February 6, 2023
A doomed love affair frames this perceptive sophomore outing from Halperin (Something Wild). Leah Kempler, 25, moves from Boston to Madison, Wis., to pursue an MFA in fiction writing. After a year of writing short stories and doing some casual dating, she meets a guy named Charlie. To Leah, Charlie is “by far the most beautiful human being I have ever laid eyes on,” but after she gets to know him a bit, she senses something is amiss about the 31-year-old man who lives with his mom and stepdad in the suburbs. Charlie is sleepy all the time, can’t hold down a job, and can’t afford to drink in bars (he’s already got an MFA, and now works occasionally in construction). He tells her he’s recovering from heroin addiction, but soon it emerges, unsurprisingly, that Charlie is still using. As Leah begins sending her work out to literary journals and thinking about her future, she struggles to navigate a relationship she knows can’t last. Halperin makes the most of the overly familiar subject matter; the “buzzing electric hum” between the couple feels vital, as does the pull of exasperating and enchanting Charlie on Leah. By the end, even the most grizzled reader might turn into a hopeless romantic. Agent: Margaret Riley King, WME.
June 10, 2024
Halperin's latest (following Something Wild) centers on Leah, a graduate student enrolled in an MFA writing program in Madison, WI. Her mother abandoned the family when Leah was 13, and Leah continues to process her grief through her writing. When Leah meets handsome musician Charlie, she is instantly drawn to him but soon discovers that he is recovering from heroin addiction. Leah is an unreliable and frustrating narrator, as she loves Charlie but cannot seem to see the writing on the wall. Megan Trout narrates Leah's emotions well. However, she is less successful when giving voice to male characters, as her attempt to make her voice deeper results in a strange, gravelly whisper. The story is predictable and, unfortunately, is not elevated by the voice acting. However, the depiction of addiction--the routine, the lying, the tediousness--is realistic and painfully drawn. VERDICT Listeners may respond to Halperin's intimate portrait of Leah, who is vulnerable and heartbreakingly hopeful, but some may be frustrated by her choices. Halperin is one to watch, but this may be an uneasy fit for many.--Laura Stein
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