Hannah Baker is determined to have the last word—but she doesn’t get it. Before committing suicide, she sends a tape of 13 joined stories to those who she believes were instrumental in her death. One of the recipients is Clay Jenkins, who once had a crush on Hannah; he would have helped her if he could and listens brokenhearted. The novel makes a perfect transformation to audio. Debra Wiseman narrates Hannah’s story with a blend of dispassion, disgust, and defeat. Joel Johnstone portrays the grieving Clay, who chimes in uncertainly from time to time to protest Hannah’s words, his comments marked with desperation. The interplay of the two is perfectly choreographed in this powerful audio. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
Next week, Zeroes, by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti, hits bookstores everywhere. The first in a trilogy that reads like a mashup of X-Men: First Class with season one of Heroes (we’ll just pretend those other seasons don’t exist), it’s a thick book of superpowered excitement that’ll leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installments. It’s the first in […]
If you enjoyed the romance and wartime verisimilitude of All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, you’ll appreciate the epic sweep of Julie Orringer’s The Invisible Bridge, which made a big splash a few years ago. Both books manage to encompass both the large-scale impact of World War II and the more intimate effects it […]
Throughout the holiday season, we’re gathering books that make the perfect gifts for everyone on your list—from your mother and the teen in your life to your foodie friend and the coworker who loves Harry Potter. Need more ideas? Check out all of our guides. We, the Internet Ministry’s Office of Acceptability, are pleased to inform you that […]
This week, the American Library Association announced its annual list of “challenged books.” The report is meant to offer insight on the literature that might inspire an otherwise perfectly adjusted youth to forget to tie his shoes, or eat an unhealthy lunch, or . . . set an entire school on fire. Something like that!
By now you know all about B-Fest, Barnes & Noble’s ab-fab celebration of all things teen books, coming Saturday, September 23 (this B&N writer’s birthday, btw! How apt!), to participating B&N stores. Some of your favorite YA writers will be stopping by stores across the country to sign books and meet fans, who will have […]