January 15, 2024: Volume XCII, No. 2

JANUARY 15, 2024 | VOL. XCII NO.2

FEATURING 258 Industry-First Reviews of Fiction, Nonfiction, Children’s, and YA Books

IJEOMA OLUO CHAMPIONS EVERYDAY ACTIVISM Plus: Our editors select 100 of the most-anticipated titles of 2024

COVER JAN 15- Issue_print.indd 1

12/20/23 1:35 PM

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

IF THERE’S ANYTHING

we at Kirkus love more than compiling our best books lists at the end of the year, it’s putting together a preview of coming attractions in the new year.

In this issue, the editors shine a spotlight on 100 titles that we can’t wait for readers to discover. There are long-awaited books from beloved authors, breakout titles by writers who deserve to be better known, and debuts that will make you sit up and take note—across the categories of fiction, nonfiction, children’s, and young adult. I suspect we’ll be celebrating many of these books again in 12 months, when we unveil our Best Books of 2024 lists. Stick around.

In the meantime, I’ve flagged a bunch of

forthcoming releases that will go straight to the top of my To Be Read pile in 2024.

Here are four of them: Neighbors and Other Stories

by Diane Oliver (Grove, Feb. 13): Diane Oliver was just 22, a student at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, when she was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1966. Since I first learned of her on the Ursa Short Fiction podcast (hosted by authors Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton), I’ve hoped her slender output would be collected between hard covers. Now we have Neighbors, an emotionally rich—and uncannily chilling—portrait of Black life in the Jim Crow South.

“Oliver depicts her subjects with elegance and profound understanding,” says our starred review.

Frequently Asked Questions: www.kirkusreviews.com/about/faq Fully Booked Podcast: www.kirkusreviews.com/podcast/ Advertising Opportunities: www.kirkusreviews.com/book-marketing Submission Guidelines: www.kirkusreviews.com/about/publisher-submission-guidelines Subscriptions: www.kirkusreviews.com/magazine/subscription Newsletters: www.kirkusreviews.com For customer service or subscription questions, please call 1-800-316-9361

The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq by Steve Coll (Penguin Press, Feb. 27): This major new work from the award-winning author of Directorate S and Ghost Wars continues the story of America’s reckless and ill-starred adventures in the Middle East. Here Coll focuses on our nation’s roller-coaster relations with Iraqi tyrant Saddam Hussein, culminating in the U.S. invasion in 2003—an episode of recent history that demands clear-eyed understanding.

“Required reading for all conscientious citizens,” says our starred review.

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange (Knopf, Feb. 27): Orange burst upon the literary scene, fully formed, with There There, an explosive debut novel that follows a handful of Native American characters as they descend upon an Oakland, California, powwow; it was a bestseller and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Orange’s new novel expands upon that narrative in a kind of sequel

that follows members of the Red Feather family from There There while moving back—and forward—in time.

“A searing study of the consequences of a genocide,” says our starred review.

Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar by Cynthia Carr (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, March 19): As someone who’s borderline obsessed with all things having to do with Andy Warhol and the Factory, I’m counting the days until this biography is released. (That the author also wrote an outstanding 2012 biography of artist David Wojnarowicz only adds to my anticipation.) Candy Darling was a trailblazing trans performer who appeared in the underground film Flesh, died at 29, and continues to inspire. “Carr resurrects a trans icon whose life, artistry, and struggle speak directly to our moment,” says our starred review.

TOM BEER

Illustration by Eric Scott Anderson

A SNEAK PEEK AT THE YEAR AHEAD

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_FOB_RD2.indd 2

12/20/23 1:39 PM

Contents FICTION 4

The 2024 Fiction Preview

8

Editor’s Note

9

Reviews & News

OUR FRESH PICK

Q&A: Elizabeth Gonzalez James

Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as told from the perspective of a more resourceful and contemplative Jim than the one you remember.

16

NONFICTION 44

The 2024 Nonfiction Preview

One of the most coveted designations in the book industry, the Kirkus Star marks books of exceptional merit.

Read the review on p. 9 PURCHASE BOOKS ONLINE AT KIRKUS .COM

87

Reviews & News

94

Q&A: Beatrice Alemagna

105

On the Podcast: Zach Weinersmith YOUNG ADULT

120

The 2024 Young Adult Preview

124

Editor’s Note

125

Reviews & News

48

Editor’s Note

130

Q&A: Emma Lord

49

Reviews & News

139

56

On the Cover: Ijeoma Oluo

On the Podcast: Brandy Colbert

141

79

Booklist: Books To Read by the Fire

Booklist: Short Reads That Pack a Punch

CHILDREN’S 80 86

The 2024 Children’s Preview Editor’s Note

INDIE 142

Editor’s Note

143

Reviews

161

Booklist: Indie Books of the Month

ON THE COVER: Ijeoma Oluo; illustration by Peter James Field, based on a photograph by Jovelle Tamayo.

Background by master1305 via iStock.

Interested in reprints, permissions, licensing, or a framed review? Please contact The YGS Group at: 800.290.5460 or email: Kirkus@theygsgroup.com.

KIRKUS REVIEWS (ISSN 1948-7428) is published semimonthly by Kirkus Media LLC, 2600 Via Fortuna, Suite 130, Austin, TX 78746.

Subscription prices are: Print and digital subscription (U.S.) 3-month ($49), 12-month ($179) | International subscriptions are $79 quarterly and $229 annually.

All other rates on request. Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, TX 78710 and at additional mailing offices.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_FOB_RDF.indd 1

JANUARY 15, 2024

1

12/20/23 5:44 PM

011524_KR_FOB_RDF.indd 2

12/20/23 5:44 PM

Co-Chairman HERBERT SIMON

Co-Chairman MARC WINKELMAN

Publisher & CEO MEG LABORDE KUEHN mkuehn@kirkus.com

Editor-in-Chief TOM BEER tbeer@kirkus.com

Chief Marketing Officer SARAH KALINA skalina@kirkus.com

President of Kirkus Indie CHAYA SCHECHNER cschechner@kirkus.com

Publisher Advertising

Nonfiction Editor ERIC LIEBETRAU eliebetrau@kirkus.com

& Promotions RACHEL WEASE rwease@kirkus.com Indie Advertising & Promotions AMY BAIRD abaird@kirkus.com

Author Consultant RY PICKARD rpickard@kirkus.com Lead Designer KY NOVAK knovak@kirkus.com Social Media Coordinator SEYANNA BARRETT sbarrett@kirkus.com Kirkus Editorial Senior Production Editor ROBIN O’DELL rodell@kirkus.com Kirkus Editorial Senior Production Editor MARINNA CASTILLEJA mcastilleja@kirkus.com Kirkus Editorial Production Editor ASHLEY LITTLE alittle@kirkus.com Copy Editors LIZ ASBORNO BILL SIEVER Magazine Compositors CATHERINE LEONARDO MARISELA SMUTZ

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_FOB_RDF.indd 3

Fiction Editor LAURIE MUCHNICK lmuchnick@kirkus.com Young Readers’ Editor LAURA SIMEON lsimeon@kirkus.com Young Readers’ Editor MAHNAZ DAR mdar@kirkus.com Editor at Large MEGAN LABRISE mlabrise@kirkus.com Senior Indie Editor DAVID RAPP drapp@kirkus.com Indie Editor ARTHUR SMITH asmith@kirkus.com Editorial Assistant NINA PALATTELLA npalattella@kirkus.com

Indie Editorial Assistant DAN NOLAN dnolan@kirkus.com Indie Editorial Assistant SASHA CARNEY scarney@kirkus.com Mysteries Editor THOMAS LEITCH Contributing Writers GREGORY MCNAMEE MICHAEL SCHAUB

Contributors

Alana Abbott, Colleen Abel, Paul Allen, Stephanie Anderson, Kent Armstrong, Ryan Asmussen, Mark Athitakis, Diego Báez, Sally Battle, Amy Boaz, Susan Breitzer, Melissa Brinn, Jessica Hoptay Brown, Justina Bruns, Catherine Cardno, Charles Cassady, Ann Childs, Alec B. Chunn, Tamar Cimenian, Rachael Conrad, Adeisa Cooper, Jeannie Coutant, Maya Davis, Michael Deagler, Cathy DeCampli, Dave DeChristopher, Elise DeGuiseppi, Amanda Diehl, Steve Donoghue, Gina Elbert, Lisa Elliott, Lily Emerick, Gillian Esquivia-Cohen, Jennifer Evans, Joshua Farrington, Brooke Faulkner, Mia Franz, Ayn Reyes Frazee, Jenna Friebel, Roberto Friedman, Nivair H. Gabriel, Elisa Gall, Glenn Gamboa, Laurel Gardner, Chloé Harper Gold, Carol Goldman, Amy Goldschlager, Melinda Greenblatt, Ana Grilo, Tobi Haberstroh, Geoff Hamilton, Silvia Lin Hanick, Peter Heck, Lynne Heffley, Zoe Holland, Kathleen T. Isaacs, Darlene Ivy, Wesley Jacques, Kerri Jarema, Jessica Jernigan, Danielle Jones, Betsy Judkins, Deborah Kaplan, Ivan Kenneally, Lyneea Kmail, Andrea Kreidler, Carly Lane, Tom Lavoie, Judith Leitch, Donald Liebenson, Elsbeth Lindner, Coeur de Lion, Barbara London, Patricia Lothrop, Kyle Lukoff, Leanne Ly, Michael Magras, Collin Marchiando, Gabriela Martins, Matthew May, J. Alejandro Mazariegos, Jeanne McDermott, Dale McGarrigle, Zoe McLaughlin, Don McLeese, Kathie Meizner, Susan Messina, J. Elizabeth Mills, Rebecca Moore, Andrea Moran, Molly Muldoon, Jennifer Nabers, Christopher Navratil, Liza Nelson, Therese Purcell Nielsen, Katrina Nye, Tori Ann Ogawa, Mike Oppenheim, Emilia Packard, Andrea Page, Derek Parker, Sarah Parker-Lee, Hal Patnott, Deb Paulson, Elizabeth Paulson, Alea Perez, John Edward Peters, Justin Pham, Jim Piechota, Vicki Pietrus, William E. Pike, Judy Quinn, Darryn Reams, Arianna Rebolini, Stephanie Reents, Evelyn Renold, Jasmine Riel, Alyssa Rivera, Erica Rivera, Amy Robinson, Lizzie Rogers, Lloyd Sachs, Bob Sanchez, Caitlin Savage, Meredith Schorr, E.F. Schraeder, Jeff Schwaner, Gene Seymour, Jerome Shea, Sadaf Siddique, Linda Simon, Julia Sirmons, Laurie Skinner, Clay Smith, Margot E. Spangenberg, Mo Springer, Allie Stevens, Sharon Strock, Mathangi Subramanian, Jennifer Sweeney, Deborah D. Taylor, Renee Ting, Jenna Varden, Katie Vermilyea, Francesca Vultaggio, Natalie Wexler, Sam Wilcox, Angela Wiley, Marion Winik, Jean-Louise Zancanella, Jenny Zbrizher

JANUARY 15, 2024

3

12/20/23 6:23 PM

F I C T I O N // T H E 2 0 2 4 F I C T I O N P R E V I E W

Is it possible that every year is a particularly great one for fiction? Because that’s the way it feels when January comes around and you see the riches awaiting you in the months ahead. Tommy Orange follows the Red Feather family after the events of There There. Percival Everett reimagines Huckleberry Finn and Valerie Martin introduces Mrs. Gulliver, who isn’t exactly related to him of the travels. There are thrilling puzzles, romantic shivers, and mind-bending fantasy—something for every reader.

4

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 4

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:34 PM

T H E 2 0 2 4 F I C T I O N P R E V I E W // F I C T I O N

Martyr!

Akbar, Kaveh | Knopf | 352 pp. | $28.00 Jan. 23, 2024 | 9780593537619

Imperfect, yes, but intense, original, and smart.

A stunning Sapphic Victorian romance from an author to watch.

Beautyland

Baragwanath, Tom | Knopf | 320 pp. $28.00 | Feb. 13, 2024 | 9780593685105

Bertino, Marie-Helene | Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 336 pp. | $28.00 Jan. 16, 2024 | 9780374109288

Just the kind of dark, disturbing, gritty, and unusual treat thriller lovers are looking for.

A heartbreaking book that staggers with both truth and beauty.

Dead in Long Beach, California

Say Hello to My Little Friend

Blackburn, Venita | MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 240 pp. | $27.00 Jan. 23, 2024 | 9780374602826

Crucet, Jennine Capó | Simon & Schuster 304 pp. | $27.99 | March 5, 2024 9781668023327

An astonishing debut novel from a remarkably creative writer.

Unclassifiable and unforgettable.

James

Anita de Monte Laughs Last

One of the noblest characters in American literature gets a novel worthy of him.

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 5

Alban, Emma R. | Avon/HarperCollins 384 pp. | $18.99 paper | Jan. 9, 2024 9780063312005

Paper Cage

Everett, Percival | Doubleday | 320 pp. $28.00 | March 19, 2024 | 9780385550369

KIRKUS REVIEWS

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend

Gonzalez, Xochitl | Flatiron | 352 pp. $28.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781250786210

An uncompromising message, delivered via a gripping story with two engaging heroines.

Trondheim

The Bullet Swallower

James, Cormac | Bellevue Literary Press 288 pp. | $17.99 paper | Feb. 6, 2024 9781954276239

James, Elizabeth Gonzalez | Simon & Schuster | 272 pp. | $26.99 | Jan. 23, 2024 9781668009321

An X-ray picture of the subcutaneous breaks and sprains in a rocky relationship.

Mesmerizing and important.

JANUARY 15, 2024

5

12/20/23 5:34 PM

F I C T I O N // T H E 2 0 2 4 F I C T I O N P R E V I E W

Mrs. Gulliver

Smoke Kings

Martin, Valerie | Doubleday | 304 pp. $28.00 | Feb. 20, 2024 | 9780385549950

Mayfield, Jahmal | Melville House 400 pp. | $19.99 paper | Feb. 6, 2024 9781685891114

Irresistible—a funny, sexy romp that’s also smart, even wise.

The Curse of Pietro Houdini Miller, Derek B. | Avid Reader Press 384 pp. | $28.00 | Jan. 16, 2024 9781668020883

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 6

The Tree Doctor Mockett, Marie Mutsuki | Graywolf 256 pp. | $17.00 paper | March 19, 2024 9781644452776

A brilliantly imagined World War II saga.

An affecting story of personal transformation, as broody as it is erotic.

Wandering Stars

How We Named the Stars

Orange, Tommy | Knopf | 336 pp. $29.00 | Feb. 27, 2024 | 9780593318256

Ordorica, Andrés N. | Tin House 356 pp. | $17.95 paper | Jan. 30, 2024 9781959030331

A searing study of the consequences of a genocide.

6

A provocative, page-turning treatment of racism in America.

Told with authenticity and compassion, this unconventional love story redefines notions of fraternity.

Greta & Valdin

The American Daughters

Reilly, Rebecca K. | Avid Reader Press 352 pp. | $28.00 | Feb. 6, 2024 9781668028049

Ruffin, Maurice Carlos | One World/ Random House | 304 pp. | $28.00 March 5, 2024 | 9780593729397

Say hello to your new favorite fictional family.

Black women as agents—literally— of their own liberation. Who wouldn’t be inspired?

Help Wanted

Ours

Waldman, Adelle | Norton | 288 pp. $28.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781324020448

Williams, Phillip B. | Viking | 592 pp. $32.00 | Feb. 20, 2024 | 9780593654828

The workplace dramedy of the year.

A multilayered, enrapturing chronicle of freedom that interrogates the nature of freedom itself.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:34 PM

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 7

12/20/23 5:34 PM

GOOD READS FOR THE FORGOTTEN MONTH JANUARY CAN FEEL like the forgotten month of the publishing world, when everyone takes a deep breath and settles down to read the books they bought from holiday roundups and “Best of” lists. But the books never stop, and there are plenty of tempting new ones coming out this month.

If you’re looking for action, Adam Plantinga’s debut thriller, The Ascent (Grand Central, Jan. 2), is the book for you. Kurt

8

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 8

Argento is a former Detroit cop who ends up in a Missouri jail—it’s a long story having to do with a corrupt sheriff. When the computerized lock system goes on the fritz, he has to help a group of terrified visitors escape through six floors of mayhem. “A meat-and-potatoes thriller, sure—but they’re delicious meat and potatoes,” according to our starred review.

If you’re looking for an epic Swedish poem—OK, you probably didn’t know

this was something you were looking for, but give it a try. Ædnan by Linnea Axelsson, translated by Saskia Vogel (Knopf, Jan. 9), begins in 1913, as a boundary is forming between Norway and Sweden that impedes the movement of the reindeer-herding Sámi community. Two generations later, Sámi children have been sent to government boarding schools, as happened to Indigenous communities in this country, too. Our starred review calls this “a sharp-edged tale in verse of colonial suppression, resistance, and survival.”

If you’re in the mood for gorgeous prose, try Held, by Canadian poet and novelist Anne Michaels, which our starred review calls “a poetic exploration of the liminal spaces and invisible forces in our lives.” We meet John, a wounded British soldier during World War I, and then move across time and space to examine the threads weaving various characters through the generations. “What is consistent throughout the interwoven lives of the photographers, hat makers, artists, war correspondents, and international crisis workers presented here is the persistent examination of what forces brought them to their destinations.”

If you like your crime with a side of self-consciousness, check out Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect

by Benjamin Stevenson (Mariner, Jan. 30). The annual Australian Mystery Writers’ Festival is taking place on that long-distance train, and our narrator, Ernest Cunningham, is one of the authors, though he’s having trouble writing his new book. Until murders start happening, and he starts writing about them.

“No, it’s not for everyone,” says our starred review.

“But if you want to read a supercharged meta-pastiche like this, this is exactly the one to read.”

If you like your fiction Kafkaesque, try Hard by a Great Forest, a debut novel by Leo Vardiashvili (Riverhead, Jan. 30). When Saba Sulidze-Donauri’s father disappears in the mountains of Georgia, his native country, and then Saba’s older brother disappears while looking for him, Saba naturally goes after them, finding “himself in a world full of menace where the borders of the real and surreal blur.” Our starred review calls it an “unforgettable aria to a lost homeland, full of anger, sorrow, and longing.”

Laurie Muchnick is the fiction editor.

Illustration by Eric Scott Anderson

LAURIE MUCHNICK

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:34 PM

FICTION

EDITOR’S PICK joined by Huck, who has faked his own death to get away from an abusive father, ramping up Jim’s panic.

“Huck was supposedly murdered and I’d just run away,” Jim thinks. “Who did I think they would suspect of the heinous crime?” That Jim can, as he puts it, “[do] the math” on his predicament suggests how different Everett’s version is from Twain’s.

First and foremost, there’s the matter of the Black dialect Twain used to depict the speech of Jim and other Black characters—which, for many contemporary readers, hinders their enjoyment of his novel. In Everett’s telling, the dialect is a put-on, a manner of concealment, and a tactic for survival. “White folks expect us to sound a certain way and it can only help if

Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as told from the perspective of a more resourceful and contemplative Jim than the one you remember.

This isn’t the first novel to reimagine Twain’s 1885 masterpiece, but the audacious and prolific Everett dives into the very heart of Twain’s epochal odyssey, shifting the central viewpoint from that of the unschooled, often credulous, but basically good-hearted Huck to the more enigmatic and heroic Jim, the Black slave with whom the boy escapes via raft on the Mississippi River. As in the original, the threat of Jim’s being sold “down the river” and separated from his wife and daughter compels him to run away while figuring out what to do next. He’s soon

These Titles Earned the Kirkus Star

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 9

9

James

By Percival Everett

18

The Other Valley

By Scott Alexander Howard

James Everett, Percival Doubleday | 320 pp. | $28.00 March 19, 2024 | 9780385550369

we don’t disappoint them,” Jim explains. He also discloses that, in violation of custom and law, he learned to read the books in Judge Thatcher’s library, including Voltaire and John Locke, both of whom, in dreams and delirium, Jim finds himself debating about human rights and his own humanity. With and without Huck, Jim undergoes

dangerous tribulations and hairbreadth escapes in an antebellum wilderness that’s much grimmer and bloodier than Twain’s.

There’s also a revelation toward the end that, however stunning to devoted readers of the original, makes perfect sense.

One of the noblest characters in American literature gets a novel worthy of him.

18

21

24

40

21

23

31

41

The Painter’s Daughters

By Emily Howes The Tree Doctor

By Marie Mutsuki Mockett

All Our Yesterdays

By Joel H. Morris Flight of the Wild Swan

By Melissa Pritchard

Worry

By Alexandra Tanner The Scream of Sins

By Chris Nickson

The Other Side of Disappearing

By Kate Clayborn Flirty Little Secret

By Jessica Lepe

JANUARY 15, 2024

9

12/20/23 5:34 PM

FICTION

The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson Baker, Ellen | Mariner Books (384 pp.) $28.00 | Feb. 20, 2024 | 9780063351196

Something old meets something new in a melodrama with DNA testing as its deus ex machina.

Baker’s latest begins in an orphanage in 1924 Chicago and hopscotches its way around the country and through the years to a climactic scene set in that city almost a century later. Though Cecily Larson’s mother tells her she’ll be back within a year when she drops the little girl off at the institution in the opening scene, three years later Cecily has turned 7 and no mama has appeared.

So—the orphanage sells her to the circus! Where she will be trained as an acrobatic bareback rider! Meanwhile, in an alternating series of chapters set in 2015, Cecily is a woman in her 90s living in a small town in northern Minnesota. She has a daughter named Liz, who has a daughter named Molly, who has a son named Caden (definitely a little hard to keep straight)—and Caden wants to do his honors biology project on DNA testing. Ruh-roh, thinks the alert reader, seeing something coming in the distance, which becomes even more discernible when new chapters begin to follow a second mother-daughter group on the East Coast. After a while, you feel just like the people in the book: When the heck are those DNA results going to arrive? While it’s a little trying to wait so long for the fuse to blow on all the secrets and lies and underhanded dealings, it turns out we don’t know the half of it. As a rule, an amazing DNA-reveal story needs to be true to be really interesting... but if you’re going to make one up, this one’s a doozy. Baker’s re-creation of circus life, tuberculosis-sanitarium life, and home-for-wayward-girls life in the 1920s and ’30s is well researched and punchy, while the 21st-century 10

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 10

Minnesota storyline is perhaps a little droopier. But those test results are coming, and so is the big shebang.

The literary equivalent of a Minnesota hot dish: decent, tasty comfort food.

The Divorcées Beaird, Rowan | Flatiron Books (272 pp.) $28.99 | March 19, 2024 | 9781250896582

At a divorce ranch in the 1950s, a lonely woman in her early 20s finds a beautiful, mysterious friend.

Lois Saunders’ trip from Lake Forest, Illinois, to Reno, Nevada, is the first step in her liberation from her husband and her father, both of whom infantilize her.

At the Golden Yarrow, she will be part of a small group of women waiting out the six weeks of residency required for a divorce. “Like the girls from school, they all have the fresh, clear skin that signifies not just money, but wealth—Lois’s lesser lineage apparent in the bumps prickling her forehead, the thick hair on her forearms.”

Though she lies about her background to impress them, the girls close ranks.

Her father has told the director not to let her leave the ranch, so she doesn’t go with them on their nightly outings to bars and casinos, and she has no urge to join their daily trail rides. Filled with self-doubt verging on self-loathing, Lois is surprised when a glamorous new guest—who arrives with a huge bruise on her face and goes into seclusion for several days—emerges to choose her, Lois, as her new best friend. Greer Lang wears men’s oxford shirts and exudes such confidence that the director’s daughters wonder if she’s a princess.

Her approval unlocks access to the group for Lois, who’s soon tossing back cocktails at the casino and feeling as if she’s becoming a different person. But just as the lizard curled on her windowsill turns out to be an illusion, a shadow, things are not what they seem. Though it’s filled

with colorful imagery, dark green dresses and burgundy lips, Beaird’s debut has the hypnotic pacing and dramatic ambience of an old blackand-white film. Her research about the divorce-ranch phenomenon and its period expresses itself in myriad small, compelling details, winking like the stones on the engagement rings the girls toss into the river after their court dates—though Lois’ ring has a different fate.

A transporting psychological novel of friendship and betrayal, with the moody period feel of a Hitchcock film.

Dark Arena Beaumont, Jack | Blackstone (429 pp.) | $17.99 paper | Feb. 27, 2024 9798212631044

An imperturbable French agent infiltrates a deadly cabal of international powerbrokers.

Veteran French secret service officer Paul Degarde, who works primarily as an analyst of Russian maneuvers, has the rare opportunity to be “James Bond for a day” in a brief operation between Prague and Paris. The sequel is less rousing: Russian thugs break into his Paris home, terrorizing Paul and his family before killing him. This richly detailed prologue subtly overshadows the story to come and infuses it with an undercurrent of menace.

Though he’s more experienced in the day-to-day practices of international espionage, Alec de Payns, the hero of Beaumont’s elegant spy series, is also a family man, as he shows in repeated scenes of domestic bliss with wife Romy and sons Charles and Oliver.

Alec undergoes a crash course in steward school to infiltrate an international group with designs on the oil market. The plot is compellingly intricate, if sometimes challenging to keep straight. But no worries.

Beaumont, himself a former operative with the French foreign secret service, immerses the reader in the nuts and KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

FICTION

Cheers for Black’s knotty puzzle and the two canny women who unravel it.

THE DEEPEST KILL

bolts of the spy’s life: covert meetings, murky alliances, fellow operatives with aliases and a taste for the high life.

With its sporty cars, luxe hotels and beautiful backdrops all across Europe, this might be a classic spy yarn from Ludlum or le Carré. Beaumont writes evocatively about quaint villages and historic cities seemingly caught in a time warp. Alec’s wry colleague Shrek supplies some welcome comic snap.

A sophisticated espionage tale from an author who knows whereof he speaks.

The Atlas Maneuver Berry, Steve | Grand Central Publishing (400 pp.) | $27.00 | Feb. 20, 2024 9781538721032

Cotton Malone, who just can’t stay retired from international intrigue, joins the mad dance of competitors for a fortune in bitcoin.

So many people have forgotten about the horde of gold the retreating Japanese hid on Luzon Island in the Philippines that it’s not at all clear who has legal title to it.

That’s perfect for Robert Citrone, the retired CIA overseer of the Black Eagle Trust, which has used the gold to fund covert operations around the world. Just as Derrick Koger, the European station chief for the CIA, is pulling Malone away from his Copenhagen bookstore to help him investigate possible misdeeds swirling around Luxembourg’s Bank of St. George and its ruthless chief operating officer, Catherine Gledhill, other interested parties turn up in often surprising connections. Freelance KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 11

assassin Kyra Lhota executes Armenian oligarch Samvel Yerevan and moves on to her next target. Malone’s sometime lover Cassiopeia Vitt is snatched by high-ranking Japanese security chief Aiko Ejima. His former lover Suzy Baldwin resurfaces as Kelly Austin, BSG’s director of special technology, who’s concealing secrets from Malone and the rest of the world.

They’re all on the trail of a fabulous cache of bitcoin that in the absence of any legal records of ownership will belong, like the Luzon gold, to anyone who can track it down and grab it. The grandly scaled complications that follow feature countless broken alliances and the deaths of a fearsome number of nonfranchise characters. An extended author’s note explains what’s historically accurate (quite a bit, as it turns out) and what’s fabricated (quite a bit more).

Speculators who haven’t been put off by bitcoin’s recent crash will enjoy this walk—well, run—on the wild side.

The Deepest Kill Black, Lisa | Kensington (320 pp.) | $28.00 Feb. 20, 2024 | 9781496749659

A pair of forensic scientists helps a tech titan investigate his daughter’s death.

Although their history as colleagues at the Locard Institute has been relatively brief, Dr. Ellie Carr and Dr. Rachael Davies have formed a bond that’s uncommonly close professionally while remaining more distant personally. That’s about to change. Martin Post, the genius behind OakTree

software design, summons them to the Gulf Coast to help determine whether his four-months-pregnant daughter, Ashley, died in an accidental drowning or was the victim of something more sinister. When they arrive at his Florida home, a palatial compound befitting the third-richest man in the United States, the investigators find a living situation that would try the most robust family ties. Ashley and her husband, Greg Anderson, lived entirely under Martin’s domineering thumb. Solo excursions on her boat, Phantom, were Ashley’s main source of release. Local police believe that, perhaps due to a pregnancy-related loss of balance, she was swept off the Phantom and drowned. But when Rachael’s careful inspection of Ashley’s body, recovered from the Gulf days after her disappearance, reveals a tiny nick in her spine, she and Ellie realize that they’re looking at a murder.

Meticulous Rachael and intuitive Ellie must answer a daunting number of questions about how Ashley came to be killed so many miles from land.

The two investigators end up strengthening their personal connection as memories from Ellie’s past, including details of her own mother’s drowning, inflect their inquiry.

Nothing about this case makes sense until it does. Cheers for Black’s knotty puzzle and the two canny women who unravel it.

The Princess of Las Vegas Bohjalian, Chris | Doubleday (400 pp.) $29.00 | March 19, 2024 | 9780385547581

A Princess Diana impersonator in Las Vegas and her estranged look-alike sister are caught in the middle of a murderous scheme to take over a casino.

Crissy Dowling not only looks and sounds like Diana but has pored over every detail of her life and death for her long-running musical tribute at the Buckingham Palace Casino. Her JANUARY 15, 2024

11

12/20/23 5:35 PM

>>>

FICTION

life is thrown into turmoil when her younger sister, Betsy, a social worker, moves to Vegas from Vermont with her shady boyfriend, Frankie Limback, a mover with the cryptocurrency outfit Futurium, and adopted 13-year-old daughter, Marisa. The sisters have been on bad terms since the death of their mother, which Crissy blames on Betsy. Their stepfather, who abused Crissy as a child, has died by suicide.

The untimely deaths keep coming with the supposed suicides (read: murders) of the two brothers who operate Buckingham Palace, which Frankie envisions becoming the first cryptocurrency casino. Exposed to his gun-carrying associates, Betsy wants to go back to Vermont. But Frankie and his men, exploiting her remarkable resemblance to Crissy, force her to impersonate her sister in a scheme to sully the reelection campaign of a married senator with whom Crissy had an affair—and pave the way for an ultraright congresswoman in their corner to take his place. Such plot elements can get forced (or, in the case of Crissy increasingly “becoming” Diana offstage, prematurely dropped).

But the sisters’ dueling narratives (and brief first-person commentaries by the sharp Marisa) make for entertaining “she said, she said” moments. And Bohjalian is very good at capturing both the dark underside of Las Vegas and the weird surface on which fake Arethas, Sinatras, and Michael Jacksons cavort.

Diana goes Vegas, sort of, in Bohjalian’s latest lively romp.

Victim Boryga, Andrew | Doubleday (288 pp.) $27.00 | March 12, 2024 | 9780385549974

Recognizing what a “powerful grift” playing the victim can be, young Nuyorican Javier Perez becomes an in-demand writer, but with troubling consequences.

When he was 12, Javi watched his estranged 12

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 12

A new-fashioned, old-fashioned story of love, deception, and buried secrets.

T H E W O M A N I N T H E S A B L E C O AT

father, a drug dealer, get shot to death in Puerto Rico. Back home in the Bronx, the boy was no longer your average poor kid, but “one of those tragic kids” who got special treatment at school. Coached by a guidance counselor on how to get a free ride at a diversity-prioritizing upstate college desperate for students like him, he fudges details about his life in his admissions essay. As a columnist for the school paper and then as a “new” voice for The Rag, a long-standing New York publication of note, Javi masters the art of taking “artistic liberties” in telling stories about racism, police harassment, poverty, and other subjects that “touch on the pulse of our culture.” He is only momentarily shaken after his girlfriend dumps him for his outlandish dishonesty, convincing himself he’s getting at the “core truth” of his subjects. They include his far more authentic, long-lost friend Gio, who spent 10 years in prison for dealing. All this has the makings of a timely novel, but in his first work of fiction, Boryga is relentlessly superficial in his depiction of Javi, whose supposed talent is never on display (excerpts from his essays are unimpressive). Lacking in convincing moments—Javi’s inevitable comeuppance is dropped late like a cement shoe—the novel has both an unreliable narrator and an unreliable author.

A buzzworthy topic given a shallow treatment.

For more by Elizabeth Brooks, visit Kirkus online.

The Woman in the Sable Coat Brooks, Elizabeth | Tin House (372 pp.) | $17.95 paper | March 5, 2024 9781959030355

The lives of two British families collide during WWII as essential truths about them are obscured by deceptions—past and ongoing—in this historical fiction (with some surprises up its sleeve).

Adolescent friends Nina Woodrow and Rose Allen spend languid prewar summers together whenever Rose visits family in the quiet English village where Nina lives with her widowed father, Henry. A chance meeting with visiting Canadian Joey Roussin leads the girls and Henry to dine with him and his friends Guy and Kate Nicholson, a married couple who’ve just moved to the village.

This meeting marks the beginning of Nina’s growing awareness of (and attraction to) men, Guy in particular.

Years later, after the outbreak of war, in a somewhat orchestrated (by Nina) “coincidence,” Nina and Guy meet at the RAF air base where both are stationed. The spiraling effects of Nina and Guy’s developing relationship during the war—played out against the devastation and loss visited upon civilians and military alike—have consequences not only for the couple but also for their families and friends.

Kate and son Pip are left to their own devices as Guy pursues his military and romantic goals away from home, and, intriguingly, the stolid-appearing Henry appears to represent a measure KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

FICTION

of comfort and stability to her. Using plot elements that hark back to an earlier era of storytelling and echoes of the thwarted lovers in the classic British wartime movie Brief Encounter, Brooks concocts an increasingly complex web of misunderstanding and misdirection. Kate narrates her own account of the events, while the more enigmatic Nina’s perspective is related in the third person, but it is the latter’s story that launches the narrative from a suspenseful and equivocal prologue.

A new-fashioned, old-fashioned story of love, deception, and buried secrets.

Tell Buckley, Jonathan | New Directions (160 pp.) | $14.95 paper | March 5, 2024 9780811237918

In a series of extended soliloquies, a rich man’s gardener tells what she knows and believes about him.

There’s plenty of interest in the life of Curtis, a British tycoon and art collector who’s gone missing.

He’d already survived the death of his wife and then his own serious car crash, and both of those left him a very different man, at least according to his staff, including the unnamed narrator of this novel who speaks for them. She speaks for everyone who knew him, actually, though she acknowledges that others had very different impressions of Curtis and his familial and romantic relationships. Lily was his wife, and her keen eye for fashion helped him amass his fortune. The younger and icier Karolina had a similar eye for art, helping turn his collection into a substantial investment. Karolina and Curtis may have been involved even before Lily’s death, though the narrator insists from the start that “Lily is what it’s about, in my opinion.” Then there’s Lara, a journalist who wrote a profile of Curtis that led to a book project that attempts to bridge what he was KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 13

before the accident and what he became. It has inspired some sort of film, and her series of interviews with the gardener is providing background.

The gardener, who isn’t central to Curtis’ story, doesn’t have much inside information but is an attentive observer. Although she says at one point, “Things will become clearer, I promise,” things become less clear as she engages in discursive ramblings involving Curtis’ family and staff who may or may not be central to the plot, whatever the plot is. She is “a nonstop talk machine,” and her narrative is the novel’s.

A novel about the nature of storytelling, and who gets to tell and shape the story.

The Tower Carr, Flora | Doubleday (272 pp.) | $28.00 March 5, 2024 | 9780385550185

Mary, Queen of Scots, imprisoned in cold, damp Lochleven Castle, on an island in the middle of the loch, plots her escape while attended by a small, faithful circle of women-in-waiting.

Close-focused and vivid, British author Carr’s debut centers on a year in the famed royal’s life while encompassing the events, people, and history that brought her to this place. It’s a detailed character portrait of Mary, a charismatic, flirtatious, “high-spirited beauty” who loves poetry and dancing as much as riding with troops. A queen since she was 6 days old, thrice married, and mother to 1-year-old James, Mary, at 24, is pregnant again when captured and imprisoned. Early in her incarceration she miscarries twins and is then forced to sign abdication papers. After these dramatic events, the pace of the novel slows to accommodate a deeper consideration of the relationships among the four trapped women: Mary’s two lowly “chamberers,” Jane and Cuckoo, are joined by a third, Lady Seton, one

of the aristocratic “jewelled ladies” more customary in a queen’s retinue.

Friendships, jealousies, and more intense emotions crisscross the group, while their captors spy on them and Mary secretly works with loyalists to secure freedom. Carr’s interest in the women—their bodies, their allegiances, their intimacies—offers a contemporary perspective that extends beyond the foursome to other females seeking or manipulating power. These musings and observations are rendered in bright, cinematic prose—“A woman with sunburn on her chest and forearms bends down to pluck white camomile flowers”—yet there’s a circularity as well as an inevitable claustrophobia to the structure, which the narrative never entirely outgrows.

A robust modern revisiting of popular historical territory.

Bunyan and Henry; or, The Beautiful Destiny Cecil, Mark | Pantheon (352 pp.) | $29.00 March 26, 2024 | 9780593471166

Two American folk heroes join forces in the name of democracy.

Cecil’s sprightly debut is an adventure tale set around the late 1800s, but it retools the Paul Bunyan and John Henry myths with an eye on today’s postcapitalist hellscape. Bunyan is a stout laborer in a polluted company town mining a fuel called Lump; when his wife, Lucette, is poisoned by Lump runoff, he’s compelled to head to “the Windy City” and appeal to the company CEO, the cartoonish (and nakedly Trumpish) industrialist El Boffo, who’s using Lump to develop an all-healing device. But access to El Boffo requires that the gentle giant defeat all comers in a boxing ring. He battles his final adversary, steel-driver John Henry, to a draw; realizing they’re better off working together, they scheme to find a cure for Lucette and a way to bring Henry’s family to JANUARY 15, 2024

13

12/20/23 5:35 PM

>>>

FICTION

Canada and escape slave catchers. They have the assistance of a folk creature’s vague advice and a literal guiding light called the Gleam that will deliver the pair to the title’s “Beautiful Destiny.”

Cecil has plainly inhaled not just the details of the Bunyan and Henry myths but the hyperbolic rhetoric of adventure tales; the novel is rife with cliffhanger chapter endings and feats of derring-do. That makes it a likable page-turner, but also a predictable one.

The story is peppered with platitudes about capitalism (“Nothing lives in America unless it turns a profit, and nothing dies as long as it does”), and El Boffo’s character is so nakedly villainous that his machinations (and fate) become uninteresting. The idea of using two idealized American folk characters to show how short the country has fallen is an inspired one with lots of potential, but here it’s mostly serving a binary good-versusevil melodrama.

Durable characters, set in a new but familiar frame.

All the World Beside Conley, Garrard | Riverhead (352 pp.) $28.00 | March 26, 2024 | 9780525537335

Conley, who thought deeply about the intersection of queer sexuality and religious persecution in Boy Erased: A Memoir (2016), plumbs that topic again in a sensitive novel.

The premise that two men in Puritan America fall in love with one another—and one of them’s a preacher—might sound like the setup of a Thanksgiving Saturday Night Live sketch, but Conley has crafted a rich, deeply researched story whose characters are alive with contradictions. This book is one of a number of recent historical novels about characters with same-sex desires who would have suffered grave consequences for being out: In Memoriam by Alice Winn and The New Life by Tom Crewe, to 14

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 14

name just two. In 1730, Nathaniel and Catherine Whitfield have an infant son, Ezekiel, and an older daughter, Sarah. When she married Nathaniel, Catherine didn’t know that he’d first felt same-sex desire in England, where he was raised. He becomes a star preacher in America, credited with the miracle of leading “five hundred souls to be saved in one meeting” during the Great Awakening sweeping the Colonies. He establishes a village of 200 people in Massachusetts called Cana, where the Lyman family is among his flock. Arthur, the village physician, is married to stylish Anne; they have a daughter named Martha.

Conley’s interest isn’t so much in the suspenseful machinations of how the two men connect but in the revealing ways they react to their feelings for each other at a time when even articulating their desire is profoundly shocking. Arthur’s love is pure and insistent; Nathaniel is deeply tortured, though he acknowledges to himself the love he feels for Arthur. This novel defies the contemporary mantra “It gets better,” and the conclusion feels true to the setting.

A novel that brings its Puritan setting alive with two men who are wounded for falling in love.

The Silence in Her Eyes Correa, Armando Lucas | Atria (272 pp.) $27.00 | Jan. 16, 2024 | 9781982197506

A woman with motion blindness becomes obsessed with a new neighbor whose husband, she’s convinced, wants to kill her.

When Leah Anderson was 8, she suffered both the sudden death of her father and a freak accident—unspecified until late in the book—which left her with akinetopsia, a rare condition that causes an inability to see movement.

Desperate to protect her daughter, Leah’s mother took her out of school and confined her to their Manhattan apartment. Now 28, Leah is reeling

from her mother’s recent death, balancing profound grief with hope for this opportunity to claim her independence. Her world thus far has been small, mostly contained within walking distance of her home in Morningside Heights, but at the same time, it’s more expansive than those around her can comprehend: Her heightened senses of hearing and smell allow her to track her neighbors’ movements and give her access to others’ most intimate moments, whether she wants it or not. When a woman named Alice moves into the apartment abutting hers, Leah can’t avoid the sound of her sobbing or her heated arguments with her husband.

Leah becomes obsessed with the idea that Alice’s husband is breaking into her apartment, that she and Alice are in real danger—and that she’s the one who must protect them. This conviction is strengthened by Alice’s sudden intense attachment to Leah, alarming on the page (“We’re like Thelma and Louise!” she says on a trip upstate) but intoxicating for Leah. Tonally and narratively reminiscent of Rear Window, this novel expertly draws the reader into Leah’s unique perspective, which leaves her convinced of an imminent tragedy she alone can see. It’s not only a gripping, surreal examination of the effects of isolation on the mind but also a good old-fashioned thriller.

Set aside a chunk of time for this Hitchcockian tale—you’ll have a hard time not finishing it in one sitting.

Bugsy: And Other Stories Frumkin, Rafael | Simon & Schuster (224 pp.) | $16.99 paper | Feb. 13, 2024 9781982189761

Short stories that explore identity and difference.

Frumkin offers portraits of characters who don’t know how they fit in. The settings range from New York City to rural hinterlands, but they all feature a protagonist seeking to KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

FICTION

understand their own identity and struggling to find authentic connection in an often-inimical world. The title story is told from the perspective of a college dropout trying to figure out a way to survive in Chicago. The narrator’s life takes a turn when a woman who stars in and produces porn takes an interest in them and, eventually, invites them to join her household. What begins as a liberating experience leads to a psychotic break. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say that the protagonist experiences a psychotic break while engaged in sex work. Mental illness and sex work are recurring themes. In “Fugato,” a psychiatrist loses his grip on reality.

“Like and Subscribe” is the story of a cam girl. In all of these narratives, the author seems to be mistaking taboo— or ostensibly taboo—topics for actual substance. “On the Inside” is difficult to critique at the level of aesthetics.

It’s told from the point of view of an autistic child named Benny and his mother. In an author’s note, Frumkin writes, “As a neurodivergent person, my goal in writing this story was to expose the harmful practices that impact the autistic community,” but adding that, in giving Benny a voice, he is not trying to speak for nonverbal autistic people. Given that autistic people have begun, in the last several years, to insist that they can speak for themselves, the author’s suggestion that his own neurodivergence gives him license may not persuade all readers. None of these stories reads as if it’s finished—“Fugato,” especially, ends on a note that feels like the author was just done writing.

Frumkin has written two well-received novels—The Comedown (2018) and Confidence (2023)—but these stories aren’t up to their level.

A largely unsatisfying collection from a skilled writer.

Piglet Hazell, Lottie | Henry Holt (320 pp.) | $27.99 Feb. 27, 2024 | 9781250289841

An addictive novel about a London cookbook editor whose life veers off course weeks before her wedding.

Piglet, the narrator of Hazell’s debut novel, seems to have it all: a good job, a new house, fancy cookware and boundless energy for whipping up perfect meals, and a fiance whose upper-crust family promises to whisk her away from her middle-class upbringing. However, Piglet’s false modesty and her fiance Kit’s lavish toast to her, “the cause of every good thing I have in my life,” set off alarm bells by the end of the first chapter. An italicized note before the start of the next chapter amplifies that unease by letting us know Kit is going to tell Piglet something damaging—we don’t know what—13 days before their wedding. Kit’s betrayal drives the novel forward in an unexpected way.

Hazell’s choice to withhold a crucial bit of information won’t bother some readers, while others will feel like the book is a recipe with a vital ingredient missing. The novel teases out the ways Piglet betrays herself long before Kit’s confession and how she rages against the conventions of femininity and bourgeois restraint afterward.

The result is some seriously brilliant cringe. When Piglet wanders into an Indian restaurant by herself and orders every dish on the menu days

An addictive novel about a cookbook editor whose life veers off course.

PIGLET

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 15

before her wedding-dress fitting, it’s hard not to squirm, and harder still to avoid interrogating the reasons for one’s intense discomfort. The effect is similar when Piglet goes around telling everyone, including Kit’s family and hers, his big secret. Hazell balances these quasi-comedic moments with quieter ones to keep Piglet real. Her shame about her parents is poignant, especially because they really love her. “We’re proud of you, Piglet,” her father says. “I know that doesn’t mean much from your old dad back in Derby….” Like the food that Piglet cooks, Hazell’s sentences are delicious.

The lowly lentil, for example, has never looked so exciting, blooming in broth before Piglet hears “the angry, thumping hiss of something catching on cast iron.”

A novel that you will devour first and savor later.

So You Wanna Run a Country?

Holohan, Kevin | Akashic (320 pp.) | $27.95 March 5, 2024 | 9781636141602

In a disturbing future, unsuspecting competitors in a global reality show find themselves in over their heads.

After decades of intrusive technology, climate collapse, and autocratic crackdowns, homeless people have been rebranded “Thoroughfarians,” prisoners staff retail shops to work off their sentences, and hopelessly unqualified contestants compete to rule small nations on the reality TV show So You Wanna Run a Country?

This season’s host country is Inner Azhuur, an idiosyncratic land “locked in the Middle Ages, isolated from the world, surrounded on three sides by its mortal enemy.” Selected to rule—after a suspiciously fortuitous audition—are Mooney, a Thoroughfarian drifter saddled with a statue of questionable provenance, and his recent acquaintance, Wendy, an algorithm >>> JANUARY 15, 2024

15

12/20/23 5:35 PM

F I C T I O N // Q & A

THE KIRKUS Q&A: ELIZABETH GONZALEZ JAMES The novelist transforms her wild family history—including a bandido and a Mexican movie star—for a mesmerizing new novel.

IN THE BULLET Swallower (Simon & Schuster, Jan. 23), Elizabeth Gonzalez James mines her family history to tell a story about a bloody colonial past that straddles Mexico and the United States while also exploring how the past reverberates in the present. In 1895, Texas Rangers leave Antonio Sonoro with a near-fatal injury and a deep desire for revenge. In 1964, Jaime Sonoro longs to make a film in which he can star as his notorious grandfather. The book is a Western, but James includes a few fantastical flourishes, such as a weirdly beguiling stranger who calls himself Remedio and a history of the Sonoro family’s evil deeds dating back to Cain killing Abel.

The author’s debut novel, Mona at Sea (2021), was a coming-of-age tale set during the Great Recession. Although her latest is a very different kind of book, James’ take on the Western feels both contemporary and urgent. The author spoke with Kirkus from her home in Massachusetts; our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

You use historical fiction to explore some issues that are vitally relevant today.

Did you set out to write a novel about generational trauma and colonialism and making reparations, or was that just an organic product of the story you were telling?

Definitely the latter. There was no way I could tell the story of a Mexican man who is shot in the face by Texas Rangers without getting 16

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 16

into colonialism and racism.

When I was researching my family, I discovered that some of my ancestors were incredibly wealthy.

They owned gold mines in Northern Mexico. I don’t think you have to know a ton about mining operations in Latin America to know that working conditions were… not great. My first thought when I learned this was, If something bad happens to me, I have it coming.

This definitely played into the idea of generational trauma—of inheriting bad legacies and trying to figure out how to overcome them.

I wrote the first draft of this novel during the fall of 2016—before the election.

But I wrote the novel that it became during the Trump years. That shaped the tone, I guess, or the theme, because suddenly I was living in a world where people were screaming, “Build the wall!” The book absolutely changed in response to the world around me.

I love the secondary characters. English adventurer Peter Ainsley is kind of ridiculous—he feels like he’s ridden in from an entirely different story—but he’s such a perfect foil for

Antonio—a white sidekick, comic relief. Where did Peter come from?

I imagined this story as one man against the elements.

I didn’t want Antonio to have a sidekick. But once this character popped into the story, I couldn’t get rid of him. I hate it when authors say things like, Peter wanted to stay in the story. I’m the master of the story. The characters aren’t telling me what to do. But I just couldn’t get rid of him because he was so funny and so different from the other characters.

Also, I was aware of not wanting to create a situation where all the bad guys in the book are white, and all the good guys are Mexican.

Peter allowed me to show a white person who is

Nancy Rothstein

BY JESSICA JERNIGAN

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

Q & A // F I C T I O N

well-intentioned—if also completely clueless. His privilege blinds him to so much of what’s going on around him.

Another character I want to know more about is Remedio, although I ask while understanding that mystery is essential to this character.

I always knew, from the beginning, that I wanted this to be magical realism.

And that I wanted to have the devil be a character.

But, writing the devil—it’s kind of hard, right? Nobody is worse than the devil, so there’s not a whole lot you can do with that character.

There’s nowhere for him to go.

So, then I thought, The devil takes people to Hell.

Maybe I could have a character who takes people wherever they go. Does he work for the devil? Does he work for God? What is his exact job function? I don’t resolve that because I honestly don’t know. Constructing the moral universe of this book forced me to confront—well, it forced me to confront the entirety of my understanding of morality and what happens after we die and all of that stuff.

What was that process like?

It’s funny. I started the book [as a] Catholic, and I converted to Judaism in the middle of writing it—I think because I had to actually start answering the questions I had. I had to know the answers so that I could write the book from a place

of authority. And I realized that Catholicism wasn’t really giving me answers that felt satisfying to me.

At the end of the book you include an author’s note in which you explain how this book came to be. Your actual family history is so crazy that I half suspected it was fictional, too. Did the facts you uncovered make it harder to write the book you wanted to write?

It made it harder, because I wanted to tell a true story about the bandido called El Tragabalas and my cousin, Eulalio González [the Mexican actor known as Pipporo], who wanted to make a film about our legendary ancestor. I wanted to tell a true story—with some magical elements. But I couldn’t.

Constructing the moral universe of this book forced me to confront the entirety of my understanding of morality.

The Bullet Swallower James, Elizabeth Gonzalez

Simon & Schuster | 272 pp. | $26.99 Jan. 23, 2024 | 9781668009321

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 17

First of all, I couldn’t corroborate what I found in my research. But I also realized that their stories wouldn’t line up in a way that would be satisfying as a work of art. We know what’s at stake for Antonio, and that just doesn’t compare to a movie star turning Antonio’s story into a comedy—which is what actually happened. So, Eulalio became Jaime, and the movie turned into…well, something different.

I will say that I spent way too much time on going back and back into my family’s history on ancestry. com. I found out that way back we were royal, which is hitting the genealogy jackpot. Most of what I learned didn’t make it into the book, but I had so much fun writing little vignettes about ancestors of whom I actually knew very little.

I just enjoyed imagining the worst things powerful people did centuries ago, like…oh, who was it? She bathed in blood?

Elizabeth Báthory?

Right! I guess some of this does come out in Maria’s book about the Sonoros. By the way, I have already been asked if this is a real book and, no, it’s not real. But she got to be my mouthpiece. I definitely tipped my hand a little here—making the Sonoros pure evil—but it’s my book, and I wanted to do it. Her book kind of helps me get at the story I wanted to tell, but that story is so much bigger than what I was able to get down on paper. Oh well.

Jessica Jernigan is a writer and editor who lives and works on Anishinaabe land in central Michigan.

JANUARY 15, 2024

17

12/20/23 5:35 PM

FICTION

hacker on the lam from defrauded financiers. The new regents’ initial wariness quickly transforms into derision at the strange locals’ archaic customs. But all is not as it seems in Inner Azhuur, and the two find themselves drawn in to sinister schemes beyond their wildest imagining.

Holohan’s prose pops and crackles as he combines an outlandish yet convincing vision of a tech-dominated future reminiscent of William Gibson with the wry wit of Neil Gaiman, and the result proves exceedingly funny.

When Mooney and Wendy first arrive in Inner Azhuur, dignitaries perform ceremonial introductions by striking themselves with dead fish. (“Behold the Carp of Acquaintanceship!”)

Holohan’s silly dystopia, replete with ridiculous place names (“Newer York” and “Grander Central Station”) and winking acronyms (“Consumer-Responsive Unscripted Drama”), strikes an utterly enjoyable medium between Futurama and Infinite Jest.

A raucous, engrossing, unsettling whirlwind of a story that is as disarmingly novel as it is disturbingly familiar.

Kirkus Star

The Other Valley Howard, Scott Alexander | Atria (304 pp.) $27.99 | Feb. 27, 2024 | 9781668015476

A solitary young woman grows up in a secretive and eerie village that shares its borders with both its future and its past in this stunning debut.

At 16, Odile Ozanne exists in a world where the entire course of her life has already been determined. Or so she thinks. To the west of the mountains bordering the unnamed village where she lives is an identical small town that exists 20 years in the past. Far off to the east is another identical town that exists 20 years in the future. The villages continue to repeat, stretching throughout the wilderness for unknown 18

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 18

reasons. The shared borders are closely guarded: no one is allowed to visit the past or the future without express permission from a group of powerful decision-makers known as the Conseil.

That group makes sure that any visits are carried out as smoothly and anonymously as possible so as not to disturb the existing timeline in any way. When Odile accidentally witnesses her friend Edme’s parents crossing the border, she realizes they’re coming from a future in which her friend must no longer exist; so begins her struggle to keep a secret that could alter everyone’s lives for better or for worse. While the more keen-eyed fans of time travel might discover a loophole or two, Howard’s singularly beautiful and wholly original comingof-age story will capture the minds of his readers. Not only is this novel a quiet meditation on grief and love, but it also finds itself in conversation with larger philosophical debates such as the nature of mortality, fate versus free will, and how far a person will go—and what they’re willing to risk—to spend more time with those they love.

A thought-provoking exploration of ethics, power, love, and time travel that is perfect for fans of Ishiguro and McEwan.

Kirkus Star

The Painter’s Daughters Howes, Emily | Simon & Schuster (320 pp.) $27.99 | Feb. 27, 2024 | 9781668021385

The women in 18th-century British painter Thomas Gainsborough’s family are the subject of this portrait in words.

As promised by the title, Howes delivers an immersive dive into the lives of Gainsborough’s daughters but also provides an intriguing backstory about his wife’s purported ancestry. The Gainsborough girls—Molly the elder and Peggy a bit younger—enjoy a fairly feral and unrestrained early childhood

in Suffolk, despite their mother’s attempts to rein them in. Molly shows signs of a troubling tendency toward spells of odd behavior and confusion, which continue, and worsen, after the family relocates to the more fashionable city of Bath, a move undertaken to expose the girls (who sometimes model for their father) to a more civilized way of life and advance Gainsborough’s career as a portrait artist. Terrified that she and Molly will be separated and that Molly’s condition will expose her to ridicule and, worse, institutionalization in a barbaric “Bedlam,” Peggy develops a system of coping mechanisms and evasive tactics in an attempt to keep them together. Running parallel to the girls’ story is the unfolding saga of the earlier life of Meg, a young Englishwoman from an impoverished background with a history of familial violence and loss. Meg’s secret relationship with the visiting Frederick of Hanover (then Prince of Wales) leads her to take bold steps to secure her future and that of their secretly conceived child. The struggle between genetics and secrecy is just one of the themes explored by Howes in this subtle exploration of love, duty, and resentment. The author’s note details her research into Gainsborough and his circle, illuminating which parts of the narrative are grounded in fact and which are imaginative embellishment.

A thoughtful view of the real lives behind the pretty pictures.

Girl Abroad Kennedy, Elle | Bloom Books (432 pp.) | $16.99 paper | Feb. 13, 2024 9781728299792

A rock star’s daughter decides to study abroad in search of her own experiences, finding romance and intrigue along the way.

For 19-yearold Abbey Bly, having a rock star for a father isn’t as glamorous as it seems. For one thing, KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

FICTION

Three girls walk into a bedroom in the New Jersey suburbs in 1983...

M E M O RY P I EC E

she shares her name with Abbey Road, and for another, the only version of the famous Gunner Bly she knows is the helicopter parent she lives with in Nashville. Hoping to find her way outside her father’s sphere of influence, Abbey decides to spend a semester in London studying European history at Pembridge University. Promising to keep her father updated on every aspect of life abroad, Abbey heads to her shared apartment expecting to find three female roommates…only to find that she’s actually living with three men. Afraid that Gunner will order her home, Abbey decides to keep Lee, Jack, and Jamie’s gender a secret (lucky their names sound androgynous!) and sets her sights on adventure. While working on a research project about a mysterious painting and adapting to Britain’s drinking culture, Abbey finds time to explore a little romance despite her housemates’ strict no-fraternizing rule. First there’s Jack, a commitment-phobic Australian hottie who can’t seem to stay away from Abbey; then there’s Nate, a sexy bassist who keeps forgetting he’s taken. Toying with nonexclusive relationships and exploring her sexuality, Abbey can’t help but feel excited about all the experience she’s gaining, but has she really, truly found herself? Kennedy’s novel is a page-turner—who wouldn’t want to travel to a foreign country and meet interested potential lovers down the hall? Abbey is a relatable character who yearns to stand outside For more by Elle Kennedy, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 19

her father’s shadow, and though the love triangle is a focal point, it never outshines the heroine’s growth.

A spicy novel that’s a must-read for fans of a British accent.

Counsel Culture Kim Hye-jin | Trans. by Jamie Chang Restless Books (208 pp.) | $18.00 paper March 5, 2024 | 9781632062321

A “canceled” public figure is thrown back on herself and what remains of her once-successful life, befriended only by a stray cat and a lost little girl.

In this near-weightless tale of the heaviness of living, Haesoo Lim, a former psychotherapist and regular TV guest, walks the nighttime streets of her South Korean town, lost in a fog of confusion after the disintegration of her marriage and the ending of her career. After her (scripted) negative comment about a popular actor is held responsible for the man’s suicide, public opinion turns against her. Passing through her local park’s cones of streetlight and more-soothing shadows, Haesoo carries with her a letter she will never mail, destined, like others she’s written to various people in her life, for the park’s garbage can. Haesoo’s story is revealed to us remotely, tentatively, akin to the way she herself moves around the neighborhood and to the way many of the block’s frightened street cats eye her.

One scruffy orange cat in particular piques her interest. It’s been named Turnip by a local child, 10-year-old Sei, who befriends Haesoo. Gradually,

the reality of Sei’s empty home life brushes up against Haesoo’s sad wanderings, which in turn brush up against Turnip’s struggle for survival: a triangle of characters locked into each other’s fate, each looking for relief, for a lasting home. Melancholy and ruminative yet possessed of a quiet energy, Kim’s tale leads Haesoo toward the realization that, more often than not, what we yearn to be is who we already are, that life is less a matter of becoming than of revealing. While her lawyer flatly tells her that one can’t trust people, that “kindness is the first to go when luck changes,” Haesoo reaffirms to herself a truth she has known for some time as a counselor: Goodness and growth are impossible “without leaning on kindness and empathy.” Despite everything, she has not lost, and must not lose, this faith.

A simple, moving story of outcasts coming together.

Memory Piece Ko, Lisa | Riverhead (304 pp.) | $28.00 March 19, 2024 | 9780593542101

Three girls walk into a bedroom in the New Jersey suburbs in 1983... and many decades later, into a dystopian future.

Soon-to-be seventh graders Giselle Chin and Jackie Ong are hiding from a Fourth of July party, making prank calls in the host’s bedroom, when Ellen Ng walks in and asks if there’s anything else to do for fun around here. The three wander across the street into a parallel gathering and help themselves to someone else’s hamburgers. “This was the beginning, what Giselle would describe, years later...as...the SEEDS of our aesthetics...we saw each other for who we were / masked weirdos, undercover pranksters.” This ominously pretentious-sounding observation appears in one of the year-long conceptual artworks Giselle eventually becomes famous for: Mall Piece, 1995-96; Memory Piece, 1996-97; and Death JANUARY 15, 2024

19

12/20/23 5:35 PM

>>>

FICTION

Piece, 1999-2000. Meanwhile, Jackie grows up to be a visionary software developer, creating a site where people keep online diaries for public consumption and taking part in New York City’s Silicon Alley dot-com boom. Ellen continues her rabble-rousing ways, publishing a zine and then establishing a squat on the Lower East Side. Though they lose track of each other from time to time, the three come to realize that “friendships were circular, that you could never fully lose touch.” After moving their stories across the bridge to the new millennium, the narrative leaps ahead to the 2040s, where the political situation has become a nightmare, though not a particularly intriguing one, and supporting characters proliferate while ones we care about fade from view.

Though full of interesting action and sharp observation, Ko’s follow-up to The Leavers (2017) fails to whip up much narrative tension beyond the mystery created by the photographs that appear from time to time, captioned with complicated archival labels. In the end, the book’s elaborate conceptual structure dominates the characters who inhabit it.

A socially conscious novel of art and ideas.

Finding Sophie Mahmood, Imran | Bantam (352 pp.) $28.00 | March 5, 2024 | 9780593723586

Two South London parents take the search for their missing daughter into their own hands.

Six weeks ago, 17-year-old Sophie King went missing. Her parents, Zara and Harry, have lost confidence in the police investigation, especially since one of their neighbors, Herman in number 210, has refused all questioning. The Kings begin their own separate investigations, each in their own way: Harry patrolling the area and quick to anger, Zara subtly infiltrating Sophie’s social circle. Both 20

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 20

London parents take the search for their missing daughter into their own hands.

FINDING SOPHIE

are rash but make significant discoveries. Meanwhile, a year later, a murder trial is about to commence. As the novel jumps between the two timelines and Zara’s and Harry’s points of view, the truth of what happened to Sophie slowly comes into view. Though the novel is about a missing girl, the focus is less on the search for her than on how her disappearance affects her parents; it doesn’t quite have the breakneck pace of a thriller but feels more like a slow unraveling. While having only so much information keeps the reader happily guessing, the switching between time periods and between days within those periods can become confusing when events that had seemed to take place on the same day suddenly diverge. The novel hits its stride in the back half, when the focus becomes the trial and the small tricks and maneuvering of the plaintiffs bring surprise after surprise.

The last 30 pages have more to say than the first 80, perhaps, but it’s worth it to get there.

A slow but steady burn.

Pelican Girls Malye, Julia | Harper/HarperCollins (368 pp.) | $30.00 | March 5, 2024 9780063299757

Malye describes the French colonization of 18th-century La Louisiane with exacting detail through the eyes of women ordered there by the French government to become wives.

In 1720, the Superioress of La Salpêtrière, a combination orphanage/

reformatory/prison for wayward women, is ordered to choose 90 inmates to cross the sea to help bolster the struggling French American colony. She’s not sure whether she’s offering them a fresh start or a death sentence, given the weather, disease and warfare in La Louisiane. During the months-long voyage, three of the travelers form deep bonds. Twentytwo-year-old Geneviève Menu, who has fended for herself since her parents’ deaths when she was 11, is glad to avoid incarceration as an abortionist.

Sensitive, eccentric Pétronille Béranger must leave the “golden cell” reserved for wealthy outcasts since her family has stopped paying her board. La Salpêtrière is the only home 12-yearold orphan Charlotte Couturier has known, but she begs to go after her only friend is chosen. Over the next 15 years in La Louisiane, Geneviève is widowed by three husbands, all named Pierre (this earnest novel’s one humorous note), while Pétronille maintains her tepid but comfortable marriage until forced to make a life-or-death choice for her children’s sake. Widowed at 19 and childless, Charlotte moves into a convent. Malye paints a detailed, obviously well-researched portrait of the socioeconomics, physical hardships, and treacherous natural beauty of La Louisiane as seen through these women’s eyes—and also, briefly, in a significant counterpoint, through the eyes of Utu’wv Ecoko’nesel, Pétronille’s unlikely Natchez friend and protector, who expresses her people’s abiding anger over the French belief that Natchez land “could be divided into parts and handed over.” Unfortunately, Utu’wv Ecoko’nesel is never made more than a noble symbol, while the French women become fully realized, KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

FICTION

individual admixtures of strengths and weaknesses. Inevitably, all find their greatest solace in female relationships, both platonic and sexual.

The women’s emotionally complex stories are more potent than the author’s ambitious, sometimes murky, take on history.

My Friends Matar, Hisham | Random House (416 pp.) $28.99 | Jan. 9, 2024 | 9780812994841

A Libyan exile contemplates his time away from his troubled homeland.

Khaled Abd al Hady, the narrator of Matar’s third novel, moved to England for college in 1983, well aware of the risks of encountering people criticizing his homeland.

Years earlier, on BBC Arabic World Service radio, he’d heard an allegorical short story by a young Libyan writer, Hosam Zowa, criticizing the Qaddafi regime; shortly after, the Arab announcer reading the story was assassinated. Still, at the prompting of a friend and classmate, Mustafa al Touny, he attends a protest at the Libyan embassy in London and is nearly killed by gunfire from inside the building. “Forever a marked man,” he can’t return home to his parents and sister in Benghazi or even share word of his injuries and their cause. As the years pass, Khaled settles into British life, finding and befriending Hosam as his friendship with Mustafa deepens; one running theme of the book is that friendship offers a space for honesty and affection that’s often foreclosed by family and country. Still, the mood For more by Hisham Matar, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 21

is melancholy, and Matar captures it gorgeously: “It turns out it is possible to live without one’s family. All one has to do is to endure each day and gradually, minute by minute, brick by brick, time builds a wall.” Plotwise, the novel operates at a relatively low boil, and even passages on political and religious strife are delivered with a sinuous, Jamesian reserve. The Arab Spring of 2011 intensifies matters, prompting Khaled and his cohort to decide how much to engage in it. But even here, Matar is more philosophical than heated, exploring what sides of ourselves we deny for the sake of a cause. While some around Khaled engage in the revolution, he, like the book, is more restrained, echoing Hosam’s notion that “there is no salvation in war.”

A subtle, graceful, intimate exploration of loss and disconnection.

Kirkus Star

The Tree Doctor Mockett, Marie Mutsuki | Graywolf (256 pp.) | $17.00 paper | March 19, 2024 9781644452776

A stifled Japanese American writer, separated from her family during the pandemic, finds unexpected intimacy with an arborist.

When an unnamed middle-aged writer and professor learns her mother has been diagnosed with dementia, she returns to her Northern California childhood home, leaving her two daughters and husband behind in Hong Kong. This decision coincides with the onset of the pandemic—referred to coyly as “the sickness”—and suddenly what was supposed to be a short stay has no end in sight. Having placed her mother in a care facility, the narrator splits her time between teaching an online college course on Japanese aesthetics; video calling her husband, who is preoccupied by work; and

tending to her mother’s expansive but struggling garden. A local nursery recommends she consult with a man known as the Tree Doctor, whose body immediately enthralls her: His eyes “suggested to her something molten whirling around at his core”; his “hands were like the branches of an oak.” What follows is a raw, passionate affair spent between the garden and the bedroom, where the Tree Doctor uncovers a desire the writer is unaccustomed to, and where she pushes herself toward the overlap of pleasure and pain. Isolated from society, she rediscovers herself in her body, invigorated by the idea that she is at her core a piece of nature. “Can you wake up a body the way you can wake up a tree?” she asks, and indeed that seems to be the case. Through a yearning first-person narration, the protagonist’s trials evoke difficult but vital questions about survival and endurance: When does a person admit that a loved one’s declining health can’t be reversed? When does a society concede the fact that “there would never again be a ‘normal’” and learn to adapt? These interrogations are threaded seamlessly into the narrator’s pursuit of her own power, a pursuit that reveals just how liberating the decision to dismantle and reassemble one’s self can be.

An affecting story of personal transformation, as broody as it is erotic.

Kirkus Star

All Our Yesterdays Morris, Joel H. | Putnam (368 pp.) | $28.00 March 12, 2024 | 9780593715383

A prequel to Shakespeare’s Macbeth told in modern prose.

An 11th-century widow and her 10-year-old son are called “the Lady” and “the boy,” as if their names don’t matter. Indeed, her life is shaped wholly by men.

The thane Macbeth has murdered JANUARY 15, 2024

>>> 21

12/20/23 5:35 PM

FICTION

her husband—burned him alive—and now moves into the woman’s castle.

Not only does she not mind, but they fall in love and marry. Do the castle gossips call it an unholy union? As well they might, and the boy resents both his mother and Macbeth. She tells her son that together they can teach Macbeth how to be a father and a husband. “It is harsh, this world,” the mother says. “It is so hard to find love in it….We are fortunate if we find the smallest drop.” Drops of love are scant in this tale, while drops of blood are much easier to find. Morris doesn’t handle the plot quite as Shakespeare did, with witches and a murder scheme. This is less the story of Macbeth than it is the story of the missus. She is spooked by apparitions and a mysterious voice that says, “You shall be queen hereafter.” It’s hard for her to imagine how, as Duncan is king.

But then her trusted “coz” Macduff reminds her that Macbeth is second in line. If you’ve read the play, you already know where we’re headed, but don’t let that stop you from reading this beautiful interpretation, which is so rich in its descriptions and well-crafted characters. Yes, night is a frightening time to be in the woods, but “ghosts melt away at the whiff of dawn.” There are mormaers and crones, thanes and witches, ambition and vengeance. And did we mention blood? Oh yes. Even the minor characters are fun, like the boy’s tutor Broccin, who despises children: They should all be sent to monasteries, “where the years might drain them of their insouciance like leeches applied to the body.”

A most enjoyable setup for the Scottish play, but be sure to read the original, too.

Parasol Against the Axe Oyeyemi, Helen | Riverhead (272 pp.) $28.00 | March 5, 2024 | 9780593192368

A trio of former friends is brought together in Prague in a novel narrated by the city itself.

Hero Tojosoa, a journalist, comes to Prague at the invitation of her old friend, Sofie Cibulkova, who is having her hen weekend there. Though the two are no longer close, Hero is eager to run away from an issue plaguing her at home, one related to a book she has published under the pen name Dorothea Gilmartin. When Hero arrives in Prague on a hot summer day, she brings with her a novel her teen son gave her called Paradoxical Undressing, described as a “crazily tangible unhistory” of Prague. Nearby, Sofie and Hero’s third former friend— also called Dorothea Gilmartin, the kind of surreal linkage Oyeyemi delights in—is in Prague on business, where she, too, is given a copy of Paradoxical Undressing. But though it’s the same book, Thea and Hero aren’t reading the same story; in fact, each time they return to their respective copies, the book has changed content, swooping into different moments of Prague’s history, from the taxi dancers of World War II to physicians in the reign of King Rudolf II. As the mysterious novel’s secrets multiply, Hero, Sofie, and Thea collide in the city with dramatic results. Oyeyemi writes here as an heir to Calvino or Borges, corkscrewing exuberantly through the alleys and roofscapes of her adopted city. (Born in Nigeria and

A dazzling romp through the intersection of political and personal histories.

PA R A S O L AG A I N S T T H E A X E

22

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 22

raised in London, Oyeyemi now lives in the Czech capital.) Packing stories inside stories like a hall of mirrors can occasionally make for daunting, and even goofy, reading, but to write a “Prague book,” Oyeyemi seems to say, layers of shape-shifting tales seem necessary to do it justice.

A dizzying, dazzling romp through the intersection of political and personal histories.

Forgotten Sisters Pelayo, Cynthia | Thomas & Mercer (303 pp.) | $16.99 paper | March 19, 2024 9781662513916

The melancholy of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” frames an eerie story of two sisters living in solitude in a haunted family home.

Anna Arbor and her older sister, Jennie, live in a historic bungalow on the Chicago River. The home was bequeathed to Anna by her grandparents, and she’s responsible for taking care of it and of Jennie, who suffers from some supernatural illness that’s also connected to the aging house and river. The tragic recent loss of Anna and Jennie’s parents may be the reason that Anna can’t get the world of the dead out of her mind. She decides to make a podcast exploring the forgotten dead and giving them recognition among the living. When her broadcasts attract a fan, Peter, Anna finds herself leaving Jennie to her long walks while she grows closer to Peter. But both Jennie and the house itself strenuously object to Anna doing anything independently, and Jennie’s warnings to Anna about the recklessness of seeking intimacy with Peter echo the girls’ childhood love of “The Little Mermaid.” Is Peter dangerous to Anna, or is Jennie the one with something to hide? Meanwhile, two detectives are tasked with investigating a string of drownings in the river. It’s clear that someone in the house must know how KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

FICTION

all these things are connected, but the truth may not rise to the surface fast enough to save Anna from danger.

Spooky and sad with a constant sense of ambiguity at its core.

Kirkus Star

Flight of the Wild Swan Pritchard, Melissa | Bellevue Literary Press (416 pp.) | $18.99 paper | March 12, 2024 9781954276215

A fresh imagining of an icon.

Complicating the image of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) as a saintly ministering angel, Pritchard draws on her subject’s voluminous correspondence and journals to create a nuanced portrait of a woman characterized by one contemporary as “an unsexed creature of narcissism, self-regard, and icy ambition.” Raised in wealth, educated by her erudite father, Nightingale refused to conform to passive, frivolous Victorian womanhood. “I may not know why I was born,” she writes in her commonplace book, “but it cannot be to wage war on dust and broken crockery.” She desperately wants to help her father’s poor, struggling tenants. “I long to live with them,” she admits. “I am drawn to sickness,” she says elsewhere. When she is 17, God speaks to her, calling her to end the world’s suffering, a command that fuels her life’s work.

She visits hospitals, orphanages and asylums. She reads government reports on hospital systems and workhouses, taking copious notes.

To her mother’s dismay, she refuses a marriage proposal from an ardent For more by Melissa Pritchard, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 23

suitor, instead pressing her parents for permission to train as a nurse.

Living at home, she feels herself becoming “a seething creature, poisoned by rage, with an oversized brain”—until finally her father relents.

Pritchard recounts her training in Germany and Paris; her growing reputation; and her intense friendship with statesman Sidney Herbert, who persuades her to lead a contingent of nurses to the Crimea. Faced with filth, vermin, disease, lack of supplies, and hostility from the doctor in charge, Nightingale nevertheless prevails. “‘Nightingale power,’” Pritchard writes, became “a much-used phrase around the hospital, a reference to her uncanny ability to procure whatever she wants by argument, persuasion, donations, use of her own funds, or other more mysterious, coercive, or stealthy means.” God’s selfless and compassionate servant, in Pritchard’s portrayal, is an indomitable force.

A brisk, perceptive narrative.

After Annie Quindlen, Anna | Random House (304 pp.) $27.00 | March 12, 2024 | 9780593229804

When the title character dies suddenly of an aneurysm, her husband, four children and best friend must deal with their grief and find a path forward.

Annie Fonzheimer grew up in small-town Greengrass, Pennsylvania, and never left. She married “too fast and too young” when she got pregnant by local boy Bill Brown, a plumber by trade. Annie works long hours as an aide at a nursing home and tends to her four children, ages 6 to 13, in a small house that belongs to her mother-in-law, the prickly Dora. But Annie, high-spirited and much adored, is content with her “lovely reliable” life, even if it’s not exactly what she’d expected. She’s a vibrant presence in this novel, despite getting bumped off

in the first sentence. Quindlen weaves Annie’s backstory with an account of her survivors, who suffer mightily in her absence. Without her mother, eldest child Ali watches over her younger siblings and navigates a friendship with a girl who harbors a disturbing secret.

Best pal Annemarie, whom Annie helped save from drug addition, must decide if she can persevere without her friend’s steadying hand. And Bill, who wasn’t sure about marrying Annie at first—and then found he couldn’t imagine life without her—must sort out his feelings for a woman he was involved with before his wife.

Quindlen, whose own mother died when she was 19, is good at this sort of domestic drama, elevating material that might seem over-familiar, even maudlin in other hands; the well-drawn characters and sharp observations keep the reader engaged. “Maybe grief was like homesickness,” Bill muses at one point, “something that wasn’t just about a specific person, but about losing that feeling that you were where you belonged….” Actually, not a lot happens until the novel’s final section, in which, arguably, too much happens.

While Quindlen may lean too hard on the hope motif at the end, this is an emotionally satisfying, absorbing story.

My Heavenly Favorite Rijneveld, Lucas | Trans. by Michele Hutchison | Graywolf (288 pp.) | $28.00 March 5, 2024 | 978-1-64445-273-8

A dairy farm, again, provides the mordant backdrop for trauma in Dutch poet Rijneveld’s startling second novel exploring loss, escape, and boundaries.

An unnamed middle-aged veterinarian recounts his version of the ill-fated relationship he cultivated with a 14-year-old girl with whom he was (and is) enamored. The unnamed idealized girl becomes, in disturbing and violent ways, the focus of his fantasies and actions over the course of the JANUARY 15, 2024

23

12/20/23 5:35 PM

>>>

FICTION

A hilarious, unremittingly jaundiced depiction of modern young adulthood.

WO R RY

summer of 2005. A complex character, the girl—who refers to herself as Little Bird—is quirky, misunderstood, prone to self-destructive fantasy, seemingly motherless and living in a stultifying household with her brother and father. Her and the veterinarian’s relationship—on a complete collision course with the realistic and the appropriate—may be driven by his need to relive or reinvent his own youth, marred by unseemly sexual attention from his mother. Rijneveld (who won the 2020 International Booker Prize for a previous portrait of childhood trauma, The Discomfort of Evening, also translated by Hutchison) delivers the veterinarian’s meandering soliloquy in the style of a Beat poem, with hypnotic effect, via page-long sentences and chapter-length paragraphs.

Replete with references to pop culture, rock music, and current events, the fantastical account is grounded in real possibility, making it all the more menacing; this ogre is a neighbor, and he doesn’t mind being referred to as Kurt (à la Cobain). Worse, he has found a receptive and needy audience, greedy for attention. His catalog of things he fantasizes about doing, and eventually does, to the object of his misdirected longings will evoke trigger warnings and debate from readers who, as scene after scene of predatory behavior unfolds, could be forgiven for feeling assaulted themselves.

Nabakov’s predator blamed his prey; Rijneveld’s seeks to blame love.

For more by Jen Silverman, visit Kirkus online.

24

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 24

There’s Going To Be Trouble Silverman, Jen | Random House (320 pp.) $29.00 | April 9, 2024 | 9780593448359

On the Harvard campus in 1969 and the Paris streets in 2018, parallel protagonists become enmeshed in radical politics and romance.

Playwright Silverman’s sophomore novel starts off strong, pursuing two storylines that will of course eventually converge. The earlier of the two, at Harvard, involves an organic chemistry graduate student named Keen who rescues a fleeing protestor from the police, then falls fast and hard for her and her world, though he works in the laboratory of a man Olya and her friends consider a war criminal. The 50-years-later plot revolves around Minnow, 38, an American woman living in France.

Devastated after getting caught up in a scandal involving a student’s abortion at the school where she taught, she escapes to Paris, where she, too, connects with a protester on the street, 23-year-old Charles. The rebellious scion of a wealthy man connected to President Emmanuel Macron, Charles is part of the gilet jaune (yellow vest) movement. In both cases, the political conversion experience involves hot sex and stirring scenes of activism (Keen at the Dow Chemical protest is wonderful), but eventually things go horribly wrong. Oddly, this book seems to be in sympathy with the attitudes and frustrations of the movements depicted, but the twin disasters are awful enough to scare an

impressionable reader off radicalism altogether, especially because the upshot seems to be that political action can ruin people without changing the world at all. Young Charles says as much: “I think it must be a slow poison to come up against the limitations of justice again and again. The more you see, the more poison accumulates. But what changes in the end is you, not the systems, not the structures. Just you.” (People make a lot of speeches to each other in this book.) In the end, the idea that one generation repeats the mistakes of the last is dramatized a bit too faithfully, and the ending leaves some big questions unanswered.

A flawed but vibrant and juicy book, good conversation fodder for the politically inclined.

Kirkus Star

Worry Tanner, Alexandra | Scribner (304 pp.) $27.00 | March 26, 2024 | 9781668018613

A dark millennial comedy starring testy, needy Floridian Jewish sisters who move in together in New York City and drive each other nuts.

This is the kind of book you will constantly be reading out loud to others, so forgive the abundance of quotes in the following.

“My sister Poppy arrives on a wet Thursday, dressed ugly and covered in hives.” Announcing itself with this sardonic opening line, Tanner’s debut is narrated by older sister Jules Gold, 28, who will have you laughing/ horrified (this book’s signature combination) by page 2, where she explains that “to save fifty bucks on airfare, Poppy flew from the Palm Beach airport not to JFK or LaGuardia or even Newark but to MacArthur, on Frontier, then rode a shuttle from the airport to Ronkonkoma to catch the LIRR, then took a two-hour train that ended up taking three hours because KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

FICTION

someone jumped onto the tracks and died as it was pulling into Jamaica.”

On the edge of a breakup with a new boyfriend, Jules passive-aggressively both invites and discourages her sister, who not long ago attempted suicide, from staying on. Continually. For months. Jules’ life is certainly missing something; her jobs writing literature study guides and cynical horoscopes, her obsession with Mormon mommies on social media, her relationships with her blunt, pyramid-schemer mother and plastic surgeon father—none of these things makes her happy for even a second. Mom to Jules: “I saw your Instagram story the other day—honey— you’re a little uneven, your smile on the left side is pulling up a little high still. You need to come in and see your father. I don’t want you walking around like that. I’ll pay for the plane ticket.” Poor, miserable, hive-covered shoplifter Poppy expands their codependent household by adopting a three-legged rescue dog named Amy Klobuchar—and of course they fight about her constantly. Only complaint: Given that we can’t help loving all three of these sad sacks, the ending feels a bit dark and unclear.

This hilarious, unremittingly jaundiced depiction of modern young adulthood hits rare extremes of both funny and sad.

Listen for the Lie

of Savannah Harper, “just the sweetest girl you ever met,” who died from several violent blows to the head.

Lucy was found hours later covered in blood, with no memory of what happened. She was—and is—a woman with secrets, which has not endeared her to the people of Plumpton; their narrative is that she was always violent, secretive, difficult. But Ben wants to tell Lucy’s story; attractive and relentless, he uncovers new evidence and coaxes new interviews, and people slowly begin to question whether Lucy is truly guilty. Lucy, meanwhile, lets down her guard, and as she and Ben draw closer together, she has to finally face the truth of her past and unmask the murderer of her complicated, gorgeous, protective friend. Most of the novel is told from Lucy’s point of view, which allows for a natural unspooling of the layers of her life and her story. She’s strong, she’s prickly, and we gradually begin to understand just how wronged she has been. The story is a striking commentary on the insular and harmful nature of small-town prejudice and how women who don’t fit a certain mold are often considered outliers, if not straight-up villains. Tintera is smart to capitalize on how the true-crime podcast boom informs and infuses the current fictional thriller scene; she’s also effective at writing action that transcends the podcast structure.

Tintera, Amy | Celadon (352 pp.) | $26.99 March 5, 2024 | 9781250880314

Smart, edgy, and entertaining as heck.

Against her better judgment, Lucy Chase returns to her hometown of Plumpton, Texas, for her grandmother’s birthday, knowing full well that almost everyone in town still believes she murdered her best friend five years ago, when they were in their early 20s.

Coincidentally—or is it?—Ben Owens, a true-crime podcaster, is also in town, interviewing Lucy’s family and former friends about the murder

Winslow, Don | Morrow/HarperCollins (400 pp.) | $22.40 | April 2, 2024 9780063079472

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 25

City in Ruins

The dramatic conclusion to the trilogy about two New England crime families begun in City on Fire (2022) and City of Dreams (2023).

Near the end of his journey, multimillionaire Danny Ryan watches a casino implode in a mushroom cloud of dust and

muses about his life’s implosions: “The cancer that killed his wife, the depression that destroyed his love, the moral rot that took his soul.” Danny is from Providence, Rhode Island, and desperately tried to leave his criminal life behind him. But using a ton of ill-gotten gains, he invests heavily in Las Vegas properties. Congress is conducting an investigation into gambling that could destroy his casino business and even land him in jail. An FBI agent plans to take Danny down for major sins he’d like to repent for.

Meanwhile, can he make peace with his enemies? Nope, doesn’t look like it. Even if the parties involved want to put the past behind them, the trouble is that they don’t trust each other.

Is Vern Winegard setting Dan up? Is Dan setting Vern up? “Trust? Trust is children waiting for Santa Claus.” So what could have been a “Kumbaya,” nobody-wants-to-read-this story turns into a grisly bloodletting filled with language that would set Sister Mary Margaret’s wimple on fire—figuratively speaking, as she’s not in the book. But the Catholic reference is appropriate: Two of the many colorful characters of ill repute are known as the Altar Boys, serving “Last Communion” to their victims. On the law-abiding side and out of the line of fire is an ex-nun-turned-prosecutor nicknamed Attila the Nun, who’s determined to bring justice for a gory matricide.

(Rhode Island really had such a person, by the way.) Finally, the prose is just fun: A friend warns Dan about Allie Licata: “In a world of sick fucks, even the sick fucks think Licata’s a sick fuck.” A couple of things to note: This not only ends the trilogy, but it also closes out the author’s career, as he has said he’ll write no more novels.

If you love good crime writing but aren’t familiar with Winslow’s work, read this trilogy in order.

For more by Don Winslow, visit Kirkus online.

JANUARY 15, 2024

25

12/20/23 5:35 PM

F I C T I O N // S E E N A N D H E A R D

Ann Napolitano’s First Novel To Be Reissued The Dial Press will publish Within Arm’s Reach next year.

Ann Napolitano’s first novel is coming back into print, Today.com reports.

The Dial Press will publish a new edition of the author’s debut, Within Arm’s Reach, next year. The novel, originally published in 2004 by Shaye Areheart Books/ Harmony, follows three generations of an Irish American Catholic family whose lives are thrown into disarray after a pregnancy; a critic for Kirkus praised it as “a fresh and exceptionally strong family portrait, mercifully free of the sentimentality that could easily have turned the proceedings into a soap opera.”

Napolitano followed up her debut with A Good Hard Look in 2011, and nine years after that, scored a bestseller with

26

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 26

Dear Edward, which Today show co-host Jenna Bush Hager selected for her book club. That novel was adapted into an Apple TV+ series earlier this year.

Her most recent novel, Hello Beautiful, was published in March and was the 100th pick for Oprah Winfrey’s book club.

Napolitano shared the news of her debut’s republication on Instagram, writing, “I’m proud of my younger self for writing this novel. I had so little belief in my writing ability when I wrote it, so little belief in my right to be a writer at all, that it feels miraculous and brave that I summoned this story and put it down on the page.”

Within Arm’s Reach is scheduled for publication on May 28, 2024.

—MICHAEL SCHAUB

For a review of Within Arm’s Reach, visit Kirkus online.

Kevin Winter/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images

SEEN AND HEARD

Napolitano’s debut came out in 2004.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

A W A R D S // F I C T I O N

AWARDS Tyriek White Wins First Novel Prize The author’s We Are a Haunting took home the award from the Center for Fiction.

Tyriek White has won the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize for We Are a Haunting.

White’s novel, published last April by Astra House, tells the story of Key, a doula in 1980s Brooklyn who is able to communicate with the dead. After her death, her son, Colly, learns that he has the same power. A critic for Kirkus praised the book as “an intelligent, gritty, discursive group portrait of working-class New York from the 1980s to now.”

White was announced as the winner of the award at a ceremony last month at Cipriani 25 Broadway in New York.

The jury for the prize was composed of authors Hannah Lillith Assadi, Ayana Mathis, Tochi Onyebuchi, and Deesha Philyaw.

We Are a Haunting was one of seven books shortlisted for the award, alongside Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo, Lookout

by Christine Byl, Pay as You Go by Eskor David Johnson, Moonrise Over New Jessup by Jamila Minnicks, Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton, and Y/N by Esther Yi. The First Novel Prize, which comes with a cash award of $15,000, was established in 2006.

Past winners include Junot Díaz for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Ben Fountain for Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, and Noor Naga for If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English.—M.S.

White’s novel was published by Astra House in April 2023.

ISBN : 979-8-8690-5686-3

Beowulf Sheehan

For a review of We Are a Haunting, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 27

12/20/23 5:35 PM

F I C T I O N // M Y S T E R Y

Expect plenty of surprises in a period tale in which love conquers all.

A D E A D LY E N D E A V O R

A Deadly Endeavor Adams, Jenny | Crooked Lane (352 pp.) | $29.99 | March 5, 2024 9781639106950

A serial killer terrorizes women in 1920s Philadelphia.

Socialite Edie Shippen, who’s been a shadow of her former self ever since influenza nearly killed her, returns from three years on the West Coast battling depression and migraines to find Frances, her twin sister, engaged to Edie’s lifelong love, Dr. Theo Pepper. At the same time, Dr. Gilbert Lawless, the brother of Edie’s maid, Lizzie, continues to have debilitating flashbacks to his experiences in the war and works at the morgue because he doesn’t trust himself with living patients. He’s one of the initial viewers of the body of a headless woman found on a creek bank, drugged and electrocuted. She’ll be the first in a series of gruesome murders. Living in her grandmother’s mansion, where she feels restricted by old-fashioned ideas and the strain of putting on a brave face, Edie joins some of her free-spirited cousin Rebecca’s activities in an attempt to become a modern woman. Before the war, Gilbert, who’s from a

For more mysteries, visit Kirkus online.

28

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 28

vastly different world than Edie, had married a society girl, who died in childbirth, leaving him with a daughter his wife’s family rejected.

Edie and Gilbert meet after she’s mugged and Lizzie takes her to have him check out her injuries. The next corpse found on the creek bank has also been electrocuted and divested of all her organs; when she’s identified as Rebecca, Edie springs into action. Lizzie disappears too as the slaughter continues, and Gilbert and Edie develop a relationship that turns them into sleuths and lovers desperately seeking a ruthless killer.

Expect plenty of surprises in a period tale in which love conquers all societal differences.

The Boy Who Cried Bear Armstrong, Kelley | Minotaur (352 pp.) | $28.00 | Feb. 20, 2024 9781250865441

A couple continues their quest to provide sanctuary to people under threat.

When the remote Yukon village of Rockton disbands, Sheriff Eric Dalton and Detective Casey Duncan vow to continue its mission of offering protection to people who need to disappear for a while. Now they serve as de facto managers of Haven’s Rock, an equally protective shelter whose residents they carefully vet with the help of Émilie, a shadowy benefactor with deep roots in the intelligence community. One change the couple adopts is to open Haven’s Rock to families as well as individuals. That’s

how Dana and her sons, Carson and Max, join the community after the U.S. witness protection program failed to prevent her husband from being killed. Teenage Carson is quiet and brooding, but Max is a lively 10-year-old with an equally lively imagination. But is it his imagination that leads him to report seeing a bear following the villagers as they trek through the woods? Since Dalton and Casey can’t take chances, they organize a hunt, which becomes more urgent when Max disappears. Security guards from a nearby mining operation report sightings of a wild forest man dressed in a bearskin. Could Max be the victim of an animal attack, or has he been lured away by something more sinister? Tensions mount as Dana blames her fellow residents for failing to protect Max, and Dalton and Casey must struggle to prove that their new community can be a safe haven for families.

Stronger on suspense than puzzlement, Armstrong’s new venture continues her Rockton tradition.

Speculations in Sin Ashley, Jennifer | Berkley (320 pp.) $18.00 paper | March 5, 2024 9780593549919

Her latest brush with Victorian intrigue takes Kat Holloway far from her comfort zone.

That zone is pretty capacious because Kat’s already had extensive experience with mysteries. So when Mr. Davis, the butler at the Mayfair home of the Bywater family, where Kat serves as a cook, goes off without notice one day and still hasn’t returned by bedtime, fans will nod knowingly. But they’ll be wrong, because Davis turns up the next day angry that Kat’s been going through his things looking for clues to his whereabouts and unwilling to supply any details about his unplanned day off. The murder, when it comes, strikes in quite a different venue: the KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

M Y S T E R Y // F I C T I O N

third-floor strong room of Daalman’s Bank, where Samuel Millburn, the husband of Kat’s dear friend Joanna Millburn, toiled as a clerk until he was suspected of embezzlement and fired.

Hours later, the body of Stockley, a senior clerk who doesn’t merit a first name, is found beaten to death.

Roderick Kearny, a Daalman’s banker who’d befriended Sam, is solicitous, but head banker Harmon Zachary and Miss Swann, the Daalman relative who clearly directs Zachary’s every move, are anything but. Although Judith Townsend, an artist friend of the Bywaters’ niece Lady Cynthia, engages a solicitor and a barrister for Sam, the work of finding exculpatory evidence falls to Kat. Menaced by Ben Jarrett, an old mate of Sam’s from his early years as a street tough, and well aware that she’s entering a man’s world, Kat calls once more on Daniel McAdam, a freelancer who runs hush-hush errands for Scotland Yard, for help, and together they push the case toward an eminently predictable solution.

A generally routine period piece most notable for the sleuth’s unexpectedly chilling climactic confrontation with the killer.

Double Grudge Donuts Bolton, Ginger | Kensington (256 pp.) | $16.95 paper | Feb. 20, 2024 9781496740212

Murder stalks a small-town Wisconsin cultural event.

Baker Emily Westhill has been looking forward to the weeklong Fallingbrook Arts Festival. The open-air presentations throughout the village not only provide entertainment but draw extra traffic to her shop, Deputy Donut, encouraging her to offer a new assortment of elaborately decorated treats. Emily’s parents serve as judges, so they’re staying with her in town instead of at the local campground, where they usually park their RV when they’re not in Florida, KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 29

and she loves having them close by as she anticipates her upcoming wedding. But a cloud passes over on Musical Monday. Bagpiper Kirk MacLean begins interrupting other performers with a noisy rendition of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.”

Kirk’s antics continue on Troubadour Tuesday, when he drowns out a teen barbershop quartet. As Wee Wonders Wednesday dawns, Emily’s cat discovers MacLean’s body in a parking lot next to a piece of a broken Deputy Donut mug. His death puts an end to his distractions but opens a new concern: Who punked the piper? Could his unwanted piping have enraged another contestant enough to kill him? Or does someone else close by have a motive for murder? Although Emily’s fiance, Detective Brent Fyne, assures her that no one near and dear to her is a suspect, she can’t control her curiosity. Her sleuthing has all the expected consequences, including unmasking a killer (even if the denouement is overlong).

Bolton’s down-to-earth heroine is a winner.

Galway Confidential Bruen, Ken | Mysterious Press (264 pp.) $26.95 | March 5, 2024 | 9781613164792

Galway private eye Jack Taylor awakens from an 18-month coma to a raging pandemic, two serial felons, and a most unexpected savior.

Jack doesn’t know the man who calls himself Raftery, but the former U.S. Marine, who’s taken time out from his podcast, Galway Confidential, to visit Jack every day since rescuing him from a knife-wielding attacker, is at his side when he comes around.

The rest of their city isn’t doing so well. A pair of sadistic teenagers are dousing the city’s plentiful street people with lighter fluid and setting them on fire, and some unrelated party has been beating local nuns

badly enough to send them to the hospital and seems likely to send the next round of victims to the morgue.

Geary, an old friend of Jack’s who lives on the streets, tries to hire him to investigate the attacks on all those other homeless souls, but then he becomes the next victim. And ex-nun Sheila Winston, who guilts Jack into investigating all those wounded religious, ends up strangled with her own rosary. As usual with Bruen, the mystery is mainly an excuse for an unblinkered tour of the local lowlifes, its focus strategically blurred by shots of Jameson whiskey and throwaway apothegms referencing its title (e.g., “Keeping something confidential in Galway means you only tell two people instead of three”). And they’re well worth touring, especially when they’re set against the headline developments in world affairs that occasionally penetrate Jack’s haze.

The raffish hero’s world feels like an unusually sordid theme park attraction. Just be sure to wipe your hands when you exit.

Five Furry Familiars Cahoon, Lynn | Kensington (288 pp.) $8.99 paper | Feb. 20, 2024 9781496740793

Not all witches are bad. Some of the ones who live in the aptly named town of Magic Springs use their talents to solve murders.

The Lodge where Mia Malone works as catering director is under new management and no longer outsources the catering jobs she needs to keep her own company, Mia’s

For more by Lynn Cahoon, visit Kirkus online.

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

29

12/20/23 5:35 PM

F I C T I O N // M Y S T E R Y

Morsels, going. And then there are the animals: Mia already has a familiar in Mr. Darcy, her cat; her boyfriend, Trent, has a familiar hellhound in the unlikely body of a Maltese puppy; and then someone drops off three kittens that may be familiars, too, causing more chaos. Meanwhile, Mia’s friend Christina Adams has a wealthy mother whose mission is to get her daughter married off to someone other than Levi Majors, her current boyfriend. Todd Thompson, Christina’s former love interest who’d cheated on her, obligingly shows up to pop the question, but she’s not interested in anything more than dinner. When Todd is found dead, the police suspect Levi and Christina.

Todd had been spotted in the area skiing with another woman, so Mia and her friends, eager to protect Christina, start investigating other suspects for possible motives. Mia’s grandmother, who helps her harness her witchy powers, tells her that the killer had magical skills, but not strong ones. Taking a closer look at Todd’s past life, Mia realizes that his older brother, Jacob, who was smarter and better-looking, vanished for quite a while. Now he’s back, along with Mia’s former fiance, Christina’s brother Isaac, who hopes to win Mia back. The answer to the mystery may lie in the past, but finding it will require plenty of magic.

A fun read for those who enjoy tales of witches and magic.

Murder in the Tea Leaves Childs, Laura | Berkley (304 pp.) | $28.00 March 5, 2024 | 9780593200988

A murder on a movie set poses a puzzle for an amateur sleuth’s 27th case.

Theodosia Browning’s experiences would suggest that beautiful, historic Charleston is a hotbed of murder, the Cabot Cove of South Carolina. This time out, Theodosia and Drayton 30

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 30

A brash Florida private eye leaps into action in search of $14 million.

TWICE THE TROUBLE

Conneley, her tea sommelier at the Indigo Tea Shop, are running the craft services table on the set of a feature film. After Theodosia makes a suggestion about a scene featuring tea leaves, she finds herself cast in a small part. All goes well until director Josh Morro is electrocuted during Theodosia’s scene. Burt Tidwell, head of homicide at Charleston PD, thinks his death was likely murder. Detective Pete Riley, Theodosia’s boyfriend, never wants her to get close to murder but admits she has an uncanny ability to suss out clues and get people talking. As it turns out, there’s nothing to discuss. Theodosia has no choice but to get involved when her quirky friend Delaine Dish, who’d been dating Morro, begs her for help. Luckily, Theodosia has a crew that keeps the tea shop running smoothly even when it’s booked solid with themed parties. A new director arrives, and filming continues, but there are still many undercover rivalries for Theodosia to unearth as she and Drayton use their web of connections to learn more about the reputedly haunted house where the film is being shot. Plenty of people had reasons to kill Josh, but identifying the right one will be just as tricky as ever.

Tea lore, recipes, and historical tidbits leaven a mystery with a surprising number of odd motives.

For more by Laura Childs, visit Kirkus online.

Twice the Trouble Clifton, Ash | Crooked Lane (320 pp.) $29.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781639106974

A brash Florida private eye leaps into action in search of a business partner who’s disappeared with $14 million.

Bulldog attorney Faith Carlton protests that she can’t go to trial in her defense of Frank Bisby, the CEO of Selberis Constructors, without deposing Bisby’s partner, Arthur Valkenburg.

The judge, impressed that she’s hired ex–University of Florida football star Noland Twice to find Valkenburg, grants her two additional weeks. But Nole doesn’t need nearly that much time to turn up Valkenburg, lose him again, sneak into his apartment searching for clues and discover Bisby shot to death. Calculating that sharing this news with the authorities will spell doom for Selberis, his nominal client, he calls his buddy Kiril, the opponent who ended his football career by breaking his leg in an overenthusiastic tackle. Together they do what they can (don’t ask) to ensure that the body won’t be discovered by anyone else for at least a week while Nole renews his search for the slippery Valkenburg. A fresh complication arises as Nole comes to doubt that Valkenburg was the thief. Could it instead have been his ex-wife, sexy accountant Cassandra Raines, banker Sabine Werther, or one of the other top dogs at Selberis—CEO William Redding, operations chief Shawn Difore, or vice president Karen Voss?

For better or worse, one suspect will KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

M Y S T E R Y // F I C T I O N

be eliminated by Nole’s discovery of a second, headless corpse. The mystery, which eventually focuses on the hunt for a pair of books that have been pressed into service to devise an unbreakable code, is routine, but Nole, who’s clearly learned his business and sexual ethics from a close study of hard-boiled fiction, is a keeper.

Will a series follow? Let’s hope so.

In the Fog Davis, Richard Harding | Poisoned Pen (144 pp.) | $16.99 paper | March 5, 2024 9781728296234

American journalist Davis (1864-1916) returns to the news with a long out-of-print crime novella emerging from the London fog in 1901, together with a much more straightforward story published 10 years earlier.

Davis’ sendup of contemporaneous crime fiction begins as Lt. Ripley Sears, the U.S. naval attaché to Russia, entertains the gentlemen he’s met in London’s exclusive Grill Club with an anecdote about getting so lost and confused in a recent pea-souper that he stumbled into a flat containing the dead bodies of the Earl of Chetney and his ladylove, Russian czarina Princess Zichy. Since the Earl’s brother, Lord Arthur Chetney, was spotted fleeing from the scene, and since that chronic debtor would have profited immensely from the Earl’s death, everyone assumes he’s the killer. But a Queen’s Messenger who serves as a courier for the Foreign Office begins a second story about a diamond necklace that Queen Victoria had intended to give as a gift to Princess Zichy, who stole it from him as they traveled together in the same railway compartment, and his frantic efforts to recover the treasure before anyone realized it had been stolen.

And Chudleigh, a junior solicitor, tells a third story about Inspector KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 31

Lyle’s attempt to identify the Earl’s murderer after Lord Arthur, confined in hospital after an accident, denies all responsibility. Just when it seems that these three tales are foggier than London, Davis pulls a surprisingly postmodern rabbit from his hat.

Readers who find his ending too meta may still enjoy “Gallegher: A Newspaper Story,” which recounts the sleuthing adventures of a remarkably resourceful office boy who works, like Davis did, for the Philadelphia Press.

Dated, dusty, but well worth reading.

Kirkus Star

The Scream of Sins Nickson, Chris | Severn House (240 pp.) $29.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781448312900

In 1824, a thief-taker’s new assignment almost destroys him and those he loves.

Simon Westow receives a note from wealthy Captain Holcomb, a retired military officer, who wants to meet to discuss a missing item. A package of documents belonging to Holcomb’s dead father, a much-hated magistrate, has been stolen, possibly by the upstairs maid, Sophie Jackson. As he’s done so often before, Simon partners with Jane, a ruthless killer, who fades into the background on the mean streets of Leeds, where shocking disparities between the haves and have-nots are all too apparent. Jane finds that the Jackson family has absconded, and soon Sophie’s boyfriend is found murdered. Holcomb claims that the papers have value only to him, but

someone is clearly willing to kill for them. A tip from Sally, a sharp-eyed street urchin, leads to Sophie, who’s had time to hide the package before she too is found dead. Sally leads them next to 8-year-old Emma, who was kidnapped along with her 4-yearold sister, Harriet, by two men who sold Harriet but discarded Emma as being too old. Emma begs Jane to help find Harriet; Jane supplies her with warm clothes and a place to stay, little knowing that Emma will be the key to a horrendous series of crimes. When Holcomb tells Simon not to give his name to the constable, Simon, fed up after three deaths, quits working for him. Realizing they have stumbled onto perversions so horrible that even the constable is disturbed, Simon and his team go all out to find Harriet, only to discover crimes even worse than they’d imagined.

A dark and complex mystery that contrasts genuine honor with the false tokens paraded by the upper classes.

Cirque du Slay Osler, Rob | Crooked Lane (304 pp.) $29.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781639106479

Hayden McCall, a Seattle middle school teacher and gay dating blogger, gets involved with the pansexual crew that runs a circus troupe.

Magician Kennedy Osaka, the new artistic director of Mysterium, a contemporary circus, has big plans to make it more exciting. Meanwhile, Hayden and his friend Hollister are treated to

A Seattle teacher and gay dating blogger gets involved with a circus troupe.

C I R Q U E D U S L AY

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

31

12/20/23 5:35 PM

F I C T I O N // M Y S T E R Y

A detective battles the ghosts of her past to solve a case that haunts her.

GHOST ISLAND

tickets to a VIP preview show by his neighbor Sarah Lee, Kennedy’s old college roommate, who can’t make it herself because she’s getting ready for a fundraiser for Bakers Without Borders, where Kennedy has agreed to perform the next night. Before the world can see whether the magician’s onstage chops are matched by her ability to herd Mysterium’s cats, her leadership is cut short: Sarah Lee finds her in her room at the Park Olympic Hotel, stabbed to death with a pair of designer scissors.

The hotel’s security videos prove unhelpful, and the cops’ interest in the case is limited to suspecting Sarah Lee, so Hayden and Hollister decide to investigate on their own.

Eventually their suspicions coalesce around three groups of possibles.

Cowgirl comedian Kit Durango and hair-bun acrobat Yaz Smilova are the most likely candidates to succeed Kennedy as Mysterium’s director.

Boris and Sasha Smilov, Yaz’s father and brother, are respectively the troupe’s owner and its head of operations. And Vlad Halep, along with Florin, Marku, and Stefan, his partners in the Romanian acrobatic group Adrenalin!, would catch anyone’s eye—especially Hayden’s, since he’s increasingly certain that Venezuelan dancer Camilo Rodriquez is never going to requite his love.

Since Hayden and Hollister’s main approaches to sleuthing are making wrong guesses and spreading rumors designed to goad the killer into striking out at them, readers shouldn’t expect a densely plotted mystery. Like Mysterium, it’s best approached as an LGBTQ+ circus whose inclusiveness extends to the dead.

A big-tent extravaganza in more ways than one.

32

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 32

Death in Hilo Redman, Eric | Crooked Lane (272 pp.) $30.99 | Feb. 20, 2024 | 9781639102860

Conscientious cops juggle a double handful of brutal cases in paradise.

Redman’s meticulous, panoramic crime story introduces several intriguing plot threads even before getting to the main event. Eager Honolulu Star-Advertiser novice reporter Zoë Akona visits inmate Michael Cushing days before his scheduled release from a Washington prison after he’s served a long sentence for the Fortunato murder (from Bones of Hilo, 2021), which Cushing calls “the most famous homicide in Hawai‘i.” He brashly asserts his innocence, unspooling a complicated plot that Zoë is later pressed to investigate by the paper’s senior crime reporter, Bernard Scully.

Meanwhile, a corpse without hands or a head found in Honolulu’s Kapi‘olani Park becomes the first case for recent police academy graduate Yvonne Ivanovna under the direction of chief homicide detective Kawika Wong. Many presume this is another victim of the Slasher, a serial killer who’s still at large, but the two detectives assigned to that case, both named Jerry, are dubious. When the director of Hawaiian relations for the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope Project on Mauna Kea goes missing, a trio of detectives undertakes the investigation, which has political implications. The activist group Warriors for Mauna Kea virulently opposes the project. Redman, who

writes with quiet authority, places Kawika at the novel’s center, returning to him regularly as the lens through which the different cases are viewed. The novel proceeds in a measured, detail-oriented way, beginning with multiple maps and “A Note on Hawaiian Language.” Almost every chapter introduces a new character until a densely textured world of lawbreakers and law enforcers emerges.

A procedural deep dive, long on facts and forensics, short on flash.

Ghost Island Seeck, Max | Berkley (384 pp.) $18.00 paper | Feb. 27, 2024 9780593438862

A detective battles the ghosts of her past in an effort to solve a case that haunts her dreams.

Jessica Niemi has been on leave from the Helsinki Police Violent Crimes Unit since she had a violent altercation with a man who accosted her outside her psychiatrist’s office, where she’d been working through the recent death of her mentor and trying to deal with her lifetime of hallucinations. Jessica has enough money to go anywhere during her enforced vacation time, but she chooses to go to a small inn on a remote Swedish island rumored to be haunted by a young girl’s ghost.

Astrid Nordin, the owner of the inn, calls her attention to a group of guests—it’s the yearly arrival of “the birds of spring,” three elderly people who are all that remain of a group who lived at the island’s orphanage in 1946. Though she should be focusing on inner peace, Jessica is drawn to investigate what happened all those years ago after she hears the story of Maija Ruusunen, an unclaimed child who had been bullied by the others, who looked out to sea every night until she vanished. When one of the birds of spring drowns, local detective Johan Karlsson’s attitude toward KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

M Y S T E R Y // F I C T I O N

Jessica and the case seems odd. Now Astrid tells her that other people have died in the same way, leading Jessica to suspect a serial killer. As the tale switches back and forth between Maija’s childhood and the present, it slowly reveals horrifying secrets that play into Jessica’s dreams and premonitions. The lessons she learns about herself may help her heal—if only she can solve the case before she becomes the next victim.

A chilling psychological mystery whose complex heroine deserves some peace of mind.

Murder and the Missing Dog Shea, Susan C. | Severn House (224 pp.) | $29.99 | March 5, 2024 9781448310920

The murder of an enigmatic woman may have roots in World War II. Ariel Shepard’s husband left her a decrepit château in Burgundy that’s already been the scene of a murder she solved with some help from Katherine Goff, another American who owns a small antique shop, and Pippa Hathaway, an ebullient British mystery writer. Ariel’s dreams of a restored château hosting a bed and breakfast and perhaps some cooking classes are proceeding slowly, but she’s found skilled workmen who’ve made a portion of the place habitable. She’s so focused on restoring it into a paying proposition that when she and Katherine discover the body of Madame Toussaint curled in the antique shop’s doorway, she

tries to ignore the mystery. Although the elderly lady had always been accompanied by her dog when she brought Katherine small items to sell, he’s nowhere to be found. Brigadier Allard of the gendarmerie, who’d been in charge of the previous death at Ariel’s château, thinks there may be a connection between Madame Toussaint’s bits and pieces and a series of museum robberies. And Raoul, a prized worker who’s assisted with many of Ariel’s restoration needs, has a connection to the dead woman. So despite her reservations, she and her friends start hunting for clues. Her discovery of the dog and a box of old letters and photos leaves her even more confused. Her relationship with Allard becomes warmer even as he warns her not to get entangled with murder.

All the charms of adjusting to life in a little French town with plenty of minor and major mysteries to solve.

The Road to Murder Trinchieri, Camilla | Soho Crime (336 pp.) | $27.95 | March 5, 2024 9781641295567

Another baffling murder rocks the idyllic Tuscan town of Gravigna.

Very early one Monday morning, a ringing phone rouses Nico Doyle from a sound sleep next to Nelli, his new girlfriend. Salvatore Perillo, the local maresciallo, is again seeking the assistance of the retired Bronx detective, who’s only too happy to help.

The remote Villa Salviati has been

ransacked, and the owner, widow Eleonora Salviati Lamberti, has been strangled to death, her body carefully arranged. Laetitia Barron, the English houseguest who discovered the body, explains that Nora had been planning to sell the villa. With few leads, the investigation proceeds slowly. Nico and Perillo, accompanied by techsavvy sidekick Brigadiere Daniele Donato, meet up periodically after separately questioning multiple persons of interest. Trinchieri’s colorful characters, from glamorous hotelier Laura Benati, who’s protective of Miss Barron, to earthy laundress Marta Macchi, who reveals that Nora’s deceased husband was a lech, give the novel an appealing texture, though sometimes at the expense of pace. Over the years, Trinchieri’s portrait of Gravigna has both broadened and deepened. Nico, accompanied by his faithful dog, OneWag, has evolved from a widowed newcomer to a beloved member of the community.

Much of the action in this installment centers on local restaurants and watering holes. A lengthy appended list of characters will help readers keep track of suspects, and a recipe for “Taglierini Alla Nico” brings the mystery to a luscious conclusion.

A leisurely cozy with an Italian accent and a mouth-watering lust for cuisine.

For more by Camilla Trinchieri, visit Kirkus online.

A leisurely cozy with an Italian accent and a mouth-watering lust for cuisine.

THE ROAD TO MURDER

>>> KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 33

JANUARY 15, 2024

33

12/20/23 5:35 PM

F I C T I O N // S E E N A N D H E A R D

S.A. Cosby Talks Book on The Daily Show The author discussed All the Sinners Bleed with guest host Charlamagne Tha God. Author S.A. Cosby stopped by The Daily Show to discuss his latest novel, All the Sinners Bleed, with guest host Charlamagne Tha God. Cosby’s novel, published last June by Flatiron Books, follows a Black sheriff in Virginia investigating a school shooting and a serial killer. A critic for Kirkus praised the book as “another provocative and page-turning entry in the Southern noir genre.”

“Barack Obama said you’re one of his favorite authors,” Charlamagne said. “How did that feel?”

“You know what’s funny?” Cosby replied.

“It feels like one of those things where it’s like a dream, and you’re like, Please, don’t pinch me.

34

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 34

Don’t nobody wake me up. And at least I got my pants on, because a lot of dreams, I don’t, so.”

“When you’re laying in the bed with no pants on, does it freak you out that you have to start thinking like a serial killer?” Charlamagne asked Cosby.

“I had a conversation with Dennis Lehane a couple of years ago, ”Cosby said, “and he was talking about how difficult it is for him to write really dark stuff. I don’t know if it’s something wrong with him or something wrong with me, but it don’t bother me. I’ll chop some people up in a wood chipper and then go play with my cat.

It doesn’t faze me.”

“In the book, you mean,” Charlamagne said to laughter from the audience.

“In the book, in the book,” Cosby replied.—M.S.

For a review of All the Sinners Bleed, visit Kirkus online.

Cosby spoke with Charlamagne Tha God.

Sam Sauter

SEEN AND HEARD

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

A W A R D S // F I C T I O N

AWARDS Patricia Engel Wins John Dos Passos Prize The author’s latest book, The Faraway World, was published in January.

Elliott and Erick Jimenez

Patricia Engel has won the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature, given each year “to a talented American writer who experiments with form, explores a range of voices and merits further recognition.”

Longwood University, which administers the award, made the announcement in a news release. Engel was selected for the prize from a shortlist that included Achy Obejas, Brandon Hobson, and Margaret Wilkerson Sexton.

Engel, the daughter of Colombian parents, made her literary debut in 2010 with the story collection Vida and followed up three years later with the novel It’s Not Love, It’s Just Paris.

She is also the author of the novels The Veins of the Ocean and Infinite Country. Her most recent book, the story collection The Faraway

For a review of The Faraway World, visit Kirkus online.

World, was published in January 2023; in a starred review, a Kirkus critic wrote, “Engel’s multinational update of dirty realism is full of ironic flair, imagination, and empathy.”

John Miller, chair of the prize jury, said in a statement, “Much like the prize’s namesake, Patricia Engel illuminates those dimensions of the human experience that often go unnoticed and unsung.

Simultaneously, she imagines America on a scale broader than its national boundaries.”

The Dos Passos Prize, named after the author of the U.S.A. trilogy of novels, was first awarded in 1980.

Previous winners include John Edgar Wideman, Maxine Hong Kingston, Percival Everett, and Carolina De Robertis.—M.S.

Engel’s most recent book was published last year.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 35

12/20/23 5:35 PM

F I C T I O N // S C I E N C E F I C T I O N A N D F A N TA S Y

Lake of Souls: The Collected Short Fiction Leckie, Ann | Orbit (416 pp.) | $29.00 April 2, 2024 | 9780316553575

An acclaimed SFF novelist’s first short-story collection encourages her characters to talk it out, for good or for ill.

Leckie likes to explore a theme across several works; for example, her Imperial Radch trilogy and related novels (including Translation State, 2023) examine issues of autonomy and what a person owes to themself versus their obligations to family and society at large. In these stories, some of which are stand-alone, some of which are set in the Imperial Radch universe, and many of which are written in the world of her short fantasy novel The Raven Tower, the prevailing theme is communication. Several stories involve people from different species or backgrounds trying to talk to one another, navigating cultural and biological differences or poor translations. Leckie examines the issue in a multitude of scenarios, including a wounded human anthropologist encountering an alien on a spiritual journey, an unwilling elderly diplomat and an angry young priestess from opposing political sides who must ally when their flier is shot down, a conflict among space-traveling dinosaurs resolved via a song, and a peevish and perhaps deluded young man’s attempt to will a change in reality itself. Some may be disappointed at how few Imperial Radch stories there are; what is there will definitely appeal to fans but is also accessible to those who haven’t read the books, even if they don’t pick up on all the nuances.

A full half of this volume is devoted to The Raven Tower stories, which are bloodily clever and darkly comic but overlap far too much in plot. They mainly concern mortals and local gods making contracts with one another for power but desperately seeking loopholes. The many different approaches 36

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 36

Leckie takes to her subject are amazing, but when brought together, the overall collection comes across as more than a little repetitive.

If variety is the spice of life, then this otherwise accomplished volume could use some more seasoning.

Night for Day Lim, Roselle | Ace/Berkley (352 pp.) $18.00 paper | Feb. 20, 2024 9780593335642

Two Americans working in London are unexpectedly caught up in a war between immortal gods.

Camille Buhay started dating Ward Dunbar when they were in college in Chicago.

Though they were opposites, they were deliriously happy with each other— until they weren’t. Dissatisfied with what she took to be Ward’s entitlement and privilege, Camille moved to Manhattan. A short time later, Ward headed to Los Angeles. But distance didn’t heal their emotional wounds.

When they both end up heading to London, where they’re interviewing for similar jobs selling art and antiques, neither knows the other is there until Camille notices a post on Ward’s Instagram and impulsively reaches out to him. Meanwhile, on a separate plane of existence, a massive war between immortal gods—the Eastern Faction and the Western Faction—has been raging. Now the gods have decided to pit Camille and Ward against one another, forcing them to participate in a game before choosing a side; if both choose the same side, that faction will be declared the winner. Ward and Camille find themselves trapped in the buildings where their new jobs have taken them: it turns out that the final battle is a cosmic escape room.

When pragmatic, sensible Camille had interviewed for her well-paid nightshift position at an antiques shop, she negotiated for an apartment and grocery service, an agreement the gods

decided to honor, making her ongoing imprisonment surprisingly comfortable. Ward hadn’t thought of asking for such things, so he finds himself stuck with nowhere to sleep, nothing to eat, and nowhere to wash—thus totally reliant on favors from the gods for everything, including all efforts to communicate with Camille. This carefully plotted story, dense with clues that Camille and Ward work to solve, is sure to appeal to puzzle masters.

A clever novel that is part fantasy, part escape room strategy and trickery, and part romance.

The War of the Givens Price, Daniel | Blue Rider Press (784 pp.) | $26.00 paper | March 19, 2024 9780735217911

The past, present, and future are at stake in multiple universes as the Silvers trilogy (The Flight of the Silvers, 2014; The Song of the Orphans, 2017) comes to an explosive conclusion.

Two years ago, a small group of people were rescued from the destruction of an Earth very similar to ours and transported to a parallel Earth whose technology utilizes the manipulation of time energy, or tempis.

These refugees learned that they had chronokinetic abilities—they could mentally manipulate tempis without the use of machines—and that their misfortunes had been orchestrated by the Pelletiers, a trio of technically, psychically, but decidedly not morally advanced people from a possible future. In the Pelletiers’ time, society suffers from a devastating disease, and the trio believes that the cure will come from children produced by cross-mating the chronokinetics from the present and future Earths, with or without their consent. As the Pelletiers violently up the pressure on the small, secretive community of chronokinetics, our heroes desperately scramble for a way to save their new home from KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

S C I E N C E F I C T I O N A N D F A N TA S Y // F I C T I O N

the same type of catastrophe that obliterated their original Earth. Ioni Deschane, a mysterious woman from a different potential future, offers her help, but can she really be trusted? The considerable time gaps between this trilogy’s installments, the intricacy of the plot, and the monumental page count require the reader to retain a considerable amount of detail; aware of these issues, Price provides extensive summaries of the previous books on his website. Given the otherwise careful and involved construction of the story, it is a glaring weakness that we never really understand why the Pelletiers— two of whom are purportedly gifted scientists—become so fixated on these cross-world babies as a cure for their ills and so stubbornly hold to this belief in the absence of any evidence.

But to its considerable credit, the story has plenty to offer in its exciting, exceptionally complicated plot and well-crafted characters. It continues to thoughtfully explore issues of xenophobia and quasi-colonialism; the people of this new Earth are even more openly racist and prejudiced against perceived outsiders, and the future people believe they are justified in treating those from alternative pasts like lab rats and breeding animals. The survivors of these travails decidedly earn their happy ending.

A slightly flawed, but ultimately emotionally satisfying, end to a long story.

Convergence Problems Talabi, Wole | DAW (320 pp.) | $27.00 Feb. 13, 2024 | 9780756418830

The second collection of Africanfuturism, speculative fiction, and mystical short stories by Nigerian author and engineer Talabi.

In this collection of 16 stories, mostly set in Nigeria, characters are faced with the problems and promises that arise in an ever-changing, technologically KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 37

advancing world. Sometimes those challenges are smaller, as in “Debut,” when two AI nodes create a collaborative piece of art made for other AI. When they spread their art across global systems, other AI systems express their pleasure in ways that disrupt humanity’s daily lives. Some challenges are on a more significant scale, as in “Ganger,” in which climate refugees have no choice but to live in a tech billionaire’s domed city. Everything they do is managed, mitigated, and restricted by neural implants.

Laide Haraya, determined to find a way out of her monotonous, meaningless existence, stumbles on a way to hide her mind inside a droid. Now that she can do what she wants without being detected, she must decide whether she’ll risk her freedom to help others find theirs. In other stories, the challenges are more personal. In “Performance Review,” employers remotely monitor employees’ brain activity, speech, and movement as well as use high-level surveillance during working hours; Nneka must choose between losing her job and taking company drugs to increase her (arbitrary) performance metrics. In “Saturday’s Song,” a woman seeks whoever sent an evil spirit to kill her partner.

Doing so requires being permanently possessed by the lord of the chains— and deciding whether freedom lies in forgiveness or vengeance. Written with an emotional economy few storytellers can master, the tales are accessible even to those with no background in Nigeria or Africanfuturism. Talabi plays with narrative form; puts women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people front and center; and tackles complicated topics like suicide and domestic violence, all while looking for happiness, hope and meaning in an uncertain world.

For more science fiction and fantasy, visit Kirkus online.

A fascinating and riveting exploration of what the future may hold—for better or worse.

Womb City Tsamaase, Tlotlo | Erewhon (416 pp.) $28.00 | Jan. 23, 2024 | 9781645660569

Microchips and monitoring make for a safe society—but at what cost?

Botswana, many years in the future: Despite her successful career and marriage, Nelah Bogosi-Ntsu desperately wants a child and is willing to pay to make it happen. As a woman, and in possession of a body that was not originally hers, Nelah is monitored through a microchip that lets her husband comb through her memories for “undetected infractions.” And Nelah does have secrets, including an affair with the heir to a business empire. Despite her microchip, she’s managed to conceal her activities, until one night when things spin out of control. Now haunted by the specter of a young woman who believes Nelah killed her, Nelah must unravel the connections among the girl, Motswana beliefs, the government, and even the people closest to her before the ghostly girl kills again.

Even as Nelah chafes against the restrictions placed on her by society, she contends with her own complicity within the system. The twists and turns are compelling, and the setting of future Botswana is intriguing yet grounded in reality, especially regarding global inequalities. The commentary is slightly one-note, fueled by monologues about how women should band together that rarely manifest in action. Nevertheless, Nelah’s frustrations ring true even as she displays her own significant complications.

Simplicity in theme is balanced by worldbuilding that seamlessly combines problematic technology with Motswana legend.

>>>

JANUARY 15, 2024

37

12/20/23 5:35 PM

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 38

12/20/23 5:35 PM

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 39

12/20/23 5:35 PM

F I C T I O N // R O M A N C E

Falling for Alaska Calhoune, Belle | Forever (304 pp.) | $8.99 paper | March 26, 2024 | 9781538758205

A former NFL player moves to a small town in Alaska to secure an inheritance.

As children, Xavier Stone and his brothers moved away from Moose Falls, Alaska, with their mother because their parents were getting divorced.

They lost touch with their father but not with their paternal grandmother, Hattie, who owns several businesses in Moose Falls, including a tavern and hard cider brewery. An injury has sidelined Xavier’s NFL career and left him in a precarious financial position when Hattie contacts him with an interesting proposition. She is ill and wants to reunite with her grandsons.

She asks them to move to Moose Falls for a year to learn how to run Yukon Cider, and at the end of the year, the three brothers will inherit everything. True Everett, the manager of Hattie’s tavern, views the men’s arrival with anxiety. She was hoping to buy the tavern from Hattie, but now she’s worried that she’s missed her opportunity. Xavier can’t understand why True seems to have taken an instant dislike to him, but they can’t deny their attraction to each other.

Xavier and True also share a belief in the importance of family. True is the sole guardian of her 9-year-old brother, Jaylen, having gained custody after their parents died in a plane crash. Xavier struggles to forgive his father, also newly arrived in town and looking to reconcile with his sons.

Calhoune delivers all the best elements of a small-town romance. The townspeople are charming and quirky, the fractures and rifts in the Stone family are healed, and everyone pulls together to support the romance between Xavier and True. Most conflicts are low stakes and easily resolved.

A charming, sweet romance highlighting the importance of family.

40

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 40

Kirkus Star

The Other Side of Disappearing Clayborn, Kate | Kensington (384 pp.) | $16.95 paper | March 26, 2024 9781496737311

Two sisters drive across the U.S. in search of their missing mother— and find themselves along the way.

Jess Greene has kept her emotional walls up for as long as she can remember—at least since her mother ran off with a shady new boyfriend a decade ago, sending only a handful of postcards over the years. She’s spent that time trying to keep her younger half sister, Tegan, safe, protected, and in the dark about the fact that their mother’s boyfriend was an infamous con artist.

But the past comes knocking when Salem Durant, host of the popular true-crime podcast that exposed the boyfriend’s crimes, shows up on Jess and Tegan’s doorstep. It turns out that Tegan thinks she knows where their mom is—and is willing to take part in a podcast attempting to find her. Jess’ first instinct is to shut the whole thing down, but something about Salem’s quiet and soulful producer, Adam Hawkins, gives her second thoughts.

Embarking on a cross-country road trip with Adam, Tegan, and Salem, with only their mom’s old postcards to guide them, doesn’t seem like a great idea to Jess. But the more they drive, the closer they get to uncovering what really happened all those years ago. On a more personal level, Jess begins to unearth things about herself, including her unexpected connection with Adam. While supporting Jess’ pursuit of the truth, he reckons with his own past, including the complicated time he spent as a football player. Clayborn’s latest romance is certainly about Jess and Adam’s slow burn as a couple, but it also juggles an impressive number of other threads,

including a dynamic sibling relationship and our collective obsession with true crime. The subject matter is a change of pace from Clayborn’s previous novels, but the author’s strength with character and emotion deftly shines through.

A moving odyssey of family, self-discovery, and love.

The Duchess Jordan, Sophie | Avon/HarperCollins (304 pp.) | $19.99 paper | March 26, 2024 9780063270749

A young dowager duchess falls in love with another Duke of Dedham.

Valencia, Dowager Duchess of Dedham, is ready to enjoy life. After several difficult years with her husband before his death, followed by the mandatory mourning period, she’s celebrating her birthday with a boat ride to the “infamous dark walks” of Vauxhall. She may even look for a gentleman to enjoy it with, but unfortunately, the only ones she meets are the young bucks who rescue her after she falls into the Thames, including one attractive but judgmental man she can’t stop thinking about. The next morning, she’s stunned to find him in her house.

He’s Rhain Lloyd, the reluctant new Duke of Dedham, and he’s arrived from Wales with his mother and six ill-mannered, unmarried sisters in tow. Valencia prepares to pack herself off to her dower house in the country, but the new duke invites her to stay and help his fish-out-of-water sisters acclimate to their new lives.

For more by Sophie Jordan, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:35 PM

R O M A N C E // F I C T I O N

Lepe nails the balance between romantic comedy and tough experiences.

FLIRTY LITTLE SECRET

Unsurprisingly, Valencia and Rhain feel an immediate spark, but it isn’t until they both unwittingly attend the same debauched evening at a private “hedonistic playground” that the embers flare into intimacy. Though they tumble from infatuation to true love very quickly, Valencia soon finds secrets from her first marriage coming back to haunt her. The second volume in Jordan’s Scandalous Ladies of London series tells an intriguing story, though it comes to a rather sudden end. The harsh realities of life for women in Georgian-era London add depth to the story, especially as readers come to discover, through flashbacks, just how dangerous Valencia’s late husband had been.

The darker elements are balanced with several intense intimate scenes and a sweet, true connection between Valencia and Rhain, and it will hit the spot for Jordan’s many fans.

A thoughtful and spicy historical romance.

Kirkus Star

Flirty Little Secret Lepe, Jessica | Forever (384 pp.) | $16.99 paper | March 19, 2024 | 9781538739341

A Massachusetts guidance counselor who runs an anonymous Instagram account and a history teacher searching for a fresh start find camaraderie— and more.

School counselor Lucy Galindo has several secrets. The first is that she’s living with anxiety and chronic depression, making frequent visits KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 41

to an abandoned space behind the gym she calls “the cry closet.” The second is that, under the name @TheMissGuidedCounselor, she runs a successful Instagram account that displays the confidence and self-assurance she lacks in her personal life. Aldrich Fletcher is Harview High School’s new history teacher, and things are not going well; within minutes of his arrival at school, Lucy spills a very hot cup of tea directly on his crotch. More unfortunate things happen whenever Lucy is around, but Fletcher takes comfort in interacting online with @TheMissGuidedCounselor; for some reason, she knows just what it’s like to be in his shoes and always offers the best advice. But virtual and real life soon collide as Fletcher figures out that the anonymous poster is Lucy, who in turn wonders whether she can trust someone with her secrets. Lucy and Fletcher’s slowburn romance provides an inviting mix of tropes. The portrayal of Lucy’s depression is powerful and intimate, tapping in to the relatable experience of finding a community and a voice online when reality feels out of control. Lepe’s carefully crafted note at the beginning gently warns readers that there will be depictions of mental health issues, microaggressions, and other sensitive content, all of which she handles with nuance and care. Her novel nails the balance between romantic comedy and authentic, tough experiences. The charming cast of characters, another bonus, includes Brodie, the Scottish physical education teacher who deserves a sequel of his own.

This sparkling debut marks Lepe as a writer to watch when it comes to modern rom-coms.

Happily Never After Painter, Lynn | Berkley (304 pp.) | $18.00 paper | March 12, 2024 | 9780593638019

Two people who scorn love fall for each other while teaming up to help others escape doomed relationships.

When Sophie Steinbeck finds out that her fiance, Stuart, is cheating on her before their wedding, she knows calling it off is the right thing to do.

But her dad is employed by Stuart’s father, and Sophie is convinced the boss is just cruel enough to fire her dad out of spite. The solution comes in the form of Max Parks, a wedding objector for hire—he shows up at the chapel and publicly accuses Stuart of infidelity. A drunken celebration following Sophie’s non-wedding leads to a connection between her and Max, and when they decide to team up to help other wronged brides and grooms, sparks begin to fly between them. But with Sophie having just gone through a disastrous engagement, and Max still reeling from a heart-shattering breakup, neither one wants a relationship…right? Painter builds a foundation for entertaining rom-com antics, but none of the pieces hold together. Much of the dialogue, especially the banter between Max and Sophie, is more cringey than humorous. The wedding objector plot—by far the most striking aspect of the novel—moves to the background as the book shifts to a flimsy fake-dating scenario, and since neither Max nor Sophie really needs the money, there’s little urgency to their finding new ceremonies to foil. In fact, there’s little tension at all. Even when Max’s ex-girlfriend reappears toward the end of the novel, it does little to add conflict. Readers who enjoy their rom-coms with a lot of spice won’t be disappointed, but it’s not enough to support an otherwise weak entry in the genre.

Not worth the RSVP.

JANUARY 15, 2024

41

12/20/23 5:35 PM

>>>

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 42

12/20/23 5:35 PM

011524_KR_Fiction_RDF.indd 43

12/20/23 5:35 PM

N O N F I C T I O N // T H E 2 0 2 4 N O N F I C T I O N P R E V I E W

It may be early in the year, but we have already reviewed hundreds of 2024 nonfiction titles and look forward to the arrival of many more in the months to come. We’re delighted to highlight 20 outstanding, highly anticipated books to add to your reading list right away. As always, diversity of subject, author, and publisher were paramount, so you’ll find excellent choices in memoir, true crime, nature, biography, current affairs, and essay collections. Happy reading!

44

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 44

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

T H E 2 0 2 4 N O N F I C T I O N P R E V I E W // N O N F I C T I O N

There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension Abdurraqib, Hanif | Random House 352 pp. | $32.00 | March 26, 2024 9780593448793

A sobering, well-reported history in which no one emerges a winner.

Who’s Afraid of Gender?

Grief Is for People

Butler, Judith | Farrar, Straus and Giroux 320 pp. | $30.00 | March 19, 2024 9780374608224

Crosley, Sloane | MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 208 pp. | $27.00 | Feb. 27, 2024 9780374609849

A master class in how gender has been weaponized in support of conservative values and authoritarian regimes.

A marvelously tender memoir on suicide and loss.

Rabbit Heart: A Mother’s Murder, a Daughter’s Story

Mother Island: A Daughter Claims Puerto Rico

Ervin, Kristine S. | Counterpoint | 304 pp. $27.00 | March 26, 2024 | 9781640096370

Figueroa, Jamie | Pantheon | 272 pp. $27.00 | March 19, 2024 | 9780553387681

A devastating memoir about living with—and dying from—gender-based violence.

A searching and lyrical memoir packed with nuance and depth.

Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk

Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story

Hanna, Kathleen | Ecco/HarperCollins 304 pp. | $29.99 | May 14, 2024 9780062825230

Jamison, Leslie | Little Brown | 272 pp. $29.00 | Feb. 20, 2024 | 9780316374880

3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 45

Blitzer, Jonathan | Penguin Press | 544 pp. $32.00 | Jan. 30, 2024 | 9781984880802

An innovative memoir encompassing sports, mortality, belonging, and home.

The frontwoman of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre chronicles her life in music.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis

Candid, intimate recollections on motherhood and commitment.

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

Kaplan, James | Penguin Press | 496 pp. $32.00 | March 5, 2024 | 9780525561002

Larson, Erik | Crown | 608 pp. | $35.00 April 30, 2024 | 9780385348744

A marvelous must-read for jazz fans and anyone interested in this dynamic period of American music.

One of the masters of narrative nonfiction delivers a striking, highly focused historical tale set at the beginning of the Civil War.

JANUARY 15, 2024

45

12/20/23 5:36 PM

N O N F I C T I O N // T H E 2 0 2 4 N O N F I C T I O N P R E V I E W

Like Love: Essays and Conversations Nelson, Maggie | Graywolf | 336 pp. $32.00 | April 2, 2024 | 9781644452813

A revelatory gathering of beloved art and artists presented with distinctive prose.

Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World—And How You Can, Too Oluo, Ijeoma | HarperOne | 416 pp. $26.99 | Jan. 30, 2024 | 9780063140189

An urgent plea for individual and collective action.

The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading Patterson, James & Matt Eversmann Little, Brown | 352 pp. | $28.00 April 8, 2024 | 9780316567534

A fascinating collection of true stories from the book business.

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder Rushdie, Salman | Random House 240 pp. | $28.00 | April 16, 2024 9780593730249

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 46

This is a man who has seen it all, and he sure does know how to tell a story.

You Get What You Pay For: Essays Parker, Morgan | One World/Random House | 224 pp. | $28.00 | March 12, 2024 9780525511441

As Parker writes, “Words are ductile, delicate, and loaded like that.” Never more so than in her capable hands.

The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir RuPaul | Dey Street/HarperCollins 256 pp. | $29.00 | March 5, 2024 9780063263901

The long-awaited memoir from the international pop superstar.

I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition Sante, Lucy | Penguin Press | 240 pp. $27.00 | Feb. 13, 2024 | 9780593493762

An absorbing analysis of a long-standing search for identity in writing and life.

Ian Fleming: The Complete Man

Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came To Feel the Way They Do About Animals

Shakespeare leaves no stone unturned in this exhaustive, highly readable biography.

JANUARY 15, 2024

Nordland, Rod | Mariner Books | 272 pp. $27.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9780063096226

A powerful new memoir from Rushdie, recounting the murder attempt he survived in 2022.

Shakespeare, Nicholas | Harper/ HarperCollins | 864 pp. | $40.00 March 12, 2024 | 9780063012240

46

Waiting for the Monsoon

Wasik, Bill & Monica Murphy | Knopf 464 pp. | $35.00 | April 23, 2024 9780525659068

The bestselling authors of Rabid return with an exploration of American views on animals.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 47

12/20/23 5:36 PM

Nonfiction FOR MILLIONS OF people in the United States, the concept of the American dream is just that—a dream, often unfulfilled. It’s also a myth. The idea that anyone, no matter their circumstances, can become financially secure in our nation’s system of predatory capitalism is misleading and even dangerous. Yes, hard work often pays off, but just as often, it does not (see Alissa Quart’s Bootstrapped).

