All My Dangerous Friends.

Sonya Hartnett. 1998/1999. Read by Kate Hosking. Bolinda Audio, Landmark. 5 tapes. 5 hrs. 1-74030-051-3. $40.00. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. SA

Louie, 19 years old, is leaving her old "safe" life behind. Her new friends lead much more interesting lives and she wants to be part of their world. She knows they are thieves, that they deal in drugs and that sometimes they even hurt people. Sasha (mastermind and ring leader), Hastings, Flynn and her boyfriend Andy make up this little group of strange characters. As Louie becomes more deeply involved she begins to see the darker sides of these personalities. The culminating experience comes when "the gang" goes after Daniel, the boyfriend of Sasha's sister It is this experience, along with a kind of growing up process, which makes her finally realize that this, after all, is not the kind of life she wants.

Hosking's full-voiced reading of this sometimes humorous, often dark story set in Australia makes the strong accents and Aussie expressions, difficult at first, understandable once into the sweep of this fast-paced book. The music, with its urban tone, was carefully chosen to reflect the hard-edged, energetic nature of the characters. An entertaining and thoughtful listening experience. Sally M. Tibbetts, LRC, Maine H.S., Des Plaines, IL