COUSINS IN THE CASTLE

Steven Crossley's low voice and British accent add drama to the story of 11-year-old Amelia. Kidnappers imprison her after a traumatic journey to America to live with her cousin after her parents' deaths. Crossley's voice quivers with the portrayal of her grief and her struggle to adjust to a new culture. A strange choice to narrate a book with mainly female characters, Crossley strains beyond his vocal range to depict high-pitched cousin Charlotte. His performance of Amelia's whiny singing is distracting. The most redeeming part of this story is the friendship that develops between Amelia and a poor, street-smart boy. Crossley reads him in a lower-class British accent. A.G.H. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 01]