Astoria Bookshop Staff Favorites - Young Readers

The Forest Demands Its Due

By: Kosoko Jackson
Narrated by: Desean Terry
Length: 11 hours 25 minutes

A Lesson in Vengeance meets The Taking of Jake Livingston in this page-turning dark academia horror novel about a queer Black teen who discovers the sinister history of his boarding school and the corrupt powers behind it all. A USA Today bestseller!Regent Academy has a long and storied history in Winslow, Vermont, as does the forest that... Read more

Ander & Santi Were Here

A Novel

By: Jonny Garza Villa
Narrated by: Avi Roque
Length: 12 hours 28 minutes

“Meticulously crafted, Ander & Santi Were Here left me without words but with so much to say. You will fall in love with these characters as they fall for each other, and you'll laugh with them, fear for them, and hope for them to find a way through a situation that is all too real. As always, Avi Roque's narration enhances the reading... Read more

Thieves' Gambit

By: Kayvion Lewis
Narrated by: Jade Wheeler
Length: 10 hours 20 minutes

The Inheritance Games meets Ocean’s Eleven in this cinematic heist thriller where a cutthroat competition brings together the world’s best thieves and one thief is playing for the highest stakes of all: her mother's life.

At only seventeen years old, Ross Quest is already a master thief, especially adept at escape plans. Until her plan to run... Read more

Loveless

By: Alice Oseman
Narrated by: Billie Fulford-Brown, Elizaabeth Schenk & Imogen Church
Length: 10 hours 41 minutes

For fans of Love, Simon and I Wish You All the Best, a funny, honest, messy, completely relatable story of a girl who realizes thatlove can be found in many ways that don't involve sex or romance.From the marvelous author of Heartstopper comes an exceptional YA novel about discovering that it's okay if you don't havesexual or romantic feelings... Read more

Cemetery Boys

By: Aiden Thomas
Narrated by: Avi Roque
Length: 13 hours 47 minutes

“"Listening to Cemetery Boys made me smile. A lot. Aiden Thomas presents a story of persistence, mystery, and finding one’s place in the world. Yadriel, a trans, teenage, latinx boy, lives in a family of brujos and brujas. After coming out as trans his family does not know where he fits within their traditions. With the help of his opinionated... Read more

Darius the Great Deserves Better

By: Adib Khorram
Narrated by: Michael Levi Harris
Length: 7 hours 36 minutes

In this companion to the award-winning Darius the Great Is Not Okay, Darius suddenly has it all: a boyfriend, an internship, a spot on the soccer team. It's everything he's ever wanted--but what if he deserves better?

Darius Kellner is having a bit of a year. Since his trip to Iran, a lot has changed. He's getting along with his dad, and his best... Read more

Darius the Great Is Not Okay

By: Adib Khorram
Narrated by: Michael Levi Harris
Length: 7 hours 33 minutes

“Darius is struggling. He doesn't fit in at school. He has trouble making friends. He's bullied. And to top that off, he's plagued by horribly negative thoughts including the very painful feeling that his father doesn't like him and wishes to replace him with his younger sister. Darius, indeed, is not okay. Everything changes when Darius meets... Read more

The Darkness Outside Us

By: Eliot Schrefer
Narrated by: James Fouhey
Length: 9 hours 49 minutes

They Both Die at the End meets Gravity in this mind-bending sci-fi mystery and tender love story about two boys aboard a spaceship sent on a rescue mission, from two-time National Book Award finalist Eliot Schrefer. Stonewall Honor Award winner!Two boys, alone in space. Sworn enemies sent on the same rescue mission.Ambrose wakes up on the... Read more

Felix Ever After

By: Kacen Callender
Narrated by: Logan Rozos
Length: 8 hours 23 minutes

A Stonewall Honor Book * A Time Magazine Best YA Book of All TimeFrom Stonewall and Lambda Award–winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time.Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He... Read more

