Hi besties! I have been an audiobook listening machine lately! Here’s my first round up of what I’ve been listening to lately — with another round to come later this week! Any audiobook recommendations?
Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest
Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest was such a GOOD listen. I was RIVETED. This story follows the title characters through their love story. It opens when Zyla and Kai sort of runaway while on a joint school field trip in the Poconos. There’s a storm coming. The two have been broken up for months. Everyone is looking for them. The story then shifts back to summer at the amusement park, where the two meet after Kai gets into some trouble and gets moved to a different position at the amusement park. He and Zyla are just friends, until they become something more, until they end.
I really enjoyed this contemporary book. The audiobook of Zyla & Kai was so easy to follow along with — even sped up. I loved Zyla, even when she wasn’t feeling the most confident in her relationship and let some past issues impact it. Additionally, I loved Kai too — he has great intentions and just messed up by not really thinking something through. Also, I loved his ambition to get into Morehouse. Both Zyla and Kai are Black and get a beautiful love story without it being some kind of tragedy or lesson. I loved this. The audiobook is narrated by Tashi Thomas who is perfection. It’s 13 hours and 35 minutes long — I listened at 2x with no issues follow along.
TJ Powar Has Something To Prove by Jasmeen Kaur Deo
I love trying out debut novels. TJ Powar Has Something To Prove by Jasmeen Kaur Deo is such an excellent debut novel — melding themes ripe for discussion along with an engaging storyline. This audiobook was really a much better listen than I had anticipated. TJ Poward Has Something To Prove is about the main character, TJ Powar, who is a popular senior on the debate and soccer team. One day, a phone of her and her cousin Simran goes viral – comparing TJ as beautiful and Simran as undesirable. This really pisses TJ off and so she makes the decision to stop removing her body hair and posits that she is still beautiful with it. Unfortunately, there are issues along the way. But, even more important, she just might find true friends and true love in the end.
As stated, I really liked TJ Powar Has Something To Prove. I thought that the debate team aspect of it was so interesting. Also, this book is set in Canada which is different from what I normally read. TJ has so much character growth. She is also a genuinely good person — even when she has to learn some lessons the hard way. The audiobook is narrated by Mayuri Bhandari. It is 11 hours and 6 minutes long. I loved my time with this audiobook. I definitely would recommend.
Go Hunt Me by Kelly deVos
Who doesn’t love a good horror story just in time for spooky season? Go Hunt Me by Kelly deVos is about what happens when seven teenagers who love making horror films somehow get a GoFundMe funded for them to fly to Romania and film a version of Dracula at his castle from the point of view of Lucy. For Alex Rush, this trip could be life changing. Unfortunately, she has been waitlisted for USC Film School and this trip could get her off the list. Unfortunately, members of their group keep dying one by one. Also, there’s no actual adults at the castle. Oh and there’s some shady gangster involvement with it. But, also there might be a vampire? Things are getting real dicey for Alex and her friends.
Unfortunately, Go Hunt Me was not the book for me. The narrator is Kimberly M. Wetherell. The audiobook is 9 hours and 51 minutes. I listened at 2x speed. It just felt…overdone to me. Like, overly emotional in the narration to where I was like, ok, I wish this could be sped up even more because I can’t with this. It also didn’t help that I didn’t care for any of the characters. There was no one for me to root for. However, this book is pretty gory. So if that is up your alley — definitely pick this up for some Halloween thrills and chills. It wasn’t for me but that doesn’t necessarily mean you might not enjoy this one.
Never Coming Home by Kate M. Williams
Never Coming Home by Kate M. Williams actually kind of felt similar to Go Hunt Me – in that a group of teenagers dies one by one when they go to a remote place. In this case, it is Unknown Island. The teenagers are influencers who each have a secret. Initially, they are told that Unknown Island has an exclusive under 21 resort. The only way to get in is to be on the guest list. It is a huge deal to be invited. These influencers are among the first. However, the experience becomes a bit more Fyre Fest than anticipated as they begin dying out. The story kind of reminded me a little of And Then There Were None.
I ended up thinking Never Coming Home was not bad. Even though the secrets were terrible and involved a lot of death, I still didn’t dislike the characters. Overall, this story was a little more captivating as I listened to find out who was behind the murders and who would be next. This audiobook was not a bad read and made doing housework go by quickly.
A Secret Princess by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz
What a delight listening to A Secret Princess by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz was. This story retells the classics A Secret Garden and A Little Princess plus a few more Easter eggs placed in there. It takes the classics and adds diversity. Sara Crewe is Filipina in this story from what I remember. In this story both Mary Lennox and Sara Crewe attend the same boarding school along with Cedric Erroll who happens to be from another classic story. The three find joy and comfort in each other — especially as the boarding school is such a dreary place. Then, tragedy strikes and the three run away from school and well, the story is one of resilience and overcoming bad times.
I genuinely enjoyed my time with Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz’s A Secret Princess. This book has captivating main characters. I liked how the main characters retained their essences from the classic books, but we have some updates with regards to race — got to love it when people get books that are mirrors. The romance for each character was sweet too and just played out perfectly. I also felt like the audiobook was such an easy listen — easy to understand and sink right into. It is narrated by Billie Fulford-Brown and is 10 hours and 29 minutes unabridged. As I am trying to get through my TBR, I did listen to this one sped up – but it was still easy to follow.
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