WILD BIRD

Narrator Alex McKenna depicts the transformation of Wren Clemens, a 14-year-old teen who is sent to wilderness therapy camp. McKenna, nimbly navigating this complex protagonist, highlights Wren's faults and strengths with tones of misery, regret, resilience, and grace. Wren comes to life as McKenna vocalizes the teenage girl's search for the self she has left behind. With a cadence that follows the ever-changing pulse of Wren's spirit, McKenna notes her subtlest shifts in mood in a captivating manner. Though McKenna begins the book in a scratchy voice to call attention to Wren's pain and confusion, the end of the story finds listeners falling in love with the heroine as McKenna's last words reveal Wren as a girl who has finally found her true self. V.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2017]