The First to Die at the End

They Both Die at the End Series: Book #2

By: Adam Silvera
Narrated by: Jason Genao, Anthony Keyvan & Kyla Garcia
Length: 10 hours 24 minutes

In this prequel to the bestselling phenomenon They Both Die at the End, two new strangers spend a life-changing day together after Death-Cast first makes their fateful calls. #1 New York Times bestseller!It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict when someone will die,... Read more

The Passing Playbook

By: Isaac Fitzsimons
Narrated by: Jamie K. Brown
Length: 7 hours

Love, Simon meets Bend It Like Beckham in this feel-good contemporary romance about a trans athlete who must decide between fighting for his right to play and staying stealth.

“A sharply observant and vividly drawn debut. I loved every minute I spent in this story, and I’ve never rooted harder for a jock in my life.” – New York Times bestselling... Read more

Iron Widow (Book 1)

Iron Widow: Book #1

By: Xiran Jay Zhao
Narrated by: Rong Fu
Length: 12 hours 13 minutes

“Iron Widow is the feminist bloodthirsty rage antihero fantasy saga of my DREAMS! Pacific Rim meets The Hunger Games. Much like in the movie Pacific Rim, as our protagonist, Zetian is mentally co-piloting gigantic transforming mechas that humanity is relying on to battle massive aliens come to dominate the planet. And much like in The Hunger... Read more

The Poet X

By: Elizabeth Acevedo
Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo
Length: 3 hours 30 minutes

“Getting to listen to the author herself read her poetry, which are clearly a testament to the spoken word and the art of slam, is absolutely the best way to devour this novel-in-verse. Acevedo puts everything into her words, and no one else could do them justice the way she does herself. Despite possible age/cultural/religious differences, any... Read more

City of Ghosts (City of Ghosts #1)

City of Ghosts

By: Victoria Schwab
Length: 5 hours 1 minute

From #1 NYT bestselling author Victoria Schwab comes a sweeping, spooky, evocative adventure, perfect for fans of "Stranger Things" and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead... Read more

Children of Blood and Bone

Legacy of Orisha: Book #1

By: Tomi Adeyemi
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Length: 17 hours 44 minutes

“A sprawling fantasy teeming with deep and meaningful magic. One of the things I like most about this debut is that it raises very real and important issues of our time through multiple character's perspectives. No character is one-dimensional, and every character must learn from failure and introspection to become who they were meant to be. Read more

The Cruel Prince

The Folk of the Air: Book #1

By: Holly Black
Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly
Length: 12 hours 36 minutes

“Holly Black is a master at her craft, dropping us into the land of Faerie in a way that captures the attention as effortlessly as one of the Folk of the Air enchants humans in her story. Jude is our guide through the strange, beautiful, and terrifying world of Elfhame where she was raised by Madoc, her half-sister’s father, after he murdered... Read more

Emergency Contact

By: Mary H. K. Choi
Narrated by: Joy Osmanski & Jacques Roy
Length: 9 hours 6 minutes

“Smart and funny, with characters so real and vulnerable, you want to send them care packages. I loved this book.” —Rainbow Rowell

From debut author Mary H.K. Choi comes a compulsively readable novel that shows young love in all its awkward glory—perfect for fans of Eleanor & Park and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

For Penny Lee, high... Read more

Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Merci Suárez: Book #1

By: Meg Medina
Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
Length: 7 hours 9 minutes

Winner of the 2019 Newbery MedalThoughtful, strong-willed sixth-grader Merci Suarez navigates difficult changes with friends, family, and everyone in between in a resonant new novel from Meg Medina.

Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids... Read more

Boogie Boogie, Y’all

By: C.G. Esperanza
Narrated by: C.G. Esperanza
Length: 3 minutes

“Smiled and dance the entire time I listened to this audiobook. It is a book that NEEDS the audio version. So fun, so happy. Kids will go crazy for it, adults will want it to act like a kid. Attention teachers! This audiobook gives you three beautiful minutes for the class to get the wiggles out! Read more