ESSENTIAL MAPS FOR THE LOST

C.S.E. Cooney narrates the alternating stories of Billy and Madison with a certain detachment. This tone provides needed distance from the intense thoughts of these two lost teens. Cooney's narration occasionally emphasizes the kids' wry humor, lightening the tone a bit. Madison has only a short summer break from her dependent mother. Swimming brings her calmness--until she collides with the body of a woman who has committed suicide. That woman is Billy's mother. As Madison tries to understand the reasons behind the death, she meets and falls in love with grieving Billy. Cooney's reading gains a dynamic quality in the dialogue featured in this quixotic relationship. The experience of loss never weighs down this story of heroes discovering how to love themselves and each other. S.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2016]