narrators who bring stories to life
The narrator impacts the way we perceive and enjoy a story. The tone, the emotion, the linguistic complexity-it’s all a part of the experience. The wrong reader can make the best storyline feel dull and mechanical or lull you to sleep with their soft pitch. But a good narrator can bring you into the story and immerse you in their world. Suddenly, you develop a more intimate relationship with the words on the page.
Picky audiobook listeners will understand that “Play Sample” has become second nature, and the disappointment that occurs when a good story has the wrong voice. Doesn’t match the tone, the setting, or the period. It’s even HARDER when looking specifically for books with diverse authors and strong narrators.
What to do? Learn from each other’s struggle and share what we’ve learned, so we can all enjoy a good story. Below you’ll see a few of my narrators and if you look them you’ll also notice they have great taste in other works they’ve chosen to narrate.
Ryan Do
I honestly thought Do’s narration of the ML in A Pho Love Story was hilarious. This characters’ internal dialogue was entertaining in the messiness of this characters’ thoughts and decisions, in trying to find himself, and Do leans into it.
Hannah Choi
This is another case where the FL has a very funny internal dialogue, perhaps, similar to the story above, it’s because the decision-making process of teenagers takes us back to a cringe time. Nonetheless Choi knocks Seolmates out of the park the hilarious and the serious, this character is processing ALOT and through the minutia Choi showcases the characters disappointment and insecurities.
Vera Chok
Nothing but claps and snaps for Chok here, When Sleeping Women Wake is a complex read, with the 3 FL. This book is intense and in order for the narrator to truly capture the emotion, they must dive into the traumatic storyline, and these women’s shoes, which is surely emotionally taxing.
But at all points, I felt the pain frustation, love, and shock of each of these narrators through the narrators tone.
Shannon Tyo
Oh, Happiness Falls! An intense psychologically stirring mystery, with a narrator NARRATING a narrator, very meta.
Meg Price
Marigold Cottage Murder Collective is full of a handful of charming, confusing, and surprising characters. Each of which has their unique voice, backstory, and personality. Price is keeping me locked into the storyline.
Jean Zhao
The duology Of Jade and Dragons and The Blood Pheonix explores’ complex political, emotional, and technical concepts. Honestly, I was confused by the logistics at times, but this narrator doesn’t speed up or slow down the story too much. Just enough to let your imagine take the wheel.