A Hero for WondLa

After spending her first 12 years underground, being raised by a robot, Eve Nine has finally found a home in the human colony of New Attica. In this second book of DiTerlizzi's WONDLA trilogy, Eve comes to realize that something dark and dangerous runs beneath the surface of this apparent utopia. But there is little wonder in Wondla. The audiobook suffers from the absence of the illustrations that breathe life into the print version of this science-fiction world. Although there's a smattering of interesting vocabulary in the story, its monosyllabic language and repetitious dialogue are a challenge for narrator Teri Hatcher. Her plodding pace and monotonous tone create a lackluster world the listener never gets lost in. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

June 25, 2012
The sequel to DiTerlizzi’s The Search for WondLa finds 12-year-old Eva Nine and her alien companion Rovender Kitt in the human city of New Attica. At first, this seems like the culmination of Eva’s quest: raised by a robot in an underground sanctuary, she had been searching for humans like herself. But in New Attica, Eva begins to notice that her human peers have ulterior motives and hidden motivations. Narrator Teri Hatcher’s performance of the book’s dialogue is exceptional: she breathes life into each of the characters, differentiating them with distinct voices and vocal mannerisms. However, when she reads expository or descriptive passages, her voice becomes stilted. And this contrast will likely prove jarring to listeners—especially ones immersed in the story by the narrator’s fine rendering of the characters. Ages 10–up. A Simon & Schuster hardcover.