Adrift

Starred review from May 4, 2015
In a terrifying survival story in which past traumas are as visceral and intense as present circumstances, five teenagers try to stay alive after becoming lost off the Atlantic coast. Raised in a blue-collar neighborhood in Queens, friends Matt and John are working in Montauk, N.Y., for the summer when they meet 17-year-old Driana Gonzaga, her Brazilian cousin Estefania, and Estefania’s boyfriend, João. After Estefania attempts some daring night surfing, the other teenagers attempt to rescue her in a small, ill-equipped boat; engine problems soon strand them. Griffin (Burning Blue) gives his characters just enough know-how to keep them from being completely helpless, but the situation is clearly beyond their control. Police emails and other communications provide brief respites from the rapidly degrading situation on the boat. Profound moments such as when Matt realizes that the “cruel” sun “was just being what it was. A mindless, merciless star that would shine on whatever got in its way” will haunt readers as much as the lethal injuries, worsening weather, class friction, and psychological instability the teenagers face. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.

Author and narrator Paul Griffin captures the intensity of what happens when Matt and his best friend, John, wind up trapped on a tiny boat in the ocean with three other teens they've just met. Matt is from the Bronx, and Griffin appropriately lets his slightly tough first-person persona infuse the performance. As the maritime situation worsens, Griffin makes palpable the increasing tension between Matt and John, as well as dramatizes the culture divide between them and the three rich kids they followed out onto the water. Even though Griffin adds some accents to the voices, it's sometimes impossible to tell who's speaking. Despite that slight confusion, though, listeners will be riveted by edge-of-your-seat storytelling. A.F. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine