The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian [in Library Journal]
Annalee Ahlberg is missing, but given her history of sleepwalking, her loved ones hold fast to the possibility of her return. While the investigation remains ongoing, the family adheres to some semblance of normalcy: husband Warren retreats to his work as a professor, 21-year-old daughter Lianna delays her final year at Amherst and assumes a caretaker role at home, and 12-year-old Paige continues to excel in her various school sports. When Det. Gavin Rikert reveals that he not only knew Annalee but that the two had shared something akin to a sleepwalking support group à deux, Lianna’s determination to know what happened grows into a relentless quest for answers.
With easy assurance, Cady McClain voices the majority of bestselling Chris Bohjalian’s 19th title, moving convincingly between ages and genders. Her narration is intermittently interrupted by Grace Experience (Bohjalian’s daughter), who reads in short bursts; while she was ideal for the teenaged protagonist in Bohjalian’s Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands, her youthful, uniquely cadenced recitation feels miscast here as the identities of the interludes’ narrators become clear. Despite potential flaws in the aural incarnation, libraries will still want to meet the demand of Bohjalian’s vast fan base clamoring for his latest.
Review: modified from “Audio,” Library Journal, April 15, 2017
Readers: Adult
Published: 2017
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