MIK MURDOCH: BOY SUPERHERO

This is a story that flies through the bizarre and lands somewhere between the funny and the horrifying. With a tone of naïveté, Anthony St. Pierre narrates Mik's misguided attempts to gain superpowers. St. Pierre believably renders the 12-year-old's exploits, such as bathing in motor oil and microwaving bugs. Even Mik's defensive mechanism of choice, hurling briefly aged cow pat, is seemingly heroic. In a voice glowing with pleasure, St. Pierre recounts Mik's smelly battles. The pace is slow but consistent with the small-town setting. The story is further rooted in location by St. Pierre's soft Canadian accent. His performance adds to the story, which is entertaining but stumbles over an incongruent mishmash of tropes. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2013]