August and Everything After

March 12, 2018
Quinn and Malcolm are each grieving the loss of friends: narrator Quinn’s best friend died in a car wreck that nearly killed her, and two of Malcolm’s band members died in a bus accident. Both teens are also struggling with the aftermath of being close to death themselves; Quinn suffers from anxiety, and Malcolm turns to alcohol and drugs to escape. When Malcolm invites Quinn to play drums in his band, she finds the perfect summer distraction from her grief. Doktorski (The Summer After You and Me) fills her latest novel with music—Quinn playing the drums at band practice with Malcolm, recording an album, and playing live. The teens wrestle with their own darkness; Malcolm tries to conquer addiction, and Quinn tries to work through the guilt surrounding her best friend’s accident and its consequences. This is a satisfying blend of family drama, romance, and music, staged in the aftermath of tragedy. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kerry Sparks, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency.

Narrator Emily Lawrence delivers this slow burn teen romance in a cool tone. Quinn is hiding out for the summer on the Jersey Shore with her aunt following a senior-year relationship disaster. Working on her life plan hasn't progressed beyond turning her marching band skills into rock drummer dreams. She meets a troubled singer named Malcolm, and they bond over guilt and loss even as his recovery from opioid addiction throws up roadblocks. Lawrence fills the dialogue with personality and passion. The characters have a complexity that makes them satisfyingly realistic, owing equally to the writing and the narration. As the adrift Quinn looks to her future, Lawrence's narration is kindled with possibility and longing. S.T.C. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine