THE TURNING

Almost from the moment Jack boards the ferry to take him to his summer job as a companion to two children, he gets a feeling of foreboding, and it's not just because he's moving to a privately owned island with no Internet or cell phone service. Kirby Heyborne narrates Jack's detailed letters home, perfectly expressing the gradual change in the teen's personality from a subtle feeling of unease to the outright fear of seeing ghosts and amping up the terror as Jack descends into paranoia and anger. In this updated version of Henry James's TURN OF THE SCREW, Heyborne's voice is sometimes too mature for a high schooler, and listeners may be put off by his underlying tone of earnestness. Amy Rubinate is believable as Jack's girlfriend, and Grover Gardner turns in a fine performance as Jack's father. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2012]