SWEETGIRL

Mulhauser’s debut novel is gritty and suspenseful yet overflowing with heart, hope, and humor. Narrator Cassandra Morris is extraordinary as the voice of 16-year-old Percy James, a young woman who is committed to her dysfunctional family yet resourceful and mature enough to rise above them. Morris also gives unique voices to the characters who interact with Percy. MacLeod Andrews has a different challenge as he narrates alternating chapters that tell the story from the perspective of Shelton Potter, a low-life drug dealer who uses more product than he sells. Somehow Andrews manages to speak Shelton’s thoughts intimately while keeping the distance of the third-person voice, an approach that shines a light on Shelton’s drug-addled thought processes. A tour de force. N.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2016]