LIFTED UP BY ANGELS

This sequel to ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME continues the friendship between 17-year-old Leah and the Amish family she met the previous year. She takes a local summer job to be near them and soon must confront her feelings for their teenage son and her place in their culture as an outsider. McDaniel's theme of teenagers facing life-and-death circumstances is compelling, but the audio interpretation is not. Narrator Kate Forbes delivers the text as a true reading, with no acting involved. Her voice carries tone and inflection, but these elements remain virtually the same with every sentence. This choice is surprising in the world of dramatically acted audiobooks. J.J.F. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]