THE APOTHECARY

Cristin Milioti switches accents as easily as author Maile Meloy has moved from writing for adults to creating for children. The heroine, Janie, 14, is less graceful at moving to London when her blacklisted parents leave post-WWII Hollywood to flee McCarthyism. Little does Janie know that much more difficult transitions are in store for her. She’s just getting her balance in her new British school when adventure overtakes her. Soon she’s sucked into avoiding Soviet spies, swallowing strange elixirs that transform her into a bird, falling in love for the first time, and saving the world. Milioti’s narration changes up as frequently as the fast-moving plot. She perfectly portrays everyone from a London urchin to a European count and shifts her pacing to emphasize exciting moments. S.W. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2011]