cover image Queen of Babble

Queen of Babble

Meg Cabot, , read by Ilyana Kadushin. . HarperAudio, $29.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-06-112169-2

Kadushin is perfect and perfectly adorable in the role of Lizzie, the bubbly, idealistic "History of Fashion" major whose naïveté, cluelessness and inability to keep her mouth shut land her in one amusing scrape after another. The book's narrative style is ideal for audio: Lizzie tells her story in an eager, breathless first-person monologue that sounds completely natural and believable when read aloud ("I can not believe I just did that. Why did I open my big mouth, especially about something that has absolutely nothing to do with me? I am such an idiot !") Kadushin plays the role to the hilt and makes the audiobook feel like sitting down with a close friend who can't wait to share her latest gossip and secrets. Kadushin is also hilarious as Andy, Lizzie's one-time boyfriend, whose charming British accent can't hide that he's a deadbeat loser, and Dominique, the snooty French-Canadian girlfriend of Luke, the sweet guy whom Lizzie ends up falling for. This entertaining, breezy and lightweight chick lit romance is perfect for beach listening. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Reviews, June 5). (July)