The Teacher by Freida McFadden: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
A maths teacher and a student nobody trusts tell a story of secrets at Caseham High. It’s an even split: the duet audiobook and the page both suit it.
Content note: sources list the sexual abuse of minors, grooming, bullying and stalking among the novel’s themes. This page does not describe them.
Either works
Either works for The Teacher, so pick the format you enjoy. Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth share the audiobook, and the Apple Books editors say they give the story “just the right blend of tension and terror”. In print, chapters alternate between Eve and Addie and the story runs forward after a short prologue, so it is easy to follow and quick to race through.
- Pick the audiobook if you want two readers to carry a twisty thriller through nine and a half hours of commutes.
- Pick the book if you like to race through the alternating Eve and Addie chapters at your own speed.
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The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrators | Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth | Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth |
| Length | 9 hours 35 minutes (9h 35m), unabridged | 9 hours 35 minutes (9h 35m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 6h 23m | about 6h 23m |
| At 2x | about 4h 48m | about 4h 48m |
| Audio publisher and date | Hollywood Upstairs Press, 6 February 2024 | Hollywood Upstairs Press, 6 February 2024 |
| Audiobook price | £14.08 on Audible UK | $19.96 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £3.28 on Amazon UK | Not listed |
| Poisoned Pen Press paperback, 400 pages, 2024 | Poisoned Pen Press trade paperback, 400 pages, 2024 | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.46 from 995 ratings | Performance 4.54 from 16,385 ratings |
Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth’s reading is the only English recording. The UK and US listings have the same narrators, publisher, date and length, so the UK listing is the one scored. We couldn’t confirm whether they are the same master recording.
A Spanish translation, La profesora, is read by Kerygma Flores, Kyria Montoya and Rafa Serrano and is not scored. No full-cast or dramatised version was found. Ratings and prices checked 6 November 2026. Prices change often. US Kindle prices are left out, as Amazon only shows them to US visitors.
Lengths checked 6 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.
The Teacher
Freida McFadden
- Genre
- Psychological thriller
- First published
- February 2024
- Length
- 400 pages (UK paperback)
- On audio
- 9 hrs 35 mins, Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth
- On screen
- Apple film in development
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
None of the thirteen checks clearly applies to this book, so neither format has the edge.
Checked, not a factor here (13)
We looked for the things that make a book easier in one format, such as a full-cast recording, jumping timelines or a layout audio can’t carry, and found none strong enough to count here. That puts it at 50%, an even split, so the choice is about how you like to read: see the two lines in the verdict box.
Every book gets the same thirteen checks, set in advance. Verdicts are never paid for or influenced by affiliate links. Last edited 6 November 2026, and rechecked every year as editions and narrators change. Read the checks in full · Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Leslie Howard, Danny Montooth, Hollywood Upstairs Press, 2024, 9h 35m, unabridged
- Critic review
- No critic review of this recording found
- Alternatives
- None in English: Spanish translation, La profesora, not scored
- What you miss
- Nothing. There’s no map, glossary or special layout
What this book actually is
The Teacher is a standalone thriller by Freida McFadden. Eve teaches maths at Caseham High, and Addie is a student everyone says “can’t be trusted” after a scandal with a teacher the year before. Chapters alternate between the two of them.
It came out on 6 February 2024. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review, saying its “frequent rug-pulling will thrill readers”. It deals with teachers abusing their power over teenage students, grooming and bullying.
The case for reading it
The book is quick and easy to follow on the page. Chapters alternate between Eve and Addie, and after a short prologue the story runs forward from “three months earlier”, so there is nothing to piece together across timelines.
BOLO Books says it “moves along at a breakneck speed”, and in print you can race through the twists as fast as you like.
The case for listening to it
Two readers share the audiobook. The audio reviewer at Jessica’s Reading Room says Leslie Howard “captured that teen angst” and that Danny Montooth, in a “much smaller” part, did “a great job with capturing Nate”. The Apple Books editors say the pair give “Eve and Nate just the right blend of tension and terror”.
Listeners rate the performance 4.46 on Audible UK and 4.54 on Audible US, and at under ten hours it suits a fast, twisty thriller.
The audiobook in detail
Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth read the unabridged recording in 9 hours 35 minutes (Hollywood Upstairs Press, 6 February 2024). Howard carries most of it, and Montooth voices Nate. The same recording is sold on Audible UK and US.
No critic review of the recording was found, and no PDF comes with it.
Who should ignore this verdict
Neither format has a real edge here. If you like a second voice in the mix, listen; if you like to set the pace through the twists yourself, read it.
Kindle
- 400 pages (UK paperback)
- Race through the twists at your own pace
- About 6½ hours to read (our estimate)
Related verdicts
Never Lie
Another McFadden standalone, from this batch.
The Housemaid Is Watching
Another McFadden recording with two narrators.
The Housemaid
McFadden’s best-known thriller.
The Witch
More McFadden suspense.
It’s Not What You Think
A twisty thriller with several readers.
Mad Mabel
A thriller that works better on audio.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates The Teacher audiobook?
Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth. Howard carries most of it, and Montooth has a “much smaller” part, voicing Nate.
How long is The Teacher audiobook?
9 hours 35 minutes, unabridged. That is about 6 hours 23 minutes at 1.5x speed and about 4 hours 48 minutes at 2x (calculated).
Is The Teacher audiobook abridged?
No. The UK and US listings are unabridged.
How many pages is The Teacher?
The Poisoned Pen Press paperback (ISBN 9781464221378) has 400 pages.
Whose point of view is The Teacher told from?
Mostly in alternating chapters from Eve, the teacher, and Addie, the student.
Is The Teacher part of a series?
No. It is a standalone and is not part of The Housemaid series.
Is The Teacher being made into a film?
A film is in development at Apple Original Films, written by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg, with McFadden as an executive producer (TheWrap, 11 December 2025). No director, cast or release date had been announced as of November 2026.
Is The Teacher suitable for younger readers?
It deals with teachers abusing their power over teenage students, grooming and bullying, so check the content note first.
Does The Teacher have a twist?
Yes, several. One librarian counts four at the end. This page doesn’t give them away.
Should I read or listen to The Teacher?
Either works. Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth share a well-rated audiobook, and the story is easy to follow by ear. In print, the alternating Eve and Addie chapters and the forward-running plot make it just as quick to read.
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