Turtles All the Way Down

Voice actor Rudd sensitively portrays the protagonist of Green’s latest novel, Aza Holmes, a 16-year-old with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Aza’s mind is constantly crowded with anxiety and intrusive thoughts about germs and infection, which makes navigating the trials of high school no easy task. Luckily she has a best friend, Daisy, who helps keep her mind at ease. When the girls receive word that billionaire Russell Pickett left town to avoid arrest on criminal charges, and that there’s a $100,000 reward for information about his whereabouts, Daisy convinces Aza that finding Pickett is just the distraction she needs. Along the way, Aza strikes up a friendship with Pickett’s son, Davis, whom she had previously known at camp, and they form a bond despite their respective problems. Rudd speeds up the pace to show the overwhelming flood of thoughts that fill Aza’s mind. She also captures the panic Aza feels and her frustrations with her condition as she becomes attracted to Davis. Rudd tops off the performance with a slew of memorable voices for the other characters—Aza’s concerned mother, her coolly professional psychiatrist, and especially her chatterbox friend Daisy. Rudd’s excellent, empathetic narration adds to the appeal of this psychologically complex, character-driven novel. Ages 14–up. A Dutton hardcover. (Oct.)