April & Oliver: A Novel by Tess Callahan

April & Oliver is Callahan's debut novel. The characters are well developed, the storyline flows but the level of predictability is high.

The story is character driven but the characters are a bit stereo-typical. Expect an emotionally charged read in this disturbing yet uplifting novel.

Grade: B-


Synopsis

From the Publisher

Best friends since childhood, the sexual tension between April and Oliver has always been palpable. Years after being completely inseparable, they become strangers, but the wildly different paths of their lives cross once again with the sudden death of April's brother. Oliver, the responsible, newly engaged law student finds himself drawn more than ever to the reckless, mystifying April - and cracks begin to appear in his carefully constructed life. Even as Oliver attempts to "save" his childhood friend from her grief, her menacing boyfriend and herself, it soon becomes apparent that Oliver has some secrets of his own--secrets he hasn't shared with anyone, even his fiancé. But April knows, and her reappearance in his life derails him. Is it really April's life that is unraveling, or is it his own? The answer awaits at the end of a downward spiral...towards salvation.