The Alex Crow

Careful listening reveals connections between the four disparate stories in Smith’s latest. First is that of a 14-year-old boy, Ariel, who survives the bombing of his home amid a civil war (in an unnamed country) and is bought to America as a refugee. Then there is the tale of the 19th-century Arctic expedition on the ship The Alex Crow and what the crew finds in the ice along the way. There are the travails of Leonard Fountain, an insane man driving across the American South on a mission of destruction. And finally the story of Ariel, now in America (in the present), and his new brother, Max, at the odd Camp Merrie Seymour for Boys. The text could make for an audio nightmare: four different stories, each with multiple characters, taking place in diverse locations and times, as the narrative jumps between them. But Andrews avoids confusion by immediately grounding the listener in the proper place. He does amazing vocal gymnastics, creating voices that are frightened, bold, cocky, confident, confused, charming, formal, warm, and dangerous. Listeners will easily find themselves immersed in the story. Ages 14–up. A Dutton hardcover. (Mar.)