PERFECT

Paul Rhys draws the listener in with his measured, detached narration of Rachel Joyce's latest novel. Moving smoothly between time frames, he slowly exposes the layers connecting the past and present. In the past, James Lowe and Byron Hemmings were classmates, drawn into friendship by their mutual quirkiness. In the present, Jim (a third character) is a loner who struggles to readjust to the world he has to re-enter when the sanatorium that has been his home for years closes. Rhys keeps his narration impersonal, recounting events and describing characters without emotion. Curiosity about what connects James, Byron, and Jim and how that connection will be revealed keeps the listener engaged. An intriguing story that makes one wonder at the subtle ways we are connected to our world. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2014]