QUEEN OF BABBLE

Ilyana Kadushin ably animates the effervescent character of Lizzie Nichols, meddling fashion maven who embroils herself in a French chateau wedding fiasco. While Ilyana Kadushin admirably captures Lizzie's wry yet naïve worldview, her renditions of some of the accents--the British accent of Lizzie's low-life ex-boyfriend as well as the French and Texan voices of the chateau guests--lack authenticity. Also, when Lizzie talks with her best friend, Shari, or her love interest, Luke, it's hard to tell who is speaking. Vocal character development might have made the gaps left by the abridgment less confusing. Still, Kadushin's chatty tones and reverent descriptions of vintage clothing competently evoke the reassuring optimism of Cabot's world. C.A. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 06]