VERSION ZERO

Kevin R. Free and Vyvy Nguyen narrate this work of speculative fiction, which asks listeners to consider whether the world would be better off without the Internet in general and social media specifically. Nguyen narrates the first and last chapters, which are in the first person, leaving Free to do the majority of the third-person narration. His strength as a narrator comes near the climax, when the story morphs into an all-out action thriller that shifts among multiple points of view, with the emotions of each character swinging wildly. Free ensures that listeners feel the intensity through his tone and pitch. Near the end, his almost breathless delivery makes it impossible to stop listening. A.R.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2021]