Consequently, millions are left to scrape by on minimal wages while the 1% manipulate the system to their advantage. I would like to highlight four January books that offer alternative, more inclusive visions.

Let’s begin with that dream, which Benjamin Waterhouse deconstructs in his latest book, One Day I’ll Work for Myself: The Dream and Delusion That Conquered America (Norton, Jan. 16).

This follow-up to The Land of Enterprise: A Business History of the United States is, according to our critic, “a thoughtful examination of the myths, reality, and cultural dimensions of self-employment.” The author capably explores our 48

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 48

conventional notions of self-reliance and freedom, particularly as they apply to entrepreneurs and gig-economy workers, creating a vigorous, myth-busting, “clear-minded account of the link between self-employment and culture—and where the path leads.”

The many pitfalls of capitalism are on full display in I Survived Capitalism and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt: Everything I Wish I Never Had To Learn About Money (Doubleday, Jan. 16), by Madeline Pendleton, which we call “a vivid account of the many challenges millennials face while trying to make it in an unforgiving economy.”

Pendleton entertainingly translates her TikTok persona to the page, excoriating the dog-eat-dog nature of capitalism while weaving in her personal story and helpful recommendations to young people on everything from credit scores to ethics. “All of this is extremely helpful to those who, like Pendleton, would otherwise have to figure it out for themselves,” writes our reviewer. “Move on, Jim Cramer. Here’s the real

deal—smart, undaunted, and eminently wise.”

Ethics and justice inform the arguments of New Yorker contributor Nick Romeo in The Alternative: How To Build a Just Economy (PublicAffairs, Jan. 16), which opens with the author’s challenging “the basic received truth in neoclassical economics that it is a science, operating under its own set of ineluctable laws and with no political or moral dimension.” Weaving in elements of philosophy and psychology, Romeo makes a convincing case for a more ethical economy that addresses the needs of everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status.

In Busting the Bankers’ Club: Finance for the Rest of Us (Univ. of California,

Jan. 23), Gerald Epstein, an economics professor, uses his expertise to present an investigation of “the countless ways in which the financial system fails ordinary consumers while favoring the wealthy,” in the words of our reviewer.

Digging into topics such as the stock market, hedge funds, the 2008 recession, the outsize influence of influential economists, and the necessity of low-interest loans, the author fashions a model for a truly democratic financial industry. He offers “a cleareyed view of the financial system’s woes, all addressable if only the political and economic will is there.”

Eric Liebetrau is the nonfiction editor.

Illustration by Eric Scott Anderson

DISSECTING THE AMERICAN DREAM

ERIC LIEBETRAU

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

EDITOR’S PICK The story of the author confronting the lifelong impact of her mother’s murder.

When Ervin was 8 and her brother, Rolland, was 13, her mother left to return a dress to a mall in Oklahoma City and never returned. Soon, the family learned that their mother, Kathy Sue Engle, had been kidnapped, raped, and murdered, and her body was found in an oil field in the neighboring town of Sayre. In the years that followed, Ervin watched as police falsely accused two men of the murder, only to revisit the case decades later when DNA matched that of a man serving a prison sentence for assaulting another Oklahoma woman.

“It’s too beautiful—the fingerprints with the

These Titles Earned the Kirkus Star

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 49

alphabet in their cores, text and body and text, Rolland fighting through the law, me fighting through my words, my mother’s killer found through the power of language and grief,” writes the author, whose work as a teacher of creative writing shines through on every page. While the last third of the book follows the ensuing trial, much of the narrative involves Ervin’s psychological and emotional reactions and broader explorations of physical, sexual, and emotional violence, especially “how we shift blame to women for the violence against their own bodies.” Throughout, the author’s investigations of the concept of victimhood are insightful and urgent, and she demonstrates

Rabbit Heart: A Mother’s Murder, a Daughter’s Story Ervin, Kristine S. | Counterpoint | 304 pp. $27.00 | March 26, 2024 | 9781640096370

how “so many victims are silenced and excluded from the process” of punishing the perpetrators. Ervin laces the poetic text with unforgettable moments of startling, shattering honesty, many of which feel impossible to witness. This is the genius of the author’s prose and what makes this

book remarkable: Ervin’s unflinchingly brutal gaze, combined with her insistence on facing the worst parts of her past, make it equally impossible for us to look away.

A devastating memoir about living with—and dying from—gender-based violence.

50

49

66

69

50

59

67

51

Bitter Crop

By Paul Alexander My Beloved Monster

By Caleb Carr

Rabbit Heart

By Kristine S. Ervin Joy Is the Justice We Give Ourselves

By J. Drew Lanham

The Great Abolitionist

By Stephen Puleo The After

By Michael Ramos

A Great Disorder

By Richard Slotkin Still as Bright

By Christopher Cokinos

JANUARY 15, 2024

49

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

Kirkus Star

Bitter Crop: The Heartache and Triumph of Billie Holiday’s Last Year Alexander, Paul | Knopf (352 pp.) | $32.00 Feb. 13, 2024 | 9780593315903

A talented biographer paints a memorable portrait of an American master.

Alexander, the author of biographies of J.D. Salinger, Sylvia Plath, and John McCain, revisits the story of the brilliant jazz singer Billie Holiday (1915-1959), concentrating on the final year of her life, which almost perfectly encapsulated the spirit of her turbulent success, ambition, and significant struggles with romantic relationships, alcohol, and drugs.

Readers familiar with jazz will instantly recognize the title’s reference to Holiday’s most recognizable song, “Strange Fruit,” the poignant anti-lynching anthem that met with mixed reviews from white audiences and warnings from the federal government against its performance.

Alexander’s evocative prose seamlessly complements the painstaking research that he conducted via interviews with contemporaries of Holiday, his thorough archival mining, and his use of never-before-seen material from private collections to distinguish the fact, fiction, and embellishment about Holiday’s life that has been disseminated by music critics, early biographers, and Holiday herself. Though Alexander demonstrates an impressive knowledge of jazz, this book is not exclusively for music aficionados. He tells Holiday’s story while delivering a cogent social history of America in the first half of the 20th century.

The author incorporates published reviews of Holiday’s performances, interviews she gave, and wonderfully composed vignettes of TV, radio, and recording performances, 50

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 50

particularly the session that produced what Holiday considered her finest album and life metaphor, Lady in Satin (1958). That album “would come to represent a final capstone in a life that was defined by personal heartbreak eclipsed by a level of artistic achievement rarely witnessed in the world of popular music.”

Alexander demonstrates why—despite the disappointments, broken dreams and relationships, and personal failings—Holiday believed her life to be a triumph. He has written a tale as unique as Holiday’s voice and, more importantly, given voice to the life of an American original.

An extraordinarily fascinating book.

Plentiful Country: The Great Potato Famine and the Making of Irish New York Anbinder, Tyler | Little, Brown (496 pp.) $32.50 | March 12, 2024 | 9780316564809

A scholarly history of 19th-century Irish immigration to New York City, and from there to points far inland.

Anbinder writes that while Irish immigrants to New York in the years around the Potato Famine were not as poor as they’ve been portrayed, only “four in ten managed to improve their standing in the socio-economic hierarchy over the course of their lifetimes.”

While 40% may not be the most sparkling record, the author later qualifies his remarks with the perhaps self-evident observation that those who landed with useful trades did better on the whole than those who became street sweepers and junk sellers. It wasn’t all beer and skittles, then, but it wasn’t all Five Points and cholera-ridden tenements, either. Anbinder notes that about three-quarters of the 1.3 million Irish to arrive in the U.S. during and immediately after the Potato

Famine landed in New York—but most of them pushed on, and some of the most interesting episodes in this rather formless narrative center on immigrants who made their way to California. Anbinder is good at reading the statistics, working with both digital tools and a vast archive of documentary materials. Using those resources, he ferrets out such things as the gradual Irish dominance of the New York police force, fueled by the fact that apart from giving authority to the previously disempowered, “police work paid better than unskilled work and almost every kind of artisanal labor.”

Another lucrative line of work was owning a saloon, and both the police and the alcohol connections have explanatory powers in the New York of today. For all the statistics and social-historical insights, though, the book could have used more vigorous storytelling along the lines of Sean Connolly’s On Every Tide.

Sometimes arid, but with insights into the growth and evolution of Irish America.

Kirkus Star

My Beloved Monster: Masha, the Half-Wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me Carr, Caleb | Little, Brown (352 pp.) | $29.00 April 16, 2024 | 9780316503624

A Siberian Forest cat spends 17 years with her brilliant, reclusive, deeply unconventional human companion.

Within pages of starting this moving book, For more from Tyler Anbinder, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

An award-winning author takes a close and fascinating look at our cosmic neighbor.

STILL AS BRIGHT

connoisseurs of fine prose may find themselves gasping with delight, as will cat lovers. Carr, best known for his 1994 novel The Alienist and also a distinguished military historian, reveals that he has always recognized himself to be an “imperfectly reincarnated” feline. When he was 5, he handed his mother a drawing of a boy with the head of a cat and said, “This is me before I was born.”

You may well be convinced this is true by the end of Carr’s amazing tale of commitment, communication, self-discovery, and adventure with his cat, Masha, a half-tame “wildling” who loves the music of Richard Wagner. The author has had a life of exceptional pain and tragedy: His father, the Beat Generation figure Lucien Carr, was given to episodes of physical abuse that resulted in significant emotional and medical consequences. Also, despite Carr’s profound bonds with other beloved cats, several came to difficult ends he could not prevent. When he met Masha, who deftly ensured that he would take her home from the overwhelmed Vermont animal shelter where she landed after abuses of her own, he felt his redemption.

The two become life partners and were never separated for more than a handful of nights, each of those for hospitalizations caused by Carr’s ever more dire physical condition.

The story of their life together in the spacious house the author built for himself in Rensselaer County, New York, and in the woods and grounds surrounding it, in all seasons and weather, is a testament to both the human and feline spirits.

One of the most powerful and beautiful grief narratives ever written, including all the memoirs about people.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 51

Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning Cheney, Liz | Little, Brown (400 pp.) $32.50 | Dec. 5, 2023 | 9780316572064

The former House Republican Conference leader’s account of the tumult surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Early on, Cheney, the former Wyoming representative who helped lead the House January 6 Committee, writes, “We cannot make the grave mistake of returning Donald Trump—the man who caused January 6—to the White House, or to any position of public trust, ever again.”

The author provides a highly detailed account of the chaotic events that transpired from Election Day 2020 through the committee’s preparation for the televised hearings (much of the final section reads like an expansive transcript of the hearings, along with commentary) to the present moment and the risks the nation still faces. Following recent titles by other Republican insiders recounting these activities—e.g., former Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s Renegade—Cheney’s account excels in its vivid portraits of Trump’s key enablers, the most reprehensible being Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, and other members of the House Freedom Caucus, including the recently named House Speaker, Mike Johnson, who actively attempted to mislead House members with false claims about the integrity of the election. While readers will likely commend Cheney’s genuine efforts to identify and aggressively oppose

the threats to democracy posed by Trump during the 2020 election, what they may find sorely lacking is deeper self-reflection on her prior political views—the kind of personal history and soul-searching that distinguishes Kinzinger’s book. Such a history would include any justification for her having voted for Trump in 2016 and again in 2020; after all, it’s not as though his true colors weren’t apparent during his first term in office—and even before. Still, Cheney’s book is a useful document as we continue to sort through the ramifications of the Jan. 6 attack.

An earnest dissection of the threat Trump poses to our democracy.

Kirkus Star

Still as Bright: An Illuminating History of the Moon, From Antiquity to Tomorrow Cokinos, Christopher | Pegasus (448 pp.) $32.00 | April 2, 2024 | 9781639365692

An award-winning author takes a close and fascinating look at our cosmic neighbor.

The Moon is at once near and far, familiar and enigmatic, and it has always been a source of wonder, writes Cokinos, author of The Fallen Sky and Hope Is the Thing With Feathers. The author has been infatuated with the Moon since he was a child, and a remarkable 1966 photograph of the lunar landscape gave fresh momentum to his interest, adding a crucial element of scientific inquiry.

Cokinos examines the long history of Moon watching, noting that a poem about it was written in Sumeria 4,000 years ago. The Moon has loomed large in literature, astronomy, and astrology, and its predictable cycles helped to build the human understanding of time. The author delves into the meanings and explanations, as well as the many origin stories, JANUARY 15, 2024

51

12/20/23 5:36 PM

>>>

NONFICTION

A passionate call for societal support for mothers.

HOUSEWIFE

linked to the Moon by various cultures. Of course, the invention of the telescope opened a new avenue of study, and in the 20th century, the focus shifted to scientific approaches, culminating in the Apollo missions and eventual landings. Cokinos has a great time with all of this material, and his enthusiasm for his subject is contagious. In the final section of the book, he looks at proposals for establishing lunar settlements, which he sees as difficult but possible in the not-too-distant future. Regardless, the author believes that the mystery will never be buried by the science. “The Moon is an archive of human feelings and material truths,” he writes. “The Moon is more than a rock….Known by reason and held by love, the Moon invites our gaze and our gasps, the sights and breath of awe, the glow and rhythm of dwelling itself.”

Writing with a clear, poetic voice, Cokinos shows how the story of the Moon is also a story of humanity.

And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self Common | HarperOne (224 pp.) $28.99 | January 23, 2024 | 9780063215177

The rapper, actor, and advocate blends self-­help with activist passion.

The idea of self-care could easily slip into privileged, To read our review of Cokinos’ The Fallen Sky, visit Kirkus online.

52

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 52

Goop-type territory. While promoting his vegan chef’s recipes that include not-so-kitchen-staples like nama shoyu, burdock root, and dandelion, one might be tempted to think, “OK, but what about the rest of us?” In his latest book, the author offers a refreshing response: Selfcare is for everyone. It’s especially important to him that the Black community internalizes this concept. “For Black women and Black men in America,” writes Common, “self-care is a revolutionary act….

When you’re working against dark forces you’ve got to prepare yourself so that you can step forward with everything you’ve got.” Everything is connected, the author tells us, and so are the four parts of the book: The Food, The Body, The Mind, and The Soul (the most powerful section). These four areas depend on each other, and the combinations among them make us who we are.

Common’s commitment to self-care is heavily inspired by his advocacy work. After all, he notes, you can’t be an effective activist without being an activist for yourself first.

Common notes the inequities of the American health care system and how Black people experience significantly worse outcomes than other groups. “To change these outcomes, the system has to change,” he writes. “Until that happens, we have to do whatever we can to take care of our bodies and improve our own health….Our self-love is a shield we carry while we’re out there doing the work to take care of our loved ones and working for change for all of those who are caught in this system of hurt.” It’s a heartening message for those who appreciate self-help guidance.

Common asks readers to better themselves, empowering them with the grace and courage to do so.

Housewife: Why Women Still Do It All and What To Do Instead Davis, Lisa Selin | Legacy Lit/Hachette (336 pp.) | $30.00 | March 5, 2024 9781538722886

A passionate call for societal support for mothers.

Melding reportage and memoir, journalist, novelist, and essayist Davis examines the “powerful and persistent myth and archetype” of a housewife: a “stay-athome mom” living among suburban “tract houses and sodded lawns.”

To the author, that image seemed inaccurate when she became a mother hoping to combine her writing career with caring for her child. How, she wondered, could those “seemingly opposing trajectories…peacefully coexist”? Her search for an answer proved both illuminating and troubling. The role of the housewife, she discovered, has evolved dramatically throughout history. In Paleolithic times, the model of “man-the-hunter, woman-the-gatherer” was caused less by biological difference than changing ecological conditions; gender roles were fluid, depending on a community’s needs. Davis underscores the importance of interdependence: From colonial America through the 19th century, women relegated to the domestic sphere were supported by grandmothers and aunts, friends, and neighbors. In the 1930s, many working-class housewives banded together in strikes and boycotts. The 1950s housewife, isolated from family and a supportive community, “was an anomaly, an aberration, constructed and crafted by multiple economic, political, ideological, and infrastructural forces: appliance manufacturers, mortgage subsidies, governmental agencies, and housing developers among them.” Davis addresses the concerns of Black mothers, single and married, as well as same-sex couples KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 6:33 PM

NONFICTION

and trans women, to make a case for overarching needs. For the past 50 years, meeting those needs has been a continuing, controversial policy issue. As the only developed country without national paid parental leave, the U.S. shortchanges both women and men. Rather than insist that women “personally, individually solve problems that should rightly be addressed societally, structurally,” legislators must acknowledge the long history of interdependence that has served families and “enact policies that both allow women to be housewives yet build a society in which no woman has to be one.”

A cogent sociological analysis.

The Unit: My Life Fighting Terrorists as One of America’s Most Secret Military Operatives Gamal, Adam with Kelly Kennedy St. Martin’s (304 pp.) | $30.00 Feb. 20, 2024 | 9781250278173

A memoir from a member of “the military’s most secret intelligence/special operations unit.”

Gamal (a pseudonym) was born in Egypt to a family whose father, although struggling to make ends meet, put four children through college. As a child, the author grew up detesting the Muslim Brotherhood, Egyptian extremists who exerted great influence. As he was studying law, a professor explained that he would never practice what he was learning because there was no rule of law in Egypt. Brilliant but frustrated, Gamal moved to the U.S. in 1991 at age 20, with no job and speaking no English. Helped (and sometimes exploited) by fellow Egyptians, he passed three years working menial jobs but eventually finding success, marriage, and a family.

In 1994, feeling he owed a debt to his chosen country, he joined the KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 53

Army. Hardworking and tough, Gamal breezed through training, during which he encountered both encouragement and racism. He volunteered for a force so secret that he can only refer to it as “the unit.”

The author describes it as similar to special forces, employing the same murderous training, teamwork, daring, and firepower, but with additional emphasis on surveillance and intelligence gathering. Most of the book recounts missions in the Middle East and Africa, and the text, some of it redacted, features plenty of fireworks, including an encounter when Gamal was shot and almost died. Fiercely patriotic despite regularly encountering prejudice, the author does not hesitate to point out the catastrophic consequences of Americans’ ignorance of other cultures. For example, despite the military’s being desperately short of personnel who can speak languages other than English, it dismissed hundreds with those skills under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy (in effect from 1994 to 2011). Some may scoff at the term diversity, but Gamal clearly shows how its absence regularly hobbles military missions.

The compelling story of an unlikely hero in the war on terror.

The Black Box: Writing the Race Gates Jr., Henry Louis | Penguin Press (304 pp.) | $30.00 | March 19, 2024 9780593299784

A survey of Black writers’ selfdefinitions.

Renowned literary critic and historian Gates, author of Stony the Road and The Black Church, presents a brief survey of African American literature, with a focus on the search for liberatory conceptions of identity.

His title plays on the metaphor of a black box to understand how Black writers have struggled to reconceive

their confinement within hostile power structures and dispel a sense of Black inscrutability. The author seeks to understand “both the nature of the discursive world that people of African descent have created in this country…and how this very world has been ‘seen’ and ‘not seen’ from outside of it, by people unable to fathom its workings inside.” Gates provides astute analysis of canonical figures, including Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, and Toni Morrison. He includes a distillation of his own decades-long scholarship on subversive strategies deployed in Black writing, vividly demonstrating how literature has played a crucial role in winning sociopolitical and imaginative, artistic freedom. We gain a memorable sense of how particular literary works contributed to abolition and quests for civil rights, the debunking of racist discourses, and the gradual formation of “a shared history, a shared culture.” A consistent strength of the book is Gates’ incisive descriptions of the debates arising from efforts to define personal and collective identities and chart paths to freedom. The author argues against any monolithic definition of Blackness and affirms an “irreducible” multiplicity of identities. “There are as many ways of being Black as there are Black people,” he writes. In his conclusion, Gates connects the historical trajectory of Black writing to contemporary struggles, such as the ongoing debates across the nation about school curricula and the teaching of Black history.

Clear, revealing commentary on Black America’s literary achievements.

For more titles

by Henry Louis Gates Jr., visit Kirkus online.

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

53

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

In the Courts of Three Popes: An American Lawyer and Diplomat in the Last Absolute Monarchy of the West Glendon, Mary Ann | Image (240 pp.) $27.00 | Feb. 20, 2024 | 9780593443750

A firsthand account of one layperson’s service in the Vatican.

Harvard Law professor Glendon offers an autobiographical account of her years working with and in the Vatican. She begins in 1995, when she led the papal delegation to the U.N.’s Conference on Women in Beijing. This and other service, mostly under the papacy of John Paul II, led to Glendon’s term as Ambassador to the Holy See during the last year of the George W. Bush administration. This period included Pope Benedict XVI’s only visit to the U.S., in April 2008. Under Pope Francis, the author was named to a commission to evaluate the infamous Vatican Bank, a lengthy and grueling process. These and other experiences form the setting for the narrative, which is a mixed bag—at times insightful, other times dull, and in some instances frustrating. The author is an almost complete apologist for the office of the papacy and a staunch defender of her church, which seems to blunt her criticisms of the church’s many flaws. For instance, though Glendon does admit that the Vatican “is a most unusual court, with many lords and few ladies,” she glances over her personal challenges as a woman, and of women in general, in that court. Usually, she prefers to speak optimistically about Catholic ideals regarding women. Likewise, Glendon’s reaction to the clergy sexual abuse crisis is almost shockingly cavalier; aside from a brief mention, the topic is essentially ignored. Packed with details, some meaningful and others bewildering, the well-connected author also drops names throughout—from 54

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 54

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, to Henry Kissinger, to Richard John Neuhaus, to “Barack Obama, whom I recalled as a likable young man in my first-year property class at Harvard.”

Useful as a document for academics and historians of Christianity, but not a first choice for lay readers.

The Power to Destroy: How the Antitax Movement Hijacked America Graetz, Michael J. | Princeton Univ. (352 pp.) $29.95 | Feb. 13, 2024 | 9780691225548

An illuminating study of the antitax movement as retrogressive and historically racist.

No one likes to pay taxes. Yet, writes Graetz, a tax policy expert, despite the hype that Americans are overtaxed, the U.S. “is a low-tax country compared to other developed nations.” Of the 38 member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, only six levy less in tax than the U.S. does. As the author observes, the modern antitax movement coincides with the rise of the New Right in the 1970s. It was a fundamental tenet of neo-Birchers such as Howard Jarvis, the engineer of California’s tax revolt; and of the Reagan administration, one of whose architects, Lee Atwater, linked antitax precisely to racist dog whistling: You can’t use the N-word, he noted, but instead “all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is blacks get hurt worse than whites.” In the 1980s, Graetz notes,

the antitax movement became the glue that held together various parts of the Republican constituency, and especially evangelicals, who concocted the notion that taxes were evil.

Meanwhile, Reagan, who campaigned on the vision of an imagined “welfare queen” who drove a Cadillac while gaming the system, lowered taxes on the rich at the expense of the poor.

The pattern holds. As Graetz writes, it is modern GOP gospel to vilify the IRS, going so far in recent years as to attempt to defund the agency.

Interestingly, he adds, nine of the ten states with the highest percentage of wealthy residents who pay no tax are Republican-leaning states. Yet the likelihood of things changing is slim: American voters don’t rank addressing inequality as a priority, because, Graetz ventures, “Americans want to become rich themselves.”

An accessible, searching look at the injustices built into the American way of taxation.

The Rebels: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the Struggle for a New American Politics Green, Joshua | Penguin Press (352 pp.) $30.00 | Jan. 9, 2024 | 9780525560241

A portrait of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party as a renewal of the promise of the New Deal.

Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have been sounding the theme for years, joined lately

by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, that

An accessible, searching look at the injustices built into the American way of taxation.

TH E P O WE R TO D E STROY

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

their party has “lost its way and been captured by Wall Street.” According to Bloomberg Businessweek correspondent Green, author of Devil’s Bargain, that happened all the way back in the administration of Jimmy Carter.

When he assumed the presidency, Carter announced plans to rewrite the tax code, tax capital gains to put the wealthy on the same footing as ordinary citizens, and close countless loopholes. For Carter, this was as much a matter of morality as fiscal policy, but alas, morality is a hard sell in Washington, and his own administration was sharply divided on Carter’s “campaign promises to remedy the tax code in favor of working people.” Enter a ramped-up Wall Street lobbying industry, which was richly rewarded when Reagan came into office and convinced Congress to scrap laws separating commercial and investment banking, even as a few Democrats argued, “presciently, it turned out,” that doing so would usher in an era of bailouts of federally insured banks.

Ever since, Green notes, bankers have led the list of major political donors, a hallmark of “a new political era that would lead Democrats to embrace big business.” Perhaps ironically, Green notes, Trump’s arrival provided Democratic progressives with new energy to rebuild from the left, forging new alliances with working people and unions and demanding more on their behalf, including significant reform of the laws governing finance and, yes, the tax code. Although the author allows that this new era is “still largely undefined,” it’s a return to the big-tent, multiracial ideals of old.

A fresh approach to understanding the origin and aims of the Democratic left.

For more on John Wooden, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 55

Brought Forth on This Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration Holzer, Harold | Dutton (464 pp.) | $35.00 Feb. 13, 2024 | 9780451489012

The noted Civil War historian looks at a sidelight of the conflict: its role in encouraging foreign immigration to the U.S. “The immigration debate had been raging since the beginning of the republic,” writes Holzer. As with so much else connected to abolition and civil rights, Lincoln’s thinking on it evolved even before he entered the White House. Though Lincoln did not harbor xenophobic views, as the author points out in this readable history, his growing support for immigration did not extend to newcomers from Asia or Latin America.

Rather, he hoped for a steady flow of newcomers from northern Europe.

There were reasons for Lincoln’s strategic recrafting of immigration policy: Most newcomers came to northern ports and provided fresh soldiers for the Union Army. One example was the vaunted “Fighting Irish,” as Robert E. Lee dubbed them, led at first by an immigrant named Michael Corcoran who, in a Confederate prison, declared, “God bless America, and ever preserve her as the asylum of all the oppressed of the earth.”

Lincoln also reckoned that once the war ended and slavery was abolished, agriculture in North and South alike would benefit from a replenished foreign labor force. He had to balance carefully the competing demands of the newcomers. Many Germans, for example, were not always keen to follow orders by non-German superiors, even as Lincoln saw the wisdom of ethnically distinct units in the interest of unit coherence. The country’s open-door policy continued after Lincoln’s death. As Holzer reminds readers in closing, it was a

Swiss-born immigrant, commandant of the notorious Andersonville prison camp, who was the last casualty of the Civil War, executed on November 25, 1865, his last words uttered “to remind his captors that he had merely followed orders.”

Of considerable interest to students of 19th-century American history as well as of the Civil War.

Kingdom on Fire: Kareem, Wooden, Walton, and the Turbulent Days of the UCLA Basketball Dynasty Howard-Cooper, Scott | Atria (352 pp.) $28.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781668020494

A tale of basketball heroics against the backdrop of a tumultuous era.

John Wooden, the legendary head coach of UCLA Bruins basketball, wasn’t quite prepared for the arrival of the late 1960s. Writes veteran sports journalist Howard-Cooper, “His life had been built on structure, discipline, and humility…where the Good Book mattered a few trillion times more than the playbook.” Wooden excoriated his early 1970s squad as “victims of a permissive society,” but by that time he was starting to loosen up. Some of that was due to a young player named Lew Alcindor, who came to UCLA with a large chip on his shoulder and a profound hatred of white oppression—understandably, given his life circumstances. Alcindor, later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, may have had his troubles, but he loved UCLA, and he arrived as an already seasoned player “needing only to gain strength and stamina to keep up with adults logging about three times as many games a season.” Bill Walton came to the court with a hippie ethos that didn’t necessarily equate to being laid-back, and Wooden badgered him to cut his hair and submit to “a foundation of structure and discipline.” Difficulties ensued, but, >>> JANUARY 15, 2024

55

12/20/23 5:36 PM

ON THE COVER

IJEOMA OLUO

Exhausted by antiracist work, the bestselling author got renewed inspiration from community activists.

BY KATE TUTTLE IJEOMA OLUO’S FIRST two books—So You Want To Talk About Race (2018) and Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America (2020)—catapulted the Seattle-based writer to national prominence. Her name has appeared on both the Time 100 and the Root 100 lists. But the work was painful, and engaging with histories of racism had its consequences. “My heart and soul as a Black woman were so hurt,” she writes in the introduction to her new book, Be a Revolution: How

Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World—And How You Can, Too (HarperOne, Jan. 30). She needed to turn toward hope and love.

She found them among the people she profiles in the book—activists, teachers and writers working in every facet of community activism—from whom she draws ideas that can inspire anyone, anywhere, to start making a difference.

Kirkus recently spoke with Oluo by Zoom; our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

You reached out to people whose work touches many areas, from criminal justice to the arts to education. How did you decide whom you wanted to talk with, and what the main subject areas were going to be?

At first, I was going to try to put everything in there. I think anyone who writes a book like this starts out incredibly ambitious. I wanted to research all of these issues in-depth first, before I started identifying people, even though I had people in the back of my mind. Because of the intersectional nature of the work, it just took on a life of its own. I could have written a book about each chapter and expanded forever.

You write about how the research changed and challenged you. What’s it like to share that kind of vulnerability with readers?

I think it’s vital that we all be more honest about these things. One of the most damaging things about movement work, for people who would call themselves “the left,” is that we like to

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t cause harm, because of the ways in which we’ve all been harmed ourselves.

Samuel Engelking

Oluo grew up in the largely white suburbs of Seattle, often the only Black kid in her class.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 56

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

act like we were born fully formed into this work. And when we do that, we tell people that they are too far behind to ever catch up. I can do this work my whole life, and I’m still going to be tripped up by the things I didn’t get or didn’t know or the biases I still had.

And that’s actually a really beautiful part of the work if you’re open to it. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t make mistakes. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t cause harm, because of the ways in which we’ve all been harmed ourselves.

You are a Black woman with a Nigerian father and a white American mother. Can you talk a little bit about how your own upbringing affected you and your work as a writer?

I had an interesting upbringing. I grew up in the suburbs outside of Seattle [which were] very, very white. My brother and I were one grade apart, and we were always the only Black kids, so we were hypervisible. Our mom tried so hard, after my father went back to Nigeria, to make sure we stayed connected to Black people; specifically, she really wanted us to have pride in the Nigerian community, which had been so loving and accepting of her in a way she had never had in her life. And she wanted that for us so desperately. But we were still incredibly isolated. We had to be really vigilant. From a young age, we had to be really aware of race, because it would pop up. We’d be walking down the streets, and kids would yell the N-word at us.

As a Black girl who loved reading and loved words and was excited about learning, I became this unicorn—this teachers’ pet, but still not really seen as a human. I had teachers who would invest time and effort into my learning. And then I had teachers who would have me clean their house.

So I grew up really aware of that group, very observant, because the things that people wouldn’t say were the things that were gonna get you in trouble. And I think that contributed a lot to my work. I’ve spent my life watching how race works, because I’ve had to know how it works in order KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 57

Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World—And How You Can, Too Oluo, Ijeoma

HarperOne | 256 pp. | $26.99 Jan. 30, 2024 | 9780063140189

to be safe. And the silence was always the thing that was harmful for me.

I’m curious about your position as a Black woman writer and who your readers are. Whom, in terms of race, do you feel like you’re writing for? And what do you hear back from readers?

I think there’s a decent amount of white people who read me. But I also think that populations of color, especially Black people who read my work, are often erased by the publishing industry. The industry courts white readers, and the conversations that I’ve had [with publishers] over the years—demanding that I make my work more accessible to white people, that I explain every nuance within the Black community to white people, that I translate every bit of slang—are really, really frustrating.

But the emails I get, the letters I get—those are Black high schoolers, [and] a lot of Asian students, because I try to talk about things like the model minority myth, and specifically about how racism impacts Asian populations and Pacific Islander populations. A lot of younger Asian people don’t get to see that in more popular books. [They are] the people who take the time to write me, reach out to me, and talk about what my work means to them.

When I’m out doing events in [the] Black community, that’s where the connection is deep and real. It can be really easy in the industry to forget that

exists. The publishing industry would have me in white rooms talking with white people about my work 24/7.

Overall, this book is so hopeful and so much about love, but in the chapter toward the end about education, I sensed fear and sadness. In the midst of book bans and curriculum restrictions that are robbing children of a full view of American history and literature, how and where do you find hope?

That was the chapter I struggled with the most, because I just felt gutted. One thing that I hope people can see is that we got here because a very small vocal minority decided to show up at city council meetings and politicize a really neglected field of our politics. And they were very successful and organized about it. I just want people to understand [that] we brought this on ourselves by not being there—but we can change it, we can show up. And right now that means listening to these really loud and abusive and kind of violent community members who are weaponizing fear and bigotry. But it can mean listening to parents speaking with love and passion and care and concern for their community. We just have to show up, and we have to be organized and smart and strategic about it.

Kate Tuttle is a writer and editor in New Jersey.

JANUARY 15, 2024

57

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

A provocative if dispiriting look at the endless campaign to curtail the big lie and a million lesser ones.

THE LIE DETECTIVES

as Howard-Cooper writes, the three men learned from each other, sharing notable victories and stinging losses.

At the end of his career, Wooden was more relaxed and beloved as a kind of grandfather to the world; Abdul-Jabbar became more forgiving while still working ceaselessly for civil rights; and Walton, still a hippie, became inclined to kindness and tempered observations. Each of them illustrates Wooden’s axiom: “Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out.”

A fluent, fast-moving narrative to delight Bruins fans—and hoops buffs in general.

The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America Hughes, Coleman | Thesis/Penguin (256 pp.) | $30.00 | Feb. 6, 2024 9780593332450

A Black writer and social critic questions America’s fixation on questions of race.

“I am what you would call half-black, half-Hispanic,” Hughes writes, considering just what such terms mean; Barack Obama, he observes, was of mixed African and European ancestry, but he was considered Black. “But why?” he asks. “The answer, it seems, is that American culture still observes the old ‘onedrop-rule’—whereby anyone with one drop of ‘black blood’ is considered fully black.” Our present set of racial categories is impossibly arbitrary, Hughes argues, noting the case of a 58

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 58

young woman who, though from a historically impoverished community, was denied entry to Harvard because she was Asian, a category considered to be overrepresented at the school.

Harvard has a Black population of about 14%, not far from the share of the general population, but that specific cohort is not “descended from American slaves but from post-1965 African or Caribbean immigrants.”

All of these factors flow into what Hughes calls “neoracism,” against which he argues for colorblindness that bypasses the social constructs of racial categorization. Recognizing inequities, the author advocates not for general reparations but for specific restitution for those still alive who were directly harmed by Jim Crow segregation; this works around “the neoracist pretense of undoing past wrongs [that] reflects a desire for something like what Thomas Sowell calls ‘cosmic justice.’” Hughes’ citing Sowell might cause some critics to brand him a conservative, but the author’s politics are refreshingly hard to pin down. He rejects white supremacy and disputes ethnic generalizations while vigorously opposing affirmative action, which “provide[s] institutions like Harvard with a pretense of social concern” that frees them from actually having to do anything about social injustice.

Contrarian and pointedly provocative, with arguments worth discussion on campus and beyond.

To learn more about disinformation, visit Kirkus online

The Lie Detectives: In Search of a Playbook for Winning Elections in the Disinformation Age Issenberg, Sasha | Columbia Global Reports (216 pp.) | $18.00 paper March 12, 2024 | 9798987053621

A data strategist examines misinformation and disinformation as promulgated by right-wing Americans.

Being a “lie detective” is in some ways easier than other kinds of gumshoe work.

As Issenberg, author of The Victory Lab, recounts, when he called on a Republican misinformation minion a couple of election cycles back, the fellow proudly proclaimed, “We have three major voter suppression operations under way.” That was just the beginning. The rumblings of conspiracy first seen in the days of the tea party became the chaos of QAnon, and the lies mounted as Trump normalized lying. Interestingly, that lie machine was first used on Republicans

by Republicans, with rumors floated in the 2000 primary that John McCain was “a godless heathen” and had had a Black child out of wedlock. Also interestingly, much current conspiracy thinking can be traced to Gamergate, the “open-source reactionary movement” that began as a malicious rumor machine against a woman video game maker and turned into an army of right-wing trolls. Republicans may not like the word disinformation, Issenberg writes, since they “think it’s an excuse to silence, cancel, or censor them,” but that’s just what it is. The author also looks at Brazil, which has legislated against disinformation and is quick to fine and shut down bad actors. However, it’s a giant game of whack-a-mole, with new sites and new lies cropping up instantly and those arrayed against it faced with the “recognition that ultimately disinformation would move too quickly, and too stochastically, for anyone to KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

successfully police it.” In other words, there’s not much to be done about the right-wing web of lies. As one data activist notes, “We will win some and lose some, and will probably start to lose more.”

A provocative if dispiriting look at the endless campaign to curtail the big lie and a million lesser ones.

A Chance to Harmonize: How FDR’s Hidden Music Unit Sought To Save America from the Great Depression—One Song at a Time Kaskowitz, Sheryl | Pegasus (352 pp.) $29.95 | April 2, 2024 | 9781639365715

The history of a little-known New Deal program that brought robust musical life to rural resettlement towns in America during the Great Depression, seeding the folk-music revival to come.

Kaskowitz, an American music scholar and author of God Bless America: The Surprising History of an Iconic Song, brings to vivid life the history of the Resettlement Administration’s Special Skills Division, which developed art activities on American homesteads. The goal of the RA’s Music Unit was to use the power of music to improve morale and create a stronger sense of community in these rural resettlement towns. Kaskowitz tells the compelling story by chronicling the efforts of three federal workers: musicologist Charles Seeger, music instructor Margaret Valiant, and folk-music collector Sidney Robertson. Their shared enterprise stemmed from a belief that American folk songs needed to be “preserved” and “captured” for history, but they were also highly interested in the social use of music, which could encourage camaraderie and collectivism among the rural poor.

Kaskowitz makes the Music Unit’s ties to the New Deal and its aims KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 59

explicit: Franklin Roosevelt signed off on the purchase of expensive recoding equipment, and Eleanor Roosevelt attended a musical pageant staged at Penderlea Homesteads in North Carolina. The author does not shy away from pointing out the “musical color line” that endured in the resettlements’ musical life, acknowledging minstrel-show elements in Southern communities’ revues, but her research makes a persuasive case that the Music Unit’s attention to American folk music, including Indigenous and ethnic immigrant music, was “a kind of prequel to the origin story for the folk revival” to come. Readers can enhance their experience with the book by listening to some of the recordings mentioned, offered on tracks organized by chapter on the author’s website.

A heartening account of music’s ability to create cooperation and community and restore dignity and hope.

Kirkus Star

Joy Is the Justice We Give Ourselves Lanham, J. Drew | Hub City Press (112 pp.) $17.00 | April 2, 2024 | 9798885740302

Another luminous mixture of prose and poetry from Lanham.

“Miracles occur by evolutionary adaptation and seasonal migration,” writes Lanham, author of Sparrow Envy and The Home Place. On the same page, the author acknowledges that “people die by the police because their Black lives don’t matter.” The power of this book is in how well it holds the duality of these truths. We see that the pain created by humanity does not necessarily negate the beauty. Early on, he writes, “Be advised, every poem isn’t an ode to joy, and yes, sometimes there is sadness, or anger within the words.”

Lanham is masterful at showing how, despite the struggles of climate

change, war, and racism, among other societal ills, joy is present, and choosing to pursue delight in the face of injustice is a brave act. Throughout the book, the author excavates and elevates that joy. “Joy is the justice / we give ourselves. It is Maya’s caged bird / sung free past the prison bars,” he proclaims in the titular poem, demonstrating how the expression of that joy becomes a radical, even subversive act. In lush, sensuous prose, Lanham pursues joy in the backyard, with blackbirds “murmurating in an orange evening sky,” and in witnessing seasonal change. The author is both a naturalist and an agent of social justice, and this book is at its most poignant when these two meet, as in “Nine New Revelations for the Black Bird-Watcher”: “No one denies the eye-bending beauty of a painted bunting by saying, ‘I don’t see color’”; “Why are some immigrants accepted and others not? Asking for a European starling.” With his consistently engaging writing, keen eye, and generosity of spirit, Lanham is a writer to whom we should all listen closely.

Lanham memorably, vibrantly shows how choosing joy is an act of resilience, courage, and power.

The Washington Book: How To Read Politics and Politicians Lozada, Carlos | Simon & Schuster (400 pp.) $28.99 | Feb. 20, 2024 | 9781668050736

An insider’s account of the nation’s capital based on the political literature surrounding it.

As a Pulitzer Prize– winning book critic, Lozada collects observations on the countless books he’s inhaled concerning the city’s power politics. “Not just masochism—transcendent masochism,” he writes, gamely. “That’s what people think it is like to read political books.”

Nonetheless, most people want to JANUARY 15, 2024

59

12/20/23 5:36 PM

>>>

NONFICTION

A moving look at a deeply riven Russian-Ukrainian family and how they rejected Russian aggression.

LIFE ON THE RUN

know what these books say, even if they’re written by people far down the pecking order. They’re not interested in the quality of the work so much as the news that the books contain.

Lozada is admirably evenhanded: He shakes his head at Mike Pence’s ability to find excuses for the boss who wasn’t troubled by the prospect of him being hanged in front of the Capitol, just as much as he bemoans Kamala Harris’ “eagerness to stay on both sides of difficult questions.” Not content to read everything ever committed to print on Reagan, Clinton, and their fellow denizens of the Oval Office, Lozada wishes for books that don’t exist, such as a memoir by George H.W. Bush.

“Perhaps he feared that his difficulties articulating a vision in speeches would recur on the page,” he ventures, while allowing that the lack of such a book makes the record incomplete. The books of Washington reveal a lot, whether Obama’s early obnoxiousness, tempered in later years by a welcome gravitas; Trump’s braying self-regard, which is no news to anyone but still annoys, even in the form of a précis; or the theorizing of scholars such as the well-known Samuel Huntington and the less well-known Albert O. Hirschman. The author’s audience is self-selecting, but they’ll be well served by his catholic survey.

Those who like to read about national politics will be rewarded, and even entertained, by Lozada’s pages.

For more on the human side of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, visit Kirkus online.

60

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 60

Life on the Run: One Family’s Search for Peace in War-Torn Ukraine Maidukov, Sergey | Rowman & Littlefield (258 pp.) | $26.95 | March 19, 2024 9781538185735

An affecting work from a Ukrainian writer originally from Donetsk who fled to Kyiv and reoriented his life.

Maidukov, a well-known writer in Ukraine, was 66 when the Russians invaded in February 2022, living with his wife, Luba, and grown children in Kyiv.

Eight years before, he and his wife were living in Donetsk. After the fracture with Russia and the Maidan revolution of 2014, the author took a cue from his son, Sergiy, to leave the “rotten” ways of Donetsk in July 2014 and move to Kyiv with Luba, thus becoming thoroughly Ukrainian despite their Russian-language family roots. Maidukov describes his break with his elderly parents, who were susceptible to Putin’s propaganda about Ukraine. When the invasion occurred, the couple headed west to flee to Poland. He and Luba, along with two granddaughters, lived in hotels in various Polish towns, relying on the kindness of strangers. As the Ukrainian military battled the Russians over the course of the year, Maidukov recorded his observations, and they eventually returned to Kyiv, a disorderly, war-ravaged landscape, but essentially free. “In Ukraine, even bushes and trees looked different,” writes the author. “Unshorn and unkempt, they grew up disorderly

and freely. Indeed, it was symbolic of the very nature of Ukraine—freedom-seeking, desiring, defiant, willful, hard to grind or polish….Russia failed to destroy the Ukrainian language and erase the national identity.” As a narrator, the author is engaging and honest, and he openly shares his fears, hopes for publication, and visions for Ukraine’s future. He chronicles how the public came, somewhat reluctantly, to regard President Volodymyr Zelensky as a hero, and how the war has taken an enormous toll on the physical and mental health of both the author and his wife.

A moving look at a deeply riven Russian-Ukrainian family and how they rejected Russian aggression.

Mean Boys: A Personal History Mak, Geoffrey | Bloomsbury (288 pp.) $27.99 | April 30, 2024 | 9781635577945

A young, queer, Chinese American writer “well versed in the theoretical discourse” takes on fashion, social media, and urban nightlife.

Mak has published nonfiction in a wide range of media, from Artforum and Art in America to the Guardian and the Nation, and he’s a co-founder of a writing and performance series called Writing on Raving. Most of these pieces began as internet essays intended for friends, derived from extended Facebook posts that dealt in gossip, fashion, and sex.

The author worked in the New York advertising world and then “came of age” in Berlin’s club scene before drug addiction and a psychotic breakdown brought him back to his parents’ home to recuperate. Mak recounts his experience in the fashion world as often being the “smartest person in any room” but also the “most invisible,” and he offers trenchant observations about the emasculation of the Asian American male and identity-based rejection. His insider status KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

gives him insight into how new-media models emerged from fashion blogs and the street, and how social media and the iPhone brought about the “collapse of fashion time.” The author also writes powerfully about being sexually assaulted, describing how the traumatic experience led him to surrender to nightclub life “to distract myself” in a milieu where he felt safest in underground rooms. In Berlin, Mak introduces readers to “a lost generation who had entered an evaporated job market after the 2008 financial crisis.” Throughout the book, this “skinny Chinese kid from the suburbs” offers a wealth of observations on topics ranging from transgressive literature (Jean Genet, Siouxsie Sioux) to the power of the erotic (“All fear is erotic, motivated by compulsion over reason, and perhaps the greatest fear, in the evangelical mind, is the fear of the erotic”).

After fashion, career, psychosis, and recovery, a personal essayist finds “grace in the ordinary.”

I Will Tell No War Stories: What Our Fathers Left Unsaid About World War II Mansfield, Howard | Lyons Press (168 pp.) $26.95 | April 16, 2024 | 9781493081080

The compelling story of how the author’s father and the Air Force fought the Axis.

