Althea & Oliver by Christina Moracho

Two best friends, two roles:

The crazy one,

The normal one.

They need each other, to know who they are,

Where they fit in the world.

But what happens

When one needs the other more?

When roles seem to be reversed?

When one disappears?

What then?

Unknown future…

Separation…

Growth...

Resolution?

This book broke my heart over and over, yet I could not stop reading it. I'll be thinking about this book for a long while. And the more I think about it, the more I remember.  One of the things that shocked me so much was the casual drug and alcohol use.  I realize that many kids are just like Althea and Oliver and their friends, but I wasn’t used to seeing it in a novel this way.  I had a hard time breaking up with this book.  It took me a few days to be ready to read another one.  Even though I had some already started.  

My favorite character quotes/descriptions:

Althea--”Oliver has always suggested that she try lacrosse or field hockey because she might enjoy a sport where she is given a stick and instructed to wield it against others, but she isn’t interested in teamwork or strategy.”  (p. 21)

Oliver--”Oliver’s what everyone calls a ’smart kid,’ the kind you show your math homework to so he can check the answers right before class starts.” (p. 28)

Coby--”He’s the kind of guy who just keeps showing up until no one remembers who was friends with him first, so when you figure out you don’t like him, you don’t want to say anything, because you’re afraid you might offend whoever brought him along.” (p. 97)