THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER

Amy Landon's narration is emotional and breathy. These qualities make sense for the heroine, Mallory, as she recalls her traumatic youth. Mallory spent a significant part of her first 13 years fearful of her abusive foster parents. She was often hidden in a closet by Rider, a protective older boy who spent his childhood in foster homes as well. Landon's breathy, emotional tones are still appropriate hen timid 17-year-old Mallory recovers enough from her selective mutism to enter public school, where one of the first people she meets is none other than Rider. The story is predictable in terms of romance, tropes, and clichés, but the characterizations of the protagonists become deeper as they shed their traumas and help each other reclaim their true selves. S.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2016]