Full list can be found here.
Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults 2019 Top Ten
- Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor, read by Yetide Badaki. Tantor Audio, 2018. 8 hours and 49 minutes; 7 discs. 978-1-9773-0242-7. Sunny, an Albino Nigerian-American girl, who feels she belongs nowhere discovers she belongs to an ancient world of magical people. She and her friends must use their magic to save the world from an evil that threatens to destroy it. Badaki’s delivery of this story is mesmerizing.
- Educated by Tara Westover, read by Julia Whelan. Random House, 2018. 12 hours, 10 minutes. 978-0-5255-2805-0. Tara Westover grew up in isolation with six siblings, an herbalist mother, and a devout Mormon father, and at seventeen, she begins to fight for her education. Whelan gives an understated performance for the narration, which has enough dramatic action, such as the harrowing accidents the family experiences, to compel the story.
- I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman, read by Nicole Lewis, Michael Crouch, and Sunil Malhotra. Listening Library, 2018. 7 hours, 29 minutes; 6 discs. 978-0-5256-3626-7. Three young adults accidentally collide in New York City and embark on a single day of adventure, friendship, secrets, and loss that will change their lives forever. Lewis, Crouch and Malhotra are equally exemplary in portraying the characters in happiness, retrospection, growth, and sorrow.
- Lu by Jason Reynolds, read by Guy Lockard. Simon & Schuster Audio, 2018. 4 hours, 50 minutes; 4 discs. 978-1508263463. Lucky Lu (the one and only, the kid, the guy) struggles to figure out where he fits in both on the track team, quite literally jumping hurdles, and in life, with a new sibling on the way. Guy Lockard concludes his flawless narration of the Track series with swagger, heart, and humility.
- Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling and Kennilworthy Whisp, read by Andrew Lincoln. Pottermore, 2018. 3 hours, 10 minutes. 978-1-7811-0990-8. Re-released with additional content, Quidditch Through The Ages takes a look at the most popular wizarding sport from the Harry Potter series. Andrew Lincoln charms audiences with his narration of the history and early origins of Quidditch.
- Sadie by Courtney Summers, read by Rebecca Soler, Fred Berman, Dan Bittner, Gabra Zackman, and a Full Cast. Macmillan Audio, 2018. 7 hours, 57 minutes. 978-1-2502-1821-6. When Mattie is found dead, her older sister and caretaker Sadie has only one goal; track down her killer. West McCray, a radio personality starts a podcast about Sadie’s disappearance, becoming obsessed with finding her before its too late. The full cast nail the intriguing premise and make this audio a nail-biting edge of your seat thriller.
- Sunny by Jason Reynolds, read by Guy Lockard. Simon & Schuster Audio, 2018. 3 hours 7 minutes. 978-1-5082-6347-0. Sunny’s passion is dancing, but he runs to please his father. Then Sunny’s coach finds a way for him to “dance” on the track by throwing discus instead of running. Narrator Guy Lockhard perfectly captures Sunny’s fresh, distinctive voice, creating an authentic character that readers will adore.
- The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by MT Anderson and Eugene Yelchin, read by Gildart Jackson. Dreamscape Media, 2018. 5 hours, 25 minutes. 9781974930388. Elfin historian Brangwain Spurge is sent on a diplomatic mission to the goblin kingdom, and his host, goblin Archivist Werfel is thrilled about the potential to ease tensions between the elves and goblins. Gildart Jackson’s voice is perfect for this biting satire as he gives life to each character in this hilarious, unique tale.
- The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, read by Elizabeth Acevedo. HarperAudio, 2018. 3 hours, 30 minutes. 978-1-5385-0023-1. Xiomara Batista needs an outlet from her mother, who insists Xiomara attend confirmation classes, help around the house based on her gender, and never speak to boys. Author Acevedo narrates her own novel in verse in such a way that you feel more like you’re in the audience at a poetry slam than listening to a mere audiobook.
- Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman, read by Greg Trembley. Audible Studios on Brilliance, 2018. 13 hours, 2 minutes; MP3 CD. 978-1-9786-1430-6. Rowan and Citra continue to challenge the Scythedom, but in very different ways. The Thunderhead watches to learn, evolve, and find loopholes in its own rules. Greg Trembley finds a fitting and unique voice for each main character, voicing the level of authority a Scythe and the Thunderhead feel they have.