TRASHLANDS

Welcome to a dystopian hellscape in which coastal cities are washed away and survivors scavenge for scraps of plastic to trade for food and goods. Narrator Brittany Pressley enhances the bleakness of this world. As her voice depicts the environment, every word is heavy with hopelessness. She brings grim resignation to Coral, a plastic "plucker" whose young son, Shanghai, is forced to work in a factory. Pressley adeptly shifts between Coral and the voices of child slaves, erotic dancers, drugged-out factory guards, and the "mayor" of Trashlands, who rules through violence and exploitation. When a journalist arrives to research life in "Scrappalachia," Coral begins to envision a different future for herself and her son. Listeners are left feeling their engaging story is only just beginning. J.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2022]