BEAUTYLAND

Andi Arndt narrates a peculiar and poignant coming-of-age story. Born the same day VOYAGER 1 was launched in 1977, Adina Giorno has always felt different from those around her. Could she be an alien sent to observe life on earth? Arndt's detached tone deftly manages the balancing act required of an omniscient narrator who is sympathetic to Adina's plight while merely an observer of it. As Adina navigates growing up, experiencing the highs and lows of childhood and adolescence, Arndt smoothly narrates local and world events and how they do (or don't) affect Adina. When Adina becomes an adult, her experiences become more mundane--jobs, friends, love, loss--but all are still minutely and dispassionately cataloged by Arndt. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2024]