Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2024) Featured Review: Whiteout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

  • Whiteout
  • by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jacson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon
  • Narrated by Nic Stone, Danielle Shemaiah, Shayna Small, Bahnie Turpin, Alaska Jackson, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Kevin R. Free, James Fouhey, and Korey Jackson
  • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc./Quill Tree Books
  • Publication Date: November 8, 2022
  • ISBN: 9780063088177

It’s winter holiday time and science-minded Stevie made a mistake. A huge mistake. She must find a way to apologize to her girlfriend, romance-loving Sola, or lose her forever. An amazing group of friends pitch in and help her attempt the apology of a lifetime, while also navigating their own love stories. The only problem is, Atlanta is experiencing a once-in-a-decade snowstorm.  

The same authors who brought us 2021’s Blackout, are back at it, this time in Atlanta. Twelve young friends work together to help save a relationship at risk. Stevie enlists her friends to help, and all are on board, but when Sola issues a time-sensitive ultimatum, the rush is on. Stevie’s friends adapt, but there’s a bigger problem: Atlanta is experiencing a snowstorm. Flights are delayed or canceled, roads are dangerous, and time is running out. During the course of the book, six couples will face second-chances, friends-to-lovers, and the realization that friendship and love are the most important part of the holiday season. 

Multiple narrators expertly represent the diverse cast of characters, each narrator reading one of the stories. The pacing and intonation of each narrator lifts each couple off the page making their stories come alive. This fun, fast-paced, romance has something for everyone.


For fans of Blackout by the same group of authors. Readers who enjoyed audiobooks like Slay! by Brittney Morris, Ibi Zoboi’s Pride, narrated by Elizabeth Acevdeo, or reruns of the 80s sitcom A Different World will enjoy this story of Black love and friendship.

-Jen Haas

Other Nominated Titles

September 13, 2022
January 10, 2023
September 13, 2023
February 7, 2023

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.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2024) Whiteout by Clayton, Jackson, Stone, Thomas, Woodfolk, and Yoon

  • Whiteout
  • by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon
  • Publisher: Harper Collins
  • Imprint: Quill Tree Books
  • Release Date: November 8, 2022
  • ISBN: 9780063088146

Stevie has until midnight to win her girlfriend back, yet a freak Atlanta snowstorm has put many roadblocks in her path. She enlists her group of friends who eagerly agree to help. What ensues is nine teenagers’ intertwined stories of love, familial obligations, loyalty, and life- and identity questions as they rush against the clock and the weather in the hopes of creating a happy ending.

Whiteout is good for the QPRR list because of its form. Readers can choose just one of the stories and still feel satisfied, a few, or the entire manuscript to see how all of the stories and characters fit together. The language is accessible, with fast-pacing, and characters who seem realistic- as in, I thought one of the characters was super annoying; I did not feel as though the characters were written so plainly as to be liked by all readers.

While this book is a romance, readers who prefer mysteries and adventure tales would like Whiteout, too, as they must wait until the end to see if one of the characters makes her midnight deadline and how the snow affects a city that rarely sees such an event. For similar titles readers should also checkout Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton et al (2021); 37 Things I Love (in No Particular Order) by Kekla Magoon (2012); I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman (2018).

 -Emma K. McNamara

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.