PERFECTED BY GIRLS

Martino, author of PINNED, is back on the wrestling circuit, but this time his main character is Melinda Radford, the first girl on the Ashton High School wrestling team. Narrator Jen Taylor is splendidly fun as she introduces Mel's friends and family—and the boys who are reluctant to wrestle her. Martino and Taylor also capture Mel's home life as she deals with her bossy grandmother, who wants her to work in her office. Taylor’s standout characters are the grandmother and a smarmy guy at the office who hilariously fakes how happy he is to have Mel working there. Listeners go along for the ride as Mel confronts death and eventually wrestles varsity. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2012]