JONNY MAGIC AND THE CARD SHARK KIDS

Authors go to great lengths to make their books interesting and readable, and spend years crafting a writing style. Why, then, would an author want to ruin his product by reading his book with little or no training? Such is the essential question with this work, whose title really announces the plot. Author/narrator David Kushner reads his book as most amateurs would; he uses a flat tone, mispronounces and drops words at the ends of sentences, and has no sense of pacing, enunciation, or dramatic emphasis. It's a shame, because the book reads like a thriller. So to the list that includes "don't run with scissors," let's add, "use a professional to read your book." R.I.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 06]