JENNIFER GOVERNMENT

Max Barry's satire is set in a Ralph Nader nightmare. It's the near-future in the Australian Territories of the U.S. The government has been privatized. The entire world (except France) is run by Big Business, and the term "corporate conscience" remains an oxymoron. In Barry's world, hostile takeovers mean real war between rival companies. His highly original characters are the comic book equivalent of American consumerism. Michael Kramer gives a terrific performance. He makes Buy Mitsui, millionaire nice-guy, sound like a gentle bear. Jennifer Government, federal agent with a barcode tattooed on her cheekbone, sounds steely and paranoid. Hack Nike, hapless pawn in a game of Ultimate Chess, is convincingly bewildered. Kramer gets right into the wacky sensibilities of the author, and the results are tremendous fun. S.J.H. 2005 YALSA Selection (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 03]