ALL THE RIGHT STUFF

Myers portrays the street life of Harlem through the voices of a trio of disparate characters. Narrator Brandon Gill transitions deftly from the troubled voice of high school senior Paul Dupree to those of Elijah, his summer employer, and the smooth-talking Sly, a neighborhood gang leader. Elijah’s cajoling, amusing instructions in the soup kitchen run the gamut from how to dice carrots to life lessons on social contracts. Paul thoughtfully digests the lessons and tries to convey them to an unwed mother he is coaching in basketball. Myers adds drama to this morality tale through the characters of Sly and the young basketball star. Gill decisively portrays them all, along with a host of minor characters—from soup-kitchen seniors to thugs and visiting relations. D.P.D. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2012]