The Great American Whatever

December 7, 2015
Annabeth and Quinn were sibling filmmakers—she the director, he the screenwriter—and Quinn, 16, dreamed that they would become famous collaborators like the Wachowskis, Ephrons, or Coens. Then Annabeth died on an icy road. Six months later, Quinn’s mother is still grief-stricken, and Quinn has holed up in his bedroom. Into this stasis arrives best friend Geoff, who prods him to take a needed shower and get out of the house. Quinn tells part of his rebound story in screenplay form, but the key plot element is his flirtation with Amir, a college guy he meets at a party: the possibility of love (and sex and romance) makes him realize that there’s still a future to look forward to. Federle’s first venture into YA shares the same wry sensibility and theatrical underpinnings of his middle-grade books, while freeing him up to make some edgier jokes (“ ‘A little less tongue,’ he slurs, which was precisely the note I was going to give him”). The mix of vulnerability, effervescence, and quick wit in Quinn’s narration will instantly endear him to readers. Ages 14–up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

Six months after his sister's sudden death, 16-year-old Quinn is numb, his mother is grieving, and his father is long gone. That might not sound like the premise for a laugh-out-loud audiobook, but Quinn is witty and instantly endearing, which both softens the heartbreak and makes it feel more real. Author Tim Federle's genuine narration is just right--self-deprecating, heartfelt, a little snarky, and always authentic. He puts listeners squarely into Quinn's point of view. We feel what Quinn feels--guilt, lust, fear, love, and the heat of a Pittsburgh summer--as he tries to figure out his place in the world without Annabeth, navigates his first crush, and tests his relationship with his best friend, Geoff. A lovely, winning match of novel and performance. J.M.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine