It might be July and no longer National Audiobook month but I still wanted to finish up the planned audiobook posts I had to celebrate last month — ya know, before summer hooked its claws into me and I ghosted my laptop.
Many of my top audiobook recommendations are full cast audiobooks. As soon as I see audiobooks with a full cast, it’s almost an instant listen for me because I know it’s likely going to be an engaging performance and listen.
Especially if its an ensamble of some of my top audiobook narrators or if I know a performance is a full cast with sound effects (like the audio of Illuminae) or that the format is unique and made for a listening experience (Daisy Jones, Sadie, etc).
Maybe you stumbled upon this post and you are like, what is a full cast audiobook exactly anyways?
Simply put, a full cast audiobook has several narrators compared to the usual single narrator or dual narration. It is an immersive and engaging experience thanks to these voice actors. Sometimes the production of a full cast audiobook includes sound effects and the like.
What I’ve noticed is that full cast audiobooks work well for books with many characters (really helps with keeping them straight versus one narrator doing all of them), unique formats (things with interviews, letters, etc.), or dialogue-heavy books where it could get arduous and confusing with only a single narrator.
A good full cast audiobook will honestly feel like a movie in your head in my experience. ( Honestly, sometimes I imagine this is what it would feel like to have been listening to radio productions/dramas before televisions).
Anyways, I’m sure there are more nuances to what a full cast audiobook technically is but that’s what it is to me, in my own experience, as someone who has been an avid audiobook listener for 10+ years.
So if you are looking to try an audiobook with a full cast or already a fan of them and looking for some standout full cast audiobooks, this list is full of my favorites and the best experiences I’ve had.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you click on a link and purchase something I’ve talked about or recommended, I’ll receive a very small percentage of the sale. Please see my disclosure policy for more info.
For more audiobook recommendations:
- My Top Audiobook Recommendations
- My List Of Favorite Audiobook Narrators
- Best Audiobooks Narrated by Celebrities
- Best YA Audiobooks For Teens
Best Full Cast Audiobooks To Listen To
The Return Of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
At A Glance: suspense/mystery, crime, missing teen girls, captivity, trauma, character study
If you love a good suspenseful and thrilling read, the narration cast on this one will just up the intensity for you with this one as you listen along to find out what happened as you navigate through various twists and turns.
It’s about one detectives fight, in honor of her sister, to find missing girls and the story of a young girl who has reappeared after missing for two years and brings with her a whole lot more mystery than answers for the detective to untangle.
A truly wonderful cast brings this one to life!!
Narrators include Mizuo Peck, Tessa Albertson, Nicole Lewis, Rebecca Lowman, Joy Osmanski, Angel Pean, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Erin Ruth Walker & CJ Wilson
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
At A Glance: historical fiction, 1970’s, rock and roll, band, “behind the music” interview format
Definitely one of the most popular full cast audiobooks out there and for GOOD reason – the format of this books (a Behind the Music-esque oral history) makes it incredibly suited to a listening experience as well as the fact the cast is STACKED with incredible voices.
Not only do you have some tv/movie stars on the narration team but you also have some of the best audiobook narrators in the game like Julia Whelan and January LaVoy.
Listening to this makes you feel like you are in the room listening in on this gritty tell-all that chronicles the rise and fall of a (fictional) band in the 1970’s.
This audiobook is honestly so good I need two hands to tell you the amount of people I personally know who initially didn’t like or put this book down and who LOVED it with listening to it.
Narrators include Jennifer Beals, Benjamin Bratt, Judy Greer, Pablo Schreiber, Fred Berman, Julia Whelan, January LaVoy, Ari Fliakos, Robinne Lee, Jonathan Davis, Henry Leyva, Oliver Wyman, Nancy Wu, Arthur Bishop, P.J. Ochlan, Holter Graham, Brendan Wayne, Pete Larkin, Alex Jenkins Reid, Robert Petkoff, Sara Arrington
You May Also Like: Best Celebrity Narrated Audiobooks
A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson
At A Glance: young adult, thriller/mystery, true crime vibes, murder
This story became even more engaging thanks to the full cast audiobook experience and the way it brought elements like interviews, case notes and other logs to life.
