GOLDEN

The cover art alone could sell this recording to teenaged girls, and narrator Jenna Lamia further entices listeners with a pert voice for main character Lissy James. Using voice level to convey comical asides and verbal eye-rolling, Lamia deftly expresses Lissy's worries about her new high school and her troublesome magical gift (seeing auras). Distinct voices round out the other characters, including Lissy's adorable sister and the girls in the "golden" group. Lissy's nemesis, Lila, can be instantly identified by her insufferable Oklahoma drawl. Unfortunately, the recording is uneven at high pitches, a problem that is especially noticeable as volume increases. Nonetheless, Golden is a story many teenaged girls will enjoy. C.A. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]