THE MOST PERFECT THING IN THE UNIVERSE

Lauren Ezzo gives a wholehearted performance of this sweet and summery middle-grade novel, immersing listeners in Loah’s world. Eleven-and-a-half-year-old Loah (named for an endangered bird) is a homebody, but home isn’t as comforting as it used to be. Her house is in disrepair, and the elderly Rinker siblings, who are taking care of Loah while her mother, an ornithologist, is on an extended research trip in the Arctic, are getting older and frailer. And what’s that mysterious hissing coming from the house’s dilapidated turret? Listeners feel it as Loah worries about her mother, makes unexpected new friends, and is forced into situations in which she has to fend for herself. It’s a satisfying story of family, friendship, and finding your own inner strength. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2022]