Betting Blind

Nick Podehl doesn’t just narrate *Betting Blind*; he *plays* it, and the difference is striking. His Livvy sounds like the kind of teenager who’s been around the block enough to be wary but still lets her guard slip when she’s tired—exactly the balance Guerra’s writing demands. The pacing is brisk, with Podehl matching the novel’s no-nonsense tone, though he occasionally speeds up during quieter introspective moments, leaving me straining to catch the emotional weight. The production is clean, with a distinctly indie-ish hum that suits the story’s small-town grit, but I wish the diner’s background noise had been layered in more subtly to avoid a few jarring jumps. Where the book stumbles is in its secondary characters, particularly Livvy’s love interest, whose motivation feels thin and shifts abruptly from charming to clingy without enough scaffolding. Still, the audiobook’s strengths outweigh its flaws—especially Podehl’s performance, which turns what could’ve been a run-of-the-mill YA redemption arc into something with real bite. If you’re looking for a coming-of-age story that treats its audience like they can handle the truth, this one’s a solid bet.