FICTION

I Rise

by Marie Arnold (text) & narrated by Marcella Cox
Harper Audio. Aug. 2022. 702p. $21.99. ISBN 9780358669326.
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Gr 7 Up–At 14, Ayo “just want[s] to be normal”—hang out with friends, maybe even have a boyfriend. But Ayo’s mother, Rosalie, is the revered founder of See Us, a Harlem-based civil rights group. See Us was supposed to be Ayo’s inheritance...but never this soon. As Rosalie lies in a coma after being shot by police, Ayo faces the biggest challenges of her young life. Cox hasn’t yet reached a dozen audio credits, but her extensive acting training and experiences are on full display as she imbues Ayo with an impressive emotive range; ironically, the accomplished performance make the few stumbles (Thighland for Thailand, “progress” pronounced as a noun when used as a verb) seem more obvious.
VERDICT Cox deftly intensifies Arnold’s insightful mother/daughter narrative gloriously intertwined with powerful social justice awareness and inspiration.
Reviewed by Terry Hong , Jan 01, 2023

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