Off the Page

Take a 60-page illustrated storybook full of characters and add four talented narrators, and you get a great romance for young teens. Suzy Jackson's Delilah is the heroine who pulls Prince Oliver, the love of her life, from the storybook he appears in to become her real-life boyfriend. Each of the narrators takes a chapter at a time, handling the primary role as well as the supporting characters' voices. While this approach sometimes sounds discordant, as the secondary character voices change, overall, it works rather well. All the voices are well developed, and each narrator's pacing and timing are excellent. This is a sequel to BETWEEN THE LINES but works fine as a stand-alone. M.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

September 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-Delilah has her prince charming, Oliver, who was literally taken from the pages of a storybook and is now successfully navigating the purgatory known as high school, even catching the eye of Delilah's nemesis, prom queen Allie. Edgar agreed to take over Oliver's role in the book and is adjusting to a life inside a two-dimensional magic kingdom. When events start to go oddly and its author, Jessamyn, is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, everyone works together in an effort to fix things. Narrators Nick Cordero, Michael Bakkenson, Suzy Jackson, and Morgan Hallett capture their characters' voices exceedingly well. VERDICT YA listeners will enjoy this cleverly written fairy tale from the dynamic mother-daughter duo. It could work as a stand-alone, but will be enjoyed most by those familiar with the whole series.-Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH

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