THE GIRL I WANTED TO BE

Fourteen-year-old Presley Moran is looking for a role model as she enters high school. When her irresponsible Aunt Betsi, an alcoholic just out of rehab, comes to live with Presley's family, she thinks she's found one. Marguerite Gavin reads this coming-of-age story in the voice of a teenager, with slight variations in inflection for the other characters. Gavin reads slowly, allowing the story to unfold from the young protagonist’s perspective. When Aunt Betsi sets fire to the house—twice—the listener wonders at Presley's choice of hero. Then Betsi asks Presley to keep a secret, and life starts to spiral out of control. McCandless emphasizes the crises in a teenager's life as she learns about life, friends, and family loyalty. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 08]