Sometimes a full cast audiobook features a bunch of narrators I’ve enjoyed but this production, with the exception of Michael Crouch, were all ones I wasn’t that familiar with. But they were a fantastic bunch!
You will feel immersed in this story of a teen girl digging into and re-examining a local murder of a high school student for a school project — especially as she unearths some secrets and signs leading her to believe that the conclusion of the closed case was wrong.
Narrators include Bailey Carr, Marisa Calin, Michael Crouch, Gopal Divan, Robert Fass, Kevin R. Free, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Carol Monda, Patricia Santomasso, Shezi Sardar, Amanda Thickpenny
You May Also Like: Best YA Thrillers & Mysteries
The Passengers by John Marrs
At A Glance: thriller, speculative fiction, techno-thriller, Black Mirror-esque
You will be giving yourself more time on the treadmill or clean your whole house listening to this one — let me tell you. Hard to put down and so thought-provoking (one of the reasons it made it on my list of best book club books!)
This one is set in a future where cars are fully self driving and a hacker gets into the systems of eight self-driving cars and tells the passengers they all — except one — are going to die.
All of this being broadcasted to the public, all the while the passengers secrets are becoming exposed, and the public is asked to vote on which one will be spared.
It’s action-packed and the audiobook is a fantastic full cast thriller audiobook!
Narrators include Clare Corbett, Roy McMillan, Tom Bateman, Shaheen Khan, Kristin Atherton & Patience Tomlinson Zeller
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
At A Glance: young adult, sci-fi, space opera, thriller, plague/virus, AI, romance, series, mixed media
I mentioned this one in my list of best YA audiobooks because it is an absolute standout. The mixed media nature of this one was NOT lost (the physical book is pretty cool looking) in this production.
There are even sound effects and it feels like this was made to be on audiobook quite honestly.
Even if you aren’t typically a sci-fi reader, you will be on the edge of your seat listening to this thrilling space adventure about two exes, on the run and being pursued by a hostile warship, who must find the bigger hidden truth going on when their planet is attacked and their survival is also being threatened by a sweeping plague and maybe even their own spaceship AI.
Narrators include Olivia Taylor Dudley, Lincoln Hoppe, Johnathan McClain, Kimberly Farr, Donnabella Mortel, Matthew Frow, Ryan Gesell, Sile Bermingham, Beata Pozniak, Jolene Kim, Emma Bering
Where do you get your audiobooks from?
My absolute FAVORITE audiobook service is LibroFM — a fantastic alternative to Amazon that is comparative in price and selection but the bonus is I get to support local/small bookshops with my membership. They also have a fantastic sale section that always has something I want! Check out my review of LibroFM here.
Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
At A Glance: light suspense/mystery book, country music scene, mysterious past, aspiring singer
I wouldn’t say this is my normal type of read but I had heard such raves about it and I am a Dolly Parton devotee so I gave it a try on audiobook figuring at the least it would be a decently light and easy book to listen to while I did some chores.
It was exactly that and the narrators were fantastic — including Dolly herself as well as Kelsea Ballerini. Definitely lost track of time listening to this lightly suspenseful/mysterious story about a talented girl — on the run from her past — trying to break into the country music scene in Nashville.
That aspect — the country music scene — was a standout part of the novel to get lost in thanks to Dolly. I loved her narration as the retired country singer character who helps the main character!
Narrators include Dolly Parton, Kelsea Ballerini, James Fouhey, Kevin T. Collins, Peter Ganim, Luis Moreno, Soneela Nankani, Ronald Peet, Robert Petkoff, Ella Turenne, Emily Woo Zeller
Sadie by Courtney Summers
At A Glance: young adult, mystery/thriller, revenge, true crime, crime podcast, road trip
One of the best full cast audiobooks on this list — an ensemble of something like 30 narrators (I didn’t count them but it’s a lot) lead by two narrators I love a whole lot in Rebecca Soler and Dan Bittner.
