Goats

Fifteen-year-old Ellis faces a jarring transition from his unconventional desert life to the rigid world of East Coast prep school. At home in Arizona, his closest relationship isn't with his distant mother but with Goat Man, an aging hippie who tends a small herd on their property and serves as Ellis's unlikely mentor. When Ellis returns for spring break, he discovers that both he and his surrogate father figure have changed in unexpected ways, setting the stage for a transformative journey across the Mexican border that will test their bond and force both to confront what family truly means.

Ray Porter delivers a nuanced performance that captures the dry humor and underlying poignancy of Poirier's coming-of-age tale. His narration skillfully navigates between Ellis's adolescent cynicism and moments of genuine vulnerability, while bringing distinct voices to the eccentric cast of characters populating this desert landscape. Porter's measured pacing allows the story's quieter emotional beats to resonate, making the audiobook format particularly effective for a narrative that relies as much on what remains unspoken as what the characters actually say.