GUY IN REAL LIFE

Narrators MacLeod Andrews and Arielle DeLisle both shine in this smart and funny coming-of-age story. High school students Lesh and Svetlana enjoy role-playing games. Metalhead Lesh lets peer pressure get the best of him. Creative Svetlana is a dreamer and happy in her own skin. The story doesn’t simply alternate between Lesh and Svetlana; it also shows the points of view of the characters they role-play. This is delightfully silly as listeners hear Andrews performing as both a huge ogre with a deep, gruff voice and an ethereal female elf with breathless enthusiasm. Brezenoff’s book captures the confusion about identity that many teens feel. DeLisle’s performance is charming and confident while Andrews’s is top-notch, breathing life into ogres, elves, boys, and girls alike. G.D. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2014]