Audiobooks for Ages 14+

A stellar trio of narrators delivers the alternating viewpoints in this superb contemporary debut by YA fantasy author Sabaa Tahir. Abuse, alcohol consumption, and drug use are major parts of this story, along with grief and loss. Narrator Kamran R. Khan portrays 18-year-old Salahudin, whose vulnerability and poet’s soul shine as he tries to handle his father’s drinking and... Read More

Narrators Emma Galvin and Aaron Stanford conclude Roth’s epic dystopian trilogy with alternating chapters from Tris and Tobias. As their city now exists in an uneasy state of détente between the factionless and those allegiant to the faction system, Tris and her friends attempt to avert impending civil war. Galvin’s portrayal of Tris remains nuanced and emotionally powerful.... Read More

Fiona Hardingham’s commanding narration steers a clear path through this densely woven tapestry of mid-fifteenth-century intrigue, rife with conspiracy, assassination, and the varied courses of love and loyalty. With measured pacing and a somber tone, Hardingham unfolds White’s sweeping tale of Lada, daughter of the infamous Vlad Dracul, and her younger brother, Radu, who are... Read More

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s neutral tones highlight the simplicity of this powerful, sparely written book. He accurately represents the defensive posture of 15-year-old Ari, who feels distanced from his own life. Miranda’s clipped expression reflects the teen’s frustrating attempts to comprehend secrets and other important aspects of his world: why his father hides his memories of... Read More

Lin-Manuel Miranda captures every intense emotion in this gorgeously lyrical and intensely hopeful sequel to ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE. Ari Mendoza and Dante Quintana, two gay Mexican American teens in El Paso, spend a magical summer together before their last year of high school, being in love with each other and being supported by their loving... Read More

Between friends, family, and adjusting to life in a small town, Astrid Jones, a New York City transplant, has a lot on her plate. Her one constant is her ritual of sending love towards airplane passengers flying over her backyard—love she doesn’t have to worry about being returned. Devon Sorvari’s portrayal of Astrid as monotone, self-deprecating, and unemotional makes Astrid a... Read More

Narrator Pete Cross brings an energetic and delightful personality to the characters and relationships in this story of a young gay teen who is on a quest to win the cosplay competition at his local comics convention. Told in alternating “then” and “now” chapters, the story involves the budding romance and eventual breakup of Raffy and his now-ex-boyfriend, Luca. The worst... Read More

Author-narrator Libba Bray starts with this premise: What would happen if a plane carrying Teen Dream Beauty Queens were to crash on an (almost) deserted island, leaving a handful of girls with no chaperones? She ends with an expertly crafted tale of girl power, a social commentary, and a hilarious spoof on popular TV shows and classic books. As narrator, Bray puts her... Read More

With a stiff speech pattern and a flat affect to her voice, narrator Kate Rudd draws listeners into this chilling story of teens and terrorism. Valley and her older brother, Bo, have been taught to distrust conventional society, especially the government, which they believe is responsible for the death of their mother. When their father goes missing, Valley and Bo join others... Read More

An all-star cast of narrators and bestselling authors come together for a summery treat. Six interlocking short stories tell of young Black love during one night of a New York City blackout. Joniece Abbott-Pratt’s compelling voice transports listeners through the five acts of “The Long Walk,” Tiffany D. Jackson’s story, which interweaves between the others to chronicle two exes... Read More

There’s something pleasingly old-fashioned about Michael Sheen’s narration, which is matched by the pleasure of returning to Pullman’s world of daemons and Dust. Sheen fully inhabits the text, and he’s utterly believable as 11-year-old Malcolm Polstead, who meets baby Lyra (heroine of Pullman’s His Dark Materials series) and embarks on a perilous adventure to protect her from... Read More

Bahni Turpin’s breathtaking narration of this exhilarating novel will keep listeners rooted to their seats, listening intently. The story is told through the shifting perspectives of three teenagers in a West-African-inspired world that had magic until it was stolen away by a fearful and destructive king. Zélie is a diviner, a white-haired, black-skinned girl who is destined to... Read More

Melania-Luisa Marte narrates the first-person free verse of Camino, the Dominican daughter of a man who has died in a plane crash. Elizabeth Acevedo delivers the alternating verses of his other daughter, Yahaira, who lives in New York. Neither sister knows the other exists until their father’s death. Marte’s narration captures the lyricism of a young woman who assists her aunt,... Read More

To reveal almost anything about the way events in CODE NAME VERITY unfold would spoil the book’s many twists and turns and revelations. It all begins with Maddie, a young pilot, and Queenie, who are both part of the British war effort during WWII. The audiobook is its own revelation—narrators Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell bring Queenie and Maddie to vibrant life, and... Read More

Narrator Dion Graham shines bright in this YA prequel, set 17 years before the events in THE HATE U GIVE. Narrating in the first person as Maverick, Graham is tasked with delivering internal and external dialogue. We hear the fast-paced, sometimes frantic, thoughts of a Black teenage boy in way over his head—dealing drugs in order to help his mother take care of his family. In... Read More

A full cast of talented narrators taps into the darkly magical atmosphere of Bardugo’s graphic novel prequel to the Shadow and Bone trilogy. Primary narrator Ben Barnes depicts the villainous Darkling when he was known as Eryk, a young teen who hungered for companionship and stability. Eryk and his mother find refuge in a remote mountain village, where they are safe as long as... Read More

Four teenagers' anxieties are laid bare in an unsettling YA audiobook that examines privilege, racism, and class. The Shoveler, who leads a nomadic life with his thieving mom, and Malcolm, who is struggling with his father's terminal cancer, reveal themselves through narrators Mike Chamberlain and Kirby Heyborne. Tonya Cornelisse's voice adds bittersweetness to “CanIHelpYou's”... Read More

At 16, Beatrice must choose the societal faction she will join. Emma Galvin’s blunt narration of this dystopian novel portrays Tris’s gruff exterior as she defies expectations, her own included, with her choice. Galvin conveys Tris’s emotional growth as she moves through a brutal initiation, making new friends and finding first love. Though Galvin’s narration is concentrated on... Read More

Two narrators tell the nuanced story of an unlikely first love. The actors excel at differentiating the multiple shifting viewpoints within each chapter of the story. More importantly, they give full voice to the inner feelings and outer expressions of Eleanor and Park and the interplay that depicts their tender relationship. Sunil Malhotra’s neutral conversational tones... Read More

Julia Whelan’s skillful narration intensifies the drama in this stirring debut novel. Using pitch and deliberate pacing to full advantage, Whelan draws listeners into a romantic fantasy world of faeries who covet the creative abilities of humans, using enchantment as currency. Isobel, a talented portrait painter, runs afoul of Rook, the Autumn Prince, and is drawn into the... Read More

J.D. Jackson brings listeners directly into the jungles of Vietnam with 17-year-old African-American Richie Perry and his fellow soldiers in Walter Dean Myers’s classic story of boys and war. Death is an inevitable companion, bringing the pain of loss and a longing to return to “the world,” no matter how difficult it may have been. Jackson ably navigates the rough language,... Read More

Narrator Rebecca Lowman creates another stunning portrayal in Cath, a fanfiction writer who deals better with her thousands of online friends than the real people who surround her during her first year of college. Lowman begins by expressing Cath’s snarky dialogue as well as her unvoiced fears about separating from her identical twin, caring for her emotionally fragile father,... Read More

Isabella Star LaBlanc brings an authentic-sounding narration to this powerful audiobook. Set amid state and tribal lands in Michigan, the story of Daunis, who is caught between these two cultures, is told with heartfelt compassion. LaBlanc masterfully amplifies Daunis’s apprehension when she becomes involved in helping the FBI investigate a new, deadly street drug. Thriller,... Read More

This harrowing yet hopeful story of young people caught in the midst of Spain’s fascist regime in the 1950s is superbly rendered by Maite Jáuregui and an ensemble cast. With excellent Spanish, Jáuregui— who does not sound like a native English speaker—uses her mesmerizing vocal tones and unhurried pacing to infuse the audiobook with all of its inherent pathos. The love story... Read More

Right from the start, narrator Raymond J. Lee fully inhabits funny, endearing, nerdy-and-proud-of-it California high school senior Frank Li. Frank is studying for the SATs, hanging out with his fellow AP classmates, falling in love, and thinking a lot about his identity as the son of Korean immigrants, all with the heightened feelings of a teenager experiencing these things for... Read More

Fair warning—it’ll be hard to press pause once narrator Christian Coulson begins sweeping you along on this breathless historical adventure. Henry (Monty) Montague; his younger sister, Felicity; and his best friend, Percy, set out from England for a grand tour of Europe, their last youthful fling before surrendering to adulthood. Coulson flawlessly gives voice to Monty’s... Read More

