CHARMED THIRDS

The third installment in McCafferty's Jessica Darling series takes the small-town girl through her New York college years. A breakup of sorts with her boyfriend, Marcus; a separation from her best friend, Hope; and plenty of parental weirdness are just the start of Jessica's problems. McCafferty's acid, often hilarious, prose finds in Ariadne Meyers a reader who understands its contradictions and rhythms. Though slightly limited in vocal range, Meyers effectively utilizes what she has. Her deadpan delivery of Jessica by itself is worth a listen, and the choices she makes for the other female characters are spot-on. But the male voices aren't handled especially well, except for the laconic Marcus. C.E.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 06]