THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS

Narrator Finty Williams wisely sidesteps the sensationalistic tone that would be easy to bring to this novel about an intelligent, young Hungry (zombie) named Melanie in postapocalyptic England. Williams's performance stresses the 10-year-old's coming-of-age story as the way she looks at herself morphs from an intelligent book-loving student to a monster who could destroy the people she loves. Avoiding vocal stereotypes, Williams makes it clear that Melanie is a child, full of wonder and curiosity. When the narrative switches to an adult point of view, Williams injects her performance with toughness, cynicism, or optimism, depending on the character. This zombie story is about self-discovery and finding humanity in unexpected places. And Williams's performance is pitch-perfect. C.B.L. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2015 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2014]