ROOTLESS

Award-winning narrator Nick Podehl is perfectly cast for this imaginative postapocalyptic novel. Living in a world devoid of trees, 17-year-old Banyan creates beautiful forests out of scrap metal, despite never having seen a real tree himself. When his father goes missing, Banyan sets out on a journey filled with pirates, poachers, flesh-eating locusts, and a shocking secret about his true identity. Podehl doesn't merely portray this original cast of characters, he enhances them, using tone and cadence to bring them to life. Banyan sounds rustic yet confident; Alpha, the adolescent pirate, is tough, with a subtle femininity; and Crow the Rasta's deep island accent is spot-on, man. The unexpected ending will leave listeners eagerly awaiting the next installment. M.D. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2013]