INSPECTION

Malerman's dystopian fairy tale will not disappoint those who loved his earlier work, BIRD BOX. The two protagonists, J and K, are voiced expertly by Michael Crouch and Brittany Pressley. J is one of the adolescent Alphabet Boys, boys brought up together without knowledge of the opposite sex; K is a Letter Girl and is equally ignorant of males. Crouch's cadence perfectly depicts J's youth and his bewilderment as the truth about gender is revealed. Pressley breathlessly describes K's attempts to escape what she learns is a horrible experiment. When J and K finally meet, they realize that their lives and the lives of the other children have been stolen from them. The ending will leave suspense fans surprised and satisfied. D.G.P. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2019]