THE RULES FOR BECOMING A LEGEND

Here's the story of Jimmy "Kamikaze" Kirkus, basketball phenom, son of a basketball great. Bryan Langlitz's narration relies on emotion, which is so appropriate for Timothy Lane's compelling drama about a troubled kid who is trying to find his way on and off the court in the Northwest. Langlitz sets the tone in the opening scene, then spends the rest of the book shaping the plot with a determined, animated narration. The story evokes alternating empathy and laughter as the nonlinear plot bounces to points before and after the incident described in the opening scene. Langlitz's energetic narration helps listeners keep it all straight. He shines more with tone than with voices--a nutty grandfather is done well--in a story that is equal parts coming-of-age, family dysfunction, and sports. M.B. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2014]