BIRD

Narrator Amandla Stenberg portrays the youthful vulnerability of 12-year-old Jewel as she struggles to bring her family back from their chasm of grief. Stenberg expresses Jewel's sorrow over the death of her brother, Bird, and her frustration over the Jamaican superstitions her family uses to explain the tragic event. While listeners will easily accept Jewel as a credible character, Stenberg's narration could be more polished. Her declarative style sometimes fails to capture the full emotional range of the story. Her pacing is rushed, and, without unique voices, each person sounds the same. Jewel's thoughts tumble over themselves before they can resonate with listeners. While Stenberg pulls off Jewel's tween persona, a more lyrical, nuanced narration would better capture Chan's novel. C.A. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2014]