SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR

Amber Appleton is a quirky, likable teenager who lives on the school bus her mother drives. Cynthia Holloway shines as Amber, embodying a young woman full of hope, humor, and hubris. Humor is Holloway's strong suit, and she’s also good at differentiating character voices within the main character's first person point of view. Upbeat in spite of being downtrodden, Amber Appleton volunteers at a nursing home, helps an autistic kid, and tutors a group of Vietnamese immigrants. She sees herself as "sorta like a rock star"—until tragedy strikes and her optimism almost fails her. Holloway's voice has a young, open quality that makes listeners believe that Amber can rock the odds that would dim a lesser star. M.M.C. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2010]