CITY OF ORPHANS

Avi’s portrayal of New York City in 1893 offers flawless research and Dickensian characters. When speaking as the story’s omniscient narrator, Chris Sorensen’s voice takes on the tone of a tough guy. He drops final letters and liberally uses street slang to create a convincing sense of place and period. His quick changes between accents help depict the multicultural mix of classes. Sorensen’s reading ably contrasts the two heroes. As 13-year-old Maks Geless, a newsboy who is the son of Danish immigrants, Sorensen speaks boldly and unemotionally. Sorenson gives Willa, a homeless girl of undetermined background, more refined speech, colored with uncertainty. When Maks’s sister is arrested, the pair functions as a detective duo. Sorensen’s skill gives even stock characters depth, most noticeably the hard-boiled dying detective Bartleby Donck, who mentors the two children. S.W. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2011]