AN APPETITE FOR MIRACLES

In alternating chapters, narrators André Santana and Stacy Gonzalez depict the lives of two Mexican American teens, Danna and Raul, who find first love amid family struggles. The production offers a fascinating variation in point of view: Periodically one narrator slips effortlessly and dynamically into the narration of the other. Santana depicts Raul's sadness and worry after his mother's incarceration, release, and descent into depression; the relief he finds in music; and his joy at Danna's admiration of his work. Gonzalez portrays Danna's despair over her grandfather's dementia and her mother's constant criticisms and body shaming. The beauty of the teens' new love provides them with tenderness and acceptance. Both narrators capture the audiobook's free-verse form, sensory details, and cultural references. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2023]