THE ROAD TO ROSWELL

Jesse Vilinsky and Connie Willis have a marvelous time in this delightful homage to road trips, old Westerns, romance, alien hunters, and, well, aliens. When Francie arrives in Roswell during the UFO Festival, she's trying to stop a friend's UFO-themed wedding. Then she's abducted by an alien who is on an unusual quest. When they're joined by an elderly gambler, a UFO hunter, an RV owner, and a mysterious hitchhiker, the adventure is on. The frantic UFO hunter has a nasal whine, the RV owner is "aw-shucks" great, the gambler's quavery enthusiasm is grin inducing. Vilinsky also knows exactly what a teenage alien's texts sound like. Never has "No, no, no" been so variously and hysterically rendered. Throughout, Vilinsky's technicolor performance radiates the story's essential kindness and joy. A.C.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2023]