Beautiful Animals

Actor Campbell provides the vocals for the audio edition of Osborne’s novel. Rich and charismatic Naomi is living at her parents’ villa on the Greek island of Hydra when she meets Samantha, who is visiting the island for the summer, and the two become fast friends. Their summer takes an unforeseen turn when they encounter Faoud, a Syrian refugee washed ashore. With an aristocrat’s penchant for mischief, Naomi convinces Samantha to help gather funds for Faoud to move into Europe by staging a robbery at Naomi’s parents’ house—a plan that has dire consequences. Osborne’s languid prose captures the beauty of a Greek island in summer. His keen use of dialogue conveys the power dynamics among the characters, particularly Naomi’s dominance over Samantha. Campbell reads with a deep baritone voice that’s both enticing and easy to follow. His smooth delivery and light emphasis initially come across as neutral but, as the story progresses, he mimics the air of resentment and arrogance that reverberates through Naomi’s life. He isn’t always able to capture the tense moments in the plot, such as when Naomi is confronted by the police and when Faoud is within reach of escape to a new life. As a result, the story is slow moving. A Hogarth hardcover. (July)