Soundtrack: A Listening Library Audiobook Original

by Jason Reynolds, Nile Bullock (Narrator), Mekhi Hewling (Narrator)

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds transports us back to the early 2000s in Soundtrack , an audiobook original about New York City teens whose talent and love of music lift them to unexpected heights.

Stuy wanted to play the drums just like his mom, a founding member of the punk band The Bed-Stuy Magic Dusters. With his mother as his teacher, Stuy starts busking in the subway with his friends Dunks, Alexis, Keith, and Frankie under the name Soundtrack. To everyone’s surprise, including their own, they become an underground sensation, and their success changes the course of their lives.

Read by a full cast and with an original score by Grammy-winning composer Justin Ellington, award-winning author Jason Reynolds shows us a found family coming of age in a wonderfully complex city.

Cast
Nile Bullock as Stuy
Mekhi Hewling as Dunks
Jade Williams as Keith
Brandon Miles as Alexis
Ryan Vincent Anderson as Uncle Lucky
Amir Royale as Frankie
Jasmin Richardson as Stuy's Mom
Christopher Grant as Dom
Khaya Fraites as Ashley
Nadine Simmons as Mrs. Dyson
Robb Moreira as Mr. Garcia
Wé Ani as Lisa
Rocky Anicette as Dylan
Brandiss Seward as Frankie’s Mom
with Siho Ellsmore, Tyrell Buckner, Gina Daniels, Karen Murray, Jonathan Beville, Karla Moore, and Ronald Peet

Genres: Young Adult, Audiobook, Music, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Contemporary

7 pages, Audiobook

Published June 3, 2025

About the author

Jason Reynolds is an American author of novels and poetry for young adult and middle-grade audience. After earning a BA in English from The University of Maryland, College Park, Jason Reynolds moved to Brooklyn, New York, where you can often find him walking the four blocks from the train to his apartment talking to himself. Well, not really talking to himself, but just repeating character names and plot lines he thought of on the train, over and over again, because he’s afraid he’ll forget it all before he gets home.

Reviews

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

Excellent, but it's Jason Reynolds so am I even surprised? Soundtrack is an incredibly produced listening experience and it ONLY exists on audio. It follows Stuy, a teen boy who loves music and dreams of being a musician like his mom used to be. But when a boyfriend moves in and doesn't treat him well he gives his mom an ultimatum and ends up moving out. And starting a band that plays in subways stations and begins to gather a following! Filled with music and narrating by a full cast, it's a really cool way to tell a heartfelt story that touches on a lot of serious issues ranging from race and police violence to domestic abuse and poverty. Fantastic. I received an audio review copy from Libro.FM, all opinions are my own.

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to Soundtrack, a full cast YA audiobook featuring Stuy, a young aspiring musician in NYC. He’s trying to find his way, maintain family ties, and build his band. It’s a great coming of age story, and one that I recommend.
⁣
YA Books aren’t always my jam, but Jason Reynolds + a review from a friend sold me on Soundtrack. I enjoyed the immersive audio journey.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can only read this book as an audiobook! Jason Reynolds and his team do something remarkable here.

[Bbecca_marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook Review 🎧📖🥁
Thank you so much partner @prhaudio for the gifted audiobook + goodies!

Soundtrack
By Jason Reynolds
Read By Nile Bullock, Mekhi Hewling, Jade Williams, Brandon Miles, Ryan Vincent Anderson, Amir Royale, Jasmin Richardson, Christopher Grant, Khaya Fraites, Nadine Simmons, Robb Moreira, We Ani, Rocky Anicette, Brandiss Seward

About the book 👇🏽

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds transports us back to the early 2000s in Soundtrack, an audiobook original about New York City teens whose talent and love of music lift them to unexpected heights.

