KILL ME SOFTLY

Mira runs away from home and her overprotective godmothers only to discover she’s cursed. Narrator Kim Mai Guest laces Mira’s voice with a soft hesitation that reflects her sheltered background. As Mira’s life grows more challenging, Guest’s delivery gains an assertive edge that occasionally borders on the enraged. It suits the story of a contemporary girl who is cursed with a fairy-tale destiny. As Mira resists her future, she realizes her own cursed destiny isn’t the only danger. She’s fallen for a guy who is cursed with a kiss that kills. As Guest delivers them, these breathy kisses are possibly worth dying for. However, despite Guest’s vocal cueing, the story’s transitions to flashbacks are a little confusing. In every other way this tale remains tantalizing at each turn. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2012]