PRETTY MONSTERS

In her first collection of short stories for young adults, Kelly Link masterfully transitions from mystery to fantasy to humor to the macabre, keeping listeners engaged and guessing beyond each story's last page. Nine talented narrators are well matched to the tales. Their deadpan deliveries make the most of Link's quirky plots and characters, drawing listeners into her bizarre worlds with a subtle touch. As the "stories shift their shapes," listeners will find themselves immersed in each unique world, identifying with the feelings of the teenaged protagonists, even as the situations seem otherworldly. Then, the stories' abrupt endings will have listeners snapping awake as if from a strange dream they can't quite explain. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2009]