Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: When Everything is Blue 
AUTHOR: Laura Lascarso
NARRATOR: Michael Mola
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
RELEASE DATE: August 13, 2018
LENGTH: 7 hours, 1 minute
BLURB:
When they were kids, Chris Mitcham rescued Theo from the neighborhood bullies and taught him how to “be cool.” Now, years later, Theo’s developed feelings for his best friend that arise at the most inopportune times. Theo hates lying to Chris, but in coming out, he might lose the one person who understands him best, a risk he’s not willing to take.
When a relationship with another young man goes south, Theo is forced to confront his own sexuality along with his growing attraction to Chris and his stunted, tenuous relationship with his father. Will Chris abandon Theo when he learns the truth, or will he stand by him in this tumultuous season of self-discovery?
In this quirky coming-of-age romance, Theo’s path to manhood is fraught with awkward firsts and a few haters, but also the unexpected comfort of a friend turned lover.
REVIEW:
I’ve been hoping for months that this book was going to be made into audio. As time passed I realised that it was probably not going to happen. But just when I’d give up on waiting, I saw that it had been released, and my day was made.
Theo has been in love with his best friend Chris for the last year. They’ve been best friends ever since Chris saved him from bullies in sixth grade. The only problem is; Theo’s never told Chris he was gay. Not knowing how Chris would react, he decides to keep quiet so that he wouldn’t lose his best, or rather only, friend.
One day there’s a new boy in town, and the pair quickly names him asshole Dave. But soon Theo realises there’s more to Dave than meets the eye and that they might have some secrets in common. The new relationship causes rifts between Theo and Chris and they are all torn between wants and needs.
This story is told in first person and solely from Theo’s POV. I do wish that we could have gotten Chris’s POV as well. To get to know him more, know what was going on with him and how he was feeling throughout. And not only get him from Theo’s eyes and mind.
Dave was an ass of epic proportions. I mean I did feel for him at times, when Theo was putting him down or ignoring him, telling him that he didn’t mean anything and so on. That was far from kind or okay, but then again teenagers are far from tactful and often forget to think of other’s feelings part from their own. So that fits with the characters, and is part of the learning curve we all go through while growing up. I just needed to point out that Theo was far from blameless or perfect. But that does not in any way shape or form excuse Dave’s behaviour – because there isn’t one, what he did was way out of line – even for teenagers.
When everything is Blue is all about coming of age, coming out. That intense first love, friendships morphing into something else, something more. About betrayals and complicated family situations. I found it all to be a very credible coming of age story. I believed in the plot, I believed in the characters. They were flawed, they were real. They were relatable.
Theo and Chris were so sweet together. They had a deep connection from the get go and I loved experiencing their growing relationship with them. The excitement, curiosity, the intenseness. They were adorable, funny and sweet, but most of all they completed each other. They were always there for another, for the good and the bad.
I loved Michael Mola’s accent for Theo, it added another layer to the story and highlighted the differences between the characters a bit more. Not that he really needed it, for the difference in character’s sake. He had very different voices for the characters so it was easy to know who was speaking, and it was easy to follow along. You never had to wonder about it, but just sit back, relax and enjoy the listen. Michael Mola has a beautiful voice and great pacing, so while this was my first time listening to him, it sure won’t be my last. I’m going to keep a lookout for more of his work in the future.
When Everything is Blue was a cute coming of age story. Of two best friends in love finally realising they weren’t alone in their feelings. And then discovering love and relationships together. I found the book and the characters very credible and believable and I enjoyed listening to their story.
Recommended to anyone looking for a sweet coming of age story.
RATING: 
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