THE WORST THING I'VE DONE

This story of love and jealousy among three friends who decided to raise a child together is emotional and fierce. Yet, however powerful the writing, the book isn't as eloquent as many of Ursula Hegi's previous works. It is choppy where it should flow, and that may be the problem. Narrators Gabra Zackman and Oliver Wyman often sound stilted, as if they can't quite find the right pace. And during the many emotionally tense scenes, there is a tendency to sound screechy. The characters in this book would benefit from a deeply wrought interpretation; this one doesn't quite deliver. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 08]