Bellies (12 hours) unfolds slowly, savoring each quirk and comment that draws two young lovers, Tom and Ming, together. Nicola Dinan perfectly captures the hypersensitivity of new romance: the fervent touches, the tentative mornings after, and the paranoia about possibly ruining things. As Ming and Tom navigate the push and pull of their relationship, they simultaneously struggle to find their places as individuals in overstimulating 21st-century young adult life.
This audiobook provides a rich listening experience as it alternates between Tom and Ming’s perspectives. Nathaniel Curtis lends Tom a placid, droll voice that underscores Tom’s desperation to appear unfazed despite his whirlwind of insecurities. Octavia Nyombi is soft and steady as Ming, wrapping listeners up in the layers of emotion that pile together in Ming’s extensively reflective thought process.
Dinan bares young love before us: raw, vulnerable, belly-up. By recognizing imperfection and refusing to shy away from struggles big and small—from sleep discomfort to the stigmas surrounding queer love and identity—Bellies soothes the imperfect, struggling parts of ourselves.
