THE BEST NIGHT OF YOUR (PATHETIC) LIFE

Mary and her friends compete fiercely to win their senior class scavenger hunt, driving through town collecting items and winning points. Mary’s group also experiences the excitement of attending college in the fall and the dilemmas of dating. Ali Ahn presents Mary and the other students as three-dimensional characters who change in unexpected ways as the story evolves. Ahn’s realistic voices invest listeners in Mary’s success and in the dramas that plague the friends. Some of the hunt’s clues are difficult to visualize as they are narrated, but the story’s dialogue is clear. Ahn does not overplay the teenaged angst and succeeds in building the tension as time runs out for Mary’s group. This audiobook is the perfect choice for any teenager facing unexpected challenges. C.A. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2012]