The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone

Seventeen-year-old Addison Stone became a celebrated artist before she fell from a scaffold and died. These are the only clear facts common to the reminiscences of those who knew her. As their accounts jive, or conflict, listeners piece together Addison's eccentricities, passions, and pretentions. The vignettes are vivid because of the cast of talented actors who take on a multitude of characters and their visions, which sometimes define the storyteller better than Addison. The female biographer is detached; one girlfriend is catty while another is concerned; one boyfriend is broken-hearted, and another is bitter; her mother is worried, and a wealthy cousin is snooty. Their portrayals are distinct and diverse in tone, accents, and attitudes. Together, the cast creates a strong picture of the complex heroine. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

June 2, 2014
In a faux biography of a deceased teenage rising star in the art world, Griffin (Loud Awake and Lost) builds a novel around interviews from people involved in Addison’s life before she died, excerpts from media coverage of her rapidly growing fame, photographs of Addison and her friends, and images of her artwork. The myriad voices include her friends and neighbors from back home in Rhode Island, the teachers who helped engineer her success, the boys she became involved with, the hard-partying crowd she ran with in New York City, her high-powered art dealer, and the psychiatrist who prescribed her antipsychotic medication. As they recount how talented, beautiful, cruel, difficult, or tragic Addison was in life, they often reveal their own insecurities, arrogance, ulterior motives, and desire to share Addison’s fame. Griffin offers incisive commentary on mental illness and the frenzy around (and pressures induced by) celebrity, especially surrounding young women. Defined primarily by the contradictory accounts of those around her, Addison remains something of a cipher even by book’s end. Ages 14–up. Agent: Emily Van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (Aug.)■

December 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Addison Stone, a young and dynamic artist, fell from the Manhattan Bridge while plastering a billboard. Was it an accident? Suicide? Something more sinister? Griffin constructs this tale by blending narrative prose with newspaper articles describing Addison's career and death, and interviews with family and friends. Listeners will have to continually remind themselves that Addison, however real she may be, is a fictional character. A full cast of narrators, headed by Amy Rubinate, Caroline Shaffer, Hillary Huber, Jorjeana Marie, and Will Damron, bring this story to life. The audio version also contains a bonus disc featuring the artwork and photographs that are included in the print text. This unique book will be a welcome addition to young adult collections and should be recommended to listeners who enjoyed Marissa Pessl's Night Film.-Amanda Rollins, Northwest Village School, Plainville, CT

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