SHINE

In Black Creek, North Carolina, 16-year-old Cat has been secluding herself for a long time. She withdrew from her family and friends in shame and anger years ago. Only when her friend Patrick is the victim of a heinous beating, an apparent hate crime against the gay teen, does she begin to emerge back into her small town’s daily life—determined to uncover the perpetrator. Elizabeth Evans’s narration is lovely—strong and sharp when called for and achingly real when recounting the sexual assault that Cat suffered many years earlier. From the tough country boys to the church ladies and backwoods meth-heads, Evans gives each character life and vulnerability. Both the story and Evans’s voice will haunt listeners far beyond the novel's close. G.G. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2012]