THE PLUS ONE

Narrator Lauren Fortgang's wide range of voices perfectly portrays the formidable protagonist of this delightful story filled with thought-provoking insights on love and family. Desperate to placate her mother, who fears her daughter will be single forever, 29-year-old Kelly, an engineer, creates a robot named Ethan to accompany her to the upcoming wedding of her seemingly perfect sister. Fortgang brings out the humor in Kelly's frazzled relationship with her micromanaging, relationship-focused mother--but also the tenderness, as Kelly discovers another side of the woman who loves her. Perfect modulation for Ethan's sensitive yet robot-like voice effectively captures the paradoxes of his compassion and insight as he teaches Kelly about love. A touching story and magical performance make for a gratifying listen. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2019]