Best New Audiobooks for Teens, selected by AudioFile Magazine for The Children’s Book Review.
Whether your teen listener enjoys a sweeping historical fantasy, a far-future adventure, or a new, contemporary take on Jane Austen’s EMMA, they will find something fun to enjoy with these audiobooks. Skilled narrators perform fast-paced quests and emotional stories alike—and a full-cast narration brings a graphic novel alive for audiobook listeners. Read on to find an excellent teen audiobook perfect for cold winter nights.
Best New Audiobooks for Teen Listeners
Thunder City
Written by Philip Reeve
Read by Barnaby Edwards
AudioFile Earphones Award
Scholastic Audiobooks | 10 hrs | Ages 12+
Barnaby Edwards’s storytelling verve in this far-future adventure will have listeners rapt. Edwards is equally believable as a fussy tutor, a girl who is forced to fight mechanical monsters for entertainment, a washed-up soldier, and the rest of the characters who make up the story’s motley crew. When Miss Torpenhow’s city of Thorbury is taken over by hostile forces, she embarks on a dangerous quest to try to save it. Even listeners who haven’t heard the other books in the Mortal Engines series will be able to dive into this exciting audiobook. Review»
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The Judgement of Yoyo Gold
Written by Isaac Blum
Read by Emily Lawrence
AudioFile Earphones Award
Listening Library | 8.5 hrs | Ages 12-17
Narrator Emily Lawrence aids listeners in picturing Yocheved (Yoyo) Gold, eldest daughter of an Orthodox rabbi. Lawrence captures the intelligence, wit, and leadership that have made her a respected, responsible family member and friend. Lawrence also depicts Yoyo’s sense of irony and inner turmoil when her best friend is sent away to a boarding school after kissing a boy. Yoyo’s innocence and traditional beliefs are challenged by the leniently raised daughter of a Reform rabbi, who introduces her to McDonald’s and TikTok, where Yoyo’s first post goes viral. Review»
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Heir
Written by Sabaa Tahir
Read by Vidish Athavale, Esme Lonsdale, Joe Pitts, Marco Young, Rachel Petladwala
Penguin Audio | 17.75 hrs | Ages 14+
Esme Lonsdale, Vidish Athavale, and Rachel Petladwala bring palpable chemistry to the complex relationships in this epic fantasy. Something is afoot in the empire as three young people walk toward their destinies: Aiz communes with a holy spirit to get power to avenge her oppressed people, Prince Quil must soon step into a leadership role, and tracker Sirsha gets wrapped up with Quil as she hunts a murderer. The three journeys intertwine as a violent darkness takes hold—and the narrators’ performances express the tension perfectly. Review»
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Compound Fracture
Written by Andrew Joseph White
Read by Dani Martineck
Listening Library | 9.75 hrs | Ages 14-17
Dani Martineck performs this Appalachian horror story set in West Virginia. Miles Abernathy, age 16, has just come out to his parents when a group of boys attack him and put him in the hospital. The Abernathys have been in a blood feud for more than a century, but Miles believes he finally has a way to end it once and for all. Martineck’s narration makes Miles come alive in a new way, adding emotional depth to a complex character. Review»
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Mismatched: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Emma
Written by Anne Camlin
Read by Mark Sanderlin, Jordan Cobb, Shannon Tyo, Analise Scarpacci, Eddy Lee, Aspen Vincent, André Santana, Michael Crouch, Sagan Chen, Adriana Sananes
Hachette Audio | 1.5 hrs | Ages 14+
A full cast, backed by sound effects and music, transforms this queer adaptation of Jane Austen’s EMMA from the graphic novel to an audiobook. High school senior and Instagram influencer Evan, a leader in his high school’s LGBTQ+ student association, sees himself as Cupid and can’t resist the opportunity to set up shy and dowdy newcomer Natalia—despite the warnings of his best friend. Mark Sanderlin’s age-appropriate voice projects Evan’s emotions. The subplots are helped by the other cast members’ ease with portraying their characters. Review»
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The article “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 @audiofilemagazine, and Instagram @AudioFileMagazine
