The Audiobook Analyst

[theaudiobookanalyst]

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

This audiobook threw me for a loop at first. Most of the audiobooks I listen to have narrators that sound like adults, but this one had one who sounded younger. It took a chapter or two to get used to her young, melodic voice, but I think the listening experience was all the better for it.

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm follows Ellie, an eleven-year-old girl, and her grandfather, a suddenly-looking-way-younger-than-he-should scientist by the name of Melvin Sagarsky. Dr. Sagarsky, now mainly known as Melvin since he attends Ellie's middle school with her, has found a way to reverse aging, but it comes with some drawbacks . . . pimples included. Now Melvin is unable to get into his lab, Ellie is growing interested in science, and Melvin is driving Ellie's mother crazy.

I loved this story! It's a sweet read, and I loved that Ellie got to foster the beginning of a beautiful friendship with her grandfather and an interest in science. This was definitely a children's or middle grade book, but I enjoyed it immensely even as an adult.

I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a sweet, wholesome read with a beautiful message. Trigger Warnings

Death

[theaudiobookanalyst]

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

I picked up this book primarily because 1) the title was intriguing, and 2) John Green wrote it.

I really didn't like Colin at the beginning. He came across as whiny and irritating. As I read further, I realized that it was because he was supposed to be; part of his character was being unlikable.

Still, it was just irritating for the first bit. It took until probably about halfway through the book before he started growing on me. By the end, I was enjoying the story.

I especially liked Colin's and Hassan's character arcs. They were both well done, and I loved that Hassan wasn't just some flat, funny, best friend character. He was round and real and had his own character arc. I loved it!

Trigger Warnings

Jokes about religion

Strong language (including f-bombs)

A ridiculous amount of Katherines

[theaudiobookanalyst]

Funny, You Don't Look Autistic by Michael McCreary

Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum by Michael McCreary is a combination of inspiration, hope, and humor for people with ASD. Michael McCreary, as a man on the spectrum, shared some of his life's autistic adventures in this book.

As an autistic person, I found this audiobook fun and funny, but helpful too. Sometimes you just need a reminder that you aren't alone.

The ending hit me right in the feels, though. Michael's brother, Matthew (affectionately known as Matty) had a seizure while swimming in the pool and drowned. This alone is enough to evoke sadness and grief, but it hit me extra hard due to a recent loss in my own life.

Overall, I'd have to recommend this to any autistic readers or anyone who is interested at all in what goes on in an autistic brain.

Trigger Warnings

Secondhand awkwardness

ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)

Mentions of a death caused by a seizure at the end

[theaudiobookanalyst]

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt was a fairly short read, but a beautiful one. It is a children's book with a ten-year-old female protagonist who encounters questions that we don't often pose to children, like "What would immortality really be like?"

It's fun to imagine the best things that could come from superhuman abilities, but sometimes it's more intriguing to take the best bits of such abilities and weigh them with the worst. In the case of Tuck Everlasting, immortality is the examined superhuman ability. On the one hand, there's Jesse, who wants to truly live his immortal life, to enjoy every second of his long, long time among the living. On the other, there's Angus, who wishes he could be back into the natural circle of life and death.

One thing that is crucial to realize is that it's important to have both of these sides because, like for every such dilemma, there are more sides to consider than just the one. I love the way Natalie Babbitt presented these different perspectives on immortality, and I would love to see more such dilemmas presented that way.

[theaudiobookanalyst]

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

There's nothing quite like enjoying a classic children's book like Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater, and the audiobook version I listened to (created by Hachette Audio and narrated by Nick Sullivan) only added to its charm. This audiobook version added music and sound effects in a way that added to the story rather than distracted from it.

Mr. Popper's Penguins follows the story of the Popper family as they care for Captain Cook, the penguin that Admiral Drake sent to Mr. Popper, and later the additional penguins that join their family. It's a story of mischief and compassion with a dose of comedic chaos. After reading it, it makes sense why Mr. Popper's Penguins is a classic in children's literature.

Trigger Warnings

Not realistic

An excessive (but hilarious) amount of penguins

[theaudiobookanalyst]

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Tweet Cute was such a fun book to listen to! It's an adorable romantic comedy with a dash of sass, and the narrators for the audiobook version I listened to (Dan Bittner and Emily Shaffer) were a wonderful fit for their characters.

Pepper Evans is the Nashville-born daughter of a fast-food franchise (Big League Burger) CEO. Jack Campbell is the New York native next in line to inherit his family's deli (Girl Cheesing). When Big League Burger releases a new menu item that is suspiciously similar to a prominent menu item at Girl Cheesing, Jack tweets about it to blow off some steam. What he doesn't realize is that his tweet is going to go viral, sparking a brutal Twitter war and eventually a beautiful relationship.

I've been reading some pretty heavy stuff for my English classes this semester, so this cute romantic comedy was just what the doctor ordered. Though the story was fun too, my favorite aspect of Tweet Cute had to be the characters—especially Pepper and Jack, though some of the side characters, like Paul, cracked me up too. I absolutely loved that Pepper and Jack had lives outside of each other and outside of school. They had fears, insecurities, hopes, and so much more that didn't necessarily have to have something to do with each other. They felt real, which isn't always the case with young adult romantic comedies.

If you like a dash of sass with your young adult romance, a classic Twitter feud, and goofy moments, this is definitely the book for you!

Trigger Warnings

LGBTQ+ side characters (Ethan and Steven)

occasional strong language (including one f-bomb)

references to underage drinking (beer)

references to drugs (pot)

references to underage smoking

[theaudiobookanalyst]

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I just finished The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and it was a great audiobook! The narrator (Bahni Turpin) was a perfect fit.

The Hate U Give is a book about speaking up in favor of truth and justice even when others try to silence you with fear.

Starr Carter saw two of her friends die, and she has the chance to tell the truth about what happened to one of them. The media paints him as a drug-dealing thug, but Starr knows the truth. Now she must decide whether or not to fight for justice for her murdered friend despite the threats.

This book dealt with some extremely difficult topics, but it dealt with them in a way that did not diminish the reality of the issues or dramatize them. Even though I am not a woman of color, I almost felt like I could understand Starr's point of view; that's how well the book was written.

It should be noted that there are a lot of swear words (including plenty of f-bombs) in this book. However, given the fact that this takes place in somewhat recent years (at the time of writing), it actually adds to how realistic the story feels. I personally prefer books that don't swear, but given how the swearing contributed to the character voices, I can't dock a star in my review for that. Stylistically, it makes sense.

Trigger warnings - Strong language (f-bombs included) - Violence (specifically gang violence and police brutality) - Death - Drugs (drug addicts and drug dealers) - Alcohol - Racism - Abuse