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Song of the Northwoods
After a betrayal at work costs Song Kuan her job, she retreats to her friend Lucy’s idyllic family cabin on a lake in Minnesota to lick her wounds. She devotes herself to recording Ice Cold Cases, a true-crime podcast that she and Lucy cohost with the gleeful energy of obsessed fans—until an anonymous tip about a missing-person case disrupts their equilibrium. Then Lucy disappears, leaving Song alone in an unfriendly and unfamiliar town where locals don’t take kindly to strangers asking questions.
Twisty, unpredictable, and sonically adventurous, Song of the Northwoods will keep you guessing until the final showdown.
Portions of this audiobook contain mature language. Listener discretion is advised.
Playwright Jessica Huang was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible-commissioned playwright, she received funding and creative support to develop Song of the Northwoods.
Directed by Jaki Bradley.
Twisty, unpredictable, and sonically adventurous, Song of the Northwoods will keep you guessing until the final showdown.
Portions of this audiobook contain mature language. Listener discretion is advised.
Playwright Jessica Huang was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible-commissioned playwright, she received funding and creative support to develop Song of the Northwoods.
Directed by Jaki Bradley.
2 pages, Audible Audio
Published April 22, 2022
14 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
March 2, 2023
This was a short read and that makes it hard to feel invested in the story. This was an audiobook and it was well-executed. Lots of sound effect that made it more real, but the plot in itself wasn’t very memorable.
April 14, 2024
Story 3.25 stars**
Audio 5 stars**
Narrators:
Michele Selene Ang
Quincy Dunn-Baker
Emma Kikue
Caroline Neff
Joy Dolo
Lisa Flanagan
Ricardo vàzquez
Audio 5 stars**
Narrators:
Michele Selene Ang
Quincy Dunn-Baker
Emma Kikue
Caroline Neff
Joy Dolo
Lisa Flanagan
Ricardo vàzquez
April 2, 2023
A fun short listen about a cold case podcast and a secret in the northwoods.
January 30, 2023
Pros:
Free on audible
Less than 2 hours
Cons:
The story and performance
Free on audible
Less than 2 hours
Cons:
The story and performance
February 4, 2023
If you want an example of what a good audio-play should be like, try 'Song of the Northwoods'.
It's a thriller that actually fills, providing lots of moments of tension and threat pulled together by a clever plot with lots of credible and satisfying twists.
I listened to 'Song of the Northwoods' while wearing over-ear headphones. The sound quality was astonishing. It was a 3D listening experience that helped me lose myself in the play and which added texture to the performance.
'Song of the Northwoods' is a full-cast performance but with the story being told as a series of curated recordings, presented by the main character, Song Yuan, in the form of a radio show / podcast. This format worked well as a structure for revealing the central mystery and giving insight into the characters and was perfect for capturing all the action as an audio play.
The cast did a great job, especially Michele Selene Ang who played Song.
It's a thriller that actually fills, providing lots of moments of tension and threat pulled together by a clever plot with lots of credible and satisfying twists.
I listened to 'Song of the Northwoods' while wearing over-ear headphones. The sound quality was astonishing. It was a 3D listening experience that helped me lose myself in the play and which added texture to the performance.
'Song of the Northwoods' is a full-cast performance but with the story being told as a series of curated recordings, presented by the main character, Song Yuan, in the form of a radio show / podcast. This format worked well as a structure for revealing the central mystery and giving insight into the characters and was perfect for capturing all the action as an audio play.
The cast did a great job, especially Michele Selene Ang who played Song.
June 23, 2022
*Audible audio *
Narration: 4 stars
Story and characters: 3 stars
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Liked the format used to tell the story and the narrators did a good job. The story was so so for me but kept me interest enough to finish.
Under two hours so a nice quick listen if you aren't in the mood for something longer.
Narration: 4 stars
Story and characters: 3 stars
---
Liked the format used to tell the story and the narrators did a good job. The story was so so for me but kept me interest enough to finish.
Under two hours so a nice quick listen if you aren't in the mood for something longer.
April 24, 2023
3.5 Stars
I loved the dark vibe this had! The ending wasn’t as epic as I wanted but I loved how Song brought Eric justice no matter what. If your looking for a quick and mysterious listen, give this one a try.
I loved the dark vibe this had! The ending wasn’t as epic as I wanted but I loved how Song brought Eric justice no matter what. If your looking for a quick and mysterious listen, give this one a try.
March 27, 2023
Excellent audio production quality, but the story and narration were nothing special or memorable. This is a fine listen for doing chores around the house but I wouldn’t go out of my way to check it out.
February 7, 2025
2.5 stars.
Oh wow, very unlikeable MC imo. Self-righteous, self-centered, obsessive, abrasive, suspicious...I was particularly shocked by one comment her friend made about the FMC of something she had done, in the past, that seems especially horrific. I found myself wondering why these two women were ever friends to begin with. The MC by the end seems to think she did the right thing, and maybe she did, depending who you ask and the context.
I found the play to be slow and hard to hold my focus. It mostly felt like the obsessive all-over-the-place-ness of the MC. She's willing to give up anyone and anything to achieve her goals-- not something I vibe with. Therefore, I couldn't really enjoy the story too much.
Oh wow, very unlikeable MC imo. Self-righteous, self-centered, obsessive, abrasive, suspicious...I was particularly shocked by one comment her friend made about the FMC of something she had done, in the past, that seems especially horrific. I found myself wondering why these two women were ever friends to begin with. The MC by the end seems to think she did the right thing, and maybe she did, depending who you ask and the context.
I found the play to be slow and hard to hold my focus. It mostly felt like the obsessive all-over-the-place-ness of the MC. She's willing to give up anyone and anything to achieve her goals-- not something I vibe with. Therefore, I couldn't really enjoy the story too much.
April 19, 2023
Next installment in my never ending attempt to clean out my Audible library. Chosen because it was short and didn’t require a high level of focus. Good choice in that regard, bad choice in everything else.
This is a short thriller/mystery story, set somewhere in the Midwestern North Woods. The title is wordplay - the main character’s name is Song. Song recently lost her job at a radio station, while her best friend and ex-coworker Lucy is becoming a radio star. She is staying at this best friend’s family cabin and recording a true crime podcast, while she stumbles upon a story for their podcast right under her nose, in the same region her best friend grew up in, with people that know Lucy. I’ll not go into too much detail, but keep in mind that the author is trying to cram the plot of a way longer novel into a short story format. This ends up backfiring, because the whole things left me dissatisfied, baffled and rolling my eyes quite a bit.
The author mixes personal issues and backstories, and corporate greed, which is a concept that can work amazingly, especially with the “green” angle taken. Add a layer of personal courage and the story of lonely people crushed by, but also standing up against large companies, and this could have been a hit, with depth and nuance. Instead, we get a bunch of deranged characters trampling about on boggy terrain (pun intended). The main character is supposed to be some sort of journalist, but she just keeps recording people against their will, ready to expose sources for her own gain?!! Her so-called best friend, is, of course, a lying “biatch”, ready to throw friends under the bus, cowardly and selfish. The tipster is a wannabe whistleblower, not ready to actually whistle blow too much, even though the ground is literally melting under her feet. The casual sex guy/potential love interest is a cowardly bully. There are basically 4 characters in this story and all 4 are messed up, but not in a good way.
The only reading quality is the voice actors - they are really trying and are elevating the story as much as they can.
This is a short thriller/mystery story, set somewhere in the Midwestern North Woods. The title is wordplay - the main character’s name is Song. Song recently lost her job at a radio station, while her best friend and ex-coworker Lucy is becoming a radio star. She is staying at this best friend’s family cabin and recording a true crime podcast, while she stumbles upon a story for their podcast right under her nose, in the same region her best friend grew up in, with people that know Lucy. I’ll not go into too much detail, but keep in mind that the author is trying to cram the plot of a way longer novel into a short story format. This ends up backfiring, because the whole things left me dissatisfied, baffled and rolling my eyes quite a bit.
The author mixes personal issues and backstories, and corporate greed, which is a concept that can work amazingly, especially with the “green” angle taken. Add a layer of personal courage and the story of lonely people crushed by, but also standing up against large companies, and this could have been a hit, with depth and nuance. Instead, we get a bunch of deranged characters trampling about on boggy terrain (pun intended). The main character is supposed to be some sort of journalist, but she just keeps recording people against their will, ready to expose sources for her own gain?!! Her so-called best friend, is, of course, a lying “biatch”, ready to throw friends under the bus, cowardly and selfish. The tipster is a wannabe whistleblower, not ready to actually whistle blow too much, even though the ground is literally melting under her feet. The casual sex guy/potential love interest is a cowardly bully. There are basically 4 characters in this story and all 4 are messed up, but not in a good way.
The only reading quality is the voice actors - they are really trying and are elevating the story as much as they can.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2022
I love a full cast, sound effects audiobook. This one has a great sound. Song and Lucy have a podcast called ice cold cases. During one of their tapings they get an email with a suggestion on a cold case. A missing teen, Eric Knutson. While Song is living in Lucy's parents cabin in the town where the missing boy was last scene, she starts uncovering secrets. Loved this it was fast-paced, mysterious and entertaining!
October 3, 2022
Audible freebie. Cliche "true crime podcaster gets in too deep". It's a no for me dog.
August 31, 2022
All my reviews can be found at: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
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This review will appear on my site on September 9, 2022.
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4 star average
Narration: 5 stars
Story: 3.5 stars
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Song of the Northwoods is an immersive audio theatrical performance and I enjoyed it! I just don’t suggest listening to it as you are driving: Parts get loud suddenly and there are several parts where it gets intentionally quieter and I was turning up the volume to try and hear the actors better. There are also sound effects to enhance the performance.
The story deals with a true crime podcaster who gets caught up in a cold case and goes to the town to try and discover what happened to the missing person. The story is not too realistic, but it was enjoyable. It wasn’t ‘scary’ per se but the voice actors got me fully into the story and I wanted to know what happened! If you enjoy pod casts/ true crime, you might want to listen to this narrated play. Just not while you are driving!
~~~~
This review will appear on my site on September 9, 2022.
~~~~
4 star average
Narration: 5 stars
Story: 3.5 stars
~~~~
Song of the Northwoods is an immersive audio theatrical performance and I enjoyed it! I just don’t suggest listening to it as you are driving: Parts get loud suddenly and there are several parts where it gets intentionally quieter and I was turning up the volume to try and hear the actors better. There are also sound effects to enhance the performance.
The story deals with a true crime podcaster who gets caught up in a cold case and goes to the town to try and discover what happened to the missing person. The story is not too realistic, but it was enjoyable. It wasn’t ‘scary’ per se but the voice actors got me fully into the story and I wanted to know what happened! If you enjoy pod casts/ true crime, you might want to listen to this narrated play. Just not while you are driving!
March 1, 2023
A quick free read from Audible, who can’t resist a free read? The narrators did a great job bringing the characters alive and I enjoyed this mystery that had a nice twist at the end. A great quick listen!
March 27, 2024
Super quick. Sound quality was purposefully variable but when you listen with headphones I was turning it up, having ear pain when the sound changed and having to turn it down. Almost no one is likable but the story is okay. I mean, I really liked absolutely no one. Actually pretty cool premise, could have been better written. Still, mindless to listen to.
December 1, 2022
An Audible listen. It was fine.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 7, 2022
Really good performances by all voice actors but especially the actor who voiced Song. Loved all the intense moments and the ending was deliciously good. Good on Song for thinking two steps ahead in the end and sticking it to those who tried to out smart her.
