Millions

The patron saint of audiobooks must surely have been watching over this production. It's got colorful, carefully crafted characters, a cinematic story--a British youth, obsessed with saints, finds a cash bonanza--and a dazzling read by Simon Jones. Boyce's story operates as a clever mystery, a parable about greed, a lesson in recovery from loss, and an example, like HUCKLEBERRY FINN, of a book about children that works for all ages. Narrator Jones's strongest gift isn't his array of British accents (which he does effortlessly) or his timing (which is impeccable); it is his empathy--an uncanny ability to put the listener inside the mind of a spiritually conflicted child. If you're wondering what separates the good from the great in audiobook narration--check out this Golden Voice. R.W.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Starred review from October 11, 2004
British screenwriter Boyce's inventive first novel, set in contemporary England, makes a fine transition to audio, thanks to Jones's lively, spot-on performance. Brothers Anthony and Damian are going through a tough time following their mother's death. The boys have moved to a new house with their father and are attending a new school. While Dad is overextended in his role as single parent, the boys try their best to "be excellent" and make things a little easier for all of them. As a coping method, Damian has become obsessed with the lives of saints, striving to emulate their acts of sacrifice—a point of serious concern for Dad and teachers from school. But one day when Damian is hanging out by the train tracks in his saint-like hermitage built of cardboard boxes, life takes an unusual turn. A bag of money—£229,370—seemingly falls from the sky. Of course the cash comes with strings. In 17 days, it will be deemed worthless when the country's currency changes over to euros. And the people who stole the money in the first place are eager to get it back. The boys' struggle to decide what to do with the money (and how to spend at least some of it) makes for an interesting, suspenseful caper. Jones brings humor and tenderness to the proceedings, making Damian's preoccupations both funny and heartwarming. And listeners will feel sure the family bonds are strengthened by the test. Ages 8-up. (Sept.)

FYI:
A feature film based on the book hits U.S. theaters November 24.

Starred review from August 23, 2004
How would you spend a lot of money fast? That's the irresistible premise of this witty and poignant first novel by a British screenwriter. Damian and Anthony Cunningham have moved to a new neighborhood with their loving but overwhelmed father, following their mother's death. (A mention that their old house is still on the market because of "what happened there" suggests suicide.) Anthony, a precocious fifth-grader plays on people's sympathy: "Tell them your mum's dead and they give you stuff." Damian, the beguiling fourth-grade narrator, is obsessed with saints and saintly behavior. He "mortif his flesh" by placing holly leaves under his shirt, and constructs his own makeshift "hermitage" near the railroad tracks. He's in this cardboard hideout when a bag containing more than a quarter-million pound notes drops from the sky. Damian believes it's from God. Anthony suspects otherwise but embarks on a spending spree fueled by a deadline—the pounds will be worthless in 17 days, when England converts its monetary system to the Euro. Boyce gracefully weaves in many thought-provoking episodes. Anthony learns about inflation when he overpays for favors and toys at school. Damian follows St. Francis of Assisi's example by buying and setting free a pet store's worth of birds. The ending is sure to spark heated debate, as Damian comes to terms with the ubiquity of poverty and the dark side of human nature. The story starts slowly, but readers who stick with it will be racing to the finish to figure out who's conning whom. Brilliant. Ages 8-12.