THE MAZE

Dreams of flight have haunted Rick all his 14 years. Now, after several foster homes and a sentence to a rough detention center, he flees. His mad escape takes him to Lon, a man involved in a condor reintroduction program. Sala's voice, hard-boiled and Western-sounding, initially sounds too tough for this sensitive story, but he reads with supreme talent. Nuances of myth mingle smoothly with science and adventure. In fact, Sala's deft balance guides the narrative smoothly over some uneven patches of writing. Under Lon's tutelage, Rick, like the condors, learns to navigate the air. Sala propels us aloft, and Hobbs's descriptions of his apprenticeship in a glider become breathtaking. S.B.S. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 00]