News - Book Reviews

News - Book Reviews

RUTHIE FEAR by Maxim Loskutoff
September 21, 2020

Maxim Loskutoff’s debut novel RUTHIE FEAR achieved a hat trick of three starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly. Kirkus praises the book for its “resonant characters” and “great sense of place,” while Publishers Weekly writes: “[w]ith its humor and heart, Loskutoff’s harrowing tale offers a heroine to root for. This one hits hard.” Additionally, The Wall Street Journal’s Sam Sacks noted that “[Losuktoff’s] characters are wholly believable, reluctantly adapting to ‘the massive forces shifting around them,’” while The National Book Review hailed the book as “a big social novel with harrowing moments, one filled with empathy, surprises, and a compelling heroine." W. W. Norton & Company published the book on September 1, 2020.

THE STANDARDIZATION OF DEMORALIZATION PROCEDURES by Jennifer Hofmann
September 21, 2020

Jennifer Hofmann’s THE STANDARDIZATION OF DEMORALIZATION PROCEDURES has received a rave review the New York Times Book Review. They call it “a gripping debut novel” with “rhythmic prose [and] evocative descriptions of people and places.” Meanwhile, The Washington Post praises Hofmann’s ability “to create intricate illusions of certainty in the midst of derangement,” ultimately crafting “a rare novel that encourages you to read as though your sanity depends on it — just a little further, just a little faster." Little, Brown and Company published the book on August 11, 2020.

CAN’T EVEN by Anne Helen Petersen
September 11, 2020

Former BuzzFeed News culture reporter Anne Helen Petersen’s upcoming book, CAN’T EVEN, has received two starred reviews. Booklist writes: “This galvanizing read reminds readers that what seems impossible is absolutely not, especially for a generation with so little to lose. Meanwhile, Kirkus raves: “In articulate and persuasive prose . . . Petersen delivers a cogent explanation of the millennial landscape, incorporating in-depth research, interviews, and her own experiences to define the problems that millennials face as they attempt to live up to high, occasionally near-impossible expectations.” CAN’T EVEN has also been named a best book of Fall 2020 by Fortune, EW, and Book Riot, among others, and has been selected as an Amazon Best Book of September. HMH will publish the book on September 22, 2020.

WE KEEP THE DEAD CLOSE by Becky Cooper
September 11, 2020

Former New Yorker staff writer Becky Cooper’s WE KEEP THE DEAD CLOSE has received another glowing review from Library Journal. They write that “Cooper’s suspenseful, intensely intimate work casts a critical lens on institutional misogyny,” adding that the novel is “[s]ure to appeal to true crime readers, especially fans of Michelle McNamara’s I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK.” Cooper also sat down for a Q&A with Publishers Weekly about the ten years’ worth of research she conducted for the book. Additionally, WE KEEP THE DEAD CLOSE has been named a recommended read for the fall by Town & Country, Refinery29, and several other outlets. Grand Central will publish the book on November 10, 2020.

THE RESIDENCE by Andrew Pyper
September 10, 2020

The Globe and Mail has kind words for Andrew Pyper’s latest novel THE RESIDENCE. They write: "Pyper’s ability to make one question truths, what they witness, and even their own existence, is horror in the tradition of Henry James’s TURN OF THE SCREW and Shirley Jackson’s THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE." Skybound published the book on September 1, 2020.

THE NEW GREAT DEPRESSION by James Rickards
September 10, 2020

Kirkus Reviews praised THE NEW GREAT DEPRESSION by James Rickards as “[a]n ambitious, eccentric look at the wreckage of the American economy in a time of pandemic . . . good takeaways amid the swirl and mayhem. A blend of alarmism, intrigue, and solid financial advice.” Portfolio will publish the book on October 27, 2020.

WE KEEP THE DEAD CLOSE by Becky Cooper
August 31, 2020

Former New Yorker staff writer and investigative journalist Becky Cooper’s thrilling true crime debut, WE KEEP THE DEAD CLOSE, received its first trade review this week, and a starred one at that! Publishers Weekly raves: “In this mesmerizing debut . . . [Cooper] delves into the phenomenon and morality of true crime fandom. This twist-filled whodunit is a nonfiction page-turner.” Grand Central Publishing will publish the book on November 10, 2020.

CASCADE by Craig Davidson
August 31, 2020

Craig Davidson’s second short story collection CASCADE received a rave review from the Toronto Star. The news site praises the author’s language and depth of feeling, writing: "Davidson’s stories retain their immediacy and gut-level emotion while also allowing for a lyricism in the writing that elevates the subject matter.” Knopf Canada published the book on August 18, 2020.

THE SPRAWL by Jason Diamond
August 31, 2020

THE SPRAWL by Jason Diamond was showered with critical praise upon its release. In a starred review, Booklist writes that: “[i]n this fascinating history, Diamond presents readers with a new way of viewing this ubiquitous environment,” and calls the book a “humble and curious must-read.” Meanwhile, Kirkus refers to the book as “[a] literate meditation on clipped-lawn places easily taken for granted but that well deserve such reflection.” Diamond was also interviewed in Bloomberg, The Millions, Hazlitt, and more. Coffee House Press published the book on August 25, 2020.

LIFE EVENTS by Karolina Waclawiak
August 20, 2020

Karolina Waclawiak’s third novel LIFE EVENTS received a rave review by Lara Vapnyar in The New York Times Book Review. Vapnyar writes: “Waclawiak accomplishes a brilliant feat here, creating an atmosphere of almost palpable, effortful dullness that presides over the entire novel. With so much opportunity for raw emotion, the author seems to avoid it at all cost, going for exceptional clarity instead. ” Farrar, Straus and Giroux published the book on July 28, 2020.