TELL THE TRUTH, SHAME THE DEVIL

Melina Marchetta's first adult novel offers many challenges to Zaqi Ismail as the audiobook narrator, and he handles them all with confidence and ease. The plot centers around the bombing of a tour bus full of schoolchildren, then spirals outward into a complex family drama. Ismail captures the flawed narrator's array of emotions—from helplessness to determination—as elegantly as the adolescent’s inclination toward sarcasm and rebellion. While his pacing maintains the tempo of the suspenseful story, sometimes his swift reading speed jumbles the clarity of his voice. This is not an audiobook suitable for speed-listening. Kept at the normal play rate, TELL THE TRUTH, SHAME THE DEVIL is a gripping literary thriller. J.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2016]