The Gatekeepers

In the affluent Chicago suburb of North Shore, high school students are highly competitive, anxiety ridden, and cliquey. The ensemble of narrators brings the main characters to life, emulating attitudes and teenage angst. Simone, a transplant from Britain, has poise and self-assurance, while Mallory is highly competitive to the point of being neurotic about her health, weight, and athleticism. The teenage boys include geeky Steven, Owen, and Kent, each sweet and somewhat insecure, and footballer Braden. The narrators bring the characters to life as they deal with drugs, suicide, parental neglect, and life in those uncomfortable teen years. Listening to this novel takes one back to high school. M.B.K. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine