 49 Miles Alone written by Natalie D. Richards and narrated by Victoria Rillarreal, Laura Knight Keating, and Suzy Jackson.  For teens who are looking for reimagined classics, suggest Rosa By Any Other Name by Hailey Alcaraz and narrated by Victoria Villarreal or Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu with narration by Sandy Rustin.

-Jodi Kruse

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: Ms. Marvel: Remnants of the Past by Saadia Faruqi

Version 1.0.0
  • Ms. Marvel: Remnants of the Past
  • Author: Saadia Faruqi
  • Narrated by Kausar Mohammed
  • Books On Tape
  • Publication Date: January 6, 2026 
  • ISBN: 9788217297580 

Kamala Khan is a typical Pakistani American teenager living in Jersey City. But she’s also a superhero:  Ms. Marvel. Balancing these two worlds is often her biggest obstacle from attending high school, managing friendships and relationships, and, oh yeah, taking down villains. This time, the villain is Kingpin who has possession of a magical artifact which sends Ms. Marvel to Lahore, Pakistan under the guise of Khan visiting a sick relative. 

Mohammed’s work in voice acting and personal background as a Muslim Pakistani woman naturally flows into capturing Khan’s comedic superhero energy and the Jersey City family and friends as the single narrator with a stamina that holds strong throughout the audiobook. Similarly, the emotional mix of silly and serious scenes are handled adeptly and provide the depth of storytelling Faruqi intended in addressing colonialism and curation through the lens of a teen turned superhero. 

Since Angeline Boulley’s sophomore book, Warrior Girl Unearthed, tackles the subject of repatriating stolen artifacts from marginalized communities, the books align well. Or, listen to others in the Marvel YA novel series universe by Penguin Random House like Lee’s Gamora and Nebula and Reynold’s Miles Morales: Spider-Man for more superhero energy.

-Alicia Abdul

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: The Oks Are Not Ok

  • The Oks Are Not OK
  • Author: Grace K. Shim
  • Narrated by Shannon Tyo
  • Penguin Random House Audio
  • Publication Date: Mar 03, 2026
  • ISBN:9798217280834

When the Ok family’s financial circumstances abruptly change, they’re forced to trade their glamorous LA life for a wi-fi free, small farming town where no one knows they’re the family behind the now bankrupt and disgraced It’s Ok! fashion empire. As 16-year-old Elena adjusts to her new life, she begins to rethink the merit of her past as a party girl and influencer. Soon, she begins to reconsider what success truly means to her and what it looks like to show up as a good sister and friend. 

Weaving humor with heart, The Oks Are Not OK is a feel-good story about reinvention and family. Tyo’s narration is expressive and bright and her characters are distinct and well-crafted. Elena’s charisma and charm are especially clear in the narration. Elena’s shift from self-involved influencer to community advocate is gentle and Tyo’s narration makes it feel authentic. As Elena starts to build friendships and reconnect with her brother and parents, Tyo’s warm yet lively narration really shines. This audiobook will appeal to readers who enjoy a light-hearted character-driven story and an engaging yet relaxed listening experience.

For fans of Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean, You Have A Match by Emma Lord, and the TV comedy, Schitt’s Creek.

– Tina Chesterman

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman

  • Red Star Rebels 
  • Author: Amie Kaufman
  • Narrated by Max Meyers, Jessica Almasy, Pete Bradbury, Lisa Flanagan, James Fouhey, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Amy Landon, Samara Naeymi, Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Gail Shalan, Full Cast
  • Penguin Random House Audio
  • Publication Date: February 2, 2026
  • ISBN: 9798217172221

It’s 2067 and one rich family has colonized Mars, selling the opportunity to escape an overcrowded Earth to the highest bidders. Hunter Graves, the grandson of the man who settled Mars, arrives at the United Nations base just as an emergency evacuation sends everyone scrambling, leaving him behind. Cleo has been stowed away on the base, and she’s in the exact same pickle as Hunter. It turns out the evacuation is just a cover for a group of mercenaries who arrive with a plan to blow up the base in eight hours. Hunter and Cleo must work together to save themselves while the timer counts down to an asphyxiating doom.

Amie Kaufman’s young adult sci-fi thriller utilizes a full cast of narrators and impeccable audio production to bring the suspenseful and action-packed novel alive. Told from the alternating viewpoints of the two main characters, Red Star Rebels promises an immersive experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

For readers who enjoy this title, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s 2015 Illuminae Files audiobook provides a similar experience with a full cast of narrators and audio effects aiding the book’s storytelling. Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff and The Disasters by M.K. England run in the same vein as Red Star Rebels if you like high stakes science fiction!

-Eoin Kennedy

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2026) Featured Review: Immortal Consequence

  • Immortal Consequence
  • by I.V. Marie
  • Narrated by Ethan Reid, Alejandro Antonio Ruiz, Kristyna Zaharek, Marwan Salama, Shannon Tyo, Ashley J. Hobbs
  • Listening Library/Books on Tape
  • Publication Date: July 29, 2025
  • ISBN: 9B0DPJ8BH9D

The dark academia genre gets a new twist in the first books of The Souls of Blackwood Academy duology. Blackwood is a school in the afterlife, a purgatory of sorts where students can graduate and move on, or lose themselves completely if they wait too long.The Decennial, a competition between students can also lead to freedom for the winner, and this year, six students are chosen to compete for the ultimate prize.

This dark fantasy novel is a unique take on the school competition trope, and focuses heavily on character development. Each of the book’s chapters focuses on a different character, and the audiobook makes good use of different narrators to bring each character to life. It might be easy in an audiobook with so many characters to lose track of who’s who, but the narration helps the listener to differentiate between the characters. The narration also highlights the diversity of the characters, and adds to the experience of the audiobook.

For similar titles with dark academia, competition, or romance elements, consider A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya, Fledgling by S.K. Ali, and These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa.


-Anush Balayan

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2026) Featured Review: The Story of My Anger by Jasmine Mendez

This biography of Malcolm X for middle and high schoolers is an engaging look at the life of the civil rights leader. Listeners will learn about the life of Malcolm X, who walked many different paths on his way to becoming a Civil Rights leader.

Ibram Kendi’s reading is clear and accessible. This is a strong, serviceable reading of the title that will engage readers. He brings gravitas to the seriousness of some Malcolm X’s story, and humor to those parts that deserve it. Malcolm X’s long struggle with Elijah Muhammad and his subsequent separation from the Nation of Islam are presented with care. His death and the aftermath for his followers and family are read with sympathy and will connect with listeners.

Any young people who are interested in the history of the Civil Rights movement or the life of Malcolm X will be engaged by this book as well. If your readers enjoyed Revolution in Our Time by Kekla Magoon they will relish expanding their knowledge of the Civil Rights movement with this title. If they are fans of Ibram X. Kendi’s other books, like How to Be a (Young) Antiracist, will also be drawn in by this biography.


-Lynda Salem Poling

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2026) Featured Review: The Story of My Anger by Jasmine Mendez

Version 1.0.0
  • The Story of My Anger
  • by Jasminne Mendez
  • Narrated by Jasminne Mendez, Shayr Guthrie, Pamela Gold, Rae De Vine, Angel Pean, Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Reynaldo Piniella, Nayib Felix and Almarie Guerra
  • Listening Library/ Books on Tape
  • Publication Date: September 15, 2025
  • ISBN: 9780000000000

Dominican-American Yulieta lives in Texas with her mother and aspires to be a Broadway actor. Her dream of being the first Black lead in a play at her school is crushed by her racist theater teacher, and she and her friends start their own guerrilla theater group, speaking up about issues like racism and book censorship.

Part novel-in-verse, part play, this book is a genre-bender with a powerful message. The audiobook producers put a lot of thought into adapting this book to an audio format, and it shows through the full-cast narration. Parts of the book, such as the interspersed play scripts are dramatized, with voice actors voicing different parts. This makes the audiobook immersive and engaging, and amplifies the voices of all characters, without taking away from the message of the story or the main character.

For similar audiobooks, please see A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe by Mahogany L. Browne and Knucklehead: Poems by Tony Keith, Jr.

-Anush Balayan

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2026) Featured Review: When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur

Version 1.0.0
  • When Devils Sing
  • by Xan Kaur
  • Narrated by Anjali Kunapaneni, Jennifer Pickens, Landon Woodson, Michael Couch
  • Macmillan Young Listeners/Macmillan Audio
  • Publication Date: May 26, 2025

In this gothic horror set in the fictional small town of Carrion, Georgia, a teen named Dawson disappears during the strange Cicada Festival, leaving only blood behind in a motel room. Neera Singh, whose family owns the motel, teams up with three other teens to search for him. As they dig deeper, they uncover dark secrets that reveal just how twisted their town really is.

The story has a naturally eerie tone, but the audiobook takes it further by creating a rich, immersive atmosphere through the use of multiple narrators. Each voice adds emotional depth, helping to distinguish the characters and highlight their unique perspectives. The diverse cast of narrators reflects the range of experiences within the story, making the audiobook feel complete and compelling.

Small towns full of secrets is not a new theme, although this story stands out for the writing and narration. Some similar titles include Bad Creek by Peyton June and Kill Creatures by Rory Power.

-Anush Balayan

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2026) Featured Review: Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzale

  • Nobody in Particular
  • by Sophie Gonzale
  • Narrated by Gail Shalan & Imani Jade Powers
  • Macmillan Audio
  • Publication date: June 3, 2025
  • ISBN: 9781250402790

Danni is newly transplanted to Henland, and has earned a scholarship to the prestigious Bramppath College where she meets – and immediately falls for – Princess Rosemary. Rose has known forever that she’s queer, but duty to her country and family means that she’s hiding deep in the closet. Henland is strongly Catholic, and actions that led to the death of one of her friends means that Rose’s popularity with her people is already strained. The two face even more challenges than the usual Sapphic or Royal romance couple, but persevere to a happily-at-least-for-now ending.

Gail Shalan and Imani Jade Powers work well together, incorporating each others’ voices in their portrayals of all the characters, and keeping all the characters consistent in both their sections, making the book a cohesive listening experience. There are a variety of accents and ages which they manage to keep consistent throughout. Each reads with pathos without ever tipping into melodrama.

Royal romances are a perennial favorite, and fans of this genre will enjoy this as well. Give this book to readers who loved Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo for the budding romance that goes against the mores of their community. If your readers loved The Princess Match by Clare Lydon then they will enjoy this as well.

-Lynda Salem Poling