Liesl & Po

By: Kei Acedera, Lauren Oliver

Narrated by: Jim Dale

Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's Summary

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice - until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

From New York Times best-selling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places.

©2011 Lauren Oliver (P)2011 HarperCollinsPublishers

Great story made better by a great narrator

Simply said, I loved everything about this book. I must be young at heart since is a YA book. The characters are wonderful, even the bad ones are fun. And the twists and turns take the reader/listener on a frenzied and fascinating journey. I was sorry when the story ended, even though it ended exactly as it should. Jim Dale was superb. He brought each character to life in a way few narrators can.

Loved this charming story

This story was absolutely captivating. I bought it for my son to listen to on our commutes to school, but found I was looking forward to listening to it just as much as he was. It is charmingly written, elegant and simple. It deals with solemnity and darkness with a gentle hand and weaves together the various threads of the tale neatly. It is simplistic for an adult's ears, but still immensely enjoyable, and my 8 year old loved it, asking for it to be put on the moment he got in the car. I would listen to it over and again simply for the amazing voices of the narrator - one never exhausted of hearing his voice and the clever use of different accents and overtones. This story was more performed than told, and it suited the tale well!

Magical.

Leisl and Po is the story of an unlikely friendship between a forgotten little girl and a ghost. It takes place in a world where magic can happen. Although the intended audience for the book is younger than Lauren Oliver's typical audience, she delivers her characteristic strong and complex plot - trusting her readers to have the imagination to follow along. Jim Dale's reading of the book is breathtaking. He brings each character to life in a unique and delightful way. I would recommend this book not just for young adults, but for all readers. It will remind you of how magical an experience a good book can be.

Love that Jim Dale!

If you could sum up Liesl & Po in three words, what would they be?

Very strange, indeed.

What other book might you compare Liesl & Po to and why?

Harry Potter, it's the only other children's story about magic that I've read.

Have you listened to any of Jim Dale’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. Jim Dale is my very favorite and this one is just as good as the others

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yeah but I commute to work by bicycle and only listen while I ride.

Any additional comments?

I wish there were more Jim Dale narrations to choose from.

Yea!! Jim Dale!!!!

Ok, so I like the narrator more than the story..... cute story, a bit weird in parts but likable. Jim's the best though!

Save your credit

I can't finish this book. The narrator is not very good and has this fake, horrible irish/scottish accent he desperately tries to do. The story just doesn't grab you or move you, don't spend your money on it. It's just plain boring and lame! Sorry!

Lovely story!

I love to listen to Jim Dale! This story was made for his wonderful narrative voice. This tale is fun and has many twists and turns. I enjoyed it very much.

Story made better by narration

I listened to the audiobook and Jim Dale did an EXCELLENT job. His voice was perfect for the novel and all the accents and inflections were spot on. I especially love that he did Po's voice with a Scottish accent. 5/5 stars for the narration.

The story itself was really lovely and magical and I enjoyed it all the more with Jim Dale's excellent performance. It has a very Harry Potter-ish feel to it, which I really like. But besides Po, the characters were too one-dimensional. 4/5 for the story.

Jim Dale is perfect, as usual :)

Would you consider the audio edition of Liesl & Po to be better than the print version?

Yes, Jim Dale brings so much to the story with his narrations. He breathes life into them. I wish he would narrate everything!

What did you like best about this story?

I loved how the author wrote Liesl, somehow both fragility and strength. And all the secondary characters had such life and humor even though they only spoke a couple times

Have you listened to any of Jim Dale’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Jim Dale excels when he reads a book with multiple accents (scottish, irish...) So when a book is set in one location, similar to London, I don't think he gets to use his skill to the fullest.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No i listened over a couple days

An original charmer

What did you love best about Liesl & Po?

Another incredible performance by Jim Dale! This is a charming story and Jim Dale brings it to life with the subtlety and wonder of his narration. Worth a listen just for Mr. Dale's performance!