THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR

Narrator Jeff Ebner's youthful voice and careful pacing are well suited to this middle-grade horror audiobook. Rory has avoided the house next door ever since he and his best friend encountered the malevolent spirits that eventually caused his friend's family to move away. So when Jack's family moves in, Rory will do whatever it takes to protect them, especially Jack's little sister. Beyond the supernatural encounters, Ebner keeps listeners grounded when Rory and Jack share aspects of their Japanese and Korean cultures, especially foods. Ebner smoothly differentiates characters as Rory and Jack, along with a couple of friendly ghosts, work together to figure out what kind of creatures lurk in Jack's basement and how they can fight back. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2025]