Windfall

Alice has been living with her cousin Jake’s family ever since her parents died. She and Jake are best friends with Teddy, who is also Alice’s secret crush. When Alice buys Teddy a lottery ticket as a joke for his 18th birthday, he ends up winning $140 million, which turns all their lives upside down. Narrator Cornelisse sounds like an actual teenager, with a refreshingly down-to-earth, slightly scratchy voice; she sounds like a regular kid you might know, which makes her a great fit for Alice. She doesn’t create character voices, but differentiates the characters by deepening her voice for the boys and adding a slight accent for Jake’s mother. It’s a perfectly suitable performance. Listeners will not be disappointed. Ages 12–up. [em]A Delacorte hardcover. (May) [/em]