Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
Read by Kaili Vernoff
The narrative style chosen for this audio book was a single narrator, fully voiced. This was the best choice for this title because the main character did most of the talking. There was some dialogue; however, one narrator fully voiced was a lot easier to understand, rather than several narrators with different voices. The narrator did an excellent job in changing character voices and tones. The narrator is accurate, appropriate and consistent with accents and pronunciation. The narrator’s voice does the match the age of a young adult school girl, entering a new grade. The narrator’s voice matched the attitude and speech patterns of the main character. The narrator uses variations in pitch and volume to keep the listener engaged and to add drama and interest to the scenes. The narrator does seem appropriate to the period and setting, starting a new school year.
The pace is a little fast but not hard to keep up with. The narrator varies the pace to match the dramatic (and emotional) highs and lows of the plot. The narrator maintains pace throughout the entire production.
There is introductory music and concluding music but no music between sections of the book. It does match the tenor of the book, appropriate and relaxing, not lingering for too long. The production would have been just as good without it but it doesn’t hurt to hear some music. There are no sound effects.
The listeners are reminded at the end/beginning CD of the following chapter to come. The end points for each CD are carefully chosen, enticing. The same narrator announces the title and every chapter title and read introductory material. There is no advertising but they do mention the company who made the audio book, Listening Library.
There is one built in extra that does not appear in the print version. At the end of the audio book there is an author interview with Robin Brande. The interview is very interesting as Robin herself interviews the person who inspired the character, Ms. Sheperd. The person she interview was a man by the name of Professor Kenneth Miller, author of Finding Darwin’s God, who gave Robin the inspiration for Ms. Sheperd, a person of faith and religion. The interview with the author was placed at the end of the audio book. There is material, such as a famous Darwin quote, which appeared in book print and audio versions. This definitely adds to the listening mode. There are no illustrations and or captions in the print version.
The sound quality is clean, clear and crisp. There are no hisses, overlaps, skips, gaps, or overdubs. It is hard to tell where the recording session begins or ends. The quality of the “white noise” in the background is consistent throughout. There is tracking at regular intervals, which is definitely useful. The packaging is sturdy and durable. The cover is attractive, bright colors, bold prints. The liner notes are correct, legible, and informative. The sound level is consistent, never having to adjust the equipment to compensate. The editing is done carefully, no repeated sentences. There is perfect timing in between each chapter, leaving the listener with enough time for thoughts and reflections.
