SPOONBENDERS

Narrator Ari Fliakos guides listeners through the Telemachus family's misadventures as this story jumps back and forth between the past and the present. Thirty years ago, con-man and cardsharp Teddy Telemachus married Maureen McKinnon, whose real psychic powers allowed her to do things Teddy could only pretend to. Now, the family is in shambles. Their powers are on the fritz, and their reputation is ruined. Every member of the Telemachus family has his or her own complex story, and Fliakos capably moves between the shifting points of view, creating empathy for each character. He's especially memorable as Frankie, the family's fast-talking down-on-his-luck telekinetic, and as Matty, Teddy's teenage grandson. The off-the-wall story combines mobsters, clairvoyance, and America Online, and Fliakos's empathetic treatment of the characters makes it surprisingly relatable. E.C. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2017]