RIOT ACT

Art equals resistance in this dystopia set in 1991 America and voiced by Lee Osorio. Narrating from the grave, 18-year-old drama geek Max recounts the events leading up to his murder and those that follow. Osorio's rough-edged baritone modulates from pitch-perfect teen snark to deep regret as Max describes life under the huckster turned dictator whose purge of all anti-American thought spurs the high school thespians of Champaign, Illinois, to stage an underground production of--what else?--Shakespeare's HENRY VI. It all works, thanks to Osorio's tight characterizations, in particular those of Max and the two best friends he's left behind: Axl, an earnest hustler with many secrets, and Gigi, the incandescent girl who is determined to make a difference. Like the teens herein, this audiobook bleeds urgency. V.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2024]