We Play Ourselves

I’ll admit: I went into *We Play Ourselves* expecting another *flee-your-life-to-find-yourself* story, but Jen Silverman subverts that trope with surgical precision. Cass is a terrible protagonist—self-absorbed, often cowardly—and that’s what makes her fascinating. Her descent into Caroline’s orbit feels less like a choice and more like a slow-motion car crash, with Renata Friedman’s narration acting as the siren in the distance. Friedman’s performance is masterful in its restraint; she doesn’t overplay Cass’s sarcasm or the girls’ menace, which makes their interactions all the more chilling. The production is clean, but the real standout is how Friedman modulates her tone during Cass’s internal monologues, where the self-loathing seeps through like a stain. That said, the audiobook isn’t without flaws. The middle act drags slightly as Cass’s passivity starts to feel less like character development and more like narrative stagnation. And while the teenage girls’ sections are haunting, their voices occasionally blur together in audio form—a missed opportunity to distinguish them more sharply. Still, the finale lands with a gut-punch, and Silverman’s refusal to tidy up the moral mess makes it linger. If you love audiobooks that *demand* your attention (and reward it with unease), this is a standout. Just don’t expect to like anyone by the end.