THE SPRING TONE

Tomomi has been having bad dreams about monsters. At graduation, she goes on stage and faints from pure stress. She's not ready to move on, and she thinks longingly about never having to grow up. In a distinct change of pace from most coming-of-age stories, in which the young protagonist can hardly wait to grow up, Tomomi looks at her aging grandfather and knows for sure that she never wants to go where he is. She never wants to get old. It takes a while to warm to this low-key story, despite Moore's sensitive reading. But the pace is sprightly, and Moore's voice is easy to listen to. M.C. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]