IMPOSSIBLE VIEWS OF THE WORLD

Part of the appeal of a first-person novel is learning about the main character's true personality--not just what he or she presents. In this audiobook, Stella is at times annoying, maddening, intriguing, and sympathetic, and narrator Cassandra Campbell voices all these shifts wonderfully. Campbell can sound serious or snide, earnest or sneaky, with just an artful adjustment of her voice and delivery. Set largely within a large New York City art museum, the plot--which is billed as a mystery but does not quite deliver on that label--veers off course often and at length. Campbell's narrative skill keeps the listener engaged, but the details weaken the story more than adding to its verisimilitude. Nevertheless, a solid beach listen. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2017]