8 of the Best New YA Audiobooks
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I was a late adopter of audiobooks, but now I can’t stop listening. A well-made audiobook can elevate a story, bringing new dimensions to the tale as the narrator puts their own spin on the characters’ voices, or adds emotion or tension in ways that you might not expect, thanks to their acting skill. Some audiobooks bring in a large cast to cover multiple characters or narrative perspectives, while other stick with one narrator to read the entire story and interpret the different characters in their own way, depending on what suits the story better.
Audiobooks can make stories more accessible to readers who have difficulties with physical texts, or who simply want a story they can listen to while they’re going about their everyday routine, and fortunately, there’s an ever-increasing number of publications in this form. Many YA novels are dual-published as print and audiobooks, and more and more libraries are signing up to schemes that allow them to lend audiobooks to readers, meaning that many more people can access them. Whether you’re looking to be introduced to the format or are already a fan, here are some of the best new YA audiobooks that tell a compelling story.
Moth to a Flame by Finn Longman
I’ve been waiting for the final installment in Finn Longman’s assassin series since I finished The Hummingbird Killer, and Moth to a Flame promises to be worth the wait. Isabel Ryans has managed to escape the closed city of Espera, leaving behind her past as a hired killer for the assassin guild Comma. However, adjusting to life on the outside is harder than she expected, and when the abolition movement makes a stand in Espera, Isabel is pulled back in.
The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste
If you like original magic systems and powerful heroines, you’ll love The Poisons We Drink. Venus Stoneheart, a witcher who brews love potions, loses her mother to a murderous human and sets out for revenge. Using her magical talents, she creates potions to combat hate and prejudice but finds out that in the seedy underbelly of this otherworldly version of DC, there is no one she can really trust.
Hey, Brown Girl by Janay Harden
This latest novel from “The Storytelling Therapist” Janay Harden tells the tale of teenager Raven, whose world is turned upside-down when CPS places her cousin Carter with her family. As Raven and her family try to help Carter, they must face unresolved issues from their own pasts and work together to heal and move forwards.
A Sea of Wolves by Sarah Street
Does a sapphic retelling of Red Riding Hood sound right up your street? Then pick up A Sea of Wolves. Set during a recently-ignited war between pirates and a fantasy kingdom, the story follows Mersey, who has been kidnapped by said pirates, and Golde, the ship’s first mate, who start off as enemies but soon realise that they’re irrevocably drawn to each other. Cast off for swashbuckling romantasy on the high seas.
With Love, Miss Americanah by Jane Igharo
In this YA romance, teenager Enore moves from Nigeria to America and is determined to navigate her new US high school using everything she has learned from teen movies. However, a real-life high school turns out to be very different from the ones Enore has seen on screen, and her plan to keep her head down and get through the school year soon falls apart when she meets the handsome Davi.
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
I’m a huge fan of Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s academic thrillers, and Where Sleeping Girls Lie is as tense and compelling as Ace of Spades. Student Sade Hussein has just started at an exclusive boarding school, and on her very first night, her roommate disappears. Instantly, Sade is under suspicion — and also the focus of attention for the Unholy Trinity, the school’s trio of popular girls. As the body count rises and the mystery deepens, Sade must find out what is going on at her school.
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faisal
Set in a world where vampires and humans live alongside each other, the first book in Hafsah Faisal’s new duology is a high-stakes heist story. Arthie runs a teahouse that caters for humans by day and vampires by night, but the city’s mysterious ruler The Ram threatens to take her business and destroy everything she has. To save her teahouse, her friends, and herself, Arthie must infiltrate the vampires’ underground society and steal a ledger that contains secrets that may bring down the whole city.
Murder on a Summer Break by Kate Weston
The sequel to Murder on a School Night, Kate Weston’s new book, follows Kerry and Annie, teen detectives and best friends. Known as “The Tampon Two,” after they nabbed a killer who was murdering people using period products, Annie and Kerry decide to head to an influencer festival — but sure enough, the influencers themselves start dying. Kerry and Annie, trapped at the festival, must find the killer before they themselves become targets.
If you have curious kids in your life, browse our recommendations for 11 Compelling Nonfiction Audiobooks for Children. Want to explore more stellar audiobooks? Try 20 of the Best Audiobooks of All Time.
