BREAKING DAWN

This final novel in Meyer's popular teen vampire series is sure to satisfy fans, even with its somewhat fizzled-out ending. Unfortunately, narrators Ilyana Kadushin and Matt Walters do little to enhance the tension, romance, and excitement of the plot. Kadushin's voice is lovely to listen to when she reads Bella's sections, but she adds little inflection or vocal variation among speakers, resulting in whole sections where the listener is unable to identify which character is talking. Walters's performance is certainly more varied and more effective, but his characterization of Jacob's narration sounds contrived—a caricature of what an angsty teenage werewolf "should" sound like—gruff, angry, and loud. One wonders if the all the hype surrounding Meyer's series encouraged a rushed job on this audiobook. A.H.A. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 08]