ALL WE HAVE IS NOW

Narrator Julia Whelan adds gravity to a story that begins the day before an asteroid is to destroy much of the U.S. Runaways Emerson and Vince meet Carl, a man who suggests that the teens spend their final hours doing good deeds. Whelan creates voices and uses expression to manage the shifting points of view as Emerson and Vince make wishes come true all over Portland, Oregon, while Carl takes a different path, trying to get home to his wife. The story stretches credibility with its coincidences and occasional oversimplification, but Whelan counteracts those weaknesses with her excellent characterizations and serious tone, which engage listeners' emotions and propel the plot. This book will remind listeners of Susan Beth Pfeffer's LIFE AS WE KNEW IT series. A.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2016]