This list is part of our Best of the Year collection, an obsessively curated selection of our editors' and listeners' favorite audio in 2022. Check out The Best of 2022 to see our top picks in every category.
Looking back, it is hard to ignore the impact made by so many debut novelists in distinguishing 2022’s listening scene. While we do not necessarily believe, as is often assumed in the literary world, that a writer should be defined by their first published work, we feel the untapped magic and momentum that radiate from debut novels often generate the buzz that defines a year and creates its most electric literary moments. Ranging from brooding, stormy stories to bubbly, heartfelt listens, these fresh voices each uniquely made a big splash in 2022.
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Audible's Debut of the Year, 2022
Both deeply insightful and optimistically buoyant, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel feels as warm to listen to as being hugged by more than eight arms at once. From distant mothers to lost sons, Remarkably Bright Creatures revolves around absence, as its humans (all performed with charm by Marin Ireland) take solace in the routines that keep the Sowell Bay Aquarium afloat. But it’s Marcellus (voiced by Michael Urie, who makes his triumphant return to narrating an octopus’s perspective) who connects the dots in their stories with his tentacled limbs and advanced intelligence to unravel a profound lesson about the ways love so often hides in plain sight. —Haley H.
Olga Dies Dreaming starts out as you might expect a rom-com would: A successful and self-made wedding planner to the New York elite is looking for love. However, the tropes end quickly as Xochitl Gonzalez's warm yet uncompromising debut—performed by an audiocast trio who offer an irresistibly authentic sabor—kicks into high gear with Olga’s long-absent mother, Blanca, at its heart. Having left her children to fight for Puerto Rican independence, she interrupts the narrative by returning to their lives with a series of castigating letters that unspool a rich tapestry of topics such as Puerto Rican culture, class, wealth, race, and misogyny. —Edwin D.
Lyrical and heart-shattering, it’s almost impossible to believe that Nightcrawling was written by a teenager—but then again, I can’t imagine anyone else taking the reins of this narrative with such authenticity and fire. Centering a terrible injustice that happened in her beloved hometown, Leila Mottley, the former Youth Poet Laureate of Oakland, sheds light on the tribulations of a young Black girl who stumbles onto sex work to avoid eviction, and ends up exploited by a network of cops. Suffused with piercing insights on race, gender, class, and family, not to mention exquisite moments of radiance and hope, this is one impressive debut, impeccably performed by narrator Joniece Abbott-Pratt. —Kat J.
I grew up eating black cake, a dense, rum-soaked, fruit-packed Caribbean cake served at holidays and weddings. Just like the dessert it’s named for, Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a complex family story, full of long-buried secrets and tangled threads of identity and belonging. Stretching from the 1960s Caribbean to present-day California, its narrative unspools as siblings Byron and Benny press play on a lengthy recording of their estranged (and now deceased) mother’s lilting accent, which calls into question everything they once thought they knew about her. Narrators Simone McIntyre and Lynnette R. Freeman’s performances put the cherry on top of this delectable debut. As with any delicious slice of cake, I didn’t want it to end as I devoured it. —Margaret H.
Set in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Velorio—meaning “wake”—is a listen of strength, resilience, and hope. Written as a means for processing his grief over the devastation that befell his childhood home, Puerto Rico, in 2017, Xavier Navarro Aquino explores what it means to be a contemporary subject of colonialism in this remarkable debut. Yet, for more than its resounding story alone, Velorio’s release made waves in the world of audiobooks this year. Brought to life by one extraordinary full cast of bilingual narrators in both its English and Spanish versions simultaneously (which rarely happens), this novel is meant to be heard. —Tricia F.
Equal parts horror story and searing social commentary about race, Erin E. Adams’s Jackal follows Liz Rocher’s search for her missing goddaughter in her largely white Rust Belt hometown, where young Black girls have been disappearing for years. Tender and measured, the narrators poignantly capture the complex emotions in this story, effectively creating a sense of foreboding as Liz works to reconcile memories of the night her high school classmate also went missing. This listen thrills us with the dark, unforgettable truth that, even in a world where supernatural threats exist, monsters still wear human faces. —M.H.
