THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER Mara Dyer, Book 1

Narrator Christy Romano captures the youthful voice of the 17-year- old main character. Mara's sass, worries, and romantic longing all come alive, thanks to Romano's performance. However, she puts so much acting into her reading that it takes away from the author's words. The story begins as a paranormal mystery: How did Mara survive the accident that killed three of her friends? But it quickly becomes a romance with some mysterious touches: Can dreamy Noah help Mara find answers? The pace is uneven, there are a lot of mouth noises, and one British character's accent tends to migrate to other characters, all of which make for distracted listening. G.D. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2014]