WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS

Two narrators enhance the darkness that pervades this novel as its characters experience Idaho's everlasting winter. Dan Bittner gives expression to the somber attitude of 17-year-old Jack Dahl. Bittner conveys the responsibility Jack feels for his brother, a second grader named Matty. When their drug-addicted mother hangs herself, the threat of eviction and foster care looms. Upon contacting his estranged father, who is in prison, Jack is thrust into a chase for dirty money. Bittner excels at contrasting Jack's tenderness with the heartlessness of brutal villains. Interspersed are Emma Galvin's poignant readings of the cryptic thoughts of Jack's schoolmate, the compassionate Ava Bardem. These provide moments for pauses and foreshadow the chilling coldness of Ava's controlling father, who drives the fast-moving climax. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2022]