The Haters

Narrator Michael Crouch portrays Wes, a teenage bassist who runs away from jazz camp with his best friend, Corey, and Ash, a girl they've just met. Their plan is to take the band they formed after just one jam session on tour. Crouch captures Wes's analytical and responsible nature, capably handling every nuance of the smart, funny writing as the trio beg to play in crummy venues, evade the police, and learn more about each other than they want to. Crouch creates unique voices for the secondary characters as well, and his voice for Corey is particularly effective, revealing character and helping illuminate his relationship with Wes. This exploration of identity and friendship will make listeners groan with recognition and laugh out loud. A.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

January 18, 2016
After meeting at jazz camp, what might be the world’s worst musical trio decides to ditch the camp and go on a road trip, determined to play at any venue that will have them. Teenage best friends Wes (bass) and Corey (drums) join up with a mercurial, dynamic girl named Ash (guitar) and head out on the highway, aiming for adventure but finding wacky hijinks and weird people. There’s yelling, bad decisions, marijuana-fueled interludes, impromptu jam sessions, and way too much caffeine and junk food, and it all comes to a head when they realize it’s time to face the music. Andrews (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) loads his gonzo road trip with offbeat humor, philosophical musings, and musical references and debate, augmenting the narrative with fake Wikipedia entries, flashbacks, and screenplay-format exchanges. Wes’s narrative voice is casual and believable, and while not all of the stylistic quirks pay off (such as an extended “drug experience gone wrong,” as Wes puts it), but as a love letter to music and following one’s dreams, it’s just right. Ages 13–up. Agent: Claudia Ballard, William Morris Endeavor.