Althea and Oliver

September 1, 2014
Debut author Moracho takes a familiar setup—best friends with incompatible feelings—and examines it thoroughly and deeply. Althea and Oliver have been inseparable since they were kids. As they mature, Althea yearns for something more from their relationship while Oliver wants everything “to be normal.” Complicating matters, Oliver suffers from an onset of Kleine-Levin syndrome, a rare illness characterized by extreme periods of sleep, memory lapses, and erratic behavior. During one of Oliver’s episodes, he and Althea have sex, drawing a wedge in their friendship and causing her to act out violently. In what reads like a marked departure from the first half of the book, which is set in smalltown North Carolina, latter sections find Oliver in New York City, enrolled in a sleep study. Meanwhile, Althea attempts to track Oliver down but finds new friends and a stronger, more independent version of herself. Throughout the book, Oliver’s reserve is an effective counterpoint to Althea’s reckless responses to the teens’ respective predicaments. Moracho wisely resists a storybook ending for these two, concluding with what seems like the next logical step in their lives. Ages 14–up.

Narrator Jorjeana Marie gives voice to the inner struggles of Althea and Oliver, two best friends since age 6 who are navigating their changing relationship at age 17. As Althea's unrequited romantic feelings for Oliver grow, he deals with a strange illness that causes him to fall asleep for long periods of time. Listeners hear how these complications almost bring an end their relationship. Though Marie highlights subtleties in Althea's character well, she doesn't succeed as well with Oliver. His lines are mostly rushed and defensive, not only making him difficult to understand at times but also reducing his pain to petulance. Further, while Marie makes a decent attempt at Althea's father's Georgia accent, her North Carolina accent is over the top. E.M.C. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine