Choosing Sides

I’ve listened to dozens of basketball-centric stories, but *Choosing Sides* distinguishes itself by refusing to romanticize its world. L. Steven Taylor nails the duality of Malek’s voice—swaggering on the court, but raw and unsteady in his own head—without ever slipping into caricature. The flashbacks to Flint’s projects feel tactile, the kind of grit that clings to your clothes after a long day, and Taylor’s delivery makes you *smell* the stale air of those hallways. That said, the supporting cast occasionally blurs together; Malek’s mother and his coach, pivotal figures, sometimes feel more like obstacles than fully realized people. And while Hernandez’s prose is muscular, a few passages drag during Malek’s internal monologues, where the emotional beats could’ve landed harder with tighter pacing. Still, the payoff is worth it. The climax, when Malek’s loyalties collide in a courthouse, is a masterclass in tension-building, and Taylor’s performance makes the verdict feel like it’s being delivered directly to you. If you’re craving a sports story that prioritizes character over clichés, this audiobook will hook you—and then leave you gutted.