This summer, SYNC will be providing two free teen audiobooks each week from April 26th to July 25th. Each week will focus on a specific theme, pairing a classic YA title with a more modern YA title. These two titles will be available to download for free this week only (from 5/31 to 6/6) at the SYNC website. The sixth week will start on Thursday, May 31st with Extraordinary Means . The theme for the sixth week is “unexpected changes.”
Narrators Khristine Hvam and James Fouhey are well cast in their dual narration of the interwoven story of Lane and Sadie. In the not-so-distant future, a virulent strain of tuberculosis is sweeping the U.S., and the two teens have been confined to a residential facility. James Fouhey portrays the newly arrived Lane, defining him by his drive, wit, and innocence. In contrast, Khristine Hvam’s Sadie is sarcastic, jaded, and angry. Most of all, she’s angry with Lane for a wrong he never committed. But it’s not long before their truer emotions emerge, and the two are delighting in first love. Then comes the announcement of a possible cure—threatening everything. The library owns this title in book format.
Narrator Pat Young delivers this audiobook about our senses and how we interpret them. Sixteen-year-old Will, blind from birth, enters a mainstream public school for the first time and, in rapid succession, finds a strong coterie of pals, discovers friendship with a bright and troubled girl who is a photographer, undergoes experimental surgery on his eyes, and faces losing his newly gained vision. Young’s voicing of the story’s cast—Will’s hovering mother, his insightful English teacher, the kids on the quiz team—enhances Sundquist’s deft characterizations. In the audio format, the accounts of Will’s world encourage listeners to reflect on their own sensory awareness. Add the well-developed romantic theme, and this is a perfect listening experience. The library owns this in book format.