The podcast format chapters work so well in audiobook format and Rebecca Soler has you behind the wheel right alongside Sadie as she hunts for answers and justice in her sister’s murders.
Narrators include Dan Bittner, Rebecca Soler, Gabra Zackman, Fred Berman and more!
You May Also Like: Best New YA Books To Read
One Of Us Is Dead by Jeneva Rose
At A Glance: thriller, scandal, revenge, Desperate Housewives-esque, Rich People Behaving Badly
If you love soapy thrillers or enjoyed Big Little Lies/Desperate Housewives, this is a must-listen. Super addictive and great cast!
It centers around a group of rich women in the ultra-wealthy neighborhood of Buckhead (plus owner of the most popular salon in town) when the unofficial Queen of Buckhead falls from grace when her politician husband dumps her for a younger woman – an act that has her plotting out revenge.
The story unfolds through the perspective of a few women — the taken down queen bee, the younger woman, the woman who has been waiting for the queen bee’s downfall and would do whatever it takes to get to the top and a salon owner who holds everyone’s secrets — and by the end someone will be dead.
Narrators include Elizabeth Evans, Brittany Pressley, Cassandra Campbell, Andi Arndt & Hillary Huber
You May Also Like: Beach Beach Reads
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton
At A Glance: historical fiction, oral history format, music, Afropunk, 1970’s
I was both craving something similar to Daisy Jones and the Six but also nervous that it would feel like a gimmick or too similar to Daisy with the same “oral history/Behind the Music” format.
Let me tell you — I’m glad I decided to pick this one up because it satiated that longing for something similar with none of the things I was nervous about. Definitely listen to this one on audiobook for the same reasons — the full cast and the format really work.
You will easily wish Opal was a real live musician and slip right into the gritty music scene that she inhabits but as a Black woman. Lots of things to think about in addition to being super entertained.
Narrators include Janina Edwards, Bahni Turpin, James Langton, André De Shields, Dennis Boutsikaris, Steve West, Gabra Zackman
The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff
At A Glance: non-fiction, 9/11/, oral history
Oof — this book broke me honestly and listening to it even more so.
I was really reluctant to read/listen to this book since I remember that day very clearly and its been seared into my brain even more in the years to come with footage and stories and such.
It’s a cast of 45 people taking us through the day (from all angles) as it unfolded — told from start to finish through people’s firsthand stories who lived it — and using some never-before-published documents, transcripts, interviews, etc.
Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
At A Glance: young adult, murder mystery, prep school setting, dark academia vibes, system racism, privilege
I flew through this one — partly due to the compelling mystery unfolding but a huge part due to the fantastically engaging full cast experience from the narrators to the sound effects!
I cannot recommend this on audiobook enough — even if you don’t typically go for YA books. It’s fast and you’ll fly through this mystery. One of my favorite YA audiobooks for teens or adults.
It’s about three teen boys who must come together to investigate the murder of their principal at their elite (and very strict) prep school in order to clear their names as they have been pinned as the three biggest suspects.
Narrators include: Alfred Vines, Anthony Lopez, Brad Sanders, Christopher Hampton, Eliana Marianes, Hannah Church, Henriette Zoutomou, Jaime Lincoln Smith, Maria Liatis, Renier Cortes, Suehyla El-Attar & Xenia Willacey
You May Also Like: Best Non-Fiction Book Club Books
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
At A Glance: murder mystery, remote setting, wedding, locked room mystery trope (but on an island!!)
If you are looking for a murder mystery, I really enjoyed this audiobook experience with a full cast (full of wonderful Irish accents!).
