LOST IN THE SUN

Twelve-year-old Trevor Zimmerman’s life changes forever during a pickup game of hockey when he launches a puck that hits an opponent in the chest—and kills him. The success of this audiobook is in its nuanced layers of meaning and emotion, all delivered appropriately in Ramon de Ocampo’s narration. His enactment of Trevor’s first-person narration is a mix of snark and misery, both crucial for balancing the deep feelings with moments of levity. De Ocampo’s on-target portrayals of secondary characters provide contrast and allow listeners to see the truths this unreliable narrator doesn’t always acknowledge—the support he receives from his mother, older brother, and teachers; the coldness of his father; and, most memorably, the significance of Fallon, a girl with terrible facial scars and no self-pity. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2015]