Another Life

Haller’s debut is a fast-moving ensemble story of an emotionally turbulent summer in a small town, where hormonal teenagers attend a close-knit Vacation Bible School at New Life evangelical church. In Grover Falls, N.Y., 15-year-old Laura Swanson has secretly begun an online relationship with a middle-aged man; her best friend, Bethany, has become attached to someone new; and Laura’s divorced mother, April, has been behaving strangely. Meanwhile, the handsome, brooding musician Paul Frazier has returned to town after finishing college. He’s put off by his mother’s unexpected attachment to the New Life Center, but he begrudgingly agrees to work there as the sound mixer for the worship band. The lives of the children and adults intersect in different ways—April has an affair with a younger man, while Laura sets up an in-person meeting with the man she’s been talking to online—in and out of the church, throughout a summer spent discovering secrets of lifelong friends and adjusting to new interlopers. Haller’s engaging story skillfully portrays how different generations grapple with faith, as well as the temptations of substance use and sexual exploration. [em](June) [/em]