The alternating perspectives and revelations each POV bring work so well with the ensemble of narrators and made it a hard listen to press pause — I couldn’t help but get swept up in the atmosphere of the island and the suspense as the mystery unfolded when a dead body shows up at a weekend wedding on a remote island off coast of Ireland.
Narrators include Jot Davies, Chloe Massey, Olivia Dowd, Aoife McMahon, Sarah Ovens & Rich Keeble
Sabrina and Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
At A Glance: short story collection, Indigenous Latinx Women focused, American West
I am not a short story collection girl — I have to be upfront about this — but this collection is one of the few that I truly loved. I cannot recommend this collection enough — the narrators for each story are fantastic and it really suits having a full cast of narrators for the stories.
Heartbreaking, beautiful, powerful — just a great collection of stories about (mostly) working class women, family, trauma, connection and more!
Narrators include Almarie Guerra, Roxana Ortega, Alma Cuervo, Ana Isabel, Kyla Garcia, Marisol Ramirez
The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon
At A Glance: slow burn psychological thriller, serial killer, captivity, small town setting
I had this one on my list to read this year when it came out but I became even more interested in it when someone described it “if Luke from Gilmore Girls was a serial killer and Lorelei was a bar owner/bartender” and I said IMMEDIATELY YES.
The story is told from the perspective of multiple female narrators — three women in his life currently and a short perspective of all his victims he’s killed.
The structure of how this story unfolds makes the suspense and pulse-pounding moments rise with a quickness — even more so on audiobook with a full cast.
Definitely check out this gripping and dark story about a serial killer (who just happens to be the picture perfect family man raising a daughter after his wife dies) and the three women orbiting closest to him — his teen daughter, the woman he’s held captive for many years who is trying to survive and a local woman who has been crushing on him.
Narrators include Gilli Messer, Elena Rey, Valerie Rose Lohman, Amber Battaglia, Reba Buhr, Clémence Michallon, Jess Nahikian, Aure Nash, Milly Sanders, Sara Sheckells & Yu-Li Alice Shen
You May Also Like: New Thriller Books To Read
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
At A Glance: middle grade, contemporary, realistic fiction
I am not a big reader of middle grade fiction but I AM a huge fan of Jason Reynolds. I’m so glad I listened to this short yet memorable middle grade fiction novel.
This one isn’t so much a novel but separate vignettes — that weave together beautifully at the end – as it follows 10 middle school students and a block of their walk home once school lets out.
A great little listen — would make a nice road trip audiobook if you have kids in this age range but also want to listen to something GREAT that you as an adult will enjoy.
Narrators include Heather Alicia Simms, Chris Chalk, Bahni Turpin, Kevin R. Free, JD Jackson, Guy Lockard, January LaVoy, Jason Reynolds, Adenrele Ojo & David Sadzin
Full Cast Audios In My Queue To Listen To
These books aren’t one I’ve personally listened to yet but that I’ve added to my own audiobook queue to listen to at some point because of good things I’ve heard.
There, There by Tommy Orange
At A Glance: literary fiction, Indigenous characters, vignette storytelling, character-driven
This one has been on my TBR for a while but it was hearing praise for Wandering Stars (half prequel, half sequel to this book) and its full cast made me add this to my list after seeing it also had a nice cast of narrators.
It follows twelve characters from different Native communities — all dealing with their own things and searching for something — as they travel to the Big Oakland Powwow where they will find themselves connected in ways they didn’t expect.
Narrators include Darrell Dennis, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Alma Cuervo & Kyla Garcia
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
At A Glance: historical fiction, literary fiction, father/son relationship, loss, grief
An absolutely star-studded audio production so I have no doubt it’s wonderful experience to listen to. There’s something like 150 narrators in this one which makes sense when you know the setup of the book.
It’s about Abraham Lincoln and him grieving the loss of his young son — with a chorus of narrators that are ghosts in the graveyard that are interspersed with historical accounts related to the relationship between the father/son as well as the time around his death.
