ALTHEA Y OLIVER

This is one of the best Young Adult novels I've read in years. The dialog is respectful and the presentation of the characters is the same way. Many books I've read for young adult lately seem to strive for "low readability" and have a talky, smart aleck conversational style that is a huge turn off for me. This book is mature, intended for young people who want to be treated as respected people, not little adults or big kids. It takes into account that teens sometimes have sex, drink and do drugs and feel little connection to school but aren't bad kids or people. The story takes place in Wilmington, DE where two kids, a boy and a girl have been friends since they were six years old. They are moving up in high school no and it is becoming apparent to everyone, and reluctantly themselves, that the relationship will be changing soon. Althea and Oliver will either move on to a sexual, romantic relationship or grow apart and find others to have relationships with. This is a scary new world for them. Both are from single parent households where the honor system seems to prevail, both call their parents by their given names and parents don't seem to check on them very well or much. The parents seem to want to be friends with them more than parents, which provides some catalyst for the story's plot. Althea who is less outgoing than Oliver but more passionate in her emotions, presses for a sexual relationship. Oliver is unsure and has more contacts with the outside world until he comes down with KLS (Klein-Levin Syndrome) in which he falls into a deep sleep for days, weeks, months with brief moments of waking to relief himself or eat something. This keeps him close to home and unavailable to his family and friends. Oliver's life becomes one of sleeping or waking to wonder what he has done and when the next bout will occur. Althea is dependent on Oliver being awake ro reaching out to others for company, something she is not used to doing. Finally a time comes when Oliver and Althea have sex but it turns out that Oliver was in one of his sleeping states and had no memory of it. Althea is faced with the prospect that Oliver will not be the only person in her life anymore and can't, Oliver has to face an unusual dependence on others to care for him during sleeping and waking times. How will both prepare for adulthood and keep themselves ready for the changes and challenges ahead? This extraordinary book feels true and right and rarely false. What a wonderful story about growing up.