The Honest Truth

Nick Podehl is one of those narrators who makes you forget you’re listening to an audiobook. His Mark is instantly believable: stubborn, observant, and holding his breath without realizing it. The way he stretches out the word “okay” at key moments—like when Mark admits he’s scared or when Beau whines late at night—made me pause and press replay. The production is clean and intimate, with subtle outdoor ambience that never distracts, letting the story breathe. My only critique? The haiku interludes sometimes feel like a course correction, breaking the momentum just when the road trip clicks. But Gemeinhart’s writing is so strong that even the briefest poems land hard—one about rain on pavement hit like a gut punch. The ending threads the needle perfectly: no neat bow, no sentimentality, just the quiet dignity of a kid who finally tells the truth to himself. If you’ve ever loved a dog that couldn’t keep up or carried secrets too heavy for a locker, this audiobook will follow you home.