THE STEPPING OFF PLACE

Narrator Hope Newhouse offers a gentle performance of this serious audiobook about surviving the loss of a friend. When Reid discovers that Hattie likely died by suicide weeks before starting their senior year, she is forced to redefine her life without her best friend by her side. Telling her story through glimpses of the past and present, Reid has a soft-spoken and careful voice. She is somber in her thought processes as she examines her memories of Hattie's last summer. Newhouse voices Hattie with a touch of vocal fry and a commanding and dramatic attitude reflective of her overwhelming confidence, which is all the more reason for Reid to suspect foul play. This mindful audiobook carefully explores the complex feelings involved with loss. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2020]