While journalist Mansfield’s father was alive, he never talked about his World War II experiences as a gunner in a B-24 bomber. The author instead found a notebook recording every mission in detail. Combining the notebook with other family documents and historical research, he delivers a gripping biography, emphasizing his father’s service while presenting a grim account of the bombing campaign.

During the war, serving in a bomber crew was more dangerous than being in the infantry. In 1943, only 25% completed their required 25 missions.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 61

Accuracy was also wildly exaggerated, with only 10%-15% of bombs landing within 1,000 feet of their targets. This number increased by the end of the war, but as historian Donald L. Miller points out, “The German economy was bludgeoned to death by the blunt instrument of saturation bombing.”

Mansfield begins with the almost comic-operatic gunner training: No one discovered how to hit a tiny, fast-moving fighter moving in one direction from a vibrating, fast-moving bomber moving in another, although there was no shortage of ideas. Proceeding to accounts of men and missions produces a great deal of heroism and suffering along with some damage to their targets. Perhaps most painful (and least publicized at the time) was the effect on fliers who might return to their huts after a mission to find the beds of their friends stripped. Fear that they were on a suicide mission was almost universal throughout the war, and the Air Force dealt with too many breakdowns and refusals to fly to treat them as simple cowardice— even though “the psychology of the era was a blunt tool.” Nonetheless, Mansfield’s father survived, so readers who expect a happy ending will not be disappointed.

A father’s war experiences, unvarnished and illuminating.

Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans Marie, Jane | Atria (320 pp.) | $29.00 March 12, 2024 | 9781982155773

Chronicling the rocky road to the so-called American dream.

Peabody and Emmy Award–winning journalist and podcast producer Marie offers a biting exposé of multilevel marketing schemes (MLMs), triangular business structures that exploit people hoping to realize riches and success. MLMs, the author asserts, trade on the

quintessentially American idea “that anything can be achieved through a combination of optimism and willpower.” If people don’t strike it rich through an MLM, they’re criticized for not working hard enough, not having the talent to sell, or not wanting it enough. For individuals who feel disenfranchised, lonely, or isolated; for those discouraged with their jobs; and for some lured by lifestyles of the rich and famous, MLMs promise not only wealth “but also freedom, community, and status.

They’re promising autonomy and empowerment and the realization all of your dreams.” Marie offers zippy, shrewd profiles of MLM founders and sensitive histories of individuals caught in their web to show how—and why—these businesses persist. Such companies may market sex toys (Pure Romance), cosmetics (Mary Kay), household products (Amway), health supplements (Herbalife), or athleisure (LuLaRoe). “In an MLM,” writes the author, “the product being sold doesn’t matter”; the “key architects” make money from recruitment fees and sellers’ purchases of their own inventory. To make money, sellers must recruit other sellers, who need to amass their own inventories, aiming to sell to—or recruit—friends, neighbors, family, and co-workers. In Marie’s interviews, sellers confessed to losing thousands of dollars; besides inventory, they shelled out for company-sponsored seminars and motivational materials. Yet, the author notes, despite being confronted with lawsuits by federal and state agencies, MLMs continue to prey on desperate people who want to believe in a meritocracy, where “all you need is grit and charm to reap its rewards.”

Eye-opening reporting on a prolific scam.

For more on the disintegration of the American dream, visit Kirkus online.

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

61

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

Paper Soldiers: How the Weaponization of the Dollar Changed the World Order Mohsin, Saleha | Portfolio (304 pp.) $30.00 | March 19, 2024 | 9780593539118

An investigation of the back-andforth between advocates of a strong dollar and those of a weak one.

The U.S. dollar has long been weaponized, writes financial journalist Mohsin, most lately by the Biden administration using dollar-based sanctions against Iran and Russia. The result is precarious: “The dollar is no longer there for the greater good but for those who align with America.” In 2001, some 73% of central bank foreign exchange funds were held in dollars, but that figure is now below 60%. Part of the problem is that administrations, apart from using the dollar as a weapon, have also not been able to decide whether the dollar should be strong or weak: Trump, for instance, initially held out for a weak dollar to increase the desirability of American goods abroad, but when foreign investors went fleeing, he changed his mind and bellowed demands for a strong dollar. Fortunately, he had a competent, if too compliant, treasury secretary in Steven Mnuchin, and the logic that “if the government was invested in keeping its currency strong, investors would have more reason to feel confident in bonds issued by the United States” held.

However, if investors do flee, where will they go? There have been fears that the dollar will no longer be the world’s chief currency, fears that have a basis in reality, but the leading competitors have even greater problems: The euro represents too small a market; the yuan, a state that few trust. Though knowing something about fiscal policy will help readers, Mohsin is a capable interpreter of the interaction between finance and politics. It’s a messy business: Every time Congress dithers about the debt limit, foreigners begin to doubt the soundness 62

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 62

of the dollar, which could turn out to have disastrous consequences.

An engaging outing for financial policy wonks that should also serve as a warning to economic policymakers.

Trash: A Poor White Journey Monroe, Cedar | Broadleaf Books (256 pp.) $28.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781506486277

An eloquent defense of the poor and dispossessed in America.

Joining the ranks of Barbara Ehrenreich and Nancy Isenberg, interfaith chaplain Monroe recounts forgotten people dismissed and made invisible, tucked away in trailer parks and housing projects around the land. Raised in financial precarity, the author writes that the cohort of 66 million poor white people in the U.S. are reviled as “white trash, rednecks, poor whites, or crackers,” adding, “My wife calls us broke-ass white people.” Their world is well represented by the Washington town in which Monroe lives, where “jobs dried up and prisons fill up” and where deaths of despair—to suicide, alcoholism, opioid overdose, and so forth—are so common as to barely merit mention. At the same time, there is the constant threat of being one missed paycheck away from defaulting on the rent or mortgage.

Ironically, Monroe adds, much of the lot of poor white people has long been that of Indigenous peoples: dispossession, alienation, police violence, lack of educational opportunity and health care, and a host of other indignities. A natural alliance should therefore exist

among people who would benefit from the strength in numbers that might result. “Over the past century,” Monroe writes, “Black and brown people have borne a large part of the burden of work and energy to resist racialized capitalism. Perhaps now is the moment that poor white people can join them and replicate the Rainbow Coalition on a larger scale.” One tenet in the author’s well-considered platform is that poor people themselves need to take the lead in breaking the chains of poverty: “We must dare to dream of a better future and an end to this five-hundred-year experiment in death and destruction.”

A powerful statement against predatory capitalism and its millions of victims.

River Without a Cause: An Expedition Through the Past, Present and Future of Theodore Roosevelt’s River of Doubt Moses, Sam | Pegasus (352 pp.) | $29.95 March 5, 2024 | 9781639365579

An expedition follows in the footsteps of a century-old Amazon River adventure taken by naturalist and former president Theodore Roosevelt.

Former Sports Illustrated senior writer Moses recounts an expedition organized by a world traveler in constant danger of “looking like a rich guy on vacation” and including a descendant of Roosevelt and a handful of fellow travelers. The goal was to follow the president’s path down an Amazonian tributary called the River of Doubt. The author notes numerous

A powerful statement against predatory capitalism and its millions of victims.

TRASH

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

good reasons for the name: Stretches remained poorly known, and there was plenty of doubt whether the region would survive the onslaught of diamond hunters, farmers, and others venturing into land inhabited by Indigenous peoples inclined to defend it. The rich guy, Charlie Haskell, was by Moses’ account a master of conjuring up all manner of gear, but his leadership skills were lacking, and he had a dysfunctional relationship with the truth that provides an odd anticlimax to the book. One oddity, which takes some time to suss out, is that the follow-up expedition took place more than 30 years ago; one wonders about the delay, and Moses scrambles at the end to assemble a where-are-they-now epilogue and its rather dispiriting conclusion that “nature is losing the war between environment and development.” There are fine moments of high adventure amid character studies that don’t always reflect well on the characters in question.

Satisfyingly, the expedition succeeded in finding spots visited by President Roosevelt and his associate and guide, the brilliant Brazilian explorer Cândido Rondon. Still, Larry Rohter’s recent book Into the Amazon depicts the more vigorous life of Rondon, and Moses’ narrative lacks the vivid immediacy of Redmond O’Hanlon’s admittedly goofy In Trouble Again, another Amazonian adventure.

Sometimes a slog, but of some interest to armchair adventurers and history buffs.

People Who Lunch: On Work, Leisure, and Loose Living Olds, Sally | Little, Brown Spark (176 pp.) $28.00 | Feb. 6, 2024 | 9780316565714

A manifesto in defense of polyamory.

Readers who hate their jobs and have reservations about capitalism will sympathize with the perspective in this collection of essays. Melbourne-based writer Olds began these pieces on an Australian Government Research KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 63

Training Program Scholarship. Her main interest was in “post-work polyamory,” an idea that’s “premised on and committed to anti-capitalism” and seeks to “abolish the need to work within exploited waged (and unwaged) relations in order to survive.” In the introduction to this U.S. edition, the author writes “about how people get money (an incomplete list from the book: cryptocurrency, sex work, welfare, property, arts grants, café jobs, truck driving).” After a brief history of polyamorous groups and her attempts at polyamorous relationships, Olds presents a manifesto for post-work polyamory, which she describes as “building anti-capitalist strategies into the ongoing practice of equitably distributing labor within relationships”; relates the founding in 19th-century London of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes and similar clubs that “insulated workers from the worst excesses of capitalist modernity” (and documents her visit to one such club); expounds on the hybrid essay form, “both a memoir and a review”; and details the allure of cryptocurrency. Sometimes, the author tries too hard to sound academic—as in writing that polyamory is “the dissemination of reproductive labor into a technocapitalist infrastructure”; “polyamory often tries to banalify itself.” Fortunately, much of the writing isn’t that stuffy, and Olds has a talent for well-phrased witticisms, as when she says that Michel de Montaigne, thought to have originated the hybrid form, “retired from public life to a tower in his family’s castle in Bordeaux (like all good freelancers, Montaigne worked from home)”; or when she writes of a crypto dabbler who writes poetry while working at a brothel: “Guess which one earns them a living?”

A set of challenging, intermittently illuminating essays on the nature of work and relationships.

For more on polyamory, visit Kirkus online.

The City Is Up for Grabs: How Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Led and Lost a City in Crisis Pratt, Gregory Royal | Chicago Review Press (224 pp.) | $28.99 | April 2, 2024 9781641605991

A Chicago Tribune investigative reporter explores how a “political wunderkind” went from being Chicago’s next great hope as mayor to a one-term city hall catastrophe.

Lori Lightfoot’s rise to mayor of Chicago in 2019 was both spectacular and improbable. Before her tenure, the city had been run by a coterie of privileged white men like Richard J. Daley, his son Richard M. Daley, and former Obama chief of staff, Rahm Emmanuel. As a Black lesbian federal prosecutor with a reputation for “toughness and using her fighting skills to pound on her rivals,” Lightfoot beat out her opponents by brawling with them over ethics and corruption issues that plagued Chicago City Hall. Pratt, who covered Lightfoot for the Tribune from the start of her political career, argues that those same hardball tactics were a large part of what brought about her downfall. Her tenure came at a time when Chicago, like much of the nation, was struggling with political polarization, seething racial tensions, and the Covid-19 pandemic, all of which overwhelmed local concerns such as those pertaining to the city’s viability as a global competitor. As difficult as these problems were, however, Lightfoot’s unapologetically contentious handling of events—such as the post–George Floyd riots that rocked the city and the massive teacher walkout during the pandemic—cost her the support of her constituents.

As labor leader and alderperson Susan Sadlowski Garza, once >>> JANUARY 15, 2024

63

12/20/23 5:36 PM

>>>

N O N F I C T I O N // S E E N A N D H E A R D

Jon Meacham Releasing New Book on George H.W. Bush Random House will publish The Call To Serve next year.

Jon Meacham’s next book will be a visual chronicle of the life of former President George H.W. Bush, Axios reports.

Random House will publish the author’s The Call To Serve: The Life of President George Herbert Walker Bush: A Visual Biography next year. The press describes the book as “an essential tribute to a uniquely American life.”

Meacham is the author of several books on American history, including Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, His Truth

For a review of Destiny and Power, visit Kirkus online.

64

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 64

Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, and the Pulitzer Prize–winning American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House.

The Call To Serve is a companion to Meacham’s previous book on Bush, Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, which Random House published in 2015.

A critic for Kirkus called that book “a revealing biography that should serve as the starting point for future evaluations of the 41st president.” Meacham’s new book will contain more than 450 photographs, Axios says.

“Lavishly illustrated, The Call To Serve is an intimate, illuminating portrait of the forty-first president, a man who was so much more than just his politics,” Random House says. “In words and images—many found in a lifetime of scrapbooks kept by Barbara Pierce Bush—Jon Meacham brings George H.W. Bush vividly to life.”

The Call To Serve is slated for publication on June 11, 2024, one day before what would have been Bush’s 100th birthday.—M.S.

Paul Morigi/Getty Images for National Archives Foundation

SEEN AND HEARD

Meacham published a biography of Bush in 2015.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

I N T H E N E W S // N O N F I C T I O N

IN THE NEWS

New Book Details Conflict Between Pelosi and AOC Ryan Grim writes about the tension between the two Democrats in The Squad.

Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

A new book by journalist Ryan Grim is making headlines for its detailed account of the tensions between former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and progressive star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The Guardian reports that The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution exposes the chilly relationship between the two Democratic House colleagues.

Grim recounts the first in-person meeting between Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez, which took place in San Francisco the month after Ocasio-Cortez stunned

For a review of The Squad, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 65

the political world by defeating incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary for a House seat from New York.

“Ocasio-Cortez, who had made the slogan ‘Abolish ICE’ central to her challenge to Crowley, was particularly perplexed to hear Pelosi say that the phrase had been injected into American political discourse by the Russians and that Democrats needed to quash it,” Grim writes. “AOC wondered, ‘This is how the leader of the party thinks?’”

Grim also writes that Pelosi seemed to mock Ocasio-Cortez, who was 29 when she was sworn into Congress. In a text message, Ocasio-Cortez wrote, “The amount of times [Pelosi] told me that stupid ‘I have protest signs older than you in my basement’ shit. Like yeah but mine don’t collect dust.”

A Kirkus critic called The Squad “an insider’s often dismaying picture of national politics.” It was published last month

by Henry Holt.—M.S.

Pelosi, left, with Ocasio-Cortez, right, at a ceremonial swearing-in in 2019.

JANUARY 15, 2024

65

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

a Lightfoot ally, observed, “I have never met anybody who has managed to piss off every single person they come in contact with—police, fire, teachers, aldermen, businesses, manufacturing.” Pratt’s analysis sometimes gets lost in day-to-day details, particularly those surrounding Lightfoot’s troubled political relationships, but those who follow Chicago city politics will undoubtedly find the book of interest.

Comprehensive reporting that may have limited appeal on the national stage.

Kirkus Star

The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union Puleo, Stephen | St. Martin’s (464 pp.) $32.00 | April 23, 2024 | 9781250276278

The story of a haughty and courageous senator who was dedicated to racial equality and the extinction of slavery.

Boston-based historian and teacher Puleo, author of Voyage of Mercy and American Treasures, presents the first serious treatment in over 50 years of Charles Sumner (1811-1874), one of America’s most influential abolitionists and legislators, now vaguely remembered from textbook images as cowering on the Senate floor when he was nearly caned to death by a fellow legislator for insulting his cousin. As the author reminds us, Sumner was a man of firsts: the first American to employ the phrase “equality before the law,” a member of the first integrated legal counsel in the U.S., and the first to deconstruct the principle of separate but equal. Puleo’s vast knowledge of 19th-century Boston and its diffident attitude toward slavery and integration—due in no small part to textile merchants and 66

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 66

A wonderfully written book about a true American freedom fighter.

T H E G R E AT A B O L I T I O N I S T

financiers who relied on Southern cotton for their prosperity—adds tremendous value to his account of Sumner’s transformation from depressed and sullen Harvard-educated lawyer to uncompromising and unrelenting civil rights champion, orator, and senator. Evenhandedly and adroitly, the author describes the intense sectional and political strife that accompanied the debate about the extension of slavery in the U.S., the role of Sumner’s unsparingly effective rhetoric in moving the republic toward civil war, and the many personal foibles that accompanied the better attributes that won Sumner renown that, at the time, rivaled that of Lincoln. So great was his fame that the base of a statue of him that stands in Boston’s Public Garden is inscribed simply with his surname. Puleo cogently and vividly demonstrates why, and his book is required reading for anyone with even a slight interest in Civil War–era U.S. history.

A wonderfully written book about a true American freedom fighter.

Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against “the Apocalypse” Raboteau, Emily | Henry Holt (304 pp.) | $29.99 | March 12, 2024 9781250809766

Bearing witness to a time of crisis.

American Book Award– winner Raboteau responds to the turbulence of the past decade in 20 essays on issues that deeply

affect her life: Black motherhood, racial inequality, climate change, her beloved father’s death, and the experience and effects of the global pandemic. Searching for “lessons for survival” in perilous times, she roamed New York, where she found solace in birds—some real, others depicted in murals throughout the city—that lifted her spirits “when it felt like the world was closing in.”

Beset by anxiety over climate change, she traveled to Palestinian villages, where land and resources are overseen and controlled by the Israeli military; there, in the unforgiving desert, she hoped to learn how inhabitants manage their lives. In a coastal Alaskan village, she accompanied an atmospheric scientist to assess the effects of climate change in a delta basin that “is one of the fastest-warming parts of the planet.” Environmental issues are not the author’s only source of worry: Raising two boys, she is viscerally aware of racial injustice. Besides having “the talk” about how to protect themselves from the police, she needs “to prepare them for extreme heat and ungodly flooding.” Drawing similarities between climate crises that victimize people of color more severely than whites and her grandmother’s experience of fleeing the Jim Crow South, Raboteau sees her family as vulnerable to “a different hazard to life, liberty, and

To read our review of Voyage of Mercy, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

the pursuit of happiness”: “the rising sea.” Her own gesture for combatting unjust policy is “to talk about it among friends and family—to make private anxieties public concerns,” as she does in these essays. “Climate grief and coronavirus grief feel strikingly parallel,” Raboteau writes.

“The solutions to both problems rely on collective action and political will.” The book includes the author’s photos.

A thoughtful collection with an urgent message.

Kirkus Star

The After: A Veteran’s Notes on Coming Home Ramos, Michael | Univ. of North Carolina (156 pp.) | $20.00 paper | March 5, 2024 9781469678078

A veteran reflects on what it means to return to civilian life after serving in combat.

Ramos, an Iraq War veteran and creative writing instructor, was a Greensider—a U.S. Navy specialist assigned to chaplains serving with the Marines. While the job involved plenty of administrative work and other “unsexy, uncool stuff,” it also required being ready to protect someone forbidden to carry weapons in a combat zone.

However, this book isn’t about “war stories,” as the author makes clear at the outset—although he does provide vivid accounts of military life: scrounging for food, defecating in a hole while under fire, dealing with vital pieces of equipment such as combat boots. Ramos includes these stories in part to show civilian readers what they can’t understand because they weren’t there. Especially relevant are the author’s encounters with civilians who think they do know what he experienced—or who pretend to be veterans to horn in on benefits such as free Veterans Day meals or to bask in unearned KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 67

respect from those who can’t spot the imposter. One chapter in particular, set in a writers’ workshop, juxtaposes veterans with civilians whose preconceptions about what veterans must be like make real communication impossible. Also powerful are sections on comrades who died in combat and on the author’s son following in his footsteps and signing up to become a Marine. Perhaps the strongest chapter is “A Long and Incomplete List of Some of the Things You Can’t (Don’t) Talk About,” in which the author gives graphic, unblinking pictures of the big and little facts of military life, from basic training to combat to the inescapable memories that flood back after discharge.

Powerfully written, unflinching accounts of life on active duty—essential reading for anyone who cares about our veterans.

Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival Scobie, Omid | Dey Street/HarperCollins (368 pp.) | $32.00 | Nov. 21, 2023 9780063258662

A bold inquiry into the House of Windsor.

Scobie, Harper’s Bazaar editor at large and Yahoo!

News executive editor, has covered the royal family since 2011. The author moved into their territory with Finding Freedom, his previous book about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In this new work, already underway when Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, the author examines how his revelations of Buckingham Palace “backroom machinations” left him open to the “toxic practices” the royals routinely use to gain media leverage. No longer can the British monarchy sail along as the late queen did with her Victorian motto of “never complain, never explain.” King Charles III faces a shrinking Commonwealth, and

many wonder if this “transition king” is up to the task; the British public increasingly questions the relevance of the monarchy. “King Charles III and his relatively short reign will never reach the national treasure status that his mother achieved,” writes the author, “even with Union Jacks fluttering behind him.” Scobie investigates the spin machinery that all the major royals use to make their case, such as the press outcry with the publication of Harry’s book, Spare, and the inconsistent, delayed reaction to censoring Andrew for his sexual abuse scandal. No longer in “lockstep,” the royals now have their own press offices and agendas, most notably William, whom the author has watched morph from an aloof backbencher into a “company man…increasingly comfortable with the Palace’s dirty tricks.” The author capably discusses the accusations of racism, as well as the palace’s shameless record of misogynist gaslighting, and he engagingly analyzes Harry’s bold challenge of the British tabloids, Camilla’s steely rehabilitation, and Kate’s role as scandal-free cipher à la Queen Elizabeth.

While offering no new palace scandals, Scobie maintains his steady scrutiny of the British royal family.

Piping Hot Bees and Boisterous Buzz-Runners: 20 Mysteries of Honey Bee Behavior Solved Seeley, Thomas D. | Princeton Univ.

(352 pp.) | $29.95 | April 9, 2024 9780691237695

A scholar of honeybee behavior reveals 20 of his discoveries.

Seeley, author of The Lives of Bees and The Wisdom of the Hive, opens his latest exploration with a childhood memory of watching a swarm of honeybees make a home in a tree near his family’s home: “Cool!” This JANUARY 15, 2024

67

12/20/23 5:36 PM

>>>

NONFICTION

memory sets the tone for the pages that follow, the author’s delight in his work helping to propel readers through the carefully described experiments that yielded his discoveries. Laced with precise measurements and Latin names, these discoveries range broadly, including how bees know when to ventilate their close quarters, decide on a new nesting site, initiate swarms, and optimize food collection. The throughline that binds these elements together is Seeley’s fascination with honeybee communication and cognition and his determination to understand both. One experiment studies how a swarm decides which nesting site to choose; another, how a forager bee learns when a food source is particularly robust. The means by which the author and his colleagues—and he takes care to name them, over decades of collaboration—test their hypotheses involve meticulous work, such as individually labeling 12,000 bees (it took nine days in all), traveling to areas that allow them to control natural variables (a treeless island, a flowerless forest), and tinkering with hives to control egress and ingress. If many of these details are less than compelling as narrative, the overall sense that readers who stick with Seeley will get is that the fun of science is in both practice and results.

The author periodically addresses readers with infectious enthusiasm: “I hope that you, too, are able to enjoy this cheery sight,” he exclaims of a nectar-laden bee. Frequent photos, diagrams, and drawings help to lift the informational load.

Fascinating both for its insights about nature and as a portrait of the scientist at work.

The Way You Make Me Feel: Love in Black and Brown Sharma, Nina | Penguin Press (336 pp.) $27.00 | May 7, 2024 | 9780593492826

Musings on the South Asian author’s marriage to a Black writer, popular culture, and more.

About twothirds of the way into this meandering collection, Sharma writes about attending a writing workshop at a bookstore. “I don’t have anything to write about. All I have been doing is wedding things,” she worries. “How about writing about those wedding things?” suggests her fiance, Quincy.

Unfortunately, the author’s storytelling urge never gets much more urgent than that. It’s not that she has nothing to say about their interracial relationship, which Sharma frames in the context of allyship, but there’s not much forward momentum in its unfolding. They watched Mississippi Masala, about a similar love; later, they became fans of The Walking Dead. Sharma braids her discussion of the death of a popular Asian character on the latter with a review of the facts in the 1982 hate-motivated murder of Vincent Chin. This examination connects to discussion of more recent hate crimes, including the shootings of Asians in Atlanta and George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis. We take a slight detour into the author’s history with improv comedy and emerge to discuss the Lovings and their “almost decade-long fight for their interracial marriage.” Then,

A forthright self -portrait and perceptive cultural critique.

THE RIDDLES OF THE SPHINX

68

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 68

back to the 2011 wedding, then back to Floyd, and then a chapter titled “We Can Neither Confirm Nor Deny That Kamala Harris Is Our Time Traveling Daughter.” This chapter is largely about the freezing and maintenance of Sharma’s eggs, leaping back and forth through a timeline stretching from 1958 to 2022. The author also includes her sharply funny 2019 essay, “Shithole Country Clubs,” which was inspired by her father’s membership at Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf club, and she salts the text liberally with jokes and wisecracks. (Nina: “Is there anyone like a ‘rich activist’?” Quincy: “Batman.”)

The path of allyship unfolds, with some gems along the way.

The Riddles of the Sphinx: Inheriting the Feminist History of the Crossword Puzzle Shechtman, Anna | HarperOne (288 pp.) $29.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9780063275478

A memoir of crossword puzzles and self-discovery.

Essayist and crossword constructor Shechtman makes an absorbing book debut with a feminist history of crossword puzzles interwoven with a revealing examination of her experience of anorexia. In “a memoir wrapped in a cultural history,” the author reflects candidly on the connection between her puzzle-making and self-starvation.

Both began when she was 15, and both represented “efforts to make my mental strength, the willed intensity of my interiority, obvious.” As evidence of intellectual prowess, crosswords have long attracted women—as constructors, solvers, and editors. Shechtman highlights Ruth Hale, a feminist activist in the 1920s and ’30s and founder of the Amateur Cross Word Puzzle League of America; Margaret Farrar, the founding editor of the New York Times crossword; Julia Penelope, a queer activist and linguist, author of Crossword Puzzles for Women; and Ruth von Phul, KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

who became “a press sensation” after winning the first two crossword puzzle tournaments in 1924 and 1926. Shechtman interweaves their profiles with a chronicle of her seemingly intractable eating disorder. Although the culture fetishized thinness, paring her body was not her only goal; not eating, she believed, was evidence of supreme, exalted self-control. Devising crosswords felt similar: “The crossword constructor makes chaos out of language and then restores its order in the form of a neat solution.” Her puzzles were published in major venues, and in 2013-2014, she served as assistant to Will Shortz, puzzle editor of the New York Times.

In a field dominated by nerdy white males, she has worked to identify racist, sexist, and cultural blind spots. Like the women she profiles, Shechtman uses crosswords “to negotiate the stereotypes, or expectations, of how a woman ought to look, act, and think—in the 1920s or 2020s—sometimes conforming to them, and sometimes subverting them.”

A forthright self-portrait and perceptive cultural critique.

First Things First: Hip-Hop Ladies Who Changed the Game Simmons, Nadirah | Twelve (336 pp.) $28.00 | Jan. 30, 2024 | 9781538740743

An engaging study of “just how important women are to hip-hop.”

Considering how Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion reign over pop culture as much as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and other male rappers, the idea behind this entertaining history of women in hip-hop may seem superfluous. However, as Simmons makes apparent, such seeming equality was not always the case. The author, founder and CEO of online hip-hop hub The Gumbo, provides a charitable explanation for the slight: there simply wasn’t enough space to promote the origin stories of both men and women KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 69

in hip-hop. Her reaction (“stinks if you ask me”) captures her can-do approach to her worthy enterprise. Simmons is clearly not interested in wasting time with the negatives of life because there are so many amazing women and accomplishments to celebrate. The result is a fascinating document of how essential women were to the foundation of hip-hop and how they helped carry it to become the world’s most popular genre today. Though most of the women Simmons writes about aren’t new to hip-hop heads, the way she centers them rather than making them footnotes is noteworthy, as is the lack of sexist judgment directed at artists like Lil’ Kim, “whose innovative fashions played an important part in her overall image.” Furthermore, the author thankfully reminds us that the famous Bronx party signifying the birth of hip-hop 50 years ago was planned by then-teenager Cindy Campbell, not her brother, DJ Kool Herc (“Yup, you read that right”).

Simmons’ lighthearted approach doesn’t always work—especially when she follows strong arguments about the importance of MC Lyte or Queen Latifah with joke-filled sidebars—but does keep the party going throughout the entire half-century ride.

Simmons happily rips up decades of hip-hop mythology to show the indispensable work of women in the game.

Kirkus Star

A Great Disorder: National Myth and the Battle for America Slotkin, Richard | Belknap/Harvard Univ. (528 pp.) | $39.95 | March 5, 2024 9780674292383

A historical study of how stories of national identity and destiny have defined American life.

Well known for his influential studies of frontier

mythology, Slotkin anatomizes the essential structures that have informed the American imagination.

The book is divided into two large sections: The first tracks “the historical evolution of the foundational myths that are most central to our national mythology,” and the second demonstrates “how these myths have played through the culture war politics and the multiple crises that have shaken American society since the 1990s.” In this complex narrative, the author focuses on four long-standing myths crucial in shaping citizens’ self-understanding and political decision-making: “the Myth of the Frontier; the Myth of the Founding; three different Myths of the Civil War; and the Myth of the Good War.” This approach offers a consistently revelatory lens through which to understand the evolution of popular beliefs and the imaginative dynamics at work during watershed historical moments. Slotkin achieves his goal—to explain our contemporary cultural crisis in relation to a mythic lineage—as he moves deftly from summaries of broad political trends to detailed interpretations of specific events and cultural products. In the final chapters, in which the author examines the Trump presidency and its aftermath, he convincingly connects MAGA ideology to deep-rooted ideological traditions that blend “the ethnonationalist racism of the Lost Cause, an insurrectionist version of the Founding, and the peculiar blend of violent vigilantism and libertarian economics associated with the Frontier.” Also compelling is Slotkin’s conclusion that the nation’s attempts to address its most urgent contemporary problems—from climate change to enduring racial injustice—are thwarted by “historical legacies in mythic form.” The author rightly suggests that revisionary narratives that reformulate old assumptions are badly needed if we are to successfully mediate conflicting interests.

A wonderfully clear, cogent account of the stakes involved in American mythology. >>> JANUARY 15, 2024

69

12/20/23 5:36 PM

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 70

12/20/23 5:36 PM

B O O K T O S C R E E N // N O N F I C T I O N

Book to Screen

Russell Crowe To Star in Nuremberg Film

Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images

The movie is based on Jack El-Hai’s The Nazi and the Psychiatrist.

Russell Crowe will star in Nuremberg, an upcoming film based on Jack El-Hai’s The Nazi and the Psychiatrist: Hermann Göring, Dr. Douglas M. Kelley, and a Fatal Meeting of Minds at

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 71

the End of WWII, Variety reports.

El-Hai’s book, published in 2013 by PublicAffairs, tells the story of Kelley, a U.S. Army psychiatrist who examined Nazi leader Göring before his war crimes trial in Nuremberg. In a starred review, a Kirkus critic wrote of the book, “El-Hai’s gripping account turns a chilling page in American history and provides an unsettling meditation on the machinations of evil.”

Crowe, the Oscar winner known for his roles in Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind, will play Göring in the film, while Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody, Oppenheimer) will star

as Kelley. Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, Nocturnal Animals) has been cast as Robert H. Jackson, the U.S. Supreme Court justice who served as the chief prosecutor in the trials.

Nuremberg is being written and directed by James Vanderbilt; he previously wrote the films The Amazing Spider-Man and White House Down and helmed the 2015 film Truth.

“What an absolute honor it is to be working with such a tremendously talented

group of actors,” Vanderbilt said. “Our partners at [entertainment companies] Bluestone and Walden have been incredibly supportive, and I cannot wait to bring this amazing true story to the screen.”—M.S.

Crowe will play Nazi leader Hermann Göring.

For a review of The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, visit Kirkus online.

JANUARY 15, 2024

71

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

The Story of the Bee Gees: Children of the World Stanley, Bob | Pegasus (352 pp.) | $29.95 Feb. 6, 2024 | 9781639365531

A tribute to an epic yet underappreciated group in pop music history.

British music journalist Stanley, author of Let’s Do It: The Birth of Pop Music, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Bee Gees, elevating their public perception from “misfit” group to “major presence on the pop scene for four whole decades.”

He chronicles the lives of brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, from poverty-stricken roots, watching their father struggle to buy food, to first harmonizing together as the Rattlesnakes on stage in 1958.

Success began to simmer after the family relocated to Australia and the brothers rebranded themselves as the Bee Gees. Their first single was “The Battle of the Blue and the Grey,” recorded in 1963, when all three were teenagers, and they followed with the hit songs “Massachusetts” and “New York Mining Disaster 1941.”

Stardom came calling when Vince Melouney and Colin Petersen joined the group, followed by producer Arif Mardin, whose risky rearrangement of the band’s core sound capitalized on the “heightened excitement” of Barry’s falsetto. Then came their seemingly endless string of disco hits in the late 1970s and ’80s, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, various celebrity collaborations, and the tragic death of brother Andy in 1988. More revivals followed as the group continued to record until their run abruptly ended with the death of Maurice in 2003. Each of these meticulously researched details pops as Stanley puts his seasoned narrative flair to entertaining use, recounting the group’s evolution as a global sensation stemming from the wave 72

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 72

of hits they wrote, produced, and performed across every decade. A lengthy discography provides a fitting closer to a fond biography intensively exploring a band who were “inventive, shape-shifting, writers of death-haunted melodies, with voices that sounded like no one else.”

A bright, informative, essential retrospective for Bee Gees fans.

Waves in an Impossible Sea: How Everyday Life Emerges From the Cosmic Ocean Strassler, Matt | Basic Books (384 pp.) $32.00 | March 5, 2024 | 9781541603295

An overview of the universe from neutrinos to gravity.

Theoretical physicist and blogger Strassler, who often works with the Large Hadron Collider, assures readers that they’ll encounter few equations in his book, and he provides the painful truth that many concepts in physics (mass, photons, quarks) are not as simple as they may seem. Faced with a layperson’s question, a physicist often must choose between giving a simple, memorable, but wrong answer and giving a correct but incomprehensible one. The author calls these wrong answers fibs or “phibs,” which “are mostly harmless and…quickly forgotten.” Some, however, cause more harm than good. Most readers understand that such exceedingly difficult concepts as quantum phenomena and the Higgs field lend themselves to phibbing. Provided readers pay attention, Strassler is a competent guide to complex topics, but most impressive is his approach to simpler concepts—mass, energy, light—where observation and common sense have been misleading. For thousands of years, people believed that objects moved when pushed or pulled; otherwise, they didn’t. Everything on Earth seemed to behave this way, but the sun, moon, stars, and planets

seemed to move eternally, which led many to believe the heavens must be a different realm, perhaps under divine influence. Strassler provides the correct explanation: Newton’s. Many basic phenomena defy reason: Empty space contains stuff; time can change, depending on where you are and how you move; light always travels away at the speed of light no matter how fast you chase it. Popular physics books begin with familiar phenomena and proceed to areas that physicists themselves find difficult. Strassler is an imaginative thinker and a capable writer, but late in the text, readers may find themselves struggling. The author suggests reading some sections more than once, so even science buffs will have to concentrate.

A fine introduction to the cosmos for attentive readers.

Imagine Freedom: Transforming Pain Into Political and Spiritual Power Tesfamariam, Rahiel | Amistad/ HarperCollins (304 pp.) | $29.99 March 5, 2024 | 9780063253087

A Black minister and liberation theologian instructs readers how “to decolonize our conceptions of faith, love, and self-determination in our quest

toward liberation.”

“We are not free in this country, which is why we struggle so much to be free in our own bodies, relationships, and homes,” writes Tesfamariam, an Eritrean immigrant raised in the South Bronx who became the youngest editor-in-chief in the history of the Washington Informer. For Black Americans, that “unfreedom” takes many forms, including the daily corrosion of self-worth and dignity, as well as the blatant barrage of systematic racism. As a person of Christian faith, the author divides her work into three parts—Resilience, Resistance, and Redemption—“inspired by the scriptural KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

NONFICTION

account of the children of Israel journeying through Egypt (a site of trauma), the wilderness (a site of rebellion), and the Promised Land (a site of divine fulfillment).” She writes that even as we are caught up in the daily grind of capitalism, we can maintain a focus on Eden, or a place free of oppression and strife. For many people, this place is precolonial Africa, a past place that “grants us the power to govern ourselves and, in some cases, own land.” Coming from a war-torn country, the author envisions “an Africa and Black America that have yet to be actualized,” and she writes affectingly about intergenerational trauma, police brutality–caused trauma, and healing as a “sustained, collective journey” rather than an arduous solo battle, as championed in American myths. Tesfamariam takes on the media as “an arm of white supremacy” and delves authoritatively into the history of Pan-Africanism. Her sense of building a “beloved community” begins with a recognition of the significance of Black women and the importance of cherishing healthy models of love and family.

Tesfamariam offers a unique, astute perspective on racial and spiritual issues in the U.S.

The Truce: Progressives, Centrists, and the Future of the Democratic Party Walker, Hunter & Luppe B. Luppen Norton (320 pp.) | $29.99 | Jan. 23, 2024 9781324020387

A journalistic account of the uneasy alliance between the progressive and establishment wings of the Democratic Party.

Drawing on hundreds of interviews with party insiders, reporters Walker and Luppen trace the origins of the modern progressive movement and the strategizing that has brought it to the fore. That movement didn’t flourish under the Obama presidency; Obama, inherently cautious, held to a centrist policy, and even though Joe KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 73

Biden foresaw Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016, Obama backed her. For his part, Biden also recognized that the Obama coalition of voters was fragile, and he’s been notably open to the work of building alliances between those with left and centrist tendencies. Even so, the authors write, “The party continues to feud over whether to present a transformative progressive message tuned to their base or a moderate one designed to cater to independents and have a broader appeal.” Interestingly, some of that bridge-building owes to Obama, who, learning a lesson from Clinton’s loss, “wanted to ensure [that] the two factions of the party could build a solid alliance to take on Trump.” Whether the bridges will endure remains to be seen, but the approach has shown results. For example, the failure of the “red wave” in the 2022 midterm elections was one sign, even if a Democratic bulwark—namely, the state of New York—lost four seats to Republicans, owing to the factors that have kept Democrats from winning elsewhere: “internecine disputes, influxes of Republican megadonor cash, and the steady barrage of right-leaning media machinery.” The authors close with a gimlet-eyed analysis of where matters stand, with Bernie Sanders voicing particular concern that the party stands at a crossroads of representing the working class or staying “a corporately controlled party beholden to your wealthy campaign contributors.”

A good choice for politics watchers, especially as the 2024 presidential race heats up.

Becoming a Composer Wallen, Errollyn | Faber & Faber (336 pp.) $27.95 | March 12, 2024 | 9780571370139

Demystifying an often misunderstood and underappreciated art.

Wallen, born in Belize and raised in Tottenham, recalls how, when she was a toddler, composing “crept up on me, tapped me on the

shoulder, tackled me to the ground and wouldn’t let me out of its grasp.”

She describes her life in witty, conversational style, explaining that she has “always lived in a parallel world— gripped in the vice of the immortal, invisible world of music.” As a child, she was talented and bright; she was also admittedly awkward, overcoming a suicide attempt and depression in order to work with musicians. Wallen discusses her creative process and the importance of intuition in composing Our English Heart, a commission about Lord Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar. “I feel things before I understand them,” she writes. “I walk towards a sound before I can hear it. I can know what a work is before I find the notes.” The author recommends the New York City subway as the “perfect place to start for ear-training exercises,” and she goes into adoring, occasionally excessive detail about a wide range of pieces. She includes substantial prose excerpts from librettos, which she loves to write. When creating an opera, Wallen believes the characters come first with the vocal score and then the orchestration. Her career has been wide-ranging: She wrote award-winning music in 2011 for the BBC drama One Night and has recorded her own songs, composed solo piano music, appeared in a band on Top of the Pops, composed two songs for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games and worked with Elvis Costello. “What preoccupies me is here and now,” she writes.

“Now is where I choose to make my reputation and to be remembered.”

Despite some rambling, this is a thoughtful, reflective musical memoir.

For more about the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, visit Kirkus online.

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

73

12/20/23 5:36 PM

N O N F I C T I O N // S E E N A N D H E A R D

Memoir by Ghostface Killah Coming This Spring The Wu-Tang Clan rapper will tell the story of his life and career in Rise of a Killah.

Ghostface Killah will tell the story of his life and career in a new memoir, NME reports.

St. Martin’s will publish the rapper’s Rise of a Killah this spring.

The press describes the book as “rich with both story and imagery” and “a real-feel narrative of a performer’s life.”

Ghostface Killah was raised in Staten Island, New York, and formed the Wu-Tang Clan with a group of fellow rappers, including RZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, and Raekwon, in 1992.

They released their first album, Enter the WuTang (36 Chambers),, the following year; it is now considered a pioneering hip-hop classic.

74

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 74

Ghostface released his first solo album, Ironman, in 1996; a dozen more followed, including, most recently, Ghostface Killahs in 2019. He has also appeared in several movies as himself, including Fade to Black and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

His book, St. Martin’s says, “is intense rather than comprehensive, looking back at his childhood in Staten Island, his commitment to his family (including a brother with muscular dystrophy) and lifelong sidekicks, how crime and violence have affected his life, his fellow Wu-Tang members, a formative touring trip to Japan in 1997, and his art.”

Rise of a Killah is slated for publication on May 14.—M.S.

For more books on hip-hop, visit Kirkus online.

Ghotface Killah was a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Erika Goldring/Getty Images

SEEN AND HEARD

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:36 PM

I N T H E N E W S // N O N F I C T I O N

IN THE NEWS

In New Book, Liz Cheney Calls GOP “Enablers” of Trump The former representative blasts her Republican colleagues in Oath and Honor.

Gary Gershoff?Getty Images

Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney is making headlines for her words about fellow Republicans in a new book, accusing them of enabling former President Donald Trump at the expense of the Constitution, CNN reports.

In Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning, published in December by Little, Brown, the former Wyoming representatie writes that Republican leaders are “enablers and collaborators” of Trump.

Cheney, a daughter of former Vice President

Cheney supported Trump’s impeachment.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 75

Dick Cheney, has been one of the Republican party’s most outspoken critics of Trump. She supported the second impeachment of the former president, which led Wyoming’s Republican party to revoke her membership and the Republican National Committee to censure her. In 2022, she lost the Republican primary to retain her seat in Congress.

In the book, Cheney writes, “So strong is the lure of power that men and women who had once seemed reasonable and responsible were suddenly willing to violate their oath to the Constitution out of political expediency and loyalty to Donald Trump.”

Cheney blasts former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy in the book, recounting how the California representative visited Trump at his Mara-Lago Club three weeks after the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. She writes that she asked McCarthy about the visit, to which he replied, “[Trump’s staff are] really worried.

Trump’s not eating, so they asked me to come see him.…Yeah, he’s really depressed.—M.S. For a review of Oath and Honor, visit Kirkus online.

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

75

12/20/23 5:36 PM

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 76

12/20/23 5:36 PM

“Rich personal and cultural history of a young woman in Berlin’s Belle Epoque.”

—Publishers Weekly/ BookLife Reviews

Interactive Content

“A tender, personalitycentered biography of golden age Berlin.”

—Kirkus Reviews

www.laevnotes.com Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7343635-3-1 Kindle eBook ISBN: 978-1-7343635-4-8

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 77

“A wonderfully composed portrayal that could be considered narrative Art Nouveau.”

—BookTrib

12/20/23 5:36 PM

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 78

12/20/23 5:36 PM

B O O K L I S T // N O N F I C T I O N

1

3

2

For more fireside books, visit Kirkus online.

4

5

5 Books To Read by the Fire 1 A Book of Noises

By Caspar Henderson

In sound terminology, Henderson consistently strikes dulcet tones.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Nonfiction_RDF.indd 79

2 Around the World in Eighty Games

By Marcus du Sautoy

A complex package delivered in refreshingly simple and consistently entertaining terms.

3 The Dictionary People

By Sarah Ogilvie

A fresh, vibrant, entertaining history.

4 What’s Cooking in the Kremlin

By Witold Szabłowski, trans. by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

A bitter history lesson taught with humor and grace.

5 The Lost Supper

By Taras Grescoe

Grescoe writes with color, energy, and humor, and the result is a fascinating book that leaves you hungry for more.

JANUARY 15, 2024

79

12/20/23 5:36 PM

T H E 2 0 2 4 C H I L D R E N ' S P R E V I E W // P I C T U R E B O O K S

What surprises will 2024 bring? One thing’s certain—great children’s books are on the horizon, from laugh-out-loud read-alouds to gripping nonfiction to immersive fantasy. HarperCollins is releasing a posthumously published counting book from Maurice Sendak, Hamilton star Phillipa Soo and activist/actor George Takei make their picture-book debuts, Veera Hiranandani pens a follow-up to the Newbery Honor The Night Diary, and Olympians author George O’Connor launches a series devoted to Norse mythology. A treasure trove awaits.

80

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 80

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

P I C T U R E B O O K S // T H E 2 0 2 4 C H I L D R E N ' S P R E V I E W

Animal Albums From A to Z Bell, Cece | Walker US/Candlewick 64 pp. | $19.99 | March 26, 2024 9781536226249

Hilarious, high-stepping tributes to a musical niche that never was.

Fighting With Love: The Legacy of John Lewis Cline-Ransome, Lesa | Illus. by James E. Ransome | Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster | 48 pp. | $18.99 | Jan. 9, 2024 9781534496620

A kid-lit powerhouse team delivers a warm tribute to a civil rights icon known for making good trouble.

Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava Golio, Gary | Illus. by E.B. Lewis Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers | 48 pp. | $18.99 | Jan. 16, 2024 9781662680557

This memorable offering is one readers will return to for moments of inspiration.

Eyes That Weave the World’s Wonders Ho, Joanna with Liz Kleinrock | Illus. by Dung Ho | Harper/HarperCollins | 40 pp. $19.99 | Jan. 23, 2024 | 9780063057777

A striking adoption tale that opens space for larger questions and feelings.

There’s No Such Thing as Vegetables Lukoff, Kyle | Illus. by Andrea Tsurumi Henry Holt | 40 pp. | $18.99 Feb. 27, 2024 | 9781250867841

Subversion in the salad! Destabilization with dressing! Social constructs fall by the wayside in this clever review.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 81

The Last Zookeeper Becker, Aaron | Candlewick | 40 pp. $18.99 | March 12, 2024 | 9781536227680

This inspired, wordless take on Noah’s Ark follows a robot who leads a group of zoo animals to a new home in the aftermath of a flood that destroyed humankind.

Partly Cloudy Freedman, Deborah | Viking | 40 pp. $18.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9780593352670

The scoop on clouds, led by two long-eared skywatchers trading observations and outlooks.

Penelope Rex and the Problem With Pets Higgins, Ryan T. | Disney-Hyperion 48 pp. | $18.99 | March 26, 2024 9781368089609

A first-pet tale bursting with personality.

Rumi—Poet of Joy and Love Kheiriyeh, Rashin | NorthSouth | 40 pp. $19.95 | March 5, 2024 | 9780735845442

A beautifully rendered biography that will spur readers to contemplate themes of love and connection.

A Joyful Song: A Naming Story Newman, Lesléa | Illus. by Susan Gal Levine Querido | 40 pp. | $18.99 May 7, 2024 | 9781646143702

This tender tale sees a Jewish family preparing for their new baby’s naming ceremony at the synagogue.

JANUARY 15, 2024

81

12/20/23 5:38 PM

T H E 2 0 2 4 C H I L D R E N ' S P R E V I E W // P I C T U R E B O O K S

Mamá’s Panza Quintero, Isabel | Illus. by Iliana Galvez Kokila | 32 pp. | $18.99 | March 26, 2024 9780593616420

A sweet, body-positive celebration of motherhood and its physical expression.

Gifts From Georgia’s Garden: How Georgia O’Keeffe Nourished Her Art Robinson, Lisa | Illus. by Hadley Hooper Neal Porter/Holiday House | 40 pp. $18.99 | March 19, 2024 | 9780823452668

A veritable feast for the eyes and the mind.

Ten Little Rabbits Sendak, Maurice | Harper/HarperCollins 32 pp. | $19.99 | Feb. 6, 2024 9780062644671

As a counting book, fun. As a new Sendak book, by its mere existence, notable.

Being Home Sorell, Traci | Illus. by Michaela Goade Kokila | 32 pp. | $18.99 May 7, 2024 | 9781984816030

Dreamy illustrations and rhythmic text bring to life a story of an Indigenous family leaving an increasingly crowded urban environment for a new home.

Two Together Wenzel, Brendan | Chronicle Books 48 pp. | $18.99 | April 23, 2023 9781797202778

In the Caldecott Honoree’s latest, a cat and a dog take a beautifully surreal journey.

82

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 82

Best Believe: The Tres Hermanas, a Sisterhood for the Common Good Ramos, NoNieqa | Illus. by Nicole Medina Carolrhoda | 32 pp. | $18.99 Feb. 6, 2024 | 9781728460444

Stories of important Puerto Rican women, told vividly.

Pretty Ugly Sedaris, David | Illus. by Ian Falconer Toon Books/Astra Books for Young Readers | 32 pp. | $18.99 | Feb. 27, 2024 9781662665271

Beauty (and horror!) is in the eye of the beholder in essayist Sedaris’ disgustingly hilarious debut picture book, illustrated by the late Falconer.

Piper Chen Sings Soo, Phillipa & Maris Pasquale Doran Illus. by Qin Leng | Random House Studio | 40 pp. | $19.99 | April 2, 2024 9780593564691

Hamilton star Soo makes her literary debut with a stirring tale about a young girl grappling with stage fright.

My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story Takei, George | Illus. by Michelle Lee Crown | 48 pp. | $19.99 | April 30, 2024 9780593566350

Activist and actor Takei pens a picture book that explores his experiences of incarceration during World War II.

Are You Big? Willems, Mo | Union Square Kids | 32 pp. $17.99 | Feb. 6, 2024 | 9781454948186

Vast charm in a (relatively) small package yields big laughs.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

ISBN: 979-8218176198

A small, anxious dog with big concerns.

Will Willie make it?

“An appealingly illustrated work with an upbeat message about trying new things.”

—Kirkus Reviews For All Inquiries, Please Email antropis7@gmail.com 011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 83

12/20/23 5:38 PM

T H E 2 0 2 4 C H I L D R E N ’ S P R E V I E W // M I D D L E G R A D E

Henry and the Something New Bailey, Jenn | Illus. by Mika Song Chronicle Books | 56 pp. | $14.99 March 19, 2024 | 9781797213903

A simple but engaging slice-of-life story.

Across So Many Seas Behar, Ruth | Nancy Paulsen Books 272 pp. | $17.99 | Feb. 6, 2024 9780593323403

Powerful and resonant.

Ferris

DiCamillo, Kate | Candlewick 240 pp. | $18.99 | March 5, 2024 9781536231052

Tenderly resonant and memorable.

The Bard and the Book: How the First Folio Saved the Plays of William Shakespeare From Oblivion Bausum, Ann | Illus. by Marta Sevilla Peachtree | 112 pp. | $19.99 April 2, 2024 | 9781682634950

A timely and engaging celebration of a literary landmark.

One Big Open Sky Cline-Ransome, Lesa | Holiday House 304 pp. | $18.99 | March 5, 2024 9780823450169

A deeply moving story that centers a distinctive part of the African American story.

The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II Fleming, Candace | Scholastic Focus 384 pp. | $19.99 | March 5, 2024 9781338749571

A gripping narrative highlighting teen girls’ contributions to Allied war efforts.

Amil and the After Hiranandani, Veera | Illus. by Prashant Miranda | Kokila | 272 pp. | $17.99 Jan. 23, 2024 | 9780525555063

A quietly brilliant, deeply insightful story of living in uncertain times.

Barracoon: Adapted for Young Readers Hurston, Zora Neale | Adapt. by Ibram X. Kendi | Illus by Jazzmen Lee-Johnson Amistad/HarperCollins | 208 pp. | $18.99 Jan. 23, 2024 | 9780063098336

A powerful enslavement narrative from a literary icon, deftly retold for a younger audience.

84

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 84

Ant Story Hosler, Jay | HarperAlley | 160 pp. $24.99 | March 26, 2024 | 9780063294004

Must-reading for lovers of ants, ecosystems…and unlikely friendships.

Drawing Deena Khan, Hena | Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster | 240 pp. | $17.99 | Feb. 6, 2024 9781534459915

A nuanced and quietly powerful story.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

M I D D L E G R A D E // T H E 2 0 2 4 C H I L D R E N ’ S P R E V I E W

The Secret Library Magoon, Kekla | Illus. by Brittany Jackson Candlewick | 384 pp. | $18.99 May 7, 2024 | 9781536230888

An 11-year-old finds a map left by her late grandpa, leading to adventure and hidden family history.

My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More Neri, G. | Illus. By Corban Wilkin Candlewick | 96 pp. |$18.99 March 5, 2024 | 9781536223323

Warm memories of really cold places and the people who brave them for science.

Medusa Marsh, Katherine | Clarion/HarperCollins 288 pp. | $19.99 | Feb. 20, 2024 9780063303744 | Series: The Myth of Monsters, 1

A fast-paced adventure offering a fresh, feminist take on popular themes.

Odin O’Connor, George | First Second | 96 pp. $12.99 paper | March 26, 2024 9781250760777

A rainbow bridge to a fresh set of mythological places and faces.

Bank

Unicorn Boy

Quigley, Emma | Little Island | 224 pp. $9.99 paper | May 7, 2024 | 781910411971

Roman, Dave | First Second | 208 pp. $14.99 paper | March 12, 20203 9781250830265

In this funny romp from Ireland, a group of secondary school pupils set up a bank—and things spiral out of control.

Three Summers: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing Up on the Eve of War Sabic-El-Rayess, Amra with Laura L. Sullivan Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 352 pp. $18.99 | April 9, 2024 | 9780374390815

A genocide survivor movingly reflects on her childhood years in Bihać, Bosnia, before life changed irrevocably.

At once a silly, sweet escapade and a dramatic tale of self-discovery in one’s own powers.

Ultraviolet Salazar, Aida | Scholastic | 304 pp. $18.99 | April 2, 2024 | 9781338775655

Eighth grader Elio reckons with physical and emotional changes in this emotionally astute verse novel centering tween boys.

Mid Air Just Shy of Ordinary Sass, A.J. | Little, Brown | 368 pp. $16.99 | Jan. 30, 2024 | 9780316506175

Moving and memorable.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 85

Williams, Alicia D. | Illus. by Danica Novgorodoff | Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum 320 pp. | $17.99 | April 23, 2024 9781481465830

In this moving verse novel, a sensitive boy on the cusp of high school tries to find his way following a friend’s death.

JANUARY 15, 2024

85

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Children's

MAHNAZ DAR

WEIRD AND WONDERFUL

86

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 86

Readers, Jan. 16) follows an unlikely friendship between a child and the scab that forms after the little one has a bad fall. The young narrator initially views the scab with revulsion but soon names her Pepper, confides in her, and feels a strange sadness when the scab finally falls off one day. The art simultaneously exudes whimsy, melancholy, and warmth as time passes and the protagonist reminisces about Pepper and the memories she evokes.

While many books grapple with the big things children face—moving, attending a new school—Alemagna is keenly aware that it’s the seemingly mundane that often affects us most. (Read an interview with Alemagna on p. 94.)

With his latest, Newbery Honoree Kyle Lukoff dares to tell a bold truth: There’s No Such Thing as Vegetables (Henry Holt, Feb. 27). When Chester goes to the community garden in search of something to add to a salad, the carrots, broccoli, and kale inform him that vegetables are

merely a social construct.

To prove it, they ask him to define one, and they counter each of his questioning assertions: “Vegetables are plants?” (What about trees?)

“Vegetables are good in salads?” (Does that make bacon a veggie?) Chester eventually realizes that vegetable is just a meaningless label—and so are a lot of other things, from money to maps. Andrea Tsurumi’s art depicts a hilariously frantic Chester wildly gesticulating as a group of vivacious, wide-eyed veggies attempt to school him. This tale blends humor and insight into a provocative story that’s perfect for budding skeptics.

Pretty Ugly (Toon Books/ Astra Books for Young Readers, Feb. 27) is the brainchild of the literary dream team we never

knew we needed. For his picture-book debut, essayist David Sedaris collaborated with the late Ian Falconer, known for the Olivia series; the result is kid lit at its funniest and most subversive. Like all “good” ogres, young Anna runs around causing mayhem, but her family warns her against pulling adorable faces (“One day your face will stick like that”). The unthinkable happens one day, and she’s stuck with a cherub’s face…until she finally embraces the adage that “real beauty is on the inside”—by turning herself inside out. Dryly skewering all things saccharine and syrupy, this uproarious tale is already a classic.

Illustration by Eric Scott Anderson

MY FAVORITE childhood literary moments tend to be the strangest: A woman tears a humanlike mask off, revealing her grotesquely rotting true face; a little boy tumbles out of his clothes one night and into the batter for a cake prepared by a trio of oversized bakers; a young donkey languishes in a terrifying limbo for months after turning himself into a rock. These scenes may have adults asking, “Is this really appropriate for kids?” But the authors of these weirdly wonderful books have a knack for observing the small details that children are drawn to; they’re also willing to point out that yes, the world is indeed a confusing and bizarre place. These are the stories children gravitate to, the ones they beg to read and reread. Below are several offbeat new picture books sure to please young readers—tales that will hold a place in readers’ hearts for years to come.

Beatrice Alemagna’s Pepper & Me (Hippo Park/ Astra Books for Young

Mahnaz Dar is a young readers’ editor.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

EDITOR’S PICK A young Mexican immigrant tells the story of his family and the lives of other migrant farm workers in this graphic novel adaptation of a classic 1997 memoir that won multiple awards.

Panchito, whose family left the Guadalajara area and crossed la frontera in the late 1940s, is growing up with his parents and five siblings. As the seasons pass, they move around California—Selma, Visalia, Bakersfield, Corcoran, and Santa Maria, among other places—finding work picking different crops.

Panchito’s story unfolds in chronologically arranged, self-contained short stories, and readers follow the family through their circuit,

These Titles Earned the Kirkus Star

from picking cotton and strawberries to topping carrots and thinning lettuce.

They experience significant sorrows, such as when baby Torito ends up near death due to a lack of health care. The narrative doesn’t dwell on these moments, instead sharing the truth of hardship: that even where there’s sadness, there’s also joy to be found. Panchito’s time with older brother Roberto, the advice he receives from his mamá, and little moments with his friends allow readers to experience life’s simple pleasures alongside the family’s struggles. The exquisite illustrations are warm and weathered, perfectly complementing the emotional storytelling and evoking the

96

The Enigma Girls

By Candace Fleming

96

Next Stop

By Debbie Fong

99

Spider in the Well

By Jess Hannigan

100

Warrior on the Mound

By Sandra W. Headen

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 87

100

The Circuit Graphic Novel Jiménez, Francisco | Adapt. by Andrew J. Rostan Illus. by Celia Jacobs | Clarion/HarperCollins 240 pp. | $24.99 | $15.99 paper | March 26, 2024 9780358348214 | 9780358348221 paper

mid-20th-century setting.

Each person introduced serves a purpose, adding greater insights into Panchito’s life, and carefully relayed sensory details and seamlessly integrated Spanish words pull readers

Bunny Should Be Sleeping

By Amy Hest; illus.

by Renata Liwska

87

The Circuit Graphic Novel

By Francisco Jiménez; adapt.

by Andrew J. Rostan; illus. by Celia Jacobs

101

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry

By Anna Rose Johnson

106

Sona and the Golden Beasts

By Rajani LaRocca

107

Mission One

By Kekla Magoon & Cynthia Leitich Smith; illus. by Molly Murakami

into the setting. The touching author’s note helps frame the memoir and its significance.

A poignant, beautiful story of family, endurance, and appreciation. (glossary) (Graphic memoir. 8-12)

108

Bunny and Clyde

By Megan McDonald; illus.

by Scott Nash

111

This Book Is Full of Holes

By Nora Nickum; illus. by Robert Meganck

115

Everyone Starts Small

By Liz Garton Scanlon; illus.

by Dominique Ramsey

116

The Underdogs of Upson Downs

By Craig Silvey

118

Summer at Squee

By Andrea Wang

119

The House Before Falling Into the Sea

By Ann Suk Wang; illus. by Hanna Cha

JANUARY 15, 2024

87

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

The Hedgehog Who Said, Who Cares?

Aluma, Neri | Illus. by Amit Trainin | Trans.

by Ilana Kurshan | Kalaniot Books (32 pp.) $19.99 | March 12, 2024 | 9798986396576

While digging a burrow, Mr. Hedgehog flings dirt onto the path shared by other animals.

When Rabbit sees the dirt blocking the way, he and his friend Mouse confront Hedgehog.

“Who cares?” Hedgehog retorts. “This path isn’t mine. / I only care about my burrow— / warm and snug and fine.”

Hedgehog threatens to prick them with his quills. Nevertheless, Rabbit and Mouse come to Hedgehog’s rescue when he nearly drowns during a fierce thunderstorm. Ashamed of his bad behavior, Hedgehog has learned a valuable lesson: “This path is not just mine— / it’s all of ours to share.”

Translated from Hebrew, quatrains with an ABCB rhyme scheme read aloud easily, almost like nursery rhymes, but it’s the flat, colorful, naïve illustrations that stand out. The three animal characters are outlined in black or red, with scratchlike markings depicting their quills or furry skin. Intense blue skies, richly hued flowers, and deep-green grass have the vitality of tempera paint. The animals’ homes are cozy; boxes are marked for moving-in in Hedgehog’s new abode, and at Rabbit’s home, Hedgehog is offered tea and tissues. In the backmatter, Aluma notes that she was inspired by a Talmudic story, but the message is a universal one that will especially resonate in a world crying out for friendship and caring.

A charming read-aloud and a muchneeded reminder that we all share the same path. (Picture book. 3-6)

For more translated

by Ilana Kurshan, visit Kirkus online.

88

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 88

A celebration of neurodiversity that goes against decades of stigma.

F L AP YO U R HAN D S

Flap Your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming

Henry and the Something New

Asbell, Steve | Lee & Low Books (40 pp.) $20.95 | March 24, 2024 | 9781643792002

Bailey, Jenn | Illus. by Mika Song | Chronicle Books (56 pp.) | $14.99 | March 19, 2024 9781797213903

Autistic children use stimming to cope with stressful situations.

The book follows four racially diverse children, each of whom ends up in an overstimulating situation, such as the cacophony of traffic. By stimming—defined in an author’s note as “repetitive, self-stimulating behavior”—they can regulate their emotions. Asbell cleverly leaves a white border around images depicting the overwhelming situations and fills the page when portraying positive sensory experiences, immersing readers in these scenes.

The stunning, textured illustrations practically vibrate with color and sound, depicting the world the way a hypersensitive child might perceive it. Color and shape convey both pleasant and unpleasant sensations and capture the joy and satisfaction of the children’s personal stims. The text reads awkwardly, however, as though it initially had a poetic meter that was abandoned. In general, the verse doesn’t rhyme, yet there are moments when rhymes seem to build and are then forgotten. Still, the core message is clear, validating, and meaningful. This is truly a celebration of neurodiversity that goes against decades—perhaps centuries—of stigma and tells kids that stimming isn’t just OK; it’s liberating.

A beautiful book with an important message for autistic children and those who know them. (Picture book. 4-7)

Henry is excited— and a bit worried— about Classroom Ten’s trip to the museum.

Henry, a young boy coded as neurodivergent, has never been to the museum, but it has dinosaurs, which he loves. His teacher gives the class three rules.

First, stay with their adult field trip helper. Second, return to the bus by three o’clock. Third— But just as she’s telling them the third rule, the bus pulls up, and Henry doesn’t hear what she says. At the museum, Henry’s assigned parent helper asks his group of three students what they want to see. One student says “moon rocks,” so it’s off to the Rock Room.

The other student says “bugs,” so that’s their next stop. Henry wants to say “dinosaurs,” but the word keeps getting stuck in his throat. Finally, Henry shouts his request. The group searches but instead finds a bone room with a friendly scientist, who, after letting them take part in a minidig, leads them to the huge dinosaur room. Back on the bus, Henry’s friend asks if he followed the third rule and found something new; after some thought, Henry realizes that he has. This quiet but perceptive tale follows young Henry as he discovers the world at his own pace and reacts in his own, charming way (in the dinosaur room, Henry wraps his arms around himself so all the “happy” KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

doesn’t “slip away”). Interspersed throughout are graceful watercolor-and-ink illustrations, mostly black and white, with pops of green. Henry is cued Asian; his class is diverse.

A simple but engaging slice-of-life story. (Early chapter book. 4-8)

Don’t Wash Winston Belote, Ashley | Feiwel & Friends (40 pp.) $18.99 | March 26, 2024 | 9781250883056

Sometimes being a good friend means making scary choices.

Young Liam and his beloved teddy bear, Winston, love playing together. They take care of each other and lean on one other when times get tough. Their favorite activity is making mud pies, which naturally involves a robust helping of dirt and water. It’s all fun and games until Winston takes “a terrible tumble.”

Flipping “toes over nose,” he lands with a tremendous FLOP in the middle of the mud. Winston is a mess, and a messy bear means a trip to the washing machine. Liam has feelings about this (he creates a drawing labeled “box + Winston + water = no way”) and attempts several creative evasion techniques, culminating in Liam taking a muddy spill of his own. After a satisfying bath, Liam realizes that Winston also needs to get clean. Liam takes a deep breath and promises Winston that he’ll stay close. Winston is finally cleaned, and the two are cozily reunited.

Liam’s dad is patient and empathetic (if a little understandably annoyed with his shenanigans). Photos and drawings on the wall suggest that theirs is a single-parent household—a subtle and welcome reminder that there are many examples of loving families. Effervescent illustrations convey energy and emotion and have a palpably cuddly appeal. Liam and his father are brown-skinned.

A wonderful choice for any youngster who’s ever known the love of a stuffed best friend (scary appliance notwithstanding). (Picture book. 2-6) KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 89

When You Go Into Nature

Listen to This

Bestor, Sheri M. | Illus. by Sydney Hanson Sleeping Bear Press (32 pp.) | $18.99 March 15, 2024 | 9781534112896

Blecher, Jennifer | Greenwillow Books (224 pp.) | $18.99 | March 26, 2024 9780063140738

Nature has many lessons for us if we’re willing to take the time to get outdoors and discover them.

From virtues such as patience, teamwork, and gratitude to life lessons such as learning to let go and expressing yourself, the points presented in this book are both important and apropos to our time, and they’re delivered without didacticism and wrapped in great facts about nature and wildlife.

For example, nature can teach you to move slowly like a snail, not just physically but also when completing a project, eating, or spending time with others. Readers are encouraged to be strong but flexible, like a spiderweb or a mighty tree bending in the wind.

A nest’s softness becomes a lesson in kindness. On each spread, a paragraph in a larger font presents lessons and offers an example from nature; text in a smaller font provides more facts, expands on the lessons, and includes a question for readers. The author’s note makes clear that learning can take place in nature, not just in school.

Hanson’s whimsical illustrations perfectly match the tone and learning folded into the text. While most of the adorable animals are slightly anthropomorphized in their facial expressions, they’re otherwise accurately depicted, from snails’ shells to the patterning on a garter snake.

Two seventh graders discover each other while learning that middle school changes can be a time for exciting, if sometimes awkward, growth.

Lily is used to doing everything with besties Maddie and Sasha, but after they make the elite soccer team and she doesn’t, she soon has time on her hands. Popular Sienna is at a turning point, too, and she takes an interest in Lily. Specifically, Sienna wants to set Lily up with her childhood friend Will. Problem is, Sienna wants to dictate Lily’s every move. For his part, Will is definitely interested in Lily, but he doesn’t want bossy Sienna involved, afraid she’ll gossip to the entire student body. It’s already bad enough that Will’s widowed dad puts his son’s every move and mood under the microscope during his Dr. Dad podcasts! The third-person limited narration bounces back and forth between Lily and Will. They begin a tentative friendship, texting and talking in person. Misunderstandings and missed cues are at the root of several clumsy, wonderful moments. As they support each other and learn from others in their lives, the tweens gradually claim their own voices and gain autonomy. This growth enables them to be better friends to others among the well-developed cast, encouraging them to speak up, too. Characters read white.

A wonderful resource for getting kids outside and thinking about the things that will take them far in life. (Science picture book. 4-10)

This tender, easy exploration of friendship, family, and first romance hits the mark. (Fiction. 8-12)

This exploration of friendship, family, and first romance hits the mark.

LISTEN TO THIS

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

89

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

What’s in a Bead?

Borgford, Kelsey | Illus. by Tessa Pizzale Second Story Press (24 pp.) | $21.95 March 12, 2024 | 9781772603668

In this heartwarming intergenerational story, an Indigenous girl learns how to bead from her grandmother.

Kohkom greets Tessa and her mom in Cree when they arrive, and Tessa offers her grandmother a tobacco tie before asking if she’ll teach her to bead. Kohkom agrees. Beading tells “stories about who we are,” she explains. “We [keep] beading… to make sure our ways [aren’t] lost forever.” Tessa learns about the importance of beading and how different Indigenous people use the art form to express their identities.

Kohkom shows Tessa that beaded Anishinaabe moccasins look different from Cree ones. Borgford (Nbisiing Nishnaabe) uses dialogue to convey a strong bond between grandmother and grandchild. Depicting a contemporary Native family, Pizzale (Cree) incorporates designs and vivid colors. Complementing the gentle text, the illustrations include small touches: a heart shape in a strand of thread, earrings dangling in a jewelry box, the northern lights glistening in the distance, geese flying in the background. The use of detail helps readers connect with Native culture.

Readers can decipher potentially unfamiliar words in context, though a glossary might have been helpful.

A delicate tribute to beading and storytelling, connecting the past, present, and future of Native communities. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kira and the (Maybe) Space Princess Brennan, Megan | Random House Graphic (256 pp.) | $21.99 | $13.99 paper March 5, 2024 | 9780593177549 9780593709894 paper | Series: Magic Girls, 1

It’s a new school year at Neo-Earth Junior High, and seventh grader Kira is determined to start afresh.

This year, she’s sure to be cool and popular!

But when Tulip, whom Kira has long seen as her rival, steals the spotlight on the first day, Kira can’t help feeling like an absolute nobody yet again. While wishing upon a star, her life abruptly changes when Catacorn, a half-cat/half unicorn space princess, crash-lands in her garbage can. Could this really be Kira’s chance to become a magical girl like Tulip and have a higher purpose? Brimming with sparkly, chaotic energy, this fast-paced, laugh-out-loud adventure is a love letter to anime and manga like Sailor Moon. Readers will delight in the charming illustrations, rendered in a pastel color palette, that pay homage to the aesthetics of the genre in a fresh way. The story is complete with the familiar beats of magical transformations, cheesy catchphrases, a charismatic villain, and a mysterious boy from out of town. Over-the-top facial expressions perfectly capture the excitable highs and emotional lows of preteen friendships. Tweens will relate to Kira’s desire for reinvention and self-discovery and her awkward and goofy attempts to stand out.

Although the story has an abundance

Another winning adventure with this charming elementary school class.

P E T-A- PA L O O Z A

90

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 90

of unresolved mysteries, it sets the stage for a fun second installment.

Kira has glossy black hair and light tan skin; Tulip has brown skin and curly pink hair.

A rollicking adventure. (author’s note, additional comics, character sketches) (Graphic fantasy. 8-13)

Pet-a-Palooza Carr, Jan | Illus. by Kris Mukai | Peachtree (96 pp.) | $14.99 | March 5, 2024 9781682635360 | Series: Buddy and Bea, 3

Buddy’s question for a visiting author sparks a pet-focused confab among the second grade Whirligigs.

Buddy and his classmates, including his best friend, Joey, and outspoken Bea, discover that among them they have many pets, from Buddy’s irascible cat, Sunshine, to Joey’s new puppy, Frisbee, to Bea’s mysterious cat, who likes to sleep on top of cans. The members of the class—named the Whirligigs “because whirligigs were maple seeds. And their teacher’s name was Ms. Maple”—engage in some enthusiastic cataloging of the variety of pets in their homes. The kids start to wonder if Bea really has a cat.

Meanwhile, Buddy’s reluctant to reveal details about Sunshine, such as her habit of playing with her poop, until Frisbee has an accident while visiting the class. Carr includes a variety of classroom lessons, such as sorting and tallying, that incorporate this age group’s particular interests and concerns. She convincingly captures the way young elementary schoolers latch on to a new idea and carry out related activities. The students and their concerns will feel familiar to many, from earnest, sometimes worried Buddy to irrepressible Bea, whose pet turns out to be one of the neighborhood bodega cats. The cheerful cartoon art depicts a lively, diverse school. Buddy is Asian, Joey is Black, Bea is light-skinned, and a previous book established that Ms. Maple is of Filipina descent.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

Another winning adventure with this charming elementary school class.

(Fiction. 5-9)

The World Divided by Piper Carter, Caela | Quill Tree Books/ HarperCollins (384 pp.) | $18.99 March 19, 2024 | 9780062996664

A seventh grader grapples with the onset of puberty.

Eleven-year-old Piper Franklin, a gifted white girl, has taken puberty blockers since age 7 to delay precocious puberty. Now, her endocrinologist has cleared her to stop the injections. But Piper has no intention of entering puberty. Hormones and periods will only distract her from the upcoming academic decathlon, and she and BFF Tallulah—a girl from her gifted program who’s Black and has ADHD—are determined to win. Piper’s baby sister is distracting enough, frequently demanding Mom’s attention. Worse, womanhood means being weighed down by myriad indignities, something Piper dubs the Wordless Chain and struggles to name. Even metaphorical math—Piper’s attempt to explain emotions via mathematical concepts—can’t make Mom understand her reluctance to start puberty, and tensions rise despite her stepfather’s mediation. But as Piper develops a crush on Ivan, a Black trans boy from her support group for kids “having a tough time with puberty,” and hangs with her supportive older half sister, growing up seems more inviting…except for that Wordless Chain. Language for said Chain comes extremely late, and readers will share Piper’s increasing frustration as she struggles to articulate her dilemma. Ivan’s and Tallulah’s dialogue sparks eloquent insights into trans identity and neurodivergence (respectively), and Piper’s interspersed notes on the metaphorical math of friendship and family are KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 91

thought-provoking. Unfortunately, the resolution of one major plot point strains credulity and echoes the trope of a disabled character inspiring nondisabled people.

Perceptive but uneven. (Fiction. 8-12)

Cosplay Crime Chan, Marty | Orca (112 pp.) $10.95 paper | Feb. 13, 2024 9781459837430 | Series: Orca Currents

An anime fan must solve a mystery and save the day when things go wrong at a convention.

Bree Wong and her best friend, Alix, are on their way to the Anime Expo dressed as the characters from Red Squirrel, Black Heart. Gregarious Alix is there to show off their meticulously crafted costume at the cosplay contest, while shy Bree just wants to meet Midori, who voices Red Squirrel. When Midori’s signing event is canceled, Bree decides to play detective. She quickly discovers that a rare sketch documenting Red Squirrel’s original character design— which Midori revealed at a panel—was just stolen. To recover the sketch and score a chance to meet Midori, Bree must overcome her shyness, venture into all corners of the Anime Expo, and dodge security and aggressive fans alike. The mystery’s resolution is somewhat anticlimactic. Still, the simple vocabulary and quick pacing make the story a good fit for struggling readers, and the anime references and authentic representation of convention dynamics—including a scene where an older convention goer ogles Bree and another girl—will draw in fans of the format. The last name Wong suggests that Bree is of Chinese descent, though physical descriptions are minimal. Alix uses they/them pronouns and identifies as a girl.

You Are a Little Seed Choi, Sook-Hee | Trans. by Jieun Kiaer Charlesbridge (40 pp.) | $15.99 | March 19, 2024 | 9781623544287

Growing flowers symbolize children’s development in this South Korean import.

A young child holding on to a dandelion seed drifts along (“A seed, a seed blowing in the wind…”).

The next page shows the kid wearing the same yellow dress but now older, firmly grasping a flower that “took root in the wild and bloomed as a dandelion.” The book continues similarly; each tot is compared to a different seed and eventually blooms in their unique way, much like their comparative blossom. Another youngster sits in a star-shaped pod, staring uncertainly (“A seed, a seed crouching down low…”). The next page shows the child, older and confidently smiling (“raised its head proudly and bloomed as a peony”). A forlorn little one described as “delicate to the touch” develops into a “balsam that never gave way to scorching sun or pouring rain.” Eventually readers are told that they, too, are seeds; Choi asks them what kind of bloom they will be. The lyrical text pairs well with the realistic portrayals of flowers and the charming cartoon depictions of the kids. Warm colors fill the pages, from autumnal browns to springlike pinks. The only questionable moment is when the author describes a seed as “ugly and wrinkled”; readers may raise an eyebrow at the idea of referring to a child as physically unattractive.

An encouraging tale of growth. (Picture book. 5-8)

For more translated

by Jieun Kiaer, visit Kirkus online.

Rife with references to anime and fan culture, a mystery sure to entice readers. (Fiction. 9-14)

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

91

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

The Book That Can Read Your Mind Coppo, Marianna | Chronicle Books (48 pp.) $17.99 | March 12, 2024 | 9781797229010

Coppo adapts a 17th-century Italian magic trick for her latest meta excursion.

Tuxedoed Lady Rabbit welcomes her audience, acknowledging that wow-level magic is difficult to pull off in a book. Making something appear as if out of nowhere…well, “any book can do that!” But the titular claim bears out in cleverly designed pages. First, readers are told to scan a page of audience members (36 charmingly unique denizens arrayed in six rows) and to choose one member. Lady Rabbit then asks kids to identify the row of their seated pick by turning to a specific page. Uh-oh!

Every audience member has changed seats! Again directed to a particular page based on their choice’s new row, readers will discover that Lady Rabbit has guessed their pick. All nine answer pages include the characters and the instruction: “I guessed it, didn’t I? Now go to page 39.” There, with a “TA-DA!” and a bow, the white rabbit invites kids to turn back to pages 12-13 to try again. Coppa’s finely inked floral borders and decorated proscenium arch, colored in black and white and muted greens and salmon, emanate a vintage feel. Kids will warm to amusing audience members such as Shroom, Yeti, and Unknown (a smiling question mark) and will delight in the various mini-creatures adorning each page. One downside of the trick’s interactivity: The six pages that redirect readers to the solution pages are visually identical.

For more by Marianna Coppo, visit Kirkus online.

92

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 92

Coppo adapts a 17th-century magic trick for her latest meta excursion.

T H E B O O K T H AT C A N R E A D YO U R M I N D

Decidedly one-trick yet inspired and prettily designed. (historical note) (Picture book. 5-8)

Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet Davies, Nicola | Illus. by Emily Sutton Candlewick (40 pp.) | $18.99 March 12, 2024 | 9781536231410

A basic introduction to the role plants play in supplying oxygen and trapping excess carbon dioxide.

Davies has a simple message to deliver. To get there, she first takes a close look at leaf structure and photosynthesis, then goes back four billion years to retrace the development of life from the first green microorganisms to the Carboniferous Period and the formation of fossil fuels. Today, she writes, our planet is covered with “great green nations” of plants that work with fauna and fungi to lock back up the carbon we’ve thoughtlessly released over the past few centuries, which is heating the planet and “messing up the weather.” But those natural communities, threatened by habitat destruction and plastic pollution, need our assistance. Readers will have to look elsewhere for hints about concrete ways to help, but our urgent need to act comes through loud and clear. Over a running timeline, Sutton fashions land- and seascapes teeming with plants and animals (or, in one urban vista, cars and smoke-belching factories) on the way to final views of racially diverse children climbing a tree, including a light-skinned youngster who stays behind to reflect on the

author’s conclusion: “GREEN is the most important color in the world.”

A cogent reminder of the significance of plants, for oxygen breathers of all species. (Informational picture book.

6-8)

The Cozy Home: Three-and-a-Half Stories Dyckman, Ame | Illus. by Mark Teague Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (48 pp.) $17.99 | Feb. 6, 2024 | 9781665930420 Series: Bat, Cat & Rat, 1

Odd housemates adjust to extremely cramped real estate.

Moving into a two-room house, Bat, Cat, and Rat agree that “sharing is nice” but immediately claim their own space. Cat takes the upstairs room, while Rat opts for the one downstairs, leaving only the under-stair closet (shades of Harry Potter) for Bat. When Bat happily exclaims that “UNDER the stairs is THE BEST!” the friends look skeptical—until they see Bat hanging upside down in the cavelike space. In the second story, practical jokester Rat scares Cat with a rubber spider.

Bat pretends to eat it, scaring Rat. Alone, Bat repeats Rat’s dubious claim: “Joking is fun!” The third story finds Cat cozily settled in a chair with a book. When Cat accuses Rat and Bat of trying to sneak peeks, they admit shamefacedly that they can’t yet read. So they share the chair and “read their very first word: ‘HAT!’” It turns out that “reading together is the BEST EVER.” In the underwhelming final entry (referred to as “story KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

#3-and-a-half”), for unclear reasons, all three cram into the bare closet to sleep; it doesn’t look at all cozy. The larger-than-life, upright, anthropomorphic animals are set mostly against plain backgrounds; they’re personable rather than cute. The simple language is ideal for burgeoning readers, though the jokes are rather one-note.

Easy-to-read stories that strain to be amusing. (Easy reader/picture book.

2-6)

Imperfectly Perfect Emerson, Perry | Illus. by Hoang Giang Tiger Tales (32 pp.) | $18.99 March 19, 2024 | 9781664300385

A young girl learns that there’s value in things that aren’t perfect and that even broken things can be repaired.

When Maria reads her older brother Robbie’s favorite book, she turns the pages just like he does, but the results are not at all the same: The pages rip and flutter around her. Angry, Robbie stomps off, and Maria bursts into tears. Ms. Bea, a kindly older caregiver, shows her a bowl that was perfect when Ms. Bea gifted it to Maria’s mother but then broke (the word kintsugi is not used).

The pair then take a walk, looking for other things that are imperfectly perfect, such as the dandelion growing in a crack in the broken pavement, the wrinkles on Ms. Bea’s face, and the scar on Maria’s knee, which reminds her of how Robbie lovingly carried her home after she hurt herself while playing. Maria is inspired to fix Robbie’s book with some gold tape, and, after her heartfelt apology, the two snuggle in to read together. While the premise of making the best of imperfection is a good one, Emerson’s writing doesn’t quite carry it off. The dialogue is a bit stilted, and readers may wonder why Maria didn’t stop after the first page ripped. Cartoon illustrations depict a diverse town; Maria and Robbie have light tan skin and dark hair, while Ms. Bea is pale with white hair.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 93

The message is important but the delivery lacks the spark that will keep readers coming back. (Picture book.

4-8)

No Cats in the Library Emmons, Lauren | Paula Wiseman/ Simon & Schuster (32 pp.) | $18.99 March 5, 2024 | 9781665933681

A stray cat earns her place inside a public library.

From the start, the text humorously evokes empathy from all, particularly emergent readers: “Clarisse was a stray cat who loved books. She couldn’t understand the dark, squiggly lines, but she loved looking at the pictures.” When orange-spotted Clarisse chances upon a “magic building” where people enter empty-handed but leave with books, she tries several times to enter. Each time, the “keeper of the books”—a pale-skinned, top-knotted librarian—gently but firmly spurns her efforts. Readers will giggle at the double-page spread that shows Clarisse finally entering via the book drop. Inside the library, Clarisse moves past pictureless books to the children’s department. Here, a Black girl—who’s been having reading difficulties—decides to re-read her picture book to the fascinated feline. The girl excitedly tells her mother about her improved reading ability, and her mother assumes that Clarisse is a library-approved reading companion. In the next scene, the librarian’s shadow looms above Clarisse, but it’s clear that a happy ending is in store for our feline hero. The art relies on an autumnal palette with blue-green accents and makes effective use of color blocks and geometric patterns, extending the text’s simplicity with clever details. (Note the librarian’s bookshaped earrings.) The library patrons are racially diverse.

Do I Have To Go to the Party?

Fenske, Jonathan | Scholastic (40 pp.) $17.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781338892444 Series: Fish Tank Friends

Poppy the Pufferfish has a party problem!

Poppy has agreed to go to a birthday party for Baby Guppy. But Poppy is worried. Parties make Poppy nervous and prompt a series of what ifs. “What if I wear the wrong hat? What if I bring the wrong gift? What if I swim around with a big pink glob of cupcake icing on my face and no one tells me?”

Although Poppy attends the soiree and is greeted warmly, the other fish are exchanging hushed whispers.

Has Poppy done something wrong?

No, but there definitely is a party problem, and it’s one that Poppy is perfectly equipped to solve. For all Poppy’s fretting, the humorous solution thrills Baby Guppy and makes Poppy the star of the party.

The minimal text contains a pleasing sense of repetition as Poppy worries over and over about the same what ifs. The book’s small trim size makes it ideal for one-on-one reading; caregivers can snuggle up with little ones for a read-aloud and help young readers work through their own nervousness about new experiences.

The eye-catching fish are varied and brightly colored. Most illustrations show the fishy characters highlighted against colorful ovals reminiscent of a goldfish bowl.

An appealing tale to help little ones grappling with anxiety. (Picture book. 3-6)

For more by Jonathan Fenske, visit Kirkus online.

Sweetly encouraging. (Picture book.

3-8)

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

93

12/20/23 5:38 PM

C H I L D R E N ' S // Q & A

THE KIRKUS Q&A: BEATRICE ALEMAGNA The author/illustrator celebrates the powerful emotions—and the weirdness—of childhood in a new picture book. BY MEGAN LABRISE

94

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 94

via email: “I was playing ball with my two girls and fell down on the ground!” writes the Italian-born author, who lives with her daughters near Paris. “A very strong memory from my childhood flooded back. We can never hide from inspiration!”

Alemagna is the author or illustrator of more than 40 remarkable books for young readers around the world. The subjects and subplots of these tales include a girl born as clear as a windowpane, a mysterious man from a seaweed forest, a questing young lion in Paris, and various ephemera. Her work has won major awards in France, Italy, Germany, England, and Sweden. Stateside honors include the Mildred L. Batchelder Award for The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy and a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators for On a Magical Do-Nothing Day. A self-taught artist, she was inspired to become a “painter and writer of novels” at age 8: “whatever the cost.” She creates all her illustrations by hand, never on the computer.

Her emotionally evocative signature style features layers of texture and high-contrast colors. She has said that the most important part of a project is to find “something strange, something a little bit weird or surprising. It’s important for me to discover [something new] every time.”

The moment early on in Pepper & Me, when the child trips on a cobblestone and is injured— I have had many such moments. (And many scabs, as a result.) Did you draw on the memories of any specific childhood injuries to make this book?

I didn’t really re-create one specific moment from my own childhood, no. The fall I wanted to represent is a symbolic one for me.

It contains all the falls I took: while jumping rope; running on the playground and slipping; flying off a high swing; and all of the unfortunate landings from my bicycle. I remember that for me, falling felt like fate was always playing a joke on me. It made me feel all of my childhood fragility and clumsiness. I cried all the time! But more from anger than pain.

Charlene Lai

CHIRRI & CHIRR A. A Boy and a Jaguar. The Girl and the Wolf. Harold and the Purple Crayon. When it comes to making the perfect picture-book pairing, authors are limited only by the scope of their imaginations.

From the mind of internationally acclaimed author/illustrator Beatrice Alemagna comes the next essential duo in children’s literature: a child and their scab.

Pepper & Me (Hippo Park/Astra Books for Young Readers, Jan. 16) is the unforgettable tale of the bond between a red-haired child and the ensuing scab that forms after a frightful fall. At first, the child is not a fan of the “hideous” red-brown scab, whose presence persists through summer. But Pepper, as the child will come to call it, becomes a kind of commiserative companion whose eventual loss is keenly felt.

“Alemagna deftly captures feelings of loss over something inconsequential to adults but of outsized importance to a child,” writes our critic in an admiring review of Pepper & Me. “Off-kilter compositions create an uneasiness that offsets the sweet childlike scenes, allowing for complicated emotional responses. A uniquely moving story about an unlikely subject.”

The book began with a bang, says Alemagna, who corresponded with Kirkus

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Q & A // C H I L D R E N ' S

In that scene, the fear of the fall is palpable. And in a scene that follows, where the father dresses the child’s wound, I feel the woe of being injured but also the relief of being tended to. What I am getting at is: Reading this book is very emotional (wonderfully so).

What role does emotion play in your creative process? Are you conjuring the emotions you’re trying to convey while you’re making your art?

Yes, for sure. Emotions play a fundamental role in my work, both transporting and enriching it. Parts of me from my childhood still feel alive and remain vivid in my memories. These parts of me are present in the stories I tell and what I show.

I experience and relive them as I work. Sometimes you can see me making faces as I draw, or even crying, while I’m at my work table.

I love the words as much as the images. (My favorite line: “It looked like a big hamburger.”) What came first, the images or the words?

Generally, it comes in a flash and an idea will stun me. I might begin to sweat or my heartbeat will speed up. Then the text will follow immediately: a text that I work and rework dozens or even a hundred times. What is fundamental for me is extreme simplicity, but it must never be banal or simplistic.

In my books, every word is weighed and carefully selected for its role. If it’s just used to “look pretty,” it will most likely get deleted.

Next come the images. Born in the form of sketches in a large sketchbook, they eventually transform into the final [artwork]. But [the images will] also suggest other ideas for the text.

Then the words change again. By the end, images

and words move forward together, like in a harmonious waltz.

How did you create the artwork for Pepper & Me? What tools did you use?

I wanted to make the images very simple and almost childlike in technique. I wanted [this technique] to be seen immediately and to be completely evident, with strong, simple lines. That’s why there’s no painting or collage in Pepper & Me. Everything is bare: simple colored pencil and lines that sometimes disappear, almost like with memories, which are never complete and leave empty areas in our heads.

You use many gorgeous grays throughout the book, and many exciting bright colors, too. How did you develop this particular color scheme?

Emotions play a fundamental role in my work, both transporting and enriching it.

Pepper & Me

Alemagna, Beatrice

Hippo Park/Astra Books for Young Readers 48 pp. | $18.99 | Jan. 16, 2024 9781662640506

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 95

For me, the use of color comes naturally. I really like to combine a dull or gray palette with the vibrant strength of neon colors.

In my opinion, this is how children see life: with a lot of contrasts. This is because they’re still so young and, I would say, “naked” in how they see and understand life.

What does the place where you make your art look like?

Where is it located?

I work in a studio in the attic of a big house at the edge of a garden at the Chatêau of Fontainebleau, just an hour south of Paris.

It’s a magical place, full of objects and images that inspire me, and with a window that my daughters and I have named the “rainbow window,” because we see them—immense rainbows— when we’re there.

You write on your website that your childhood heroes included Pippi Longstocking, Marcovaldo, Karlsson-on-the-Roof, and Meffi. What qualities did you admire in these characters?

Their incredible freedom to be themselves, no matter what—free to do stupid things and evolve, [along] with all of their faults.

What advice would you give a young person who wants to become a picture-book artist?

I think you have to observe life. Be there to listen to it.

Study it carefully and have a deep desire to restore it with poetry and sincerity.

Editor at large Megan Labrise is the host of the Fully Booked podcast.

JANUARY 15, 2024

95

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

Kirkus Star

The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II Fleming, Candace | Scholastic Focus (384 pp.) | $19.99 | March 5, 2024 9781338749571 | Series: Scholastic Focus

The latest from acclaimed nonfiction author Fleming is a detailed, well­ researched account highlight­ ing a lesser-known wartime chapter.

This chrono­ logical survey of cipher-breaking efforts at Bletchley Park during World War II centers on the now-legendary struggle to crack the Axis powers’ messages, including those sent using Enigma machines. This top-secret work was first revealed in the 1970s; Fleming’s book adds depth to readers’ understanding by sharing the stories of 10 young women in the context of changing societal gender roles. Bletch­ ley’s workforce grew to around 7,000 by 1944, with women ultimately out­ numbering men. Among the women employees were Patricia Owtram, Jane Hughes, Mavis Batey, Sarah Norton, Diana Payne, Gwen Watkins, Ann Williams, Joanna Chorley, Charlotte Webb, and Marion Graham—all of whom publicly shared their stories decades later. They worked in secret, supporting many aspects of operations: listening for encoded communications; decoding, trans­ lating, indexing, and paraphrasing messages; and doing round-the-clock shift work to keep early computers such as the Bombes and Colossus running. Their work helped the For more by Candace Fleming, visit Kirkus online.

96

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 96

Allies defeat the Italian navy in 1941, launch the D-Day invasion of 1944, and bring the Pacific front to a close in 1945. This compulsively readable, compellingly written book will appeal to a broad audience, from readers already interested in World War II to those who are new to the subject.

The fascinating photos and diagrams invite browsing.

A gripping narrative celebrating teen girls’ underrecognized contributions to Allied war efforts. (note about photographs, author’s note, bibliography, source notes, photo and illustration credits, index) (Nonfiction. 9-14)

Octopus Acrobatics

subtle background patterning are used to wonderful effect to portray these creatures, both outside and in. This title is similar in form and content to Suzanne Slade’s Behold the Octopus!

(2023), illustrated by Thomas Gonza­ lez, which reads more smoothly and would be the better choice if readers can buy only one.

Eye-catching and intriguing. (glossary, labeled drawing, author’s notes, further reading) (Informational picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Star

Next Stop

Fliess, Sue | Illus. by Gareth Lucas Whitman (32 pp.) | $18.99 | March 7, 2024 9780807558188

Fong, Debbie | Random House Graphic (272 pp.) | $21.99 | $13.99 paper March 19, 2024 | 9780593425206 9780593425183 paper

“Clever, strange, and marvelous, / behold, the wondrous octopus!”

In this attractive title, rhyming couplets, set against vibrant illustrations and supplemented with additional information in a smaller font, introduce a fascinating, seem­ ingly alien species. Acrobats indeed, these cephalopods perform remarkable twists and turns. Close-ups often extend fully across a double-page spread. Fliess’ narrative covers far more than astonishing acrobatics. She describes habitats, body shapes, sizes, and special features; nocturnal habits and defense mechanisms that both help them hunt and avoid becoming prey; and tool use, cognition, and reproduction. The couplets read awkwardly, at times straining to tell the story. Some readers may balk at the statement “octopuses have two rectangular eyes,” given that it’s the pupil, not the entire eye, that’s round (though an accompanying illustration depicts a rectangular pupil). Specific species, such as the giant Pacific octopus, are mentioned.

Lucas’ digitally created artwork shows off the octopuses’ amazing agility.

Simplified shapes, vivid colors, and

The tragic loss of a younger sibling sends a middle school student on a journey of redemption and healing.

A year after the drowning of Pia Xing’s younger brother, Ben, and nine months after her family relocated to a new town so they could start over, the family is still fully in the throes of grief.

Pia’s mother continues to blame Pia for what happened to Ben, while Pia’s father is trying to balance work demands, a broken leg, his wife’s fragile mental health, and Pia’s social struggles in her new school. After a conversation with her school librarian, Pia (who’s determined to right the wrong she feels responsible for) sets her heart on visiting the mystical local attraction Cessarine Lake, which is known for making “IMPOSSIBLE things happen.” The story alternates between vividly colored present-day adventures on a bus trip through the desert—highlighting the excitement of newfound friendship and escape from the weight of Pia’s everyday reality—and flashbacks in muted tones that get readers up to speed on what happened to Ben. From the Copycat KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

A lovely example of young people taking small steps toward sustainability.

WALKING TREES

Geyser to talking vegetation and the wishes that come true for visitors to Cessarine Lake, the book doesn’t outright reject the possibility of the mystical, leaving room for hope. Pia and her family appear to be of East Asian descent; there is racial diversity among secondary characters.

A poignant story that delicately balances youthful delight and naïveté with profound mourning. (author’s notes, character sketches, process notes) (Graphic fiction. 9-13)

Walking Trees Gay, Marie-Louise | Groundwood (36 pp.) $19.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781773069760

Take a tree for a walk, share some shade, and build a happy community.

Lily and her father live in a gray city with lots of buildings but few trees. Remembering the lush and verdant forest she once visited, she asks her father for a tree for their tiny balcony. He obliges, and she names it George. One morning, she decides to show George around the neighborhood. Carting the potted tree about in a wagon, she meets Mrs. Lee, who feels hot and uncomfortable. George’s leaves provide cool shade, and Mrs. Lee offers Lily an orange in thanks.

Later, Lily’s friends enjoy the shade so much that they get their own trees to take around the neighborhood. Soon, the ever increasing grove of trees is providing shade to folks throughout the community and transforming the once-gray city into a colorful, joyful forest. Gay’s multimedia illustrations effectively and poignantly portray KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 97

Lily’s community-beautification project through vibrant washes of yellows, blues, greens, and pinks. A gatefold spread shows in glorious detail just how vibrant and alive the neighborhood has become. The prose is straightforward, and visual cues in the accompanying art will help kids hone their reading skills. In an author’s note, Gay says that she was inspired by an art project in the Netherlands in which volunteers walked potted trees around the city. Lily, her father, and Mrs. Lee are light-skinned; the neighborhood is diverse.

A lovely example of young people taking small steps toward sustainability. (Picture book. 4-8)

Memory Garden Ghahremani, Zohreh | Illus. by Susie Ghahremani | Godwin Books (40 pp.) $18.99 | Feb. 27, 2024 | 9781250843036

An immigrant grandmother and her grandchild sow family history alongside newly planted flowers.

Nana and the young narrator are planting a new crop of geraniums. The protagonist loves packing dirt with the yellow shovel, but nothing’s better than hearing Nana tell stories of her childhood garden “back home.” As the narrator waters and helps plant new blooms, Nana describes cypress trees that looked like soldiers, flowers that smelled like perfume, a hedgehog that, after being thrown into the water by Nana’s friend, turned out to be a good swimmer, and the family gardener, who gave her rides in a wheelbarrow. Nana pensively

reminisces about her family samovar, prompting the protagonist to ask what happened to Nana’s garden.

Cryptically, Nana replies, “We had to leave it…When we moved to this country, it was time to plant a whole new garden.” Though the author and illustrator both discuss their Persian heritage in the backmatter, the narrative itself never states where Nana is from or why she can’t return; children may be left confused.

Still, this tale deftly invokes the delight of growing something new while preserving old memories and traditions. Amber-toned illustrations and lyrical, child-friendly text paint a poetic picture of both the present and the past. Nana and the child are tan-skinned.

Beautiful though potentially perplexing musings on immigration, family, and home. (Picture book. 3-8)

The Princess and the Pee Gleed, Effua | Illus. by Juanita Londoño Gaviria | Frances Lincoln (40 pp.) | $18.00 March 5, 2024 | 9780711277755

A modern fairy tale about a princess dealing with incontinence.

Princess Amma can’t stop fretting about wetting the bed. The queen, the king, and the household staffers all have absurd suggestions: eating dry toast before bedtime to soak up the pee, sleeping with lemons nearby, and putting feather dusters by the toilet so that the princess can “giggle all her pee out before she goes to bed.”

None of them work, and the concept of tickling a child on the toilet might raise eyebrows among adult readers.

Grandma Grace, however, is a gentle, soothing force. “My darling Amma, a little bit of pee will NEVER come between you and me,” she croons to the child during a bubble bath. She tells the girl stories and sings lullabies until “slowly there was no room left for any worries.” The next morning, Amma wakes up in a dry bed. Adults trying to help little ones with their JANUARY 15, 2024

97

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

CHILDREN'S

own bedwetting woes may find this resolution a bit simplistic; real-life incontinence isn’t so quickly rectified.

Still, Grandma Grace models wonderfully supportive behavior, and the use of whimsy and humor helps make a potentially embarrassing topic feel a little easier to grapple with. Bright, textured artwork depicts a palace with modern elements such as rubber duckies in the bathroom. Amma and her family present Black; the staffers are diverse.

A sweet, zesty approach to a common and underdiscussed issue. (Picture book. 4-7)

Taro Gomi’s Big Book of Words Gomi, Taro | Chronicle Books (64 pp.) $18.99 | March 12, 2024 | 9781797217109 Series: Taro Gomi

Words are for learning, sharing, greeting, naming, and so much more.

Words abound in this homage to the complexities of language and communication.

Accompanied by Gomi’s strikingly vibrant and cartoonish art, characters, animals, and objects are named and described, using intriguing, often humorous classifications. On a page titled “Here are some things you can’t see,” a series of square panels appear, including “gas.” A page labeled “Words for Storytelling” includes “I mean…” and “However…” A section devoted to names includes dozens of distinctive and expressive faces, spread across seven pages, each with its own moniker. Though at times section headings like “Words and Phrases To Use in Conversation” might make readers think they’re reading an English-as-a-second language textbook, overall, this is clearly lighthearted, whimsical fun— Gomi even devotes entire pages to an elephant and a cow. The author/ illustrator imbues the book with complex and rich concepts, explaining at one point that we name things 98

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 98

“in order to feel safe.” The inclusion of social-emotional terms, such as “thank you,” “you are a big help,” and “you’re doing great,” provide jumping-off points for discussions.

The final page, which features “Words for Saying Goodbye,” features Japanese-language characters and an English-language key, offering bilingual opportunities for those who know both languages. Characters are mostly brown-skinned.

An unusual and illuminating introduction to language. (Picture book. 4-8)

A for Effort Greene, Jarad | HarperAlley (224 pp.) $24.99 | $15.99 paper | March 5, 2024 9780063032880 | 9780063032873 paper

High school freshman Jay Violet steps out of his comfort zone and onto the stage in this semiautobiographical graphic novel.

Apart from his older sister, Jay doesn’t know anyone at his new high school. To make matters worse, he gets stuck with theater as his elective instead of art. At first, he hopes it will be an easy A, but all his classes, including theater, require way more work than last year. Jay’s parents pressure him to start preparing for college, and his new friends pressure him to compete for the highest grades. Despite how anxious Jay feels speaking in front of a crowd, the challenge of becoming better at theater draws him in more than he expects. On top of Jay’s academic woes, he’s also grappling with friendships and with finding the confidence to express himself. This sequel to A-Okay (2021) introduces a new conflict and a new cast of characters, apart from Jay and his family, but familiarity with the first book will provide helpful background, particularly for the continued exploration of Jay’s asexuality. The art reflects racial diversity in the student body around Jay, but most of the central characters

read white. The varied panel layouts and animated character movements balance the introspective nature of the conflict.

A vulnerable and encouraging school drama. (process notes, author’s note) (Graphic fiction. 11-14)

Lucy!: How Lucille Ball Did It All Guglielmo, Amy & Jacqueline Tourville Illus. by Brigette Barrager | Abrams (48 pp.) $19.99 | March 19, 2024 | 9781419749926

A tribute to a groundbreaking comic actor with a lifelong gift for provoking laughter.

“I just have an obsession to make people laugh,” Lucille Ball is quoted as saying, and the authors focus on her talent for comedy. They trace the extroverted actor’s career, from early childhood to I Love Lucy— which debuted on TV in 1951 and is still bringing on the chortles in reruns all these years later. They pass up analyzing her comic style but do cover early trials, training, and breaks to demonstrate her determination to succeed. They also point in the main section to her breakthrough achievement as the first woman to produce a TV series; in the afterword, they discuss how her show was the first to feature both a pregnant star and, in fictional and real-life husband Desi Arnaz, a Latine one. She also went on in later years to run Desilu Productions, the studio that made Star Trek and other famous series.

Barrager’s neutral-toned, 1950s-style illustrations culminate in montages of riotous highlights from the show and racially diverse modern families laughing together at Ball’s antics; Ball herself stands out in earlier scenes thanks to her blue dress, then later her trademark bright red hair (which was dyed).

Less about the person than the icon, but warm and shiny for all that. (bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 7-9)

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

A series opener that introduces enjoyably quirky tween detectives.

T H E D E A D LY D A Y L I G H T

Kirkus Star

Spider in the Well Hannigan, Jess | Katherine Tegen/ HarperCollins (48 pp.) | $19.99 March 19, 2024 | 9780063289475

A resourceful newsboy finds his fortune.

The boy works multiple other jobs (“he was also the chimney sweep, the shoe shiner, and the milkman”—he’s told this is a “fair arrangement”) for the town of Bad Göodsburg. One day, he delivers troubling news: The wishing well is broken! The baker, the shopkeeper, and the doctor are particularly incensed, since they’ve each made a selfless wish—or so they claim. When the boy investigates, he discovers that a large spider now occupies the well and appears to have gathered the coins (and presumably the wishes) for itself. The spider tells the boy that the supposedly altruistic baker, shopkeeper, and doctor actually made selfish wishes, and the enterprising boy cleverly leverages this information for a better deal from the town, plus a big pile of gold coins. Hannigan’s lighthearted block printing–style art, featuring naïve, slightly blobby characters, complements the droll, deceptively simple folktale-esque narrative. Bold pages with white text set against black backgrounds introduce each section of the brief narrative, supplying both dramatic pacing and sly humor. The unprincipled townsfolk get their just deserts, and the glimpse of the now very cranky spider at the KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 99

end is the cherry on top of a very diverting sundae.

Terrific fun with a shrewd hero.

(Picture book. 3-8)

The Deadly Daylight Harrier, Ash | Holiday House (272 pp.) $18.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9780823455621

An Australian girl who works in a funeral home hopes to solve a murder.

Eighth grader Alice, who has muscular atrophy of one leg, loves to help out at her family’s business, Tranquility Funerals. She assists with aesthetic services—“the beautification of the corpse”—and she’s perplexed that anyone finds that odd. Alice also has a secret ability: Sometimes a body’s accessories are “resonant,” and they tell her a story about the owner’s previous life. It’s unsurprising that Alice has no friends. While she’s perfectly happy being friendless, she’s equally unbothered when a protective teacher matches her up with bullying victim Violet, who has a rare and extremely dangerous sunlight allergy called solar urticaria. Soon after, Violet’s uncle George is found dead on the pier where he worked, and Alice has a resonant moment while helping to prepare his body. She’s convinced he was murdered and ropes Violet in to her investigation. There are so many suspects! Was it George’s widow, the rough teens who gather under the pier, the overwrought security guard, the sender of an anonymous note, or the terrifying celebrity allergist? Alice possesses a precocious vocabulary,

tends toward pedantry, is obsessive to an extent that annoys her new friend, and struggles with empathy and tact (“Tact meant concealing your curiosity”). But they do make an excellent team, Alice finds she appreciates having Violet in her life, and readers will have fun getting to know them.

Most characters read white.

A series opener that introduces enjoyably quirky tween detectives.

(Mystery. 9-12)

You and the Universe Hawking, Stephen & Lucy Hawking | Illus.

by Xin Li | Random House (40 pp.) | $19.99 March 26, 2024 | 9780593432112

A statement made by the late physicist Stephen Hawking and broadcast into space on Earth Day is adapted into picture-book format by his daughter, journalist Lucy Hawking.

As the book opens, Stephen Hawking appears and notes that he’s spent his life “traveling across the universe inside my mind.” A mouse accompanies him as he explains the questions he’s pondered as a scientist before telling readers he needs their help answering other questions: “How can we take care of each other?” “How can we take care of the planet?” “How can we make the future a place we want to be?” The text is paired with visuals depicting the panoramas of the cosmos, as well as racially diverse people learning, playing, and coming together. Though meant to inspire, the narrative lacks a hook to capture children’s interest.

Hawking’s cohesive message becomes muddled as the visuals go from exploring his scientific endeavors to depicting activists protesting climate change. Scenes of people holding signs and planting a garden offer worthy messages, but there’s only a tenuous connection to Hawking’s words. The backmatter focuses on black holes, time travel, aliens, and the universe; there’s no further reading on how children can make a difference or go about answering the posed questions. The result JANUARY 15, 2024

99

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

CHILDREN'S

is a disjointed work that seems more directed at adults than at children.

A well-intentioned but ineffective use of Hawking’s words. (about Stephen Hawking and his Earth Day message) (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Star

Warrior on the Mound Headen, Sandra W. | Holiday House (272 pp.) | $18.99 | March 5, 2024 9780823453788

I t’s 1939, and an African American tween in North Carolina is looking forward to following his older brother and now-deceased father into the Negro Baseball Leagues.

Twelve-year-old Cato Jones desperately wants to be a great pitcher, just like his beloved father, Daddy Mo. Cato and his teammates go see the impressive new (but whites-only) ballfield, and they can’t resist trying it out. But when they’re accused of causing damage, Cato knows his denial won’t be enough to challenge a white person’s lie. Gradually Cato learns that Daddy Mo and Luke Blackburn, the white man who owns the field, were friends, but no one will share what happened on the night Daddy Mo died. Mr. Luke agrees to a game between the Black and white teams, an event disrupted by racial threats. The racist undercurrents in town go back decades, and some seek to use these divisions to sow even more discord.

All of that seems unimportant when Isaac, Cato’s brother, arrives home, the victim of a terrible beating.

Debut author Headen has crafted a highly engaging novel that skillfully and believably weaves actual events into the story. The energy of sports and Cato’s drive to excel propel the narrative. Family and community dynamics reflect the times but still allow today’s readers to connect with Cato and his friends.

100

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 100

An outstanding blend of history, sports, and coming of age: not to be missed. (author’s note, historical notes, timeline, resources, further reading) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

When the Rain Came Down Helakoski, Leslie | Illus. by Keisha Morris Farrar, Straus and Giroux (32 pp.) | $18.99 March 12, 2024 | 9780374390204

Verse and visuals help readers imagine the devastation of flooding, the hope brought by the helpers, and the long path toward healing.

“When the rain came down” is a consistent reprise in this poetic account of the rising water that displaces thousands from their diverse, urban community. Some neighbors are unable to flee the surging waters, and people can be found on rooftops, boats, and wading helplessly while holding their belongings above their heads in Morris’ evocative, collagelike illustrations. With lost dogs barking their pleas for help, the tides seem to turn as the “choppers [thump]” with assistance from above, and then the rain stops. Food is passed around as hope swells among an assortment of people—children, the elderly, dogs, and nurses. Vibrant spreads show the arrival of help “from far and wide,” in tractors and trucks, with license plates indicating Maryland, Virginia, Nevada, and New York, and in toolbelts and hardhats. As the sun reappears against the city’s skyline with the water settled in the foreground, the story concludes with an insightful author’s note detailing Helakoski’s experiences with flooding in southern Louisiana’s Bayou Vermilion and a complicated reconciliation of the beauty of the region and memories of how precarious it all is when the rain comes down.

Kirkus Star

Bunny Should Be Sleeping Hest, Amy | Illus. by Renata Liwska Neal Porter/Holiday House (40 pp.) | $18.99 March 5, 2024 | 9780823453412

While waiting for Dad to check on him in the middle of the night, Bunny gets up and packs a wagon full of nighttime supplies for his father.

In the still of the night, Bunny impatiently awaits Dad, who always comes to check on him. Finally, Bunny slips out of his crib, slides into his slippers, and puts water, a blanket, a cookie, and a book into his wagon.

He heads for Dad’s room. While Dad snoozes, Bunny preps and enjoys the items in his wagon until Dad wakes up, and the two go back and snuggle in Bunny’s bed. This sweet tale of role reversal—here, it’s the little one checking in on the parent—will resonate with readers young and old, especially adults with children in need of reassurance in the middle of the night. Laudably, it showcases a father figure as the central caregiver—and a father who’s especially capable, loving, and comforting at that. The illustrations are soft and cozy, appearing to have almost a feltlike finish. Numerous lovely details await to be pored over, such as the books on Bunny’s shelf, the watering can that he uses to fill a bottle of water, and his bunny slippers. Quiet and reassuring, though laced with humor, the book strikes the perfect tone for bedtime reading, exuding comfort and the joy to be found in nightly routines.

A snuggly, soothing bedtime read.

(Picture book. 4-6)

For more by Amy Hest, visit Kirkus online.

An intimate image of community and the rising tides of climate change.

(Picture book. 3-8)

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

An inspiring account for aspiring environmentalists and photographers.

PLANTING HOPE

Planting Hope: A Portrait of Photographer Sebastião Salgado Hoelzel, Philip | Illus. by Renato Alarcão Atheneum (48 pp.) | $18.99 | March 5, 2024 9781534477650

Brazilian photographer and environmental activist Sebastião Salgado used his camera to galvanize the world.

Growing up in the lush Mata Atlântica forest of Brazil, Sebastião cultivated a respect for nature early.

That sentiment stayed with him even after he moved to São Paulo and then, after speaking out against the government, fled to Paris, where he took his first photograph. When his work as an economist sent him to Rwanda, he discovered that images were better than reports at telling a more complete story about the people, their lives, and the land. He became a globe-traveling professional photographer, documenting everything from protests for labor rights to wars to environmental destruction. When he returned to Rwanda, the country was in the midst of civil war. The violence affected him so deeply that he retired from photography. He and his wife, Lélia, returned to the Brazilian farm of his childhood to heal, only to find his childhood paradise ravaged by the timber industry. They set out to reforest the land. When the forest began to recover, Sebastião returned to his camera and traveled the world, documenting humans’ relationship with nature.

Major events in Sebastião’s life are competently presented for young audiences, with clear chains of cause and effect. Throughout, Hoelzel explores KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 101

the theme of humanity’s place within nature. The watercolor and pencil illustrations are lush and engrossing, and the many double-page illustrations create an immersive experience.

An inspiring account for aspiring environmentalists and photographers. (author’s note, about Instituto Terra, information on the Mata Atlântica, partial list of Sebastião’s awards and honors, select photographic essays produced by Sebastião and Lélia Salgado, bibliography and other sources, map) (Picture-book biography. 4-8)

Come Out, Come Out, Chameleon!

Howley, Jonty | Happy Yak (32 pp.) | $18.99 March 5, 2024 | 9780711289710

Will this pet chameleon ever reveal himself to his owner?

“I have a pet chameleon,” says the light-skinned, balding protagonist, gazing out at readers. The narrator’s dog, however, is focused on a nearby rooftop. Astute readers will recognize the yellow creature on the weathervane—it’s the titular chameleon! Kids will start grinning as the narrator adds, “The only thing is…I’ve never actually seen him.”

The protagonist continues, in simple, accessible language, to muse on the chameleon’s talent for camouflage.

“One time I thought I saw him in the bathroom. But I think I just had soap in my eyes.” Meanwhile the chameleon hides nearby, visible only to the dog and to readers. The colorful art—which resembles watercolor pastels—shows the chameleon disguising himself as a banana in a fruit bowl and a stray sock in the narrator’s bedroom. This

book is a dramatic, irresistibly humorous example of artwork contradicting text. Readers will break into peals of laughter each time the beleaguered beagle fails to help its owner see the chameleon. The dog’s hilarious facial expressions and urgent body language intensify as the protagonist concludes that perhaps the chameleon doesn’t actually exist. Finally, the frustrated dog devises a silly way to flush out the critter, and it works—temporarily.

Very funny and highly interactive.

(Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Star

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry Johnson, Anna Rose | Holiday House (192 pp.) | $17.99 | March 5, 2024 9780823453634

Lucy, a French and Ojibwe orphan living in Michigan in 1912, struggles to fit in with her new foster family.

Living with the Martins, an Ojibwe family who are lighthouse keepers on an island in Lake Superior, isn’t ideal for someone who’s “allergic to lake water.”

Eleven-year-old Lucy long ago lost her mother to illness. When she was 9, her frequently absent sailor father died in a shipwreck. After her caretaker, Miss Mamie, passes away, Lucy experiences even more upheaval. She’s haunted by her father’s death—the origin of her fear of water—but she cherishes his stories of the 1866 wreck of the Elva Jane near her new home. The six Martin children have little tolerance for imaginative Lucy’s fabricated stories, and from her loneliness grows a need to reconnect with Papa, motivating her to seek the ruby necklace that went down with the Elva Jane. This quest gives her a purpose but endangers the Martin kids and threatens Mr. Martin’s job. In a climactic moment, Lucy must draw strength from Papa’s memory and face down her fears.

JANUARY 15, 2024

101

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

CHILDREN'S

This charming page-turner centers a courageous young person whose journey is also a powerful testament to the importance of placing Indigenous children in homes that reflect their cultures. Despite the bumpy start, Lucy finds comfort in connecting with her Ojibwe heritage and also begins to learn some Anishinaabemowin words from the Martins.

A heartwarming tale of belonging and learning that life’s treasures aren’t always shiny. (map, author’s note, glossary) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

The First State of Being Kelly, Erin Entrada | Greenwillow Books (320 pp.) | $19.99 | March 5, 2024 9780063337312

In the lead-up to Y2K, a Delaware 12-year-old preparing for disaster meets a time traveler from 2199.

It’s August 1999. Michael Rosario is stealing canned peaches from Super Saver. It’s for a good cause: He’s stocking up in case the world collapses when the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2000. And his mom loves peaches. They live together (his father’s long been out of the picture) at the nearby Fox Run Apartments, where Michael narrowly escapes to after getting hassled by the supermarket manager’s bullying son. Still hiding his loot, Michael, who’s “half Filipino,” is chatting with maintenance man Mr. Mosley when a dazed teenager wearing uniformlike clothing introduces himself as Ridge and asks what year it is. After more unusual encounters, Michael and his 15-year-old babysitter, Gibby, discover that Ridge is from the future. How did he travel back in time—and how will he get back? Excerpts of informational text and audio transcripts interspersed throughout the novel follow Ridge’s family members as they try to save him at the same time that he’s trying to save himself with the help of his new friends. The worldbuilding in 102

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 102

An encouraging look at those who perform at the top of their chosen sports.

H O W D O Y O U B E C O M E A N O LY M P I A N ?

this brisk work, largely devoted to elucidating spatial teleportation, is a feat of vocabulary rather than of plot tension. Still, Kelly’s memorable character development is on full display as anxious and sensitive Michael learns to embrace the present, while Ridge’s charming misuse of slang adds humor to this amusing ride.

A warmhearted blend of nostalgia and futurism. (Speculative fiction. 8-12)

How Do You Become an Olympian?: A Book About the Olympics and Olympic Athletes Kelly, Madeleine | Illus. by Srimalie Bassani Flowerpot Press (36 pp.) | $9.99 March 12, 2024 | 9781486729814 Series: How Do?

Canadian runner Kelly introduces the Olympics and its participants.

Less a how-to and more of an overview, this breezy, upbeat account provides both a compact history of the Olympics and an encouraging, egalitarian look at those who perform at the top of their chosen sports: “Before they were Olympians, they were kids playing music, playing tag, and playing dress up—just like you!” Crisply outlined and lively cartoon illustrations depict racially diverse people, from discreetly posed naked ancient Greek athletes to contemporary competitors representing a number of different sports (including skateboarding, martial arts, and rock climbing). “Fun fact” boxes shed light on sports that are new to the games as well as some that are no longer included, the Olympic motto, and the tradition of playing

the anthem of the gold medalist’s country as they are honored. Kelly, who competed at Tokyo 2020 herself, describes the “spirit of the Olympics” and the sense of camaraderie displayed by many athletes, such as tennis player Naomi Osaka, who advocates for mental health support. The author offers suggestions for holding backyard Olympic games; activities such as hot-gluing medals and cutting javelins from pool noodles may require adult supervision. Children who love sports and competition will come away with a sense of possibility.

A lighthearted exploration of these international events. (Informational picture book. 7-10)

Noura’s Crescent Moon Khan, Zainab | Illus. by Nabila Adani Candlewick (32 pp.) | $18.99 March 5, 2024 | 9781536224740

A young girl fasting for the first time during Ramadan anxiously awaits the new moon, which heralds Eid ul-Fitr, or the Festival of Breaking the Fast.

It’s the 29th day of Ramadan, and Noura and her family are preparing a special moon-sighting picnic. Papa and Mama gently remind Noura how rare it is to see the crescent moon that signifies the end of Ramadan.

There might even be one more day of fasting. But Noura can’t contain her excitement—this Eid ul-Fitr will be even more special, since it’s her first time fasting the whole month.

A gorgeous spectacle of color fills the sky as the sun sets and Noura’s family drives to the top of a hill KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

away from city lights. But…oh no, the clouds! What if the moon stays hidden? Though Noura is a little disappointed, her parents praise her for her first fast as they prepare for another iftar, and she thinks that maybe fasting one more day won’t be so bad after all. Suddenly the clouds thin, revealing the silvery glint she’s been awaiting. Khan presents a refreshing take on Ramadan stories by spotlighting the holiday that succeeds it and highlighting customs such as wearing new clothes, visiting friends, painting one’s hands with henna, and eating Eid treats. Adani captures the anticipation of Eid with warm and richly detailed illustrations. Cues in the text suggest that Noura and her family are South Asian. Backmatter includes a helpful glossary.

Sweet, heartwarming, and family centered. (Picture book. 4-8)

Hope Is a Rainbow Kotb, Hoda | Illus. by Chloe Dominique Flamingo Books (32 pp.) | $19.99 March 5, 2024 | 9780593624128

Uplifting messages of positivity from the Today show anchor.

Hope springs eternal, so the saying goes. Kotb agrees, here delivering to children the cheery news that hope lives inside all of them and that whatever they might wish for can be theirs. All they need is a sunny outlook, and the possibilities for happy outcomes are virtually endless. Children’s dreams can be in-the-moment ones—like purple ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry—or more far-ranging ones, such as growing tall enough to reach that high shelf easily or for hair that’s long enough to braid. It doesn’t matter, the author reassures young readers.

Your aspirations will be realized, so don’t give up on them—just keep believing in them and, most of all, in yourself. Throughout, Kotb calls hope a rainbow, a feeling, a gift, and a wish. Hope is “new friends you’ll KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 103

find— / friends who are loving and funny and kind.” Hope is “practicing your heart out, letter by letter.” The book’s overarching theme is upbeat, but its bouncy rhyming text is clumsy.

The child-appealing illustrations are colorful and lively, though they have a generic look. The cast of wide-eyed characters is racially diverse; some have visible disabilities.

Pleasant enough but not particularly original. (Picture book. 4-7)

Table Titans Club Kurtz, Scott | Holiday House (224 pp.) $22.99 | $13.99 paper | March 5, 2024 9780823453160 | 9780823456819 paper

Valeria Winters approaches starting yet another new school by picturing herself as a bold fantasy character with a quest. Maybe this time she won’t get into fights?

Predictably, Val’s first day is horrible. Fortunately, it’s brightened by an invitation to join the all-boys Table Titans Dungeons & Dragons gaming club. Though Val’s excited, the invitation invokes the sneering disdain of popular Kate, who secretly wishes to join, too. Val realizes she loves D&D, and if hardcore gamer Alan isn’t thrilled with her, the other Titans are welcoming. When the club needs a new faculty sponsor, Val bags the wrestling coach by joining his team.

But Kate remains jealous and dismissive, leading to a fight that jeopardizes both the club and Val’s place on the wrestling team. (Her wrestling prowess despite having no formal training is a minor point of disbelief.) Val is a delightful character: spirited, smart, imaginative, self-confident without conceit, and firmly lawful good. Other characters are also distinctive and believable, including the sympathetic adults who mete out fair consequences. Gamers will appreciate the unapologetic love of D&D. Schoolstory fans will welcome the mild social drama mixed with themes of

friendship and teamwork. Most main characters appear white; gamer Darius reads Black. Though the colorful, cartoony drawings suit the story, the stylized face- and ear-shapes used for multiple characters, including Val and Darius, render them somewhat apelike, and an Asian American teacher has an unnaturally yellow skin tone.

Roll initiative and pick this one up.

(Graphic fiction. 9-12)

Why We Need Granddaughters Lang, Gregory E. | Illus. by Lisa Alderson Sourcebooks Wonderland (40 pp.) | $10.99 Feb. 6, 2024 | 9781728278285 Series: Why We Need

A look at why grandparents need granddaughters in their lives.

The books in Lang’s Why We Need series are hugely similar, from the AAAB rhyme scheme and the over-the-top-cutesy animal pairings to the bland statements (“And know that you’re perfect, from your head to your toe”) and the concepts and vocabulary (mirth, abandon) that are likely to go over young children’s heads. In this latest, relentlessly cheery grandparents (using we in the text but pictured one-on-one in the illustrations) expound on the joys of having a granddaughter, talk about the child’s bright future, and remind the little one that “your parents were once small like you.” “As you journey on, we can’t wait to see, / where life will take you, or what you will be. / You’ll hatch big, big dreams—as big as the sea! / And chase down those dreams with abandon.” While cute and almost glowing, the illustrations don’t explain or expound on the text. To match the quote above, an adult cat gazes at a kitten who’s raising a paw toward a grasshopper in a meadow. Adults may want to do some research before sharing this with curious kids, since the animal species pictured aren’t identified, and several aren’t typically found in children’s books (luna moth, kiwi, quokka). >>> JANUARY 15, 2024

103

12/20/23 5:38 PM

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 104

12/20/23 5:38 PM

P O D C A S T // C H I L D R E N ' S

Fully Booked

EDITORS’ PICKS:

Starboard by Nicola Skinner (Harper/HarperCollins)

Zach Weinersmith swings by our Best Middle-Grade Books of 2023 episode.

Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi, illus. by Shazleen Khan (First Second) Aniana Del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne Mendez (Dial Books) Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey, illus. by Mika Song (Chronicle Books) My Head Has a Bellyache: And More Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature GrownUps by Chris Harris, illus. by Andrea Tsurumi (Little, Brown) The Night Raven by Johan Rundberg, trans. by A.A. Prime (Amazon Crossing Kids) THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

Nerd Gangs of New York

by MJ Buck You Are Not Your Mother: Releasing Generational Trauma and Shame by Karen C.L. Anderson Understanding Superhero Comic Books: A History of Key Elements, Creators, Events, and Controversies by Alex Grand Wager Smart by Tom Farrell Holy Terror by John R. Dougherty Fully Booked is produced

by Cabel Adkins Audio and Megan Labrise.

Zach Weinersmith

To listen to the episode, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 105

BY MEGAN LABRISE EPISODE 349: BEST MIDDLE-GRADE BOOKS OF 2023

On this episode, Zach Weinersmith joins us to discuss Bea Wolf, illustrated

by Boulet (First Second, March 21).

This “wonderfully weird” young readers’ adaptation of a considerable portion of the ancient epic Beowulf is one of Kirkus’ Best Middle-Grade Books of 2023.

Weinersmith is a celebrated cartoonist, author, and polymath best known as the creator of the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (SMBC). He is the co-author, with wife Kelly Weinersmith, of the bestselling pop science books Soonish and A City on Mars, and the illustrator of Open Borders by economist Bryan Caplan.

Here’s a bit from our starred review of Bea Wolf, his first book for young readers: “Long ago, in an unnamed suburb, lived Carl, ‘detector of gold,’ who, with toys and treats, cemented a lasting legacy of childhood revels.

As time claimed countless kid-kings, the cardboard crown was passed on.

Roger, king of our age, turns his ambitions skyward and constructs Treeheart, a stronghold against such evils as bullies. But the safehouse is besieged by detractors, the worst of them the dreaded Mr. Grindle, a cranky middle-aged man able to condemn kids to the pall of adulthood with a single withering touch.

One wild night, Grindle desecrates the hall, heralding an age of silent sorrow.

Hope washes in from foreign ’burbs in the form of Bea Wolf, ‘bride of battle,’ with ‘sixty kids’ strength’ in each hand. Will she reclaim Treeheart from Grindle’s fell grasp?…However tempted time-broken adults might be to scoff at the slapdash magical realism and sympathize with Grindle, doing so in the face of such an unabashedly joyful

Bea Wolf

Weinersmith, Zach; illus. by Boulet First Second | 208 pp. | $19.99 March 21, 2023 | 9781250776297

ode to the freedom of the child’s mind is an impossible task.”

Weinersmith gives great thanks to all those who’ve read, recommended, and celebrated Bea Wolf since its March 2023 publication—especially librarians.

He and I nerd out about exactly how much of Beowulf the book covers, when and where he first encountered the mighty poem, and why he loves it so much. We acknowledge that his Old English is much better than mine, and confront the special sadness of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. He speaks of the many joys of collaborating with genius illustrator Boulet. We talk a bit, alliteratively, about the language he chose to tell this tale, some of his favorite reads of 2023, and much more.

Then young readers’ editors Laura Simeon and Mahnaz Dar discuss their approach to collaborating on the Best Middle- Grade Books of 2023 list.

JANUARY 15, 2024

105

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

New grandparents may purchase this, but it won’t be a repeat read for their granddaughters. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Star

Sona and the Golden Beasts LaRocca, Rajani | Quill Tree Books/ HarperCollins (400 pp.) | $19.99 March 5, 2024 | 9780063295407

A bold girl’s secret family history and her care for an orphaned wolf pup lead her on a legendary quest.

After a Hunter from Malechia demands shelter at her home in Devia, 13-year-old Sona Kalpani learns a shocking secret. The Hunter’s suspicious gaze forces Sona’s Malech farmer father to reveal the truth: She’s the daughter of his late sister, who was killed by the Goldstorm that also claimed Sona’s real father, a Devan. The gem-seeking Malechs, who’ve colonized Devia for hundreds of years, have outlawed interracial marriage and banned music, which is how Devans wield magic and communicate with animals. Sona realizes she must act, since the Hunter is seeking the injured wolf she rescued, and her loving Ayah is ill from a Goldstorm.

Sona sets off with Raag, a boy from a nearby village; Willa, her beloved gray pony; and Swara to journey to Mount Meru, which is sacred to Earth Goddess Bhoomi and is the source of amrita, “the golden nectar of life.”

Raag is sure that Swara’s one of the five magical beasts from Devan legend, and Sona and Raag find connections

to a prophecy that may free Devia.

LaRocca’s intricate South Asian– inspired world is richly developed. The tightly written narrative is interspersed with folklore, letters, songs, and other writing that flesh out the troubled history and wounds of colonization that can only begin to be healed with truth-telling and love.

A fully immersive and enchanting fantasy that readers will get lost in. (map) (Fantasy. 8-12)

Sourgrass Lim, Hope | Illus. by Shahrzad Maydani Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (40 pp.) $18.99 | March 26, 2024 | 9781665931861

Sofia and May share a special friendship that weathers both distance and time.

The fence that separates the girls’ houses becomes the door to friendship. After spending spring and summer playing in a nearby field of sourgrass and making a game out of spitting sourgrass stems, the two resolve to be best friends forever. After May moves away, the children initially exchange letters, but May stops writing, and Sofia wonders if she’s been forgotten. When the sourgrass blooms the following spring, however, Sofia tastes one of the flowers and is reminded of the strength of their bond. Soon, she receives a note from May, and a potential new friend appears by the fence. The lovely, poetic text conveys the depths of childhood friendships and the pain of life’s inevitable changes. Readers will wonder, right along with Sofia, whether May will return her letters.

Warm illustrations, rendered in chalk pastel and watercolor, are every bit as

A fully immersive and enchanting fantasy that readers will get lost in.

SONA AND THE GOLDEN BEASTS

106

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 106

vibrant as a blossoming friendship or a summer day. One particularly stunning image spans two pages and shows Sofia observing a stem of sourgrass growing through a crack in the fence. The flower lights up the page, a smudge of yellow playing across Sofia’s nose, while warm oranges and pinks soften the scene.

Lim and Maydani offer a realistic yet hopeful depiction of ever changing, meaningful childhood bonds. Sofia is Black, while May presents white.

A gentle tug at the heartstrings.

(Picture book. 4-6)

ChupaCarter and the Screaming Sombrero Lopez, George with Ryan Calejo | Illus. by Santy Gutiérrez | Viking (320 pp.) | $17.99 March 12, 2024 | 9780593466032 Series: ChupaCarter, 3

A museum heist and a mouthy talking hat put Jorge and sus amigos, including the cryptid one, on the trail to a fabled treasure in this third series entry.

Legend has it that a witch left three cursed artifacts behind as clues to the location of her stolen riches. When mysterious thieves take two, and the third (a sombrero) winds up on Jorge’s head, it’s time for him and his fanged, nacho-loving chupacabra buddy, Carter, to enlist the help of human friends. Ernie and Liza once again join up for a round of serious sleuthing.

As it turns out, the sombrero—which has a startling habit of bursting into screams, when it’s not making rude comments about the size of Jorge’s cabeza—knows more about the treasure than it’s telling. For one, the most valuable thing isn’t the glittering trove they seek but the young investigators’ friendships, which are tested but ultimately prove true. As in earlier episodes, the mood turns occasionally serious (such as when the tweens see Ernie’s dad arrested as a suspect in the robbery). But the tale plays mostly as KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

a Chicano-flavored comedy related in jaunty prose interspersed with pictures that add punchlines (and even major incidents) in a mix of single and sequential panels. Notwithstanding a cave-in, a corrosive subterranean lake, and other thrillingly dangerous hazards, none of the characters, not even the burglars, wind up seriously harmed. Final art not seen.

Message-driven but well stocked with chills and chuckles. (Fantasy. 8-12)

The Peacock MacLeod, Jennifer Tzivia | Illus. by Jaimie MacGibbon | Orca (96 pp.) | $8.95 paper Feb. 13, 2024 | 9781459836457 Series: Orca Echoes

In 1947 Toronto, a young Jewish girl attempts to oust a peacock who’s invaded her garden.

Barbara’s father leaves for Europe to help bring Jewish refugees to Canada; because only those with jobs are allowed to enter the country, the clothing company where he works is looking to hire as many Jewish tailors as possible. Barbara’s older brothers are at camp, so she and her mother are on their own. Barbara’s family hews closely to traditional gender roles—even Barbara believes her father is the true head of the household—and her mother is terrified by the peacock. So spunky Barbara, who fearlessly challenges classmates who spout anti-immigration messages during a discussion about Jewish refugees, decides to solve the peacock problem herself. A quick, lighthearted read laced with humor and broken up with black-and-white artwork, this story weaves in references to historical events, such as the Exodus 1947, a ship filled with Jewish refugees that was turned away from Palestine by the British. In an author’s note, MacLeod explains that she drew inspiration from her grandfather’s postwar experiences; adults may want to offer additional context or use the story KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 107

as a jumping-off point to explore the historical period. Barbara’s a winsome protagonist sure to endear herself to readers. Characters present white.

A gentle entry point into a complex history. (author’s note) (Chapter book. 7-9)

Kirkus Star

Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem Magoon, Kekla & Cynthia Leitich Smith Illus. by Molly Murakami | Candlewick (176 pp.) | $22.99 | March 5, 2024 9781536204995 | Series: Blue Stars, 1

Can two cousins overcome their differences to save their school?

Sixth grade cousins Riley Halfmoon and Maya Dawn may be united by family ties, but they couldn’t be more different. Popular, outgoing Riley (who is Black and Indigenous) grew up among extended family and friends on Muscogee Nation land, while bookish Maya, the biracial daughter of active service members (her mother presents white, her father Black), has never had a permanent home. When both girls move in with their Black-presenting artist/activist grandmother Gayle, their personalities clash, with each girl struggling to adapt and find her footing at school—no easy task with draconian, white-presenting Vice Principal Balderdash ruling the halls. Newly empowered by the mayor, Balderdash slashes funding for supplies and programs to buy portable classrooms to increase detention space.

Afraid of losing the school programs and services they love, Riley and Maya must work together to stop him. After their attempts to work within the system fail, only one option remains: a risky, Mission Impossible–style plot to expose the VP’s diabolical plan. This middle-grade graphic novel, the first in a series, has everything: nuanced and empowered protagonists, a funny, gripping story, age-appropriate

treatment of social issues, and expressive comic illustrations begging to be lingered over. Readers will come away inspired to raise their own voices and take action to create positive, peaceful change in their communities.

A fresh new graphic series sure to engender a devoted following. (authors’ note, illustrator’s note) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)

The Great Wolf Rescue: Saving the Red Wolves Markle, Sandra | Millbrook/Lerner (40 pp.) $33.32 | March 5, 2024 | 9781728467962 Series: Sandra Markle’s Science Discoveries

Deemed extinct in the wild, red wolves have made a modest recovery.

Markle notes that the red wolf was once a major predator in the U.S, but fearful European settlers shot and trapped them until few were left. By 1973, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began a recovery program, the remaining wolves had begun to interbreed with coyotes. Only a few pure red wolves were available for the captive breeding program that was begun in the late 1970s, in the hopes of restoring the population. In zoos, the population grew enough to support reintroductions, with varying degrees of success. Reintroduced wolves came into conflict with humans and bred with coyotes that had moved into what had been wolf territory. Eventually the Red Wolf Recovery Program turned to pup fostering, or putting pups born in captivity into red wolf dens so they could be raised by wild mothers.

As she has done so often, Markle efficiently weaves information about animals and their importance to their ecosystems into her clear descriptions For more by Sandra Markle, visit Kirkus online.

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

107

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

of humans rescuers and the effects of their actions. Her chronicle of the ups and downs of this program is set on a green-patterned background alongside informative photographs, as well as maps. The clever design makes reading easy; there are no text box interruptions. Readers will reach a better understanding of the challenges such recovery programs face.

A convincing introduction to human efforts to save animal species. (author’s note, facts about red wolves, glossary, source notes, find out more, index) (Nonfiction. 9-13)

Family Is Family Marr, Melissa | Illus. by Marcos Almada Rivero | Nancy Paulsen Books (32 pp.) $18.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9780593462515

A baby chick wonders why he’s the only animal with two moms.

Before leaving for his first day of school, Chick receives a note from his teacher (mysteriously bypassing his parents) suggesting that he ask his mom, his dad, or an older brother or sister to walk him to school. But Chick has two moms (though no siblings), and he doesn’t want to choose between them, so he decides to walk to school alone.

Along the way, he encounters a variety of families: some headed by single parents, others with multiple siblings, and even one with an older sister as a guardian (but none with grandparents or unrelated adults as guardians, who would presumably be in an even bigger pickle than Chick).

