YOU DESERVE NOTHING

The trio that narrates this troubling novel of an illicit relationship and the fall of a hero works well together. Will Silver is the teacher high school students love: irreverent yet motivating. Most kids at the international school in Paris work hard to earn his praise. Narrator Dan John Miller modulates his tone to mirror Silver's enthusiasm in the classroom and his detachment elsewhere, increasing listeners' unease at the teacher's behavior as the story proceeds. Cassandra Campbell gives voice to Marie, a French student who is determined to seduce Silver. Campbell uses an appropriately youthful pitch with hints of teen insecurity and apathy. Although Adam Verner sounds slightly mature for young Gilad, a loner who idolizes Silver, he perfectly projects the boy's conflicted feelings, especially when the teacher's true nature is revealed. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2012]