Opal is poised to become a fourth-generation fire lookout, raised by her mom and grandma in a fire tower deep in New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness, accessible only via a two-day hike. Now that she’s turned 12, her training will start in earnest—but as fire season gets underway, Opal has a secret: She’s deathly afraid of fire. After a storm and accident leave Opal on her own, can she combine knowledge with courage when it counts? Caroline Starr Rose’s middle grade novel-in-verse, The Burning Season (3.5 hours), weaves lyrical, emotional language with insights into the tools and techniques of fire management. Caitlin Kinnunen, an adult actor, delivers Opal’s first-person narration in a convincing tween timbre. The blank verse format translates well to audio, although in poems where the title leads directly into the verse, the extended pause between title and body sometimes sounds like a mistake (for example, “The Morning Air Is Cold / but sunlight warms my shoulder blades”). All in all, Opal’s story offers a brief but intense listening experience.
Read our starred review of the print version of The Burning Season.