Phantom Limbs

July 18, 2016
While 16-year-old Otis Mueller’s teammate and self-proclaimed swim coach, Dara, wants to see him qualify for the Olympics, Otis is more interested in reconnecting with his first love, Meg, whom he hasn’t seen in three years. Meg’s parents’ separation lands her back in Illinois, the scene of the accidental death of Otis’s younger brother, Mason, an incident Meg cannot overcome and Otis’s mother cannot forgive. Despite the mutual attraction between Otis and Meg, her PTSD and boyfriend keep the two in friend territory. When Dara—missing a partial limb after a shark attack, suffering from phantom limb pain, and uncertain about her sexuality—begins to act self-destructively, Otis has to decide who is most important to him, Meg or Dara. Garner’s debut sensitively portrays Meg and Otis’s bruised emotions, both recovering from deep loss. Though the description of Mason’s accident is a gut-punch in its realism, much of the plot unfolds predictably. The novel’s strongest moments go to Dara, whose no-holds-barred personality—“she was the human equivalent of a Venus flytrap”—livens and complicates the novel. Ages 14–up. Agent: Molly Jaffa, Folio Literary Management.

Narrator Nicholas Mondelli portrays Otis, a 16-year-old swimmer who is grappling with the repercussions of his younger brother's accidental death years before. Mondelli gives a sensitive, expressive performance. He captures Otis's thoughts as his moods swing through frustration, confusion, affection, and grief while he tries to manage his relationship with his emotionally battered best friend, Dara, and cope with the unexpected reappearance of his former girlfriend. Mondelli uses subtle changes in tone for the characters, making it clear who is speaking while keeping listeners solidly in Otis's perspective. Moments of humor balance out sadness in this debut, which will leave listeners looking forward to Garner's next book. A.F. � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine