WHAT JAMIE SAW

Fear has a tendency to feed upon itself. When Jamie wakes up one night to see Van throw his baby sister across the room, he freezes--he sees and comprehends--but fear freezes him. It is his mother's voice, telling him clearly and specifically what to do, that moves him, but he is like a coiled-up spring, tense, waiting, watching. Bronson Pinchot captures the fear in Jamie with his terse, clipped speech. His pacing and intensity move us inside Jamie--who watches the adults around him, adding his mother's fear to his own frustration over the way his life has changed and his lack of control over his world. Although not a fully voiced performance, this is nevertheless a powerful, accurate portrayal of the world through Jamie's eyes. Unfortunately, the music at the beginning and end of the tape undercuts the stark, jarring prose. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]