ELLIE ENGLE SAVES HERSELF

Rocky Anicette wows in her narration of this quirky middle-grade superhero-origin story. Quiet Ellie Engle is content to stick to the sidelines and read comics while her popular best friend, Abby, makes waves. But when a mysterious earthquake leaves Ellie with the power to resurrect dead things, staying unnoticed is no longer an option. Anicette is utterly believable as a 12-year-old who is feisty and funny but prefers anonymity. Anicette uses tone and volume to draw an unmistakable contrast between Ellie in her own mind and Ellie in the world. The contrast is further heightened when she turns into Ellie the Superhero who doesn't know how to handle her new powers, the attention they bring, or the jealousy of the friend she has always considered her other half. N.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2023]