HAZEL HILL IS GONNA WIN THIS ONE

Tara Sands's narration brings this middle school examination of #BelieveWomen to life. Loner Hazel Hill is gay, but no one else knows. So when homeroom neighbor Tyler Harris, a serial kiss-and-teller, informs Hazel that his ex-girlfriend Ella Quinn is crushing on her, she's confused. Ella Quinn is Hazel's chief competition in the upcoming speech contest, but Hazel's awkward investigation of Tyler's claim results in both an unexpected friendship and a cause: Tyler is sending Ella Quinn horrible, hateful messages via social media, but the principal blames her for her own harassment! Sands voices this all-too-realistic scenario with empathy and precision; listeners will ache and rage with Hazel and Ella Quinn as they take on both toxic masculinity and skeptical adults. A winner indeed. V.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2022]