WILDWOOD

The lead singer of the indie folk group The Decemberists has written a complex, sprawling fantasy. It’s a massive undertaking for narrator Amanda Plummer, whose narration is strangely flat and unemotional. Voices for characters are inconsistent and often inappropriate. Sometimes Brandon, leader of the Bandits, seems to have an Irish accent; at other times the accent is gone. Perhaps the most puzzling character of all is Septimus the Rat, whose lilting Southern voice is jarringly inconsistent with his cunning personality. Fans of the Decemberists may be enthralled by this tale, but the target audience of 8-12-year-olds may be flummoxed by this lifeless production of a complicated story. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2011]