Thunderstruck

The slight roughness to narrator Erin Yuen's voice is well suited to this outstanding collection of nine short stories that share themes of death and loss. Yuen's vocal flexibility stretches from a whispery flow to augment the tense and creepy moments (as in "Something Amazing," about missing children) to a quick staccato to catch the rhythm of the faster-paced stories (for example, "Juliet," about a library patron). The many characters offer a platform for Yuen to create a range of distinct voices--from a toddler's lispy outrage to a grandmother's light scolding. These stories show people in some of their most unguarded moments, and Yuen's sensitive performance adds to the power of McCracken's prose. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine