SURRENDER

Humphrey Bower is simply sensational as 20-year-old Anwell, confined to bed, bitter, and dying horribly. As a terrified 7-year-old charged with keeping his handicapped brother quiet, Anwell accidentally suffocated him. Neither his cold, distant father nor his emotionally disturbed mother can forgive him. His comfort comes from a pact made with his friend, Finnigan. Finnigan does the "bad things," so Anwell won't have to. Bower's artistry keeps listeners wondering about Finnigan. Is he the perpetrator of a series of arsons in isolated Mulyan, "a town of abominable secrets and myth"? Is he real, or merely Anwell's shadow made substance? In Sonya Hartnett's beautifully written, unflinching look at guilt, mental illness, and death, Bower's voicing is a small miracle of subtlety and insight. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2007 Audies Award Finalist © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 06]