LARRY AND THE MEANING OF LIFE

The usually energetic activist Larry Swensen (THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LARRY, 2001) is deep in the clutches of inertia. No presidential runs, no consumerism rants—Larry can barely bring himself to commune with his dead mother at Bloomingdale's makeup counter. Narrator Matt Green sounds like an 18-year-old with terminal ennui. Hoping to rouse Larry, his friend Beth hatches a diabolical plan involving a kidney transplant (using Larry's kidney), a decapitated dog, and a terrorist plot. Green's alarm sounds genuine as Larry realizes his friend and guru Gus intends to blow up Walden Pond. YA listeners will enjoy the surprise ending, the likable characters, and the clever, sometimes slapstick humor. Green's performance makes the most of Janet Tashjian's smart, savvy teens and caring adults. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2009]