Stuy wanted to play the drums just like his mom, a founding member of the punk band The Bed-Stuy Magic Dusters. With his mother as his teacher, Stuy starts busking in the subway with his friends Dunks, Alexis, Keith, and Frankie under the name Soundtrack. To everyone's surprise, including their own, they become an underground sensation, and their success changes the course of their lives.
Read by a full cast and with an original score by Grammy-winning composer Justin Ellington, award-winning author Jason Reynolds shows us a found family coming of age in a wonderfully complex city.

🥁 My thoughts:

A fast and entertaining listen! The full cast of characters really did an amazing job. It felt like such an elevated audiobook and I am here for it! It was emotional, fun, and a truly immersive experience. My favorite parts aside from the story were the sound effects and the original music! If you enjoy coming of age stories, New York city atmosphere, and audiobooks that are a genuine experience you absolutely need to give this audiobook a listen!

Happy reading 📖🥁🎧

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was truly amazing

I am also a fan of Savion Glover, so I loved that, and listening to this on the subway trains felt extra special

however… I was SCREAMING at Stuy for giving “Dummy” the money… luckily it worked out but that was rough to get through, along with some of the eating noises

of course, I teared up at the end when Frankie’s mom called Keith his guardian angel… that was too touching

alsoooo, loved that at the end, the credits said “no part of this may be used to train AI language models” or something like that, and I love it!

[Richelle Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @prhaudio for the alc. 

Story review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story was good and had all the New York City vibes. Definitely had some emotional moments as well. Phew. 

Narration review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration was excellent!! Full cast with sound effects. *chefs kiss* 

[Adelene Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐

this was AMAZING. Full cast production and I felt like I was listening to a movie. Loved the characters and the plot. I also did not expect this to make me tear up but it did! Highly recommend if you're looking for an immersive audiobook with loveable characters and an emotional story!

[Florence Migga]

DNF at 35%. I’m just not connecting with this. The big pull of it is the full production audio, but since I’ve been listening to graphic audios already, it’s cool but not like WOOOW. So, as a result, I’m just ehhh and have too many things I want to read to keep going.

[Hannah Rials Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellently produced audiobook with another cracking Jason Reynolds story. Just wish it was a physical book that I could sell in the shop.

[Maggie Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Reynolds doesn't know how to write a bad story. Add in a full cast, sound effects, riffs & beats and NYC comes to life through the eyes of these kids. August Rush vibes, but with a storyline all its own.

[Wendy MacArthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is creative, the music is fantastic, and the storytelling is great. But, will my students actually listen to this? I don't think so. It is too over produced for my teens. It makes it sound too young. And as the protagonist is 18 (along with other things), I think it is too old for the 4th -6th graders who might actually like the production.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

SOUNDTRACK is Jason Reynold’s newest title. The audiobook is an immersive experience with a full cast, sound effects, and music enhancing the story (an aside: I was even caught off guard a couple times while listening to this on my bike as I heard sirens or horns, temporarily alarmed and brought back to my reality, only to realize the effects were from the story).

Stuy is a gifted drummer and we watch him navigate NYC and his new place in a band. The teenagers face hurdles, and we see them navigate the various tensions inside and outside their group. There are family dynamics at play, and potential for far-reaching consequences when good-intentioned interventions go bad. All in all, an immersive, enjoyable title.

(Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

[Saskia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I read this as an audiobook ... with music, sound effects, and a literal cast of voice actors. As it is all about the power of music, it seems an apt way to experience this great story!

Having said that, I simply cannot read slower than 2.5 speed, as my years of reading fast and my ADHD kick in and I want to rip my arms off at a slower speed. That fact made this book a bit awkward for me, as the music sounded oh-so-weird, as well as the singing and the sound effects!!! Slow down, I hear you say. Sorry, can't. I like my arms where they are.

It took me a while to get into this book (as I started on 2 speed (see ... I tried?), but when I connected, I was hooked. Jason, you rock.

