BARRACUDA

Grant Cartwright powerfully narrates Tsiolkas's homoerotic coming-of-age story about an Australian competitive swimmer at an exclusive private school. It's both an examination of the illusions of youth and a spirited indictment of Australia's class system. Cartwright conveys the teenaged self-involvement of the characters, their emerging sexual identities, and the structure of the Australian class system. His delivery of Aussie slang is natural and effective, and his reading of the narrative is always clear and well paced. While not for everyone, this explosive audiobook speaks to its intended audience. F.C. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2014]