100 SIDEWAYS MILES

Finn, the epileptic son of a famous sci-fi writer, lives on the site of the catastrophic Mulholland Dam failure. Narrator Kirby Heyborne’s measured, carefully enunciated narration reflects the contemplative nature of this 17-year-old, who measures time in the distance the Earth travels: 20 miles per second. Finn is reserved, but his loyal friend for billions of miles has been the foul-mouthed, funny Cade Hernandez. Heyborne captures their mirror-like personalities as they banter. Finn’s life is remarkably similar to that of his alien, epileptic namesake in his father’s famous book, and he feels trapped by the book’s story. When he falls in love with Julia, whom Heyborne imbues with a sweet mysteriousness, Finn tests the boundaries of his sheltered life in the shadow of many sorrows. L.T. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2015]