CW: death of a loved one, domestic abuse, cancer, racism

Y10, Y11

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Reynolds is back with an audiobook original, set in early 2000s NYC, Soundtrack follows Stuy, a teen drummer raised by a punk rock legend, and his crew as they push their way from subway stations to underground stardom. What starts as street music turns into a life-changing ride for this talented group of teens.

At just over 6 hours, Soundtrack was a listen in a single day type of story. As an immersive listening experience I loved being able to hear the music instruments, the subway sounds, the crowd sounds and so forth. The cast of characters were well developed and instantly grabbed me. There was never a dull moment.

Thank you PRHAudio for the gifted PR Package.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this audiobook--it has a full cast, great sound effects, and most importantly, music. Study was raised with music in his soul--his mom had been in a punk band as a teen, but left when she got pregnant with him. Still, she kept her drums and that becomes Stuy's dream. To play the drums like his mom. Mom raised him on the drums, so during his senior year in high school, Stuy ends up in a band. And they really take off. Music takes them places they'd never dreamed of.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds is a powerful audiobook experience, blending his signature poetic voice with a full-cast performance that brings every emotion to life. It’s not just a story—it’s a performance, pulsing with rhythm, raw truth, and heart. An unforgettable listen that proves audiobooks can be just as artful as any novel.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5/5] This was a beautifully produced audiobook — the story really comes to life with the full voice cast, the sounds of the city, and an original score, and is totally immersive. Jason Reynolds is unmatched in his ability to really capture the voices, humor, and dynamic of teenagers , and this is no exception, though if I had any qualms, it might be that the voices skewed a bit younger in tone (Stuy is 18, but reads like a younger teen to me). But I would still highly recommend this. It’s a powerful book that really honors New York and the rich music history that makes the city amazing.

[Dede · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this was not a Jason Reynolds favorite of mine. The main character was supposed to be 18 but seemed more like an early high school student. Probably would be fine for middle grade readers, but I don’t know how much high school students would like it. The forecast audio with soundtrack was a little too much for my preferences. I can see why it was done that way though.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent audiobook experience. I really enjoyed these characters, this story, and the music...but it's the way it comes together on audiobook that makes it really special. I don't know that this falls into the category of all time favorite books...but definitely one of my top audiobooks and I will listen to this one again.

[Jan Raspen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audio-only new release will win ALL the audio awards next year, no doubt. A full cast recording with sound effects and original music... it is unlike anything I've heard before. The story, written by Jason Reynolds, was good, too, but the real star here is the recording itself.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just this minute finished this this full-cast audiobook recording. it's YA genre, and set in NYC. The full-cast and sound effects really added to the story since this was about a band of teenagers (a street performing band). Hearing the music when it was appropriate was great.

I loved this author's earlier work, "Long Way Down".

I'd give this 3.5, rounded up to 4 stars. It was an engaging Coming of Age story.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to @libro.fm for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this amazing audiobook. I loved everything about it -- the music, the storyline, and the characters. I would recommend this one to anyone who loves listening to audiobooks and to fans of Jason Reynolds.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook about a group of NY young adults forming a band, finding their place, and playing music on the subway corners. Engaging but it’s difficult to listen to the main character making terrible decisions at various points. Good use of audio format with real music and good sound effects

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason Reynolds had done it again! Amazing full cast audiobook. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

[aikaterine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an adventure this audiobook was! Great music and sound effects made up for a real audiovisual experience. Totally recommending it!

[Sharaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a smooth read. I enjoyed it so much

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jay Dionne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey Jason, how dare you make me cry bye the end of this! 😭😭😭 I loved it so much. I know it’s an audio original but can we please get this in print. Such a good time with these kids 🥰

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The various narrators, sound effects, and the music keeps a reader engaged. Reynolds does a nice job of showing joy through trauma with the friendship of a street band of teens who find success underground in a NYC. The ending of this book was a suckerpunch and I nearly cried.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for full cast audiobooks and books about music!! This was both and it was a treat 😌 A perfectly timed shakeup from my usual audio lineup. The cast was stellar 💕