MILES FROM NOWHERE

Teenager Joon leaves a shattered home for a shattering life on New York City's streets. A novel revolving around addiction, exploitation, and desperation could be described with many harrowing terms, but this audiobook holds the word "beautiful" foremost in its grip. Ali Ahn's performance is superb; her delicate voice keeps Joon sweet despite deep character flaws. Mun's prose is often breathtaking as she paints grim portraits of Joon, her cohorts, and the streets themselves. Ahn navigates shifts in time and voice with ease, changing her delivery to accommodate those drifting through Joon's orbit. The subject matter often makes this difficult to listen to, but Mun's artful style and Ahn's sympathetic voice make it more difficult to turn the audiobook off until it is over. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]