Hyena

I went into *Hyena* expecting a laugh-a-minute romp through Angelini’s misadventures, but what I got was something more nuanced: a portrait of a man who’s equal parts lovable idiot and tragicomic cautionary tale. Angelini’s narration is the star here—his delivery is so conversational it feels like he’s sitting across from you, whispering secrets while occasionally spilling his drink. His timing is impeccable, especially when milking a punchline or delivering a line like, *“I once dated a woman who owned a cat named Satan. It checked out.”* The production quality is clean but unobtrusive, letting his voice shine without any flashy sound design to distract from the stories. That said, the audiobook’s brevity (just under 3.5 hours) left me wanting more depth in a few places. Angelini’s tales of heartbreak and hustling are vivid, but some end abruptly, leaving me craving the emotional weight that lingers in other memoirs. And while his humor is often brilliant, a few jokes land less hard in audio than they might on the page—visual gags like his infamous *“My Little Pony”* phase don’t quite translate the same way. Still, these are minor quibbles in an otherwise electric listen. If you’re a fan of memoirs that punch up instead of wallow in self-pity, *Hyena* is a godsend. If you’re looking for redemption arcs with neat bows, look elsewhere—this is messy, unfiltered, and all the better for it.