AudioFile Magazine for The Children’s Book Review
This month AudioFile’s Editors recommend five thrilling, magical, and breathtaking audiobooks for teens. Fans of Stephen King and horror audiobooks will adore Tiffany D. Jackson’s latest, an updated take on the classic CARRIE. Looking for a different kind of remixed classic? Try Tasha Suri’s beautifully narrated audiobook that revisits WUTHERING HEIGHTS.
Check out the list below to find the perfect Halloween listen, whether you want to be terrified—or to ride along on a magical road trip.
The Honeys
Story by Ryan La Sala
Read by Pete Cross
Scholastic Audiobooks | 10.5 hrs. | Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award
Narrator Pete Cross delivers a compelling performance of this supernatural thriller filled with secrets and emotional twists and turns. Cross nails the anguish felt by zombie Caroline and the terror felt by her gender-fluid twin brother, Mars, as she attempts to murder him. The building tensions Mars feels as boys bully him at summer camp are just as palpable as Mars’s warm welcome from “The Honeys,” girls who make over Mars to become their “queen.” Subtle use of sound effects and music adds suspense to this enthralling, not-so-sweet tale of terror. Review »
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What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix
Story by Tasha Suri
Read by Alex Williams and Becca Hirani
Macmillan Audio | 8.25 hrs. | Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award
Alex Williams and Becca Hirani give impassioned performances in a captivating retelling of Emily Brontë’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS. A dark-skinned “boy from nowhere,” Heathcliff, flees the Heights after overhearing Cathy say he’s too lowborn to marry her. Williams communicates Heathcliff’s hurt and anger as he forges his own life in Liverpool. Hirani channels all of Cathy’s guilt and desperation to escape her weighty obligations. The narrators’ lyrical accents add to the rich atmosphere of the novel. A beautiful adaptation giving voice to two teenagers who are desperately in love, while also delving into their backstories and underscoring the impact of British colonization. Review »
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Our Crooked Hearts
Story by Melissa Albert
Read by Chloe Cannon and Emma Galvin
Macmillan Audio | 9.75 hrs. | Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award
Chloe Cannon and Emma Galvin share the narration of this urban fantasy about a mother, a daughter, and a dark, magical secret. Seventeen-year-old Ivy, who lives in “the suburbs, right now,” is portrayed by Galvin in a tone of brash naïveté as she recounts the extraordinary events of the summer when a naked girl appeared in the woods, upending everything she thought she knew about herself and her mother. Cannon portrays jaded teenage Dana, who tells her tale from “the city, back then,” discovering the occult under the tutelage of an older girl. A mesmerizing duet. Review »
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The Weight of Blood
Story by Tiffany D. Jackson
Read by JD Jackson, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, Joy Nash, Christopher Salazar, and Karen Malina White
Harper Audio | 11 hrs. | Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award
Versatile narrators effectively differentiate interwoven characters’ perspectives in this retelling of Stephen King’s CARRIE, made more horrific by its theme of racism. Karen Malina White expresses the torment of Maddy (Carrie redux), a timid biracial teen who is bullied at school and is forced to hide her identity. When her secret psychic powers explode on prom night, two television reporters portrayed by Christopher Salazar and Sarah Mollo-Christensen track what happened, and more secrets emerge. JD Jackson and Joy Nash convey the conflicting personalities of classmates. Collectively, the narrators ensure the story is clear and captivating. Review »
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A little magic and a road trip reunite ex-best friends, whose quick banter and chemistry is performed by the highly skilled Natalie Naudus. Ellie and Jack belong to Palo Alto’s secret magic community, and after a mishap, they’re forced to embark on a road trip together. The excitement in Naudus’s voice portrays the wonder and awe the teens experience on the road as they explore magical attractions and rediscover their lost relationship. Naudus pulls out several delightfully fun voices for the magical shop owners they meet along the way. An enchanting performance fit for this swoony teen romance. Review »
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The article The Best New Audiobooks for Teens was curated by AudioFile. AudioFile is an independent source of audiobook reviews and recommendations with a clear focus on the performance and listening experience. AudioFile Earphones Awards are given to exceptional audiobooks. To learn more, visit audiofilemagazine.com, Twitter @AudioFileMag, Facebook @audiofile-magazine.
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