I Hope You’re Listening

Gr 7 Up–Delia Skinner hosts a podcast about missing persons cases to deal with the trauma of witnessing the disappearance of her best friend Sibby when they were seven. Delia may not be able to hide behind her voice modulator much longer, though, because a relentless investigative reporter has made it her mission to unmask the host. Then another girl goes missing in Delia’s hometown, from her old house, and part of Delia wants to shake out the memories that have stubbornly stayed buried. When she gets an email from someone saying they think they saw Sibby just a few years ago, Delia does something she thought she would never do when she started the podcast. She takes on the role of a “laptop detective,” someone who uses the information from her podcast to help solve crimes. As she tracks down information from the tip about Sibby, Delia becomes closer with her new neighbor, Sarah, who helps with the investigation and becomes her girlfriend. Though the narrative is a little slow to start, the mystery and tension build quickly with multiple mysteries spinning together within the story and unexpected twists along the way. Narrator Caitlin Davies brings out Delia’s fear, tension, and hope, giving the audience a deeper connection to Delia’s thoughts both as herself and as the host of Radio Silent.