Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Grief in the Fourth Dimension.by Jennifer Yu

Image: Tantor Media

Grief in the Fourth Dimension.by Jennifer Yu. Unabridged audiobook, ~8 hours, 45 minutes. Tantor Audio. Read by Tim Lounibos and Raechel Wong. July, 2024. Review of audiobook downloaded and borrowed from public library.

Kenny Zhou and Caroline Davison may have been classmates, but they existed in two completely different orbits. He, an introverted science nerd, worked in his immigrant parents' restaurant. She, an extroverted, popular athlete came from a life of privilege. When Kenny ends up in a stark, white room containing a chair and a huge, wall-mounted flat screen tv, any doubts that he has died are put to rest when the television broadcasts his funeral. 

Caroline, on the other hand, believes she's suffering from a fever dream, until the television shows her otherwise. Then, she believes the two are in purgatory - purgatory with a sense of humor as the room sends them cryptic notes and seems to grant them wishes. Of course, the two wish to communicate with their respective families, but communication is garbled. 

This intriguing speculative fiction made me think of a favorite book of mine called Layover Land, with its unique view of the afterlife, redemption and grief. Oh, and its snarkiness was quite amusing, but soon gave way to poignance as details unfold. 

The shifting POV between Kenny and Caroline kept me engaged and guessing. Supporting characters are beautifully rendered, especially Kenny's friend, Iris. 

Mr. Lounibos' narration gave Kenny such an achingly real vulnerability and Ms. Wong's portrayal of Caroline's journey from confident to angry to contemplative was well wrought. Many themes are explored here from privilege to mental health to justice through this story. 

Thoughtful teen fans of speculative fiction and the afterlife will adore Grief in the Fourth Dimension.

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

Image: Tantor Audio

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden. Unabridged e-Audiobook, ~7 hours. Read by Amy Melissa Bentley. Tantor Audio, February, 2019. 

Middle Grade Monday features The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden. Seventh grader Zoey Albro's favorite animal is the octopus. Some qualities she admires are their strength, adaptability and ability to blend in and not be seen. She tries to do this every day, but it's kind of hard when your over-worked mother hasn't done the laundry and you're wearing dirty, old clothes, or when you've forgotten your homework yet again because you were trying to keep your three younger siblings from getting Lenny mad. She admires the ease with which her classmate, Matt, moves through the world- well-dressed, well-fed, probably well-loved and definitely not afraid of making the wrong move in Lenny's pristine trailer.

This coming-of-age novel is filled with heartbreak. Zoey is a bright girl with too much responsibility. But there's hope, especially when one of her teachers looks past the missing homework to understand her.

The Benefits of Being an Octopus was Ms. Braden's debut novel. It was named and NPR Best Book of 2018 and a Bank Street Best Book. The audiobook narration was well-paced and emotionally resonant.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

Image: Tantor Media

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~10 hours. Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller. Tantor Audio, 2019. 9781977304018. (Review of E-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee. Seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan is an orphan who lives with Old Gin, a grandfatherly man who took her in as an infant and fostered her for her entire life. The two squat in the basement of a building that houses a struggling newspaper. Jo has just lost her job at a milliner even though she is a gifted hat maker. The reason? Jo is Chinese and the owner does not want her patrons to have to deal with Jo, even as she steals Jo's ideas. Old Gin, who works as a groom for one of Atlanta's richest families, has found Jo a job as a lady's maid to the spoiled daughter. Jo had previously worked for the family but was inexplicably fired several years earlier. She's not happy to return, but she needs the money. She's also worried about the newspaper closing. The family that runs it are nice, but more importantly, where will she and Old Gin sleep if the paper shuts down? She wonders what she could do to help. After she notices that the rival newspaper's advice column seems to be popular, she writes and submits a sample, "Miss Sweetie" column. 

This is epic historical fiction, after a bit a slow start. It was needed to set up the many characters and vivid Post-Reconstruction setting. I also needed to get used to the narrator. Once that gelled, I was fully invested and immersed in the story. While I was eager to find out the mystery of Jo's parentage, I really didn't want the story to end. The book was peopled with characters I would want to know in real life. Narrator Emily Woo Zeller had distinct voices for all the characters. 

Teens who are fans of historical fiction will gobble this up. I sure did love it. The audiobook cover is rather nondescript. I love the book's cover. 

Image: Penguin Random House