Our Strange Duet by Erin A. Craig

Hello my fellow bookworms!

November is here. The weather has taken a turn towards winter, but all the beautiful fall leaves are still clinging on and dancing in the wind. 

(c) 2026, Delacorte Press

This month, I would like to highlight a book that I found captivating. Our Strange Duet by Erin A. Craig is the story of the Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera from the point of view of ingénue Christine Daaé. I went back and forth between the physical book and the audiobook, but the audiobook. Oh, that was a treat! The audiobook is voiced as an immersive, full-case adaptation with music from the musical and the characters even sing a bit! It felt like I was watching the musical from new eyes, but still enjoying the songs I cherished over the years. I wish that audiobooks could continue be this spellbinding - it would make for the best distractions from a busy workday! The audiobook cast is as follows: 

• Christine Daaé - Beatric Penny-Touré
• The Phantom/Erik - Jordan Donica
• Raoul - Jordan Fisher
• Carlotta - Sierra Boggess
• Ubaldo - Norm Lewis
• Madame Giry - Katrina Lenk
• Monsieur Firmin - Jesse Tyler Ferguson
• Monsieur André - Dan Stevens

What a star-studded cast! I loved that this side of the story was an expansion of the musical, bringing reason to some of Christine's actions, and also to The Phantom's. The physical book is gorgeous, as it has sprayed edges, colorful illustrations on the inside covers, and even a red ribbon bookmark to keep your place as you read. The end left at a cliff-hanger, somewhat deviant from the musical, and I hope that Ms. Craig decides to give us a sequel! I know that the musical does already have a sequel musical titled Love Never Dies, and it is based off the book The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth, but the story leaves fans of the original with a bitter taste. When I began Our Strange Duet, I thought it was a sequel, but was still happily content on listening to a new version of a well-known and well-loved story. While I originally borrowed the book from my local public library, I went out and bought the book to follow along with while I listened to the audiobook via my library's Libby app. It was a fun few days, and I will definitely revisit the story again in the future.

(c) 2026, Delacorte Press

While this book is considered YA, or Young Adult, I highly recommend it to any Phantom of the Opera fans - no matter the age! It is a quick read, or a fun 12 hour and 16 minute listen. It takes a little bit from the original book, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, lending The Phantom's name Erik, and explaining a little bit of the Opera House's architecture. It also explains other things not defined in the musical, such as Erik's ability to hypnotize others or why Christine was so focused on Raoul, even if that meant giving up her talent for singing. It is of course a fantasy romance retelling, with hints of historical fiction, horror, and gothic vibes. It was a perfect read for Halloween, if this sounds like something you would enjoy, I hope you delight in reading or even better, listening to this delightful rendition of The Phantom of the Opera. 

As a fun bonus, there is a quiz on Andrew Lloyd Webber's website titled Are you a Prima Donna? Reminiscent of the old early 2000's quizzes, you can choose from the selections to see which character you match with the most. It is a gorgeous interactive experience, and just a fun little diversion. I was surprised I ended up with The Masked Maestro! Maybe I should dress the part for next Halloween?

Until next time - Happy Reading! :)