Three Girls and Their Brother

Rebeck's story relates the ups and downs of the lucky Heller sisters, three women who enjoy an uncanny rise to fame after being the focus of a photo shoot for THE NEW YORKER. With a variety of characters, both male and female, popping up throughout the story, the choice of dual narrators makes sense, but only one truly seems enthusiastic. David Drummond delivers a solid, well-rounded performance as the brother, but Cassandra Campbell seems bored with the material. She speaks without the slightest ounce of passion in her voice. Her characters are flat and one-dimensional, and not all that different from one another. Listeners will be hard pressed to enjoy the story with this unbalanced pair of narrators at the helm. L.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

December 24, 2007
Rebeck has won an Edgar and a Peabody for her TV work and numerous awards for her plays. Her hilarious first novel begins when the New Yorker
profiles the three beautiful granddaughters and grandson of a famed late literary critic, Leo Heller. As a perennially aspiring model, Daria, 18, is ecstatic. Her younger sister, Polly, 17, is thrilled, too, but 14-year-old Amelia could care less. Philip, 15, who is the smartest of the group, is the first of the four to assume the first-person narrative; he’s wary of all the attention, but the siblings’ former beauty queen mom can’t wait to take advantage of the publicity and push her daughters into show biz, even if it means sacrificing their schooling. Rebeck shines when Amelia gets cast in a ridiculous off-Broadway play: her insider’s look at the theater world is spot on and uproarious, particularly her contrast of poor starving actors with rich starving models and of theater types with Hollywood types. The siblings’ voices are not consistently strong, and an over-the-top revenge plot drains some power from the plot, but the crackling satire and scene-stealing secondaries carry the book.

March 17, 2008
Rebeck's engaging tale of the Heller sisters, three young women whose quick rise to superstardom after a New Yorker photo shoot, is a witty, insider look at the world of celebrity. However, narrators Cassandra Campbell and David Drummond butcher the novel with absolutely brutal performances that are at once over-the-top and completely uninspired. Campbell, reading predominantly female roles, is drier than happy hour at the Betty Ford Center. Her characters are flat, one-dimensional, and downright boring; her awful attempt at a British dialect is laughable at best. Drummond's reading is equally as tired and over pronounced; his characters are unbelievable and his voice grates. A disappointment and disservice to Rebeck's dazzling novel. A Shaye Areheart hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 24).

June 1, 2008
This novel by playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist Rebeck is a surreal tale of adolescent celebrity in modern New York City. Three teenage sistersAmelia, Daria, and Pollybecome the darlings of the fashion model industry. Their already dysfunctional family falls further apart, leaving the listener to ponder the value of celebrity status. Superfluous use of profanity throughout the narrative distracts from the story line. The portrayal of the siblings is effectively divided between Audie Award-winning actor David Drummond, who provides the voice of the brother, Philip, and actress Cassandra Campbell, who characterizes the sisters. The duality of their voices compels the listener through the story; Campbell's vocal work particularly captures the pathos of Amelia, the youngest. This fictionalized account of split-second stardom may be popular in libraries where celebrity gossip magazines are in high demand. An optional purchase for larger public libraries. [Rebeck's play "Mauritius" won Boston's prestigious Irene and Elliot Norton Award and premiered on Broadway in 2007; "Three Girls" is also available as downloadable audio from Audible.com.Ed.]Lisa Powell Williams, Moline P.L., IL

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