Six months after his sister's sudden death, 16-year-old Quinn is numb, his mother is grieving, and his father is long gone. That might not sound like the premise for a laugh-out-loud audiobook, but Quinn is witty and instantly endearing, which both softens the heartbreak and makes it feel more real. Author Tim Federle's genuine narration is just right--self-deprecating,... Read More

A full cast of more than 40 performers brings this powerful graphic novel memoir vividly to life. When he was 3, Jarrett’s grandparents removed him from his heroin-addicted mother’s custody and raised him in their noisy, loving home, encouraging his artistic talent. With music, sound effects, and affecting performances, listeners feel like they are at the dinner table with him... Read More

Solomon is a 16-year-old who hasn’t left his house since eighth grade, when panic led him to strip to his underwear and immerse himself in the school fountain. Narrator Robbie Daymond emphasizes Solomon’s upbeat and agreeable outlook and his solid, loving family. In contrast, Julia Whelan portrays Lisa as an irritating, insecure manipulator who targets Solomon to feature in an... Read More

Dan Bittner’s narration develops the unique personality of 17-year-old Ben, a secondary character in Konigsberg’s earlier book OPENLY STRAIGHT. At the end of that story, Ben has pushed away Rafe, his best friend with whom he had a brief lover relationship. In this follow-up, Bittner quickly reveals Ben’s intelligence and introspection. His delivery continually contrasts Ben’s... Read More

Narrator Pete Cross delivers a compelling performance of this supernatural thriller filled with secrets and emotional twists and turns. Cross nails the emotions experienced in the opening sequence: 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... Read More

Narrated by award-winning voice actors, HOPE NATION offers a respite from the turmoil of current events with uplifting messages written by well-known young adult authors from various walks of life. In this collection of honest essays, listeners find that the people penning the words are just as vulnerable as everyone else but are willing to share their experiences with those... Read More

Cherise Boothe anchors this production with her performance as world-weary Jennica, a teen we meet when she tries to save her schoolmate, Tariq Johnson, after he’s shot in broad daylight. In the wake of Tariq’s death, a full cast alternates between points of view as diverse as that of the shooter, who believed Tariq was armed, and that of the Reverend Alabaster Sloan, who comes... Read More

Thirteen-year-old Noah believes he shares one heart with his twin sister, Jude, but jealousy and secrets threaten their relationship. Dual narrations by Julia Whelan and Jesse Bernstein distinguish both protagonists, articulate their changing personalities, animate minor characters, and reveal dramatic truths. When Jude resumes the story at age 16, the two barely speak. Jude... Read More

Emma Galvin presents an intense, fast-moving narration as conflict rips apart Tris and Tobias’s world. Futuristic Chicago is broken into Factions: groups of people with similar personalities. Galvin captures Tris’s youthful do-or-die attitude as she escapes a ruthless Faction leader and struggles with her love for Tobias. Whether it’s bloody battle scenes or Tris’s intimate... Read More

Even though the setting of this audiobook is the future, it’s especially for those who don’t know or who have forgotten the lessons of history. A few years in the future, a xenophobic president has forced Muslim Americans into internment camps. Teenage Layla and her family become caught up in the wave of anti-Muslim hysteria. Narrator Soneela Nankani effectively conveys Layla’s... Read More

Moira Quirk gives crisp, purposeful voice to Felicity Montague, a young Englishwoman in the 1700s with the single-minded ambition to become a doctor--a path that seems hopelessly closed to her. When she tracks down her idol, Dr. Platt, and reconnects with childhood friend Johanna, it's the beginning of an action-packed, fantastical adventure. Quirk makes the most of her... Read More

Three narrators depict a trio of teens who, in alternating chapters, search for love and self-identity in New York City amid the AIDS crisis of the late 1980s. Lauren Ambrose’s narration has the perfect tone of sarcasm to capture the wit and self-deprecating humor of Judy. Aside from her beloved Uncle Stephen, who has AIDS, Judy’s best friend is Art. Michael Crouch’s portrayal... Read More

An extraordinary ensemble of seven talented narrators enacts several interwoven stories. The audio begins in 1945 as Greek gods argue about the nature of love. Jayne Entwistle’s Aphrodite is mature and certain as she frames the story of humans who fall in love during WWI. These characters are Hazel and James, who meet just before James ships out. Fiona Hardingham expresses... Read More

A newcomer to narration and still a teenager himself, Robert Madge lends his unique voice to this original story. Fifteen-year-old Standish Treadwell has eyes of different colors; he's awkward, illiterate—and the world's only hope to expose a secret the Motherland will do anything to keep hidden. There’s an obvious youthfulness to Madge's voice that is well suited to the... Read More

In this audio collection of seven stories, two characters act as the connecting fibers. Julian Rhind-Tutt strengthens those fibers with a stellar narration that exudes mystery and intrigue through meticulous pacing and selective emphasis. As each story takes the audience back further in time, Rhind-Tutt adjusts his dialect and tone to match the period, characters, and events.... Read More

Seventeen-year-old Hester feels drawn to Ezra, and as she investigates her family history, she learns why. Digging into resources at the Plymouth Library, she learns of an ancestor who was said to be a mermaid, who gave up her life in the sea to marry a human. Narrator Katherine Kellgren smoothly moves between the 1870s and current time. Her talent with accents is put to good... Read More

Narrator Bahni Turpin becomes The Neighborhood through the eyes of Bri, a 16-year-old hip-hop artist who raps to express how she feels. Turpin portrays the essence of this quick-thinking wordsmith who gets her first break by performing at the infamous Ring, where the best-of- the-best rap battles unfold. The spunk in Turpin’s voice brings this roller-coaster story to life. She... Read More

Rafe, who’s been out since he was 14, escapes labeling by leaving Colorado for a private boy’s school in New England. From the first, Pete Cross’s narration describes the high spirits of Rafe and his family. His loving mother is overly involved and well intentioned. His father is jokey as he records this big event. Rafe teases his parents affably as he prepares for his great... Read More

Dolssa, a young woman condemned to burn to death as a heretic, is rescued and hidden by a peasant girl, Botille, in this historical tale set in thirteenth-century France. Fiona Hardingham narrates Dolssa’s sections in a gentle, lilting tone. Jayne Entwistle’s warm, earthy narration brings to life teenaged Botille, her sisters, and the other peasants in Bajas, where the sisters... Read More

Narrator Ramón de Ocampo expresses the many emotional shifts of Jay Reguero. The audiobook begins with Jay's early memory of connection with his compassionate cousin, Jun, while visiting the Philippines, where he is originally from. Now 17, Jay finds himself unmotivated by college acceptance and dulled by video games. De Ocampo juxtaposes this fog with a rush of feelings when... Read More

It’s spring 2007. Seven months ago T.J. died in Iraq, and his younger brother, Matt, is still grieving. With trouble at school and his dad insisting that he ”man up,” Matt struggles to control his anger and grief while searching for a way to connect with his big brother. Nick Podehl narrates this emotionally wrenching story in Matt’s voice, moving seamlessly between details of... Read More

The author's passion and pacing unite in her rhythmic reading of linked free-verse poems telling the story of Xiomara Barista. The author, a performance poet, and her heroine possess a gift for arranging words, sequencing sounds, and enriching both with emotions. Xiomara (X) is a first-generation Dominican-American teen who has "a little too much body for a young girl." She has... Read More

His mother's untimely death forces 16-year-old Joey Crouch to travel from Chicago to a small town in Iowa to live with Harnett, the father he has never known. Incessantly bullied by teachers and students, Joey discovers the awful truth behind the foul odor that permeates the shack he shares with Harnett. Far from being the "Garbage Man's" son, as his classmates believe, Joey... Read More

Courtney Summers’s powerful story of love, neglect, abuse, and revenge is narrated with irresistible urgency by Rebecca Soler and Dan Bittner, along with an ensemble of supporting narrators. The daughter of a drug-addicted mother, Sadie was left to care for herself and her younger sister, Mattie. When Mattie is murdered, Sadie sets out to identify the killer. Summers’s writing... Read More

Narrator Ariana Delawari gives voice to the youthfully uncertain Janna, a Hijabi teen and self-described misfit. An excellent student, she's active in the youth group at her mosque but uncomfortable with both of her divorced parents and resentful of her mother's affection for her older brother and his “saintly” girlfriend. As she tries to overcome having been sexually assaulted... Read More

The points of view of four young people caught in the clash between Germany and Russia during WWII are well realized by four narrators. Lithuanian Joana, Prussian Florian, Polish Emilia, and German Alfred share their secrets in alternating chapters. While the narrators’ differing vocal qualities are a plus, they make no attempt at reproducing cultural accents, instead... Read More

Narrator and author Laurie Halse Anderson reflects upon the trials of her life in a dynamic voice. And in a unique way, her powerful, poetic memoir advocates for others who have faced similar hardships. Listeners gain insight into the experiences and figures that influenced her debut novel, SPEAK, which brought the difficult topic of teen rape to the forefront of conversation... Read More

Seventeen-year-old Lennie has always lurked in the shadows. She's happy playing music and reading WUTHERING HEIGHTS while her older sister, Bailey, shines on stage and off. When Bailey dies suddenly, Lennie thinks she should be grieving but instead finds herself torn between two boyfriends and a profusion of inappropriate responses. Julia Whelan's myriad tones and perfect... Read More

This novel-in-verse, written by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess, sings with the despair, hope, and love that wash over 17-year-old Blade, a budding musician. Alexander’s affection for Blade is obvious through his narration. He wrings every drop of emotion from a poignant story of a teen who is missing his mother, who died years ago, and battling his father, a broken-down... Read More

This trio of narrators turns the alternating voices in this story into a terrific audio. Bahni Turpin emphasizes the raw, seething emotions of Natasha, a Jamaican teen who is in the U.S. illegally. Natasha has only one day to avoid being deported. Into her day walks Korean-American Daniel, portrayed by Raymond Lee. Lee’s narration begins calmly but soon shows how Daniel is... Read More

Listeners might be forgiven for not immediately liking protagonist Tess, since, as it turns out, she doesn’t like herself very much either. Katharine McEwan gives voice to 17-year-old Tess, who is stifled by society and by a strict upbringing, effectively communicating her anger and deep hurt. Tess inhabits the same world created by author Hartman in SERAPHINA—a world shared by... Read More

Narrator Ariadne Meyers’s tone is candid as 17-year-old Cadence Sinclair Eastman reveals ugly realities about her proud, wealthy family. She harshly judges her bigoted, manipulative mother, aunts, and grandfather from a secure position as one of the “the Liars”—the younger generation of teens who spend summers on an exclusive island. Soon Meyers reveals the opposing views of a... Read More

Versatile narrators effectively differentiate interwoven characters’ perspectives in this retelling of Stephen King’s CARRIE, made more horrific by its theme of racism. Maddy (Carrie redux), a timid biracial teen who is bullied at school, has secret psychic powers that explode on prom night. As a broadcast reporter, portrayed by Christopher Salazar, tracks the facts of what... Read More

One hundred chapters of 100 words each. The central structure of Alison McGhee's book may be lost on listeners, but it is compensated for by Michael Crouch's honest, gentle rendering of 16-year-old Will, who is trying to make sense of his father's suicide. Will spends his free time attempting to replicate his father's "famous" cornbread and walking around town. On his walks he... Read More

Elisabet Velasquez narrates her debut novel-in-verse with vividness, honesty, and poignancy born of her life experience and performance expertise. Like her heroine, Sarai, Puerto Rican-American Velasquez grew up in Bushwick and knows what it's like to be poor in the midst of increasing gentrification. Sensitive 14-year-old Sarai is working hard to discover her identity despite... Read More

Preston Butler deftly narrates this high-tension audiobook about a teenager's search for his sister. When Nicole goes missing, Jayson Murphy first assumes she's off with her shady boyfriend. Once he begins to think something more sinister has happened, he struggles to get anyone in authority to care enough to help. As portrayed by Butler, Jay is witty and sarcastic one minute... Read More

Audiobook narrator Emily Woo Zeller voices an array of characters both magical and mundane in this romantic urban fantasy, set in contemporary Seoul. Gu Miyoung appears human, but she’s actually a GUMIHO, an immortal nine-tailed fox who feeds on the life force of men. Though her exacting mother cautions her to keep a low profile, Miyoung reveals herself when she rescues a human... Read More

Author Elizabeth Acevedo sounds natural and authentic as Emoni, an immensely likable Philadelphia high school senior with a 2-year-old daughter and a gift for cooking. In both her writing and her narration, Acevedo warmly depicts the loving and supportive people in Emoni’s life—her Puerto Rican abuela, who helps take care of baby Emma; her best friend, Angelica; and Malachi, a... Read More

An achingly beautiful tale of love, loss, and literature from Australian author Cath Crowley is given an engrossing narration by Chelsea Bruland and Hamish R. Johnson. Rachel Sweetie’s inconsolable grief over her younger brother’s death opens a story that unfolds in multiple layers. Returning to the town where she grew up, Rachel reconnects with old friends, particularly Henry... Read More

Narrating alternating chapters, Michael Crouch and Tiya Sircar are just as appealing as the pair of Georgia teens they portray. Jamie and Maya are thrown together while canvassing for a local candidate. Crouch is endearingly awkward as Jamie, who's nervous about knocking on doors--but that's nothing compared to the idea of giving a speech at his little sister's bat mitzvah.... Read More