I WAS HERE

Narrator Jorjeana Marie's wide range of shifting reactions gives a convincing picture of 18-year-old Cody, who learns that her best friend, Meg, has committed suicide. Could there be any situation that provokes a more complex tangle of emotions? Marie provides subtle shadings throughout. Cody's grief and sorrow are tinged with warm memories that suddenly give way to a reproachful tone, then disgust at the town's endless eulogizing and guilt at her own lack of awareness of her friend's pain. While Cody's outward expression seems snarky, listeners are privy to the anger that fuels her search for the person who aided Meg in her suicide as well as her fear of that confrontation, her torment at discovering first love with a boy she holds partially responsible for Meg's death, and her unremitting need to forgive herself. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2015]