Narrators include George Saunders, Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, Carrie Brownstein, Don Cheadle, Lena Dunham, Bill Hader, Kirby Heyborne, Keegan-Michael Key, Julianne Moore, Megan Mullally, Susan Sarandon, Ben Stiller , Rainn Wilson, Jeffrey Tambor, Kat Dennings and more!
Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland
At A Glance: historical fiction, family drama, character driven
I love a good family drama and I’ve heard such wonderful things about this one — especially the audiobook.
“Over the course of one summer that begins with a shocking tragedy, three generations of the Adler family grapple with heartbreak, romance, and the weight of family secrets.”
Narrators include Jonathan Davis, Tim Paige, Carly Robins, Jonathan Todd Ross, Tara Sands, Jesse Vilinsky, Gabra Zackman & Rachel Beanland
You May Also Like: Best Historical Fiction Books To Read
The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
At A Glance: literary fiction, historical, brothers, early 1900’s, labor rights
It’s about vagabond two brothers who, at the turn of the century, are looking for work and find themselves caught up in a fight for change.
Narrators include Edoardo Ballerini, Gary Farmer, Marin Ireland, Cassandra Campbell, MacLeod Andrews, Tim Gerard Reynolds, Mike Ortego, Rex Anderson, Charlie Thurston & Frankie Corzo
Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor
At A Glance: historical fiction, The Great Gatsby retelling, feminist
A modern, feminist retelling of The Great Gatsby from the perspective of three women – Daisy, Jordan and Catherine. Most everyone accepts that Jay Gatsby’s death was a murder-suicide except for one detective who finds a diamond hairpin by the pool.
The story gives us more to everything that happened leading up to that summer plus the investigation after his murder.
Plus 3 of my most beloved narrators — Julia Whelan, Cassandra Campbell and Brittany Pressley.
Narrators include Cassandra Campbell, Julia Whelan, Elizabeth Evans, Brittany Pressley & George Newbern
How High We Go In The Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
At A Glance: science fiction, literary fiction, plague/virus, for fans of Station Eleven
This was on my radar because it touted “for fans of Station Eleven”, which is one of my favorite books ever, and other readers have said it lives up to that claim pretty well!
It chronicles the aftermath, through the stories of different people affected, of an ancient virus that gets unleashed on the world when a team of Arctic researches makes a discovery in the melting permafrost.
Narrators include Julia Whelan, Brian Nishii, Keisuke Hoashi, MacLeod Andrews, Jeanne Sakata, Greg Watanabe, Kurt Kanazawa, Matthew Bridges, Kotaro Watanabe, Brianna Ishibashi, Joe Knezevich, Micky Shiloah, Stephanie Komure & Jason Culp
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
At A Glance: fantasy, magic, books, underground universe, secret societies
If you like books about books/readers and love immersive fantastical experiences, check this one out!
After stumbling upon a mysterious book that mirrors his life, a grad students searches for answers to how his story became recorded. Clues lead him on an adventure that leads him to a secret society and a whole new underground world (and purpose).
Narrators include Dominic Hoffman, Dion Graham, Bahni Turpin, Fiona Hardingham, Allan Corduner, Jorjeana Marie
Tell me all your favorite full cast audiobook experiences? Always looking for a good audiobook with a full cast!
P.S. Check out my comparison of LibroFM and Audible to see which one is right for you. Or my review of Audible.
PPS. New to audiobooks? Check out my tips on getting into audiobooks!
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Molly @ Molly's Book Nook says
ohh I read Illuminae but didn’t listen. I bet that would be a fun one!
I own Sadie as paperback but I haven’t picked it up yet. Maybe I’ll check it out as an audio instead. Since I have more time for that.
Jamie says
Sadie is sooo good on audio! I would do that! I was SO resistant to listening to Illuminae but so glad I did.
Dux says
i have some audible credits to use by today and your blog came up on my google search! thanks for the recs!