THE TURNAROUND

Three white teenagers, stoned, drinking, and looking for trouble, drive into an African-American neighborhood, taunt three young black men, and suffer predictable consequences. While character development could be stronger in this well-crafted, author-approved abridgment, listeners will have no difficulty following Pelecanos's gut-wrenching reflection on the results of a moment of teenaged stupidity on the participants, 35 years after the fact. Dion Graham's voice makes every moment feel portentous, every event tremble on the brink of something cataclysmic. At the same time, his smooth, rounded tones are as comforting as curling up under a down comforter on a cold night. Reminiscent of Dennis Lehane's disturbing MYSTIC RIVER, Pelecanos’s novel explores the destructive nature of bigotry, urban blight, and the aftermath of senseless violence. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]