Blood and Chocolate.

BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE. Annette Curtis Klause. 1997/2005. Read by Alyssa Bresnahan. 7 cds. 7.75 hrs. Recorded Books. 1-4193-6797-7. $74.75. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. S

If being a teenager wasn't already hard enough, Vivian holds another secret close to her heart. She's a shapeshifter, a werewolf. She's proud of her heritage but as the only girl her age in her clan, she longs for more. When the clan is forced to relocate closer to humans, Vivian thinks she may have found what she's looking for, a boy who professes to want the supernatural. Vivian is certain that he will see all of her as beautiful. She doesn't reckon on human fear and human violence. Vivian ultimately must choose between her needs and the welfare of her clan.

Bresnahan's smooth, deep voice brings Vivian's conflicting needs into focus. There's a dreamy, distant quality to the reading that adds atmosphere to this spookily realistic, fantastical tale. Bresnahan makes the characters feel real, the teen angst tangible but different depending on whether the person is human or other. With the penchant of the reading public for lycanthropes and other preternatural creatures, libraries would do well to purchase this. Jodi L. Israel, MLS, Jamaica Plain, MA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.