Perish gripped me from the first chapter until the gasp-inducing climax and never let me go. LaToya Watkins’s gut-wrenching debut follows four members of a family who reunite in their hometown of Jerusalem, Texas, to say goodbye to their dying matriarch. The emotionally charged narrative benefits from a full cast of narrators who feel invested in their roles, as the abuse and trauma the characters have all endured manifests in surprisingly different ways. When they come together, they’re forced to reckon with their family’s troubled legacy, and try, with shocking results, to come to terms with their shared history. —M.H.
Nothing makes for a standout debut like an incredibly fresh and unique voice, and that’s just what Reema Patel delivers with her protagonist. As a Westerner listening to this story, I felt very much the completely deserving target of Rakhi’s impatience and derision—her astute observations about her life in India served as a reality thrashing, and felt like vocal side-eye. And though illuminating a world that is hard for many of us in the US to imagine, Rakhi might just be the most sympathetic character I encountered all year, and certainly one of my favorites. —Emily C.
Author Brendan Slocumb, a Nobel Educator of Distinction for his decades of work in K-12 music education and himself a performing musician, has a deep understanding of music’s ability to guide us toward the truest version of ourselves—and it resonates throughout his debut novel. In The Violin Conspiracy, Ray, an up-and-coming Black violinist, discovers what defines prestige in the world of classical music (which has long represented the pinnacle, as well as exclusivity, of Western taste), illuminating in the process what’s so personal about performance. Brought to life by JD Jackson's fine-tuned narration and with a special note read by Slocumb himself, this listen deserves a standing ovation. —H.H.
No doubt one of the most famous comic book authors to put ink to page, Eisner-winning icon Grant Morrison is known for breaking the mold with their graphic novels, which set new standards for innovation in the medium. It’s no surprise, then, that their debut novel, centered on an aging drag queen and her titular protégée, delights in the entrancing charms of the unreliable narrator (performed by the always delightful Vikas Adam) and swirling obscurities of the occult. Firmly rooted in the world of queer art and performance, Luda muses on questions of identity, transformation, and perception to build to a dark, mesmerizing epic of performance, fame, and magic. —Alanna M.
Told from different perspectives, with a trio of talented narrators, Laila Sabreen’s stunning debut perfectly captures the energy that buzzes around a discussion trending online. After a terrorist attack rocks the country and anti-Islamic sentiment stirs, three Black Muslim girls create a space where they can share truths and, above all, find comfort in each other. As its clever title suggests, Sabriya’s blog, "You Truly Assumed," intends to challenge false assumptions, but it was never meant to be anything more than an outlet. However, as Muslim teens flock to it for solace, the girls themselves learn to never underestimate the power of young voices. —T.F.
Texas history books have long claimed that the Karankawa people, an Indigenous group who once populated the Gulf Coast, have gone extinct. However, Carly Castillo, the anchor of Kimberly Garza’s debut, has reason to believe that she is a remaining descendant. Brought to life by a haunting array of voices, The Last Karankawas paints a panoramic portrait in mythic proportions of the tight-knit community now residing in Fish Village, which largely consists of Mexican and Filipino Americans. With Hurricane Ike looming on the horizon, this novel unfolds with absolutely striking pose to grapple with themes of belonging and identity. —H.H.
As unique as America’s sole museum dedicated exclusively to the Middle Ages and just as lush with poisonous plants, The Cloisters sets a stage unlike any other for suspicions to unfurl with mystifying momentum. Whether explored through the pursuit of gaining higher knowledge or in the name of garnering institutional clout, Katy Hays’s debut novel explores the avenues academics are willing to take to feed their own ambitions. Enchanting, atmospheric, and undeniably sinister, this story and Emily Tremaine’s narration have the sway and charm to turn any skeptic into a believer in tarot’s power to teach us about unraveling the truth. —H.H.