April 7, 2023
There are some spoilers in this, so be forewarned before you start reading.
The performance was excellent. Sound effects were equally great. The story started off enjoyable. I was interested in everything going on. Then the rotten parts of Song's personality started coming out. Of course, so did everyone else's. There's some massive racism in the "friendly" people of that town. Luckily, it's less than 2 hours long so the pace was super fast and I didn't have to put up with Song for very long. The farther along I got in the story though, the more unhinged she became. I started thinking the end would reveal her to be a deranged murderer. Kudos to the voice actor for doing an amazing job with that and to the author for ramping up her paranoia the way she did.
But then things spiraled out of control. The characters' reactions were over-the-top and unnecessary. I can only assume it was done with the intent of forcing them into the situations they ended up in. It felt unnatural. Song admits that she's probably no longer a good person and that her hijacking a radio network was illegal, but she doesn't care, that the guy deserved to have his story told etc. What a load of bs! She wants revenge is all and he's a convenient excuse for her conscience. I believe she feels bad for him, yeah, but enough to do everything she's done? No, it's revenge. Everything she does is illegal, but she acts as if she's in the right every step of the way. I hope someone slaps her with a lawsuit. Lawsuits for everyone involved in this story. And jail time as well for some people. I was super disappointed with this story.
The performance was excellent. Sound effects were equally great. The story started off enjoyable. I was interested in everything going on. Then the rotten parts of Song's personality started coming out. Of course, so did everyone else's. There's some massive racism in the "friendly" people of that town. Luckily, it's less than 2 hours long so the pace was super fast and I didn't have to put up with Song for very long. The farther along I got in the story though, the more unhinged she became. I started thinking the end would reveal her to be a deranged murderer. Kudos to the voice actor for doing an amazing job with that and to the author for ramping up her paranoia the way she did.
But then things spiraled out of control. The characters' reactions were over-the-top and unnecessary. I can only assume it was done with the intent of forcing them into the situations they ended up in. It felt unnatural. Song admits that she's probably no longer a good person and that her hijacking a radio network was illegal, but she doesn't care, that the guy deserved to have his story told etc. What a load of bs! She wants revenge is all and he's a convenient excuse for her conscience. I believe she feels bad for him, yeah, but enough to do everything she's done? No, it's revenge. Everything she does is illegal, but she acts as if she's in the right every step of the way. I hope someone slaps her with a lawsuit. Lawsuits for everyone involved in this story. And jail time as well for some people. I was super disappointed with this story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2022
This was a wild ride. I loved the voice actors and felt I was right in the Northwoods with the characters. It helps that I lived in Ely, Minnesota for a year and fully experienced everything the character mentioned -- especially the insects haha. I'm glad the character did what she had by the end. I wish there was a second book and we could hear what happens next. At the same time it's perfect in our itself.
July 6, 2022
Everything and I mean EVERYTHING about this book is annoying and horrible! From a crappy story to irritating narration, the two hours it took this book felt like an eternity. I want my 2 hours back Audible! I don’t care if it was free!
July 8, 2022
Sound editing for the normal and then the distant or "quieter" parts was too great for my listening. And it felt like this was a story written to share/share some angst by the writer rather than being a book written for the reader/listener.
March 13, 2024
Friends Song and Lucy are making a podcast together, about cold cases. One day, they receive an e-mail from a listener, telling them about yet another cold case. Song is immediately intrigued and she wants to research, mainly because it is convenient: they are at Lucy's parents house at the moment and years ago, a local boy went missing and they never find out what happened to him.
But Lucy and Song's one night stand Paul, who is also a local don't want Song to look into the case.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Because they are all involved in it.
The night the boy died, Lucy was with Paul, because he wanted to make the guy, who was her boyfriend at the time, jealous. They had a fight, but they went to their seperate ways, the missing guy was still alive.
Not for long, though.
Lucy's neighbor tells them that around the lake, there is a soft-soil area that is jind of like quicksand. It appeared there because of some secret workings of a local company and the neighbot signed contacts, promising she will never talk about it. So, she sent the e-mail, hoping Song and Lucy would research the missing guy's case, discovering the reality about the company along the way.
Song, in the end, makes an episode to the podcast, exposing everyting, including Lucy's involvement in the events, because she knows Lucy was planning on leaving their podcast to pursue a solo career in the field.
The story was not grounbreking or anything, but it ws still enjoyable. The incresibly realistic sound effects made it all better, too and I can say that this book was one immersive experience.
But Lucy and Song's one night stand Paul, who is also a local don't want Song to look into the case.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Because they are all involved in it.
The night the boy died, Lucy was with Paul, because he wanted to make the guy, who was her boyfriend at the time, jealous. They had a fight, but they went to their seperate ways, the missing guy was still alive.
Not for long, though.
Lucy's neighbor tells them that around the lake, there is a soft-soil area that is jind of like quicksand. It appeared there because of some secret workings of a local company and the neighbot signed contacts, promising she will never talk about it. So, she sent the e-mail, hoping Song and Lucy would research the missing guy's case, discovering the reality about the company along the way.
Song, in the end, makes an episode to the podcast, exposing everyting, including Lucy's involvement in the events, because she knows Lucy was planning on leaving their podcast to pursue a solo career in the field.
The story was not grounbreking or anything, but it ws still enjoyable. The incresibly realistic sound effects made it all better, too and I can say that this book was one immersive experience.
August 24, 2022
_Song of the Northwoods_ by Jessica Huang receives three stars from me. It's a good story, and there are some twists in the text that make it fun, but the main character didn't resonate with me, and the performance lacked.
So this is one of those Audible originals that are short and really good if you are behind on your reading goals for the year, as I am.
The book. I think it needs to be longer. I think the character development with the side characters needs to be more. However, having said that--what Huang does with the time she has is good. One does wonder what X's involvement in the crime is, etc. I did think oh X is the keep, or Y is the key, which is good. But a longer work with Huang's skill set would be more engaging and better.
The main character just didn't resonate with me. I found her kind of annoying, but with more time, Huang could develop her more. I think the main character might resonate with others, however.
The performance. It sounds like a performance. They act like it is a performance. I think acting for radio is different than acting on stage or screen, and I think that's what was wrong. They were acting but without really good direction to help them bring the characters to life.
Recommended. Sure. I know I said some negative things about it, but it isn't a horrible story at all. It has good twists, good turns. It's enjoyable.
So this is one of those Audible originals that are short and really good if you are behind on your reading goals for the year, as I am.
The book. I think it needs to be longer. I think the character development with the side characters needs to be more. However, having said that--what Huang does with the time she has is good. One does wonder what X's involvement in the crime is, etc. I did think oh X is the keep, or Y is the key, which is good. But a longer work with Huang's skill set would be more engaging and better.
The main character just didn't resonate with me. I found her kind of annoying, but with more time, Huang could develop her more. I think the main character might resonate with others, however.
The performance. It sounds like a performance. They act like it is a performance. I think acting for radio is different than acting on stage or screen, and I think that's what was wrong. They were acting but without really good direction to help them bring the characters to life.
Recommended. Sure. I know I said some negative things about it, but it isn't a horrible story at all. It has good twists, good turns. It's enjoyable.
June 12, 2023
I had high hopes for "Song of the Northwoods" by Jessica Huang, but sadly, it failed to deliver on its promises. The narration felt lackluster and was ridden with tedious inflection, turning what could have been a captivating story into a dull and tiresome experience. Inconsistent character voices disrupted the immersion, making it increasingly difficult to follow along. The storyline was convoluted with gratuitous twists and turns that did not contribute much to the overall plot. Add to that a series of long-winded descriptions about the Northwoods, which while intended to be evocative, just ended up sounding repetitive. The one saving grace could have been the supposed lyrical quality that the title suggested, but it fell short, sounding more forced than natural. I wanted to be enthralled by the beauty and mystery of the Northwoods, but was instead left feeling disoriented and disconnected. This audiobook was simply not worth the time and effort.
April 5, 2023
Two besties create a bunch of True Crime podcast episodes about so called "cold cases", all about missing persons.
They do 18 episodes like that and never solve any of them, but the comes one day...
Thet get an email from a stranger asking to investigate and talk about one more cold case. One of tge two girls suddenly changes the subject, gets angry, looks away, an even stops talking to her friend for a while. So unusual.
A quick and interesting listen of a play written by Jessica Hang.
So, what did I take from this book to myself?
A play is not a genre I would usually pick. But the performance of this one - JUST BRILLIANT.
They do 18 episodes like that and never solve any of them, but the comes one day...
Thet get an email from a stranger asking to investigate and talk about one more cold case. One of tge two girls suddenly changes the subject, gets angry, looks away, an even stops talking to her friend for a while. So unusual.
A quick and interesting listen of a play written by Jessica Hang.
So, what did I take from this book to myself?
A play is not a genre I would usually pick. But the performance of this one - JUST BRILLIANT.
October 4, 2024
This was another fun addition to the rapidly burgeoning "cold case podcast" subgenre of thriller. I loved the full-cast production and the isolated, woodsy setting, and I think this one was slightly more engrossing and actually thrilling than the majority of them, with less focus on intentional interviews and investigation and more on happenstance recordings made by a character who keeps her mic on all the time. The ending did fall apart a bit for me, but up until that point, I had fun, and it felt like a fully-developed story, unlike some of the short plays on Audible, which can tend to seem limited by their length. This playwright shows a lot of promise, and I would read her work again.
January 2, 2023
Needing to escape the harsh realities of her life, Song moves to a remote cabin with her good friend, Lucy. There they set their minds to creating a podcast called Ice Cold Cases, where they try their hand at solving cold cases. One day an anonymous tip comes and then Lucy suddenly vanished. Not sure what else to do, Song finds herself working both old and new cases. Can Song discover what really happened?
This was a pretty decent audio. Easy to follow along and enjoyable to listen to. I wasn’t shocked or blown away but it was still a worthwhile listen.
This was a pretty decent audio. Easy to follow along and enjoyable to listen to. I wasn’t shocked or blown away but it was still a worthwhile listen.
July 30, 2023
2.5 rounded down
A free read with Audible membership, I found the performances and storytelling format really good but the story a bit too much to be less than two hours. It went too much way too quick.
Personally, though I loved her narrator's performance, I really disliked Song. She didn't come off as someone who wanted justice no matter the cost, she was more like... I'm doing it for the points, essentially. Wanting the credit as well as wanting to punish her friend involved for something semi-related.
A free read with Audible membership, I found the performances and storytelling format really good but the story a bit too much to be less than two hours. It went too much way too quick.
Personally, though I loved her narrator's performance, I really disliked Song. She didn't come off as someone who wanted justice no matter the cost, she was more like... I'm doing it for the points, essentially. Wanting the credit as well as wanting to punish her friend involved for something semi-related.
March 14, 2023
Once again, the narrators did an outstanding job and they're the only reason I was invested at all. The premise was interesting, but the conclusion was underwhelming and perhaps it's because the story was so short the tension and suspense could hardly build up at all (although that's no good reason, a story being short doesn't make it doomed to be less good, even if I will admit it's harder to work with in this genre)
October 30, 2023
2 AND A HALF. This was an audible play that I listened to at work. Truely through the entire thing I struggled to come up with who was the bad guy. This wasn't what I expected, the characters were infuriating, and the ending left a lot to be desired. I enjoyed my time listening while I worked, but probably would not recommend if you're looking for a good spooky time, it really wasn't, it was a time with crazy characters, and boring plot.
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