The Infinite in Between

Gr 7 Up—Gregor, Zoe, Jake, Whitney, and Mia meet on the first day of high school during freshman orientation. The five students decide to write letters to their future selves and hide them in the school to be opened on graduation day. The four long years looming ahead of them seem infinite. But an edgy prologue hints at the delights and disasters to come, drawing listeners into the complicated lives of the students as they hurtle toward graduation. As they change and grow, the classmates proceed with laser focus toward that one day four years in the future when they will be suddenly turned loose to begin the rest of their lives. But the teens learn that ultimately, it is that "infinite in between" that is to be truly savored. With sensitivity and clarity, Mackler captures the insecurity, pain, and joy of the five teens as their paths cross and merge. Narrator Erin Yuen competently handles the large cast of characters. Her subtle characterizations will help listeners keep track of the story as the perspective shifts among the five characters.