WHITE IVY

Narrator Emily Woo Zeller skillfully steers the dramatic plot of this audiobook. As a teen, Ivy Yang was sent to China after her mother discovered her shoplifting. It was a high price to pay for acquiring the accoutrements of the wealthy kids she went to school with. Years later, back in Boston, she enters into a romantic relationship with her teenage crush. Just when things seem perfect, a ghost from her past threatens to undo everything she's ever hoped for. Zeller is commendable in breathing life into the mostly Asian characters. As Ivy, she is a reserved but cunning woman; as Sylvia, Ivy's friend, she is sweet and confident. Zeller's outstanding storytelling also elevates the work's twists and the harsh reality of the immigrant experience. A.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2020]