NIMONA

Bringing a graphic novel to audio is a challenge, for obvious reasons. The full cast here gives it their all. Rebecca Soler projects just the right attitude—perky when she’s excited or glum when she’s bored—for Nimona, the shape-shifting girl with an enthusiastic appetite and aptitude for mayhem. Jonathan Davis and Marc Thompson are well matched as archenemies Blackheart and Goldenloin, and the music and sound effects help draw listeners into the mysteries at the center of the story—what secrets are the Institution, and Nimona, hiding? The result is engaging, even if it doesn’t completely capture the winning mix of humor, charm, and darkness in ND Stevenson’s art. Seek out the book AND the audio to best appreciate this dark fairy tale. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2016]