Ruby in the Sky

Merissa Czyz’s narration is a masterclass in making Ruby’s voice crackle with stubborn defiance and aching loneliness. She nails the rhythm of a middle-schooler who’s sharp with adults but secretly terrified of being left behind, her delivery shifting from dry sarcasm to full-throated outrage without missing a beat. The pacing is tight, never lingering too long on Ruby’s grief or rushing past her small victories—like when she turns a school project into a quiet act of defiance or when the rescue dog, Neptune, steals scenes with his wet-nosed persistence. My only quibble? Some side characters, like Ruby’s mother and the town’s gossipy bus driver, feel a bit underdrawn, their motivations sketched in broad strokes that don’t always justify their impact on Ruby’s arc. And while the production is clean, there are a few moments where the audio compression makes the librarian’s whispered lines feel oddly muffled, as if she’s talking through a pillow. Still, these are minor hiccups in what’s otherwise a stellar listen. Ferruolo’s story doesn’t pull punches, but Czyz’s performance wraps Ruby’s journey in warmth, making the hard truths feel like a hug you didn’t know you needed.