FRIENDS FOR LIFE

Narrator Alison Larkin is superb at presenting the heavy topics of bullying and suicide with an audible sense of hope, optimism, and even a bit of humor. The principal characters speak with varied British accents and are also discernible by their personalities. Francis speaks slowly--he's mild and kind even in the face of teasing at school for his hobby of fashion design. When he meets the effervescent Jessica, a ghost visible at first only to him, listeners hear her playfulness as she "thinks" herself into new outfits, secretly accompanies Francis to school, and floats through doors and walls. She drops her cheeriness only when, with the help of new friends, she begins to understand her purpose and path. L.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2019]