The Resurrectionist

Trying to revive his son, who is in a coma, Sweeney reads to him from a series of comic books that follow the journey of a troupe of circus "freaks." Sweeney's own journey of hope brings him strange encounters that expand his sense of reality in surrealistic ways. It's often difficult to tell what's real and what's not in this rich novel. In his narration Holter Graham give a sense of innocence to some characters, which contrasts well with the world-weariness of others. His sensitive and vivid characterizations have range and flexibility. Through pace and timing, he creates an atmosphere of normalcy in a bizarre world. He is particularly skillful at depicting the relationships and interactions between the characters, as well as the parallels between the real and the surreal. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

May 26, 2008
Holter Graham deftly brings to life the myriad characters that populate O'Connell's novel. Sweeney, a pharmacist, brings his comatose son, Danny, to the mysterious Peck Clinic in the hope that the doctors can restore his boy to consciousness. While trying to settle into his new surroundings, Sweeney encounters the peculiar staff of the hospital and a bizarre motorcycle gang who all have dark designs on his son. Though Graham sounds a bit young in his narration, his character voices are dead on, whether portraying the philosophical/psychotic head biker, a stoic strong man from a comic book series Danny loved, or the central, single-minded earnestness of Sweeney, each character is imbued with a richness of layers that is a tribute to O'Connell's writing and Graham's performance. Simultaneous release with the Algonquin hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 4).