Onyx Beyond, Amber McBride
Onyx Beyond, Amber McBride
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Onyx & Beyond

Author: Amber McBride

Narrator: André Santana

Unabridged: 2 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/01/2024

Synopsis

"McBride’s verse novel, inspired by her father’s life, gets an aural uplift from the accomplished narrator Andre Santana."—School Library Journal (Starred Review)

Onyx lives with his mother, who is showing signs of early-onset dementia. He doesn't want to bring attention to his home—if Child Protective Services finds out, they'll put him into foster care.

As he's trying to keep his life together, the Civil Rights Movement is accelerating. Is there anywhere that's safe for a young Black boy? Maybe, if only Onyx can fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut and exploring space, where none of these challenges will follow him. In the meantime, Onyx can dream. And try to get his mom the help she needs.

Based on her own father's story of growing up in the 1960s and facing the same challenge with his own mother, award winner Amber McBride delivers another affecting depiction of being young and Black in America.

A Macmillan Audio production from Feiwel & Friends.

About Amber McBride

Amber McBride estimates she reads about 100 books a year. Her work has been published in literary magazines including Ploughshares and Provincetown Arts. Her debut young adult novel, Me (Moth) was a finalist for the National Book Award, and won the 2022 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent, among many other accolades. She is a professor of creative writing at University of Virginia, and lives in Charlottesville, Virgina.

About André Santana

André Santana is an audiobook narrator on a journey to tell great stories. Brazilian-born and Seattle-raised, he now lives in NYC where he's recorded 150+ titles across genres. In his work, you'll hear a flair for human and connected performances crafted around the voice of the text. André believes that humanity lives inside the heartbreak, comedy, drama, and other dimensions books deliver, and that a great audiobook meets that with intention and artistry. His work has been celebrated with several Earphone awards, Audie nominations, by the Voice Arts Awards, One Voice Awards, and more.As a non-binary and Black narrator, he loves both telling stories that match him and disappearing into new characters across the literary multiverse. Find him in the throws of a coming-of-age novel, on spellbinding fantasy journeys with quirky companions, or in the thick of suburban drama.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Zana on September 12, 2024

I thought I'd give Amber McBride another chance, since I gave 3 stars to one of her previous books. But Onyx & Beyond was just okay. I wanted more references to the time period, but the Civil Rights Movement only felt like a place mat. You could transpose the main plotline into the present and it wo......more

Goodreads review by Jaelynn on September 25, 2024

5/5 stars. I was crying in my car finishing this audiobook on my way to work! This is an emotionally riveting, and beautifully written book that translates gorgeously to audio, and I am so glad I took the chance to read and listen. Onyx & Beyond follows a young black boy living in the aftermath of MLK......more

Goodreads review by Toya (thereadingchemist) on August 12, 2024

Oh look...another incredible but heart wrenching read from Amber McBride.......more

Goodreads review by WellReadAndRatchet on October 31, 2024

This was a short and touching story of a young boy dealing with his mother’s early onset dementia. I wish it was a little bit longer so we could see a little bit more but overall I enjoyed it.......more

Goodreads review by Becky on September 10, 2024

Onyx & Beyond is a heartbreaking and heartwarming middle grade story I can't wait to introduce to my kids. Onyx, who goes by X, is a kid with the weight of the world on his shoulders during the late 1960's early 1970's in Alexandra, Virginia. His mama sadly has early on-set dementia. With the help o......more

Quotes

★ "It’s 1970, and following the death of his grandmother, Onyx, a 12-year-old Black boy, is left living alone with his mother, who has early onset dementia. Fearing losing Mama too, he keeps her condition a secret from everyone and instead vows to make sure that he keeps up the show of everything being OK at home. ... As readers follow Onyx in his endeavors to help his mother, they’re also given a glimpse into being a young Black boy who, for all his troubles in life, has just as many joyful moments with his family and friends. A story of perseverance and love."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"After Onyx’s grandmother dies, he is tasked with the responsibility of caring for his mother, who has early onset dementia. This includes cooking meals, getting himself ready for school, and making sure no one finds out about her worsening symptoms.... Onyx then plots to steal a piece of a moon rock from the Smithsonian space exhibit, convinced that it will help his mother get her memories back. ...Surreal descriptions of the protagonist’s inner thoughts--...interspersed throughout add gentle magic to this perceptive interpretation of a child growing up with a caregiver navigating illness."--Publishers Weekly

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