WHEN KAMBIA ELAINE FLEW IN FROM NEPTUNE

12-year-old Shayla Dubois wants nothing more than a happy family and a career as a writer. Instead, she must suffer through constant fighting between Mama and her sister Tia over Tia’s growing sexuality. Shayla struggles, too, with feelings of resentment over the sudden appearance of her absent father and her growing fear as Kambia Elaine, her new friend, reveals ever more terrifying fantasies that mask brutal sexual abuse. Heather Alicia Simms delivers a strong, quickly paced reading of this highly acclaimed novel, bringing to life a distinctive cast of African American characters, from Tia’s slow-witted boyfriend, Doo-witty, and his sharp-tongued mother, Miss Earlene, to Shayla’s wise, no-nonsense Grandma Augustine. However, it is scratchy-voiced Kambia who will chill listeners to the soul, her disassociation growing more acute as society repeatedly fails her, and she sinks into darkness. A masterful narration of a haunting story. T.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]