THE VAN APFEL GIRLS ARE GONE

The unsolved disappearance of three girls from their small town in Australia is recounted by 11-year-old Tikka Malloy, portrayed by Cat Gould. In a time shift, the adult Tikka remains haunted by guilt, as she and her older sister knew the girls were planning to run away yet never told anyone. Gould's native Australian accent lends a useful authenticity to the narrative, but the story requires that Tikka's childish ignorance also feel authentic. Gould's approach--to add an ungainly earnestness to her normal speaking voice--merely makes her sound less skilled at narration than she actually is. A better casting choice might have been someone already possessing a youthful voice or better capable of conveying one over extensive stretches of narration. K.W. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2019]