A CROOKED MARK

Seventeen-year-old Matthew's emotional journey in Kao's dark coming-of-age fantasy is unnerving at times due to an exceptional performance by Shawn Jain. Jain's whispery voice is filled with a creepy calm as Matt must determine whether Rae Winter is marked by the devil. Jain emotes tenderness when Matt is with Rae and when he pines for his late mother. While Matt is at school, Jain makes it clear that the teen is carefully controlling his emotions. Jain pivots to anger when Matt is being pressured to "finish off" Rae. Listeners will cringe at Rae's rage when she discovers Matt has spied on her. Fully realized secondary characters such as Matt's landlord and a potential rival help keep this compelling production racing to its dramatic showdown. S.D.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2023]