Seeing these relatively diverse families may be reassuring for readers but does not soothe Chick’s anxiety, and when another classmate asks Chick why he came alone, he responds, “The note said ‘mom or dad, big brother or sister.’ What could I do?” The premise quickly falls apart, as it isn’t clear why Chick believes he couldn’t invite one or both of his mothers. When he finally asks his parents why he has two moms, he’s given a loving non-answer: 108

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 108

An orphan girl has one year to prove herself worthy of immortality.

PA P E R D R AG O N S

“Every family is different.” With a strained plot and nothing new to say, there’s little to recommend this title instead of another picture book about gay parents. Still, the art is appealing, full of both bright and subtle color, and the baby animals are adorable.

Cute but forgettable. (Picture book. 3-6)

Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm McDermott, Siobhan | Delacorte (384 pp.) $18.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9780593706114

In this seriesopening debut, an orphan girl has one year to prove herself worthy of immortality, despite the uncertain nature of her powers and the outside forces threatening the whole community.

Though she’s been raised among the Glassmiths since she was a baby, 12-year-old Yeung Zhi Ging has always been different. Now that her guardian is in her Final Year, Zhi Ging is doomed to be put to work doing the hazardous job of cleaning the underwater glass letter-delivery pipes until she drowns. That is, unless she can become her province’s next Silhouette. Silhouettes train in 12 skill areas, which help them protect the provinces and become immortal.

Zhi Ging travels to the immortal realm along with her rival, Iridill, the daughter of the Lead Glassmith. From lessons to dragon boat races, Zhi Ging must fend off Iridill’s false accusations that she’s deliberately misusing magic.

But Zhi Ging’s odd powers and their connection to old stories may be key

to saving the immortals and her new Silhouette friends from a supernatural menace. The mix of school-based drama and episodic adventures meanders back and forth while building to a shocking climax. Classic themes of finding friendship and one’s own identity are refreshed by a Hong Kong–inspired fantasy setting that’s filled with jade, gold, glass, and mythological creatures. While Zhi Ging’s exploits follow familiar beats, the worldbuilding will appeal to readers hungry to explore new worlds.

A solid contribution to the magical boarding school genre. (author’s note, glossary) (Fantasy. 9-13)

Kirkus Star

Bunny and Clyde McDonald, Megan | Illus. by Scott Nash Candlewick (128 pp.) | $16.99 March 5, 2024 | 9781536228731

An anthropomorphic bunny and chipmunk set out to be bad.

Bunny and Clyde are tired of being good, tired of “saying please and thank you,” tired of “keeping burps to themselves.”

They ask the librarian, a robin named Rowena, to show them the “bad section”; she points them to the tornadoes and hurricanes books—not quite what they were looking for. But then they discover the picture books Interrupting Chicken and Bad Kitty— now here’s bad! Inspired, they mess up Bunny’s tidy room, putting her books in “un-alphabetical order” and coloring on the walls. Undaunted— even after Bunny’s Maw-Maw makes KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

them clean up—they hole up in their shed hideout, thinking up more ways to be bad. But when they pull up the flowers in Darby the squirrel’s yard, she thanks them for getting rid of her pesky dandelions. And after, under cover of darkness, they wrap toilet paper all around Thornton the possum’s prize roses, he tells them how grateful he is that they’ve saved his flowers from the unexpected frost.

And when they scheme to take the pennies out of Rowena’s piggy bank… well, readers will just have to find out for themselves how that goes down.

The clever plot is anchored by Bunny and Clyde’s Hollywood gangster-speak, tongue-in-cheek dialogue, and groan-worthy puns, all of which will charm young readers. The illustrations are well placed for visual interest. Final art not seen.

Being bad is work. Delightful. (Chapter book. 5-9)

Maple’s Theory of Fun McMillan, Kate & Ruthie Prillaman Aladdin (320 pp.) | $14.99 | March 5, 2024 9781665941037 | Series: Maple’s Theory of

Sixth grade space enthusiast Maple McNutt spills all to her private journal.

Maple struggles with anxiety, but in her view it could just as likely be the rare disease ankylosing spondylitis.

She takes an exacting approach to her beloved science—even getting impatient with her mother, who works in public relations for NASA, for using unserious materials like glitter in the pursuit of fun outreach to kids.

Nuanced, Maple is not, but her enthusiastic descriptions, annotated doodles, For another review of a book about a scienceloving tween, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 109

and occasional obliviousness are amusing. According to her friends and family, though, Maple doesn’t understand fun. In a devastating turn of events, best friend Sunny Gwon pulls away from her, leaving her without a partner for her school’s Invention Convention. Maple therefore embarks upon a new journey of scientific problem-solving: “To become fun,” states her working theory (synthesized from 86 different websites), “one must: 1. Relax / 2. Have a sense of humor / 3. Open up / 4. Do something scary.”

These steps are not easy for Maple.

She’s stressed out by the presence of Juniper, her active older sister, and Jared, the boy Sunny’s getting close to. She also worries about having to speak up at school. When Maple finds a “research assistant” in new classmate Lada, who recently moved from Hungary, their budding friendship brings her much-needed perspective and comfort. The chatty tone, inviting layout, and humorous voice will draw readers in and keep them entertained.

Maple reads white; Sunny is cued Korean American.

Likely to inspire fun and creativity.

(Fiction. 8-12)

Sparkles, No Sparkles McNeill, Shannon | Tundra Books (32 pp.) $17.99 | March 12, 2024 | 9780735270398

A trio of mischief-makers purloin sparkles.

In order to sneak into a stage show, a toad, a poodle, and a pigeon help themselves to a cape, a crown, and a pair of boots, respectively; each item gleams brightly. The critters adorn themselves and hide under the cape. A pint-sized usher chastens them for stealing, but they brush him off, and he frowns as they breeze on by. His uniform lacks luster. Next thing he knows, he’s being carried aloft into the theater by some other sparkly animals, and—whoa!— he’s suddenly bedecked, too, and joins the original trio onstage. But what’s this? The actual entertainer shows up, angry at the theft of the sparkly

costume—and the erstwhile performers are unceremoniously escorted out the theater’s back door, leaving their flashy gear behind. They encounter a chicken who’s brandishing two sparkly wands that create fireworks, and in the end, “everyone has sparkles.”

This silly, essentially plotless story, expressed in passable verse, doesn’t have much point or humor and will be appreciated most by kids who really dig sparkles. The colorful, lively illustrations, created with gouache, graphite powder, and cut paper, feature expressive characters and sparkle just a bit. Some imaginative typography also adds a few touches of creative dazzle. The young usher is light-skinned; the performer is brown-skinned.

Not a lot in the way of sparkle here.

(Picture book. 4-7)

Travis Daventhorpe Powers Up! Molebash, Wes | First Second (288 pp.) $14.99 paper | March 19, 2024 9781250801432 | Series: Travis Daventhorpe for the Win!, 2

This second graphic adventure installment finds an uncertain young hero a step closer to fulfilling his prophecy.

Jumping in where Travis Daventhorpe for the Win! (2023) leaves off, Travis and BFF Juniper Reyes continue their training with Belazar, a mage from another dimension, who’s here to help Travis overthrow evil king Nol Invictus from the throne of Solusterra.

Travis struggles with the long hours of instruction, seeming to trust in technology over believing he can develop the necessary skills. When a blizzard is forecasted to hit Travis’ and Juniper’s town of Hopeton, Ohio, Nol sees this as an opportunity to strike. He sends out his warrior Rogue and an army of Velociborgs, or weaponized dinosaurs.

Can Travis save not only Hopeton but the multiverse at large before it’s too JANUARY 15, 2024

109

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

CHILDREN'S

late? Molebash’s sophomore offering is utterly delightful, skillfully blending an array of themes from middle school friend drama to questioning one’s faith, giving this work surprising depth and accessibility. Cleverly plotted nuances aside, the story never takes itself so seriously that it risks tipping into didacticism. As with its predecessor, an edge-of-your-seat cliffhanger ending promises more action—and answers—in later volumes.

Some giggle-worthy bonus material helps lessen the sting. Travis is white and has a large birthmark; Juniper is Mexican American, and Belazar has brown skin. The secondary characters represent a diverse spectrum of skin tones and gender identities.

Brimming with action, fun, and breathless intrigue. (map, player guide, side quest) (Graphic science fiction. 7-12)

Linden: The Story of a Tree and the Community That Loves Him Muske, Colleen | Marble Press (38 pp.) $18.99 | March 26, 2024 | 9781958325100

The poignant story of a tree’s life cycle.

As a sapling, Linden is planted in an apartment complex’s courtyard. Over time, he grows taller. Sometimes, he wishes he were something else—a tall lighthouse or a barn. But others appreciate Linden for what he is. His beautiful blooms attract bees, and the flowers’ fragrance wafts into windows.

Linden serves other purposes: A resident hangs a clothesline from a branch; a child writes poetry ensconced on a limb. Linden helps the neighbors throughout the year. In summer, they gather under his branches to relax and socialize in the shade; some sway to the music of a resident’s fiddle. In fall, kids play among Linden’s leaves. Come winter, neighbors decorate Linden with bright lights. One spring, however, Linden falls ill. His flowers don’t bloom, and his friends can’t cheer him. When Linden’s last leaf drops, 110

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 110

men with machines remove him. But one day, the residents discover Linden left a marvelous gift behind to prove that he “had loved them too”—a new sapling grows where he once stood.

This heartfelt, beautifully told tale will fill readers with both joy and sadness.

Children will feel reassured by the growth of the new tree in Linden’s place, heartened by the certainty of nature’s renewal. The glowing water­ color-and-gouache illustrations are lovely, capturing the warm closeness between Linden and his friends. The neighbors are racially diverse.

Captivating and heartfelt. (Picture book. 4-7)

My Momo-La Is a Museum Nainy, Mamta | Illus. by Violet Kim Lantana (32 pp.) | $18.99 | March 5, 2024 9781915244635

A Tibetan grandmother and her grandchild make connections while touring a series of museums.

The brownskinned narrator loves Momo-La’s summer visits—Momo-La brings a collection of “unusual things” and tells captivating stories. When the narrator asks where these tales come from, Momo-La decides it’s time for a trip to “some places that stories especially like.” In museums devoted to ancient history, art, science, and more, the two encounter a series of objects that remind Momo-La of her past, from a painting with a pattern like the one Momo-La wears on her chuba (or apron) to a sea stone that looks like one Momo-La found while escaping Tibet in a fishing boat. In the end, though, the protagonist’s favorite museum is Momo-La herself.

This charming story features a clever premise and delicately tender illustrations. Though the love between grandmother and child comes through clearly, the narrative is vague at times about aspects of Momo-La’s life; young readers may be left wondering, for instance, why she had to flee Tibet.

An author’s note in which Nainy

discusses her own grandmother, who migrated to India after the Partition, fills in some gaps. Overall, the lyrical language, child-friendly examples, and relevant message about the importance of honoring family bonds and history make for a meaningful read.

A warm tale about the search for stories. (Picture book. 4-8)

The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines Netz, Mo | Clarion/HarperCollins (208 pp.) $18.99 | March 12, 2024 | 9780063266537

A Jewish girl who uses a wheelchair faces demons when she and her mother move to a former mining town in Georgia.

Ever since Daddy died and they lost their house, 11-year-old Jerusha (Jerry) and Mama have drifted from motel to motel. Moving so often makes it hard to make friends, but Jerry finds kids her own age “overrated”—especially after a bully at her last school pushed her down the stairs. Now homeschooled, Jerry prefers spending time with her books—and with Paul, her imaginary dragon. At first, the Slumbering Giant seems like every other motel they’ve stayed in. But then the radio starts broadcasting eerie messages such as “THEY’RE COMING” and “ALERT THE REST OF THE GUARDIANS.” Plus, Mama’s being unusually cryptic about her new housekeeping job and has secretly been venturing into the woods—where loggers have been disappearing and Jerry’s forbidden to go. When Mama doesn’t come home one morning, Jerry resolves to find her…and discovers that the woods are full of demons.

For more middlegrade paranormal adventures, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

This winning book adds up to a “whole” lot of thought-provoking fun.

THIS BOOK IS FULL OF HOLES

Can Jerry and her new friend, Chapel, evade their pursuit and rescue Mama?

Netz, also a wheelchair user, offers a refreshingly authentic depiction of physical disability, vividly describing Jerry’s maneuvers, the obstacles she encounters, and the advantages of vanquishing demons while in a wheelchair. Readers will empathize with Jerry’s loneliness, while Paul’s droll, Yiddish-peppered commentary adds humor. Jerry and Mama are cued white; Chapel is Black.

An action-packed, heartwarming tale of friendship, family, monsters, and magic. (Paranormal adventure. 8-12)

The Girl Who Loved Poutine Nicholson, Lorna Schultz | Illus. by Rachel Qiuqi | Sleeping Bear Press (32 pp.) | $18.99 March 15, 2024 | 9781534113169

A celebration of one of Canada’s bestknown dishes.

Zoey and Dad anticipate their shared birthday tomorrow, July 1—also Canada Day, marked by fireworks.

Best of all, Zoey, who’s turning 5, will get to eat poutine, Dad’s specialty.

Plus, several of her favorite relatives are coming. Next day, Zoey helps Dad cook, while Mom greets everyone.

Zoey wonders why the dining room table’s loaded with poutine brought by the other family members. Her Italian Nona tells her they decided to hold a poutine contest, and Zoey will be the judge. The relatives remind Zoey where their versions came from and what special ingredients they added to the traditional ones—fries, gravy, and cheese curds. Zoey likes all the varieties, especially Nona’s. Afterward, KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 111

Zoey declares everyone the winner.

That night, though, as she and Dad enjoy the fireworks, she says she’ll always love his version best. Though well told, this tale centered on poutine and its many culinary twists may have limited appeal outside Canada. Still, it’s a warm family tale that shines a respectful spotlight on Canada’s culture and people. The colorful, lively illustrations feature a racially and ethnically diverse blend of family members; red-haired Zoey and her parents present white.

Young foodies will enjoy learning about a beloved dish from America’s northern neighbor. (fun facts about poutine, poutine recipe) (Picture book.

5-8)

Kirkus Star

This Book Is Full of Holes: From Underground to Outer Space and Everywhere in Between Nickum, Nora | Illus. by Robert Meganck Peachtree (40 pp.) | $18.99 | March 5, 2024 9781682636008

Nothing can actually turn out to be a great deal of something.

Consider the humble hole.

Just how many holes are there? According to this ingenious and creative treatise that purports to tell the “hole” truth about the “empty spaces” all around, they’re ubiquitous: They can be found on land, underwater, in space, and even in airplane windows; they can be created by animals as well as by humans. They serve a dizzying array of purposes (holes in the ice help ringed seals

breathe while hunting fish), come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and depths, and may develop rapidly (like sinkholes) or over time (like potholes).

Readers might be surprised to discover that not all holes are empty. Brief paragraphs thoughtfully and conversationally explain various types of hole, from the indentations in waffles to sound holes in guitars and violins.

Each spread starts with a statement that introduces a different type of hole and its opposite: “A hole can be tiny…or enormous.” “A hole can be made to get in…or out.” “A hole can be used to make art…or music.” This wide-ranging and insightful work will have readers looking at the world in a new light. Colorful, lively digital illustrations clarify the informative material with quirky humor. Humans are racially diverse.

Hole-y cow! This winning book adds up to a “whole” lot of fascinating, thought-provoking fun. (idiomatic sayings about holes, information on black holes, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 8-11)

Exactly as Planned Nyeu, Tao | Rocky Pond Books/Penguin (40 pp.) | $18.99 | March 12, 2024 9780593462485

The gifts two animal friends intend to exchange over tea aren’t the ones they end up with in this double tale.

Twin storylines, which start at opposite ends of the volume and meet in the middle, twine into a sweet resolution. Moose doesn’t notice (though viewers will) that the red scarf he knitted for Fox has caught on a twig and unraveled behind him; nor does he realize that the sympathetic forest creatures who offer apples, flowers, and a basket in consolation are using wads and lengths of red yarn for bedding or other purposes. Meanwhile, after a crow flies off with the basket of brownies she’d baked for the planned visit, a distraught Fox comes upon a long JANUARY 15, 2024

111

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

CHILDREN'S

strand of yarn (guess what color) in the woods. She cuts off bits of yarn for various creatures to use in exchange for a button, a feather, and some blue dye for the skein; she then winds the pieces up for her friend. When the two finally meet, they find they have just the ingredients for a new blue cap for Fox and a fresh apple pie…not to mention a long, chatty visit over tea. Nyeu’s illustrations—pale-toned, delicately drawn scenes on creamy backgrounds featuring spreading trees lavishly appointed with domestic furnishings and homely decorations— are a delight, full of clever details for sharp-eyed observers to pick out.

Positively shines with a cozy, rosy glow. (Picture book. 6-8)

Lucky Dogs: A Story About Fostering Pups Oh, Joowon | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (32 pp.) | $18.99 | March 19, 2024 9780374391270

While preparing for a move, Ruth begins fostering dogs.

Ruth and her mom are a few months away from moving when they attend a pet adoption fair and learn about fostering, which means taking care of dogs “until they find a forever family.” With admirable kindness, Ruth brings home a traumatized puppy named Ginger and cuddles him to sleep. As Ruth helps Ginger open up, she relates to his feelings with questions of her own: “What if I don’t make new friends when we move?” After Ginger finds a home, Ruth fosters an older dog named Daisy who loves napping; a tender scene shows them taking a break by a sun-dappled riverside. Next is Cody, a dog with broken hind legs who uses a wheelchair. Ruth puts in extra effort trying to find him a family. When another girl finally adopts Cody, Ruth holds back tears but later feels hopeful when she spots a child walking a different dog on the street outside her new house—is that a pair of new pals?

112

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 112

Overall, this is a gentle, affirming story of a child relying on a love of animals to cope with complicated feelings. With its soft colors and cheerful cartoon faces, the artwork depicts a soothing urban environment. Ruth and her mother are light-skinned; their community is diverse.

A light, encouraging introduction to pup-fostering. (author/illustrator’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)

Where Is Poppy?

Pritchard, Caroline Kusin | Illus. by Dana Wulfekotte | Simon & Schuster (40 pp.) $18.99 | Feb. 13, 2024 | 9781534489196

A beloved relative’s presence is still felt.

The young narrator keenly misses Poppy— Grandpa—at Passover. The little one looks for him as the family gathers for the seder. Some things seem the same as everyone assembles for the holiday: “the same chasing cousins, the same squishy seats, the same goofy giggles.” But “it’s not Passover without Poppy,” the protagonist forlornly tells Mama. Mama reassures the child that Poppy is still here. So do Aunty and the child’s brother as the child repeatedly asks, “Where is Poppy?”

The child recalls wonderful memories: Poppy’s secret for his spicy matzah ball soup (slipping a chili pepper into the broth), his “wide, wide, wide” smile, and how he presided over the seders. As the family members read from the Haggadah, sing joyous songs, and revel in the warm delight of celebrating as a family, the child realizes that Poppy is here in spirit and always will be. Though it’s never explicitly stated, readers are to assume

Poppy has passed away. This is a delightful, though poignant, Passover read that reminds children that this festive spring holiday is about family unity and keeping traditions and memories alive. Charming and delicate pencil, gouache, and charcoal illustrations, finished digitally, rely on a limited palette; the narrator is depicted as light-skinned and the family as racially diverse.

A tender Passover tale that will be especially meaningful for families who’ve lost cherished members. (author’s note, glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)

Best Believe: The Tres Hermanas, a Sisterhood for the Common Good Ramos, NoNieqa | Illus. by Nicole Medina Carolrhoda (32 pp.) | $18.99 | Feb. 6, 2024 9781728460444

Remarkable sisters changed life for the better in the Bronx.

Evelina Antonetty, Lillian López, and Elba Cabrera emigrated from Puerto Rico to New York in the 1930s. They worked hard to improve their communities and pushed back against discrimination.

As a teen, Evelina, who spoke English and Spanish, used her bilingual abilities to support and advocate for her community. In 1965, she created an organization to empower parents to fight for better, more equitable public schools in the Bronx. Along with Elba, she advocated for bilingual education and school meals. Later, the sisters helped found Hostos Community College. Middle sister Lillian became the first Puerto Rican administrator

Remarkable sisters changed life for the better in the Bronx.

BEST BELIEVE

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

in charge of all Bronx libraries. She fought to fund libraries in Black, brown, and poor communities when they faced budget cuts that their white counterparts did not face. The work of the Tres Hermanas reverberated during their lifetimes and beyond. Upbeat verse, punctuated by the phrase “you best believe,” drives home these siblings’ accomplishments. The art, a vibrant tapestry of jewel-tone colors that leap off the pages, creates a visual feast for young readers. Dynamic and expressive, the illustrations captivate the imagination and beautifully bring to life the warmth of the sisters’ inspiring bond.

Stories of important Puerto Rican women, told vividly. (author’s note, source notes, glossary, timeline, bibliography, further reading, photographs) (Picture-book biography. 5-9)

We Found a Seed Ramsden, Rob | Scallywag Press (32 pp.) $18.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781915252425 Series: In the Garden

Two kids discover the joy of nature’s renewal.

The children are delighted to find a seed while playing. They gently place it in a box for safekeeping, but nothing happens. They try to usher things along by singing and dancing for it; still, nothing.

Intuitively, they decide to take cues from the seed to see what it wants.

They listen, wait, and finally hear the seed tell them, “Plant me.” They do so carefully. As the seasons pass, the kids wonder if the seed is as aware as they are of autumn’s winds, winter’s icy rains, and spring’s warmth—until, finally, the seed sprouts, grows, and ultimately yields a magnificent sunflower. With autumn’s return, though, the flower dies, and the children feel sad. But they’re thrilled with the gift it’s left them: more seeds! This time, they know exactly what to do. This U.K. import is just right for easy listening; with its simple, unhurried text, it’s also a good fit for emergent KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 113

readers. The story touches on themes of nature’s rebirth and caring for the Earth in a tender, child-friendly manner. The protagonists—one of whom is light-skinned and red-headed, the other brown-skinned and darkhaired—are depicted not only as close friends but also as gentle stewards of the natural world: wonderful images to present to readers. The colorful, unpretentious illustrations are charming.

A satisfying read that’s just right for spring. (Picture book. 3-6)

Duck Moves In! Reedstrom, Kirk | Disney-Hyperion (64 pp.) $12.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781368097277 Series: Duck and Moose, 1

A moose fond of peace and quiet gets acquainted with an irritatingly sociable duck in this genial series opener.

Sauntering over well-traveled thematic ground, Reedstrom pairs a solitude-loving moose with a chattery mallard. Duck takes a comfy perch between Moose’s antlers and announces: “This will be my forever home. Hiya! I’m Duck.”

Moose, understandably peeved, tries to shake the squatter off into a series of alternative digs. Duck, like the cat of song and story, keeps coming back (the distant, snowy mountaintop just doesn’t have “that je ne sais quois”) but does get the message at last—and so unpacks a large-screen TV(!) and other furniture in an open meadow and invites Moose over for movie night. Moose’s discovery that they both like the same films and snacks leads, voilá! to instant bonding, and the final simply drawn cartoon scene leaves the pair companionably lounging together on a sofa with Duck’s “Peace and Quack” sampler hung on an antler. “Friends!” “Roommates!”

Stories of friends who get off to a rocky start are a staple of kid lit, and Moose and Duck make an endearing pair. With just a few speech bubbles and two or three panels per page, this

title is a strong choice for those new to comics.

Odd couple animal bros, firmly set in the grand tradition of Frog and Toad.

(Graphic easy reader. 6-8)

Moose Blasts Off! Reedstrom, Kirk | Disney-Hyperion (64 pp.) $12.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781368097307 Series: Duck and Moose, 2

Moose challenges Duck to an “imagination-off” after discovering that Duck doesn’t quite have the hang of make-believe.

Sitting on a boulder, Moose loves pretending to be an astronaut blasting off into space and is shocked

by Duck’s clueless question about pretending: “What’s that?” Moose responds that imagination allows one to do anything or be anything, but when Moose invites Duck to give it a go, Duck takes the whole idea in different directions…first envisioning the arrival of a whole crowd of other ducks. Then, instead of compliantly playing “astronaut” according to Moose’s rules, Duck insists that Moose’s boulder isn’t a rocket but a time machine. So it is, while Moose stubbornly sticks to visualizing science fictional elements, that Duck conjures up an array of wildly fanciful dinosaurs from a “roller-skating caveduck” to “a disco-dance megaloduck”—until, with a mighty POW, the scenarios blend to produce a helmet-wearing dinosaur astronaut. The rivals agree that they have better ideas together than apart. In the simply drawn cartoon panels, Moose’s fantasies manifest in translucent blue, Duck’s in pale yellow, and the combined notions For more middlegrade graphic novels, visit Kirkus online.

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

113

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

in (natch) green. As in their last outing, these two pals set a good example, demonstrating that friendship requires compromise and give-and-take.

A worthy proposition that effortlessly achieves liftoff. (Graphic easy reader.

6-8)

At once a silly, sweet escapade and a dramatic tale of self-discovery.

U N I C O R N B OY

Pie-Rats!

Riddiough, Lisa Frenkel | Illus. by David Mottram | Viking (32 pp.) | $18.99 March 12, 2024 | 9780593203286

Rodents dressed like Captain Hook seek dessert.

Being tossed through stormy seas doesn’t bring these intrepid pie-rats to their knees, and even when there are no pies to be eaten, these scurvy dogs won’t be beaten. Yes, a period-costumed rat-crew mans (rodents?) a ship with an enormous spoon for a figurehead. They clutch oversize cutlery instead of cutlasses; a spoon and pie server stand in for skull-and-crossbones on the captain’s cocked hat. Their refrain, shouted out from the poop deck, main deck, ratlines, and lookout, is simply “PIE, PIE, PIE, PIE!” While gazing at clouds that resemble pies, they yell out their favorite flavors: “Pumpkin, apple, that one’s cherry / Plum, pecan, a slice of berry.” Undeterred by a typhoon, they spy a “dessert-ed island,” swim ashore, and trek through a Candy Land–esque world. Alas, a troupe of “scallywags” (aka hamsters) has somehow eaten every last pie: The tins hold only crumbs. Preparing to fight (though there’s no prize now), the riled rodents luckily spot another island feature: hillocks of sumptuous cake. Surprise, surprise, they dive in; “pie-rats aren’t that picky.” The puns, rhymes, and wave-rocked rhythms will please many, and for in-lap or solo readers the thrills are enhanced by colorful, cartoonish illustrations with lots of details to notice: the meringue moon, red crabs, pie-shaped clouds, and more.

Avast, mateys! Here be treasure.

(Picture book. 3-7) 114

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 114

She’ll Be the Sky: Poems

by Women and Girls Ed. by Risbridger, Ella | Illus. by Anna Shepeta | Nosy Crow (144 pp.) | $24.99 Feb. 6, 2024 | 9798887770550

Verse on everyday topics.

Featuring work by long-celebrated poets and new voices, this collection begins with an introduction in which Risbridger discusses the inequities that women and those outside the gender binary have long faced. “This book,” she writes, “is my best shot at making sure that whenever someone picks up a poetry book, they’ll find plenty of poems by girls.” The volume covers sometimes overlapping topics such as family, daily rituals, nature, animals, identity, activism, and poetry itself. Risbridger’s careful editorial arrangement is complemented by Shepeta’s dynamic illustrations, each page building to an immersive experience. As a whole, the book is an inspired celebration of life and meaning, with vivid imagery, complex themes, distilled life lessons, and bold windows into a rich array of experiences, from Janet S. Wong’s ode to her grandmother to Jan Dean’s tribute to Rosa Parks. Shepeta’s bright tones and rich, full-page illustrations convey whimsy while retaining a realism that effectively grounds each poem. This accessible work will appeal to reluctant readers, those seeking read-alouds, and aspiring writers keen to play with words. The compilation reflects diversity throughout in authorship, content, and art, and the finely crafted whole conveys the value of poetry both as a vehicle of

expression and as a tool for reflection and meaning-making.

Mindful poems and art worth pausing for. (afterword, indexes by poem, poets, and first lines) (Poetry. 8-12)

Unicorn Boy Roman, Dave | First Second (208 pp.) $14.99 paper | March 12, 2024 9781250830265 | Series: Unicorn Boy, 1

A boy inexplicably sprouts a unicorn horn and performs fantastic feats for the sake of friendship.

Brian Reyes initially tries to ignore the horn and the taunts of “Unicorn Boy.” But he ponders the protrusion’s potential when a muffin starts talking to him and he realizes he can soar through the air; he also instantly grows a pink-purple mane.

His abilities are brought to bear when his best friend, Avery Henson, is sucked into a backyard vortex. Avery has always been shy Brian’s protector, but now Brian must summon his courage and rescue his friend. He bravely follows, his self-confidence growing as he descends ever deeper into an underworld occupied by mythical characters and talking cats.

Will Unicorn Boy be able to face off against the cruel, controlling SkullKing? This promising series starter benefits from Roman’s cartooning talents. His streamlined, bold, and bright artwork immerses readers in Brian’s world. The story zigzags between characters and mini-challenges, providing thrills even as Brian’s quest and Avery’s fate seem dire.

Gentle throughlines emphasize the KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

value of devoted friendship and the joy of understanding oneself through storytelling; Unicorn Boy’s legend is literally written in a magical book he carries as he delves deeper into his own story. Brian is olive-skinned and cued Latine; Avery presents white and is genderfluid.

At once a silly, sweet escapade and a dramatic tale of self-discovery in one’s own powers. (Graphic fantasy. 8-13)

Ben Rothery’s Weird and Wonderful Animals Rothery, Ben | Tilbury House (48 pp.) $19.95 | Feb. 15, 2024 | 9781668936825

Striking portraits of unusual animals.

Wonder is immediately evoked by the astounding photorealism of the illustrations (comparable to other Rothery books).

Readers of all ages will eagerly pore over these images. Numerous types of animals are covered, grouped by air, earth, and water; all vividly leap, fly, or swim from the page. Several will likely be familiar (elephant, octopus, jellyfish), but many may be new to readers (binturong, coelacanth, echidna, tardigrade). Except for the two monotreme species and the amphibians, every animal’s basic stats (location, length, wingspan, weight) appear in metric and imperial measurements. Some, such as the magnificent bearded vulture, enjoy two double-page spreads, while airborne reptiles and one amphibian share a single spread, but all subjects are rendered with the same meticulous care and skill, in rich and precise colors. Wonder is deepened by the concise descriptions of the For more by Ben Rothery, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 115

selected animals’ special features, such as shape, color, or behavior: the fascinating facts that make them “weird.” Words in bold are defined in a glossary. The brief text will leave questions unanswered (Is that flying snake venomous?), and even the magnificent pictures have limits (as in showing the mechanism of the woodpecker’s tongue, where YouTube is superior). Both the main text and the afterword note human threats to these animals’ continued existence.

A stunning springboard, launching the curious toward further investigation.

(Informational picture book. 7-10)

The Queen of Thieves Rundberg, Johan | Trans. by A.A. Prime Amazon Crossing Kids (207 pp.) | $17.99 March 5, 2024 | 9781662509629 Series: The Moonwind Mysteries, 2

Set in 19th-century Stockholm, this Swedish import sees Mika involved in a mystery that hits close to home.

Twelve-year-old Mika has noticed some distance lately between herself and some of the other older residents of the Public Children’s Home, from Rufus, riding high on an unexpected apprenticeship, to Ossian, whom she discovers hiding a valuable he says someone gifted to him. A family in need of cheap labor wants to adopt Ossian, but he runs away. Constable Valdemar—with whom she solved a murder in The Night Raven (2023)—approaches her for assistance in dealing with a rash of juvenile pickpocketing, leaving her fearful for Ossian’s fate. He’s gotten mixed up with Henrietta, a clever and charismatic knife-throwing performer who’s apparently luring orphans with the promise of a found family. Mika tries to find proof of Henrietta’s true activities, only to get framed for a crime she didn’t commit.

She ends up experiencing the same push-pull tug of desperation and hope that brings the orphans to Henrietta,

leading her to make an unthinkable choice. Her natural intelligence and her critical thinking, however, keep her eyes clear enough to untangle lies.

The true mystery is foreshadowed well and integrates nicely with Mika’s ongoing self-discovery. As in the previous book, Rundberg establishes a strong sense of suspense and brings 1880s Sweden to life beautifully.

Characters are cued white.

A captivating game of cat and mouse.

(Historical thriller. 9-14)

Kirkus Star

Everyone Starts Small Scanlon, Liz Garton | Illus. by Dominique Ramsey | Candlewick (40 pp.) | $18.99 March 26, 2024 | 9781536226157

Small becomes spectacular.

From the beginning of this exquisite book, text and art meld to demonstrate that all life starts out insignificant, then remarkably explodes into breathtaking magnificence. “Everyone starts small / and then grows. / Sun grows beams / And Grass grows blades / and Cloud cannot contain herself. / Then things really get going. / Everyone sprouts and bursts / and hatches and spreads. / Especially Tree.” The book centers on the tree’s “pretty incredible” interconnectedness with other life forces, such as Water, Grass, Sun, Bug, and Berry. They “rise and ripen, too.” Occasionally intruding upon this idyllic landscape comes powerful Wind, which can do damage to Tree, as can the searing heat of Sun. Then, joining ruinous forces, Wind and Sun wreak violent havoc on Tree and other life forms. After Fire erupts, “there’s not a thing in the world / anyone can say to that.” When Rain eventually saves the day, Tree is thankful, and Fire concedes that it’s tired. Once Fire’s extinguished, “Half the world… lies down to sleep… / But Soil holds on… / and everyone stays like that for a long while.” Miraculously, following JANUARY 15, 2024

115

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

CHILDREN'S

the devastation, the Earth renews itself, and new lives arise again, rife with fabulous potential. The text is simple and simply lovely, expressing in a clear, comprehensible way how intertwined everything in nature is.

The beautiful, eye-popping digital illustrations are lushly textured.

Transcendent and brimming with the promise of life’s renewal. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-8)

Call Me Al Shah, Wali & Eric Walters | Orca (264 pp.) | $14.95 paper | March 12, 2024 9781459837942

For eighth grader Ali Khan, being Muslim, Pakistani, and an immigrant to Canada has always felt like holding the short end of the stick.

Dealing with changing friendship dynamics, the beginnings of a crush, his family’s social status, and the tug of his interests versus parental pressures has put Ali in a constant state of flux. His parents had to take on odd jobs—his doctor father drives a taxi, his schoolteacher mother assists their apartment manager, and his retired professor grandfather works as a mall security guard. Ali and his brother, Osama, who prefer to go by Al and Sam, try to fit in with their peers, but they struggle with microaggressions.

At school, constant jokes about their food and skin color chip away at their self-esteem. At home, their parents expect them to excel academically and, though Ali loves writing poetry, frown at creative pursuits. Ali’s conflicting thoughts—his fraught relationship with his white best friend, his pride at his father’s heroic delivery of a baby in his taxi, and a frightening racist incident—find release in his poems. This coming-of-age story examines issues that are relatable to many Muslim readers, including self-censoring of one’s identity, deflecting racist banter, and facing hate crimes. Though some 116

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 116

of the writing feels preachy, Ali’s teacher’s persistent efforts to reach him, his grandfather’s support, and his friends’ solidarity offer road maps for building community.

A wholesome story with room and grace for all the characters to learn and grow. (Fiction. 9-12)

Penny Draws a Secret Adventure Shepard, Sara | Putnam (240 pp.) | $14.99 March 5, 2024 | 9780593616833 Series: Penny Draws, 3

While Penny adjusts to her noisy newborn siblings, she tries to figure out a complicated treasure map and even more complicated friendships and

feelings.

Now that the twins are home from the hospital, Penny and little brother Juice Box are struggling to adjust; it’s tough with all the crying, plus a new babysitter. And Penny and Juice Box have to help choose names for the babies, and they can’t agree. Penny’s also trying to be OK with the fact that bestie Maria is studying for the spelling bee with mutual friend Chloe, though it makes her feel inadequate.

The discovery of a bunch of unidentified keys helps Penny and her friends open the locked box they’d found in the attic, and the treasure map inside leads them to the most terrifying house in the neighborhood, where a witch supposedly lives. Amid all this, a school project forces Penny to consider what her own good qualities are.

Though ex-friend Riley is still around

to (mostly) antagonize Penny, Mrs. Hines, the Feelings Teacher, keeps helping her navigate all the upheaval.

This third series entry offers yet more humor and genuine positivity along with an honest portrayal of how anxiety can affect young people. The third volume moves more quickly than the previous two, yet it maintains the wit and warmth (greatly supported by the charming black-and-white cartoon illustrations) that readers have come to expect from Penny’s escapades.

A sympathetic and amusing account of a young anxiety sufferer navigating life changes. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Star

The Underdogs of Upson Downs Silvey, Craig | Knopf (320 pp.) | $17.99 March 12, 2024 | 9780593703632

Never under­ estimate the underdogs.

375 days. That’s how long it’s been since it rained in the Australian sheep-farming town of Upson Downs.

Businesses have shuttered, and multigenerational farms are being gobbled up by the aptly named Earl Robert-Barren. Eleven-year-old Annie Shearer is eager to help her family save their farm. She and former stray dog Runt, who’s her best friend, have an unshakable bond that makes them a skilled herding and agility duo. Yet no one knows that, because Runt freezes when anyone but Annie is watching him. Then an opportunity comes up for Annie and Runt to qualify for

A sympathetic account of a young anxiety sufferer navigating life changes.

PENNY DRAWS A SECRET ADVENTURE

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

the prestigious Krumpet’s Dog Show in London—with a grand prize of $250,000. The Shearer family bands together to bring their hidden talents into the spotlight. The novel reads like a well-designed agility course, complete with engaging challenges and pacing that reward focus as well as speed. Expository chapter headings function as an aperture, offering pleasing wit and levity before jumping into the action. Obstacles posed by the aforementioned land-grabber and a peacocking pedigreed-dog handler heighten the tension as the stakes rise. Annie and Runt are the main attractions, and their relationships with the other scrappy Shearer family members—especially Annie’s aspiring botanist dad—are authentically drawn and lovingly flawed, making them easy to cheer on and adding depth to a beautiful, rewarding narrative that’s a fresh addition to the genre. Main characters read white.

A perfect run of a novel with the heart of a champion. (Fiction. 8-12)

Bunny vs. Monkey and the Human Invasion Smart, Jamie | Union Square Kids (240 pp.) $21.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9781454950356 Series: Bunny vs. Monkey, 2

More manic monkey and bunny mischief.

In the latest installment in this high-energy, over-the-top-silly graphic novel series, Bunny, Monkey, and their cadre of woodland compatriots share more zany forest adventures.

The book is split into four parts, each named for a season and then broken down into smaller vignettes, most comprising only a few pages. As before, Bunny, Monkey, Pig, Skunky, and Le Fox embark upon all types of gonzo escapades, including encounters with myriad robots, lasers, explosions, and, of course, prolific poop and fart jokes. In one tale, “Fishyplops,” Monkey makes a giant metal fish to KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 117

distract Bunny while he writes the word poo all over Bunny’s humble home. In “So Many Monkeys,” egotistical Monkey faces a seemingly existential crisis when he clones himself, but things take a comical turn. The threat of human developers looking to pave a road through the animals’ beloved woodland home forms a narrative arc that loosely ties the episodes together, but even so, linear reading is not required. The unrelenting sugar-rush, off-the-wall tempo and aggressively colorful and busy illustrations can become tiresome to the point of tedium. (Really, how many versions of the same gag can the audience endure?) Still, thankfully, the episodic nature lends this work well to casual reading, making it a fun choice for readers who are between Dav Pilkey titles.

Unapologetic goofiness galore, perhaps best consumed in small doses. (character drawing instructions) (Graphic animal fantasy. 7-10)

A Better Best Friend Tallec, Olivier | Trans. by Antony Shugaar Gecko Press (32 pp.) | $18.99 March 5, 2024 | 9781776575732

A single-minded journey through best friendship.

An unnamed squirrel is excited to find a best friend while walking through the woods. “His name is Pock,” he is a squirrel-sized white mushroom, and “he has a real best friend face.” “Pock doesn’t say much,” and it’s unclear how he feels about being press-ganged into accompanying a squirrel who wants to show him “things you wouldn’t show anyone except a best friend.” When a fly named Moo arrives, the squirrel isn’t sure what to do and shouts, “I want ONE best friend! Not TWO! ONE!” Then a mouse named Gunther arrives, and the concluding sentence—“The (Better) End”—shows all four playing a game of cards, indicating that one can in fact have multiple best

friends. Translated from French, the occasionally clunky sentences have a pleasant stiffness to them, reminiscent at times of Jon Klassen’s work. The surreal nature of the mammal/insect/ fungal friendships—presented entirely from the perspective of the squirrel, who seems to have a rather selfish view of such things—raises more questions about the nature of relationships than it provides. It’s either a simple story hiding more complex ideas or a complex story disguising a very simple idea, depending on how readers interpret the eventual four-way bond.

A somewhat existential storytime experience. (Picture book. 4-7)

Free Period Terese, Ali | Scholastic (272 pp.) | $17.99 March 5, 2024 | 9781338835830

This spirited coming-of-age story brings menstruation and period equity to the fore.

When mischievous and self-involved eighth graders Helen and Gracie’s big end-of-middleschool prank backfires, their fed-up principal delivers a surprisingly restorative punishment: “I am sentencing you to care.” The two BFFs have the month before summer break to “accomplish something that matters to the school.” Helen and Gracie join the Community Action Club, whose members are working to have free menstrual products available in every school bathroom. The chapters, alternately told from Helen’s and Gracie’s first-person points of view, depict their growth out of codependency and toward independence and empathy as their commitment, understanding, and care for the project increase.

Secondary characters, including a villainous school board member, sympathetic family members, cliquey classmates, and swoony crushes, are entertainingly portrayed. The dialogue is quick-moving and hilarious, but the pun-filled jokes can verge on corny JANUARY 15, 2024

117

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

CHILDREN'S

and repetitive. There are reflections on family, gender, and social class, but there’s less emphasis on racial equity (Gracie and Helen are cued white). When the project goals are in crisis, and the club members really need to be heard, the girls’ previous antics cause others to doubt them and their motivations. This is when they candidly learn lessons about allyship, strategy, disappointment, and the complex decision-making processes and compromises that can accompany collective action.

Punchy, electric, and smart social commentary. (Fiction. 8-12)

The Dress in the Window Tregoning, Robert | Illus. by Pippa Curnick Flyaway Books (32 pp.) | $19.00 March 5, 2024 | 9781947888463

A boy saves his money to buy the perfect red sequined dress from the secondhand store.

The boy sees the dress in the shop window and immediately begins to fantasize about the life it had before. He starts doing odd jobs for the neighbors to save up for it, but by the time he goes to buy it, it’s gone. Little does he know that his mom has a birthday surprise for him. The rhyming text reads well for the most part, though there are a few clunky moments. The words and bright illustrations depict the boy’s growing excitement, but the pacing and storytelling drag. Many pages are spent describing the jobs he does and the various neighbors, who are named and reappear as guests at his birthday party. The protagonist, however, is unnamed, apparently to make sure that readers never forget that he is, in For more illustrated

by Pippa Curnick, visit Kirkus online.

118

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 118

fact, a boy. The scene in which the boy discovers that the dress is gone shows him looking crushed, yet the very next page shows him smiling and serving tea, which deflates the most emotional moment of the story. With one more page turn, however, the problem is solved; then there are two spreads of the boy frolicking in his dress. The boy and his mother are light-skinned; his community is a diverse one.

Sweet and uplifting, though clumsily told. (Picture book. 3-8)

Waist-Deep in Dung: A Stomach-Churning Look at the Grossest Jobs Throughout History Virnig, Christine | Illus. by Korwin Briggs Godwin Books (224 pp.) | $21.99 March 12, 2024 | 9781250762351 Series: Dung for Dinner, 2

What’s the worst possible job you can imagine?

The team that brought you Dung for Dinner (2020) follows up with a similarly gross look at unpleasant but often necessary occupations. Throughout history, some have been tasked with dealing with blood, sickness, death, vomit, pee, and poop, not just as parents or family members but as lifelong jobs. In this roundup, Virnig addresses readers directly; her playful prose centers on the gritty and gross details. Each of the 16 chapters covers a different specialty, including ancient Egyptian mummy makers, leech collectors, barber-surgeons, forensic entomologists, modern-day medical caretakers, and people who excavate, dissect, and watch over bodies to confirm that death has occurred. She describes an ancient Roman banquet as a “puke party” that someone has to clean up, which gives her the opportunity to talk about slavery in that society. Her chatty narrative is especially sympathetic to the people who collect poop: gongfermors in the Middle Ages, saltpeter men who extracted

a vital ingredient for gunpowder from outhouses in the 17th century, toshers who roamed Victorian London sewers, Chinese laborers who harvested guano in Peru in the 19th century, and Dalit scavengers in present-day India. Briggs’ humorous sepia cartoon illustrations, often of people doing their jobs, add to the appeal. Full of the eww factor, the selection and presentation here are sure to engage readers.

Appealingly and disgustingly informative. (bibliography) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Star

Summer at Squee Wang, Andrea | Kokila (320 pp.) | $17.99 March 5, 2024 | 9780593111314

After surviving the loneliness of seventh grade, Phoenix can’t wait to be with her favorite people in her happy place just one last time, before she’s too old.

SCCWEE, or Summertime Chinese Culture, Wellness, and Enrichment Experience, is Phoenny’s sanctuary. She loves all the fun camp traditions and the heritage classes, like Chinese rice dough sculpting and ribbon dancing.

But her plans for a perfect time are interrupted by the arrival of new girls who don’t share her positive attitude toward camp and Chinese culture, which leaves Phoenny feeling confused and threatened. Plus, she’s competing with one of them for the attention of the same boy. Thankfully, Phoenny has her passion for sewing clothes to help her deal with the stress. Once she learns that the new girls are transracial adoptees from white families and face their own unique set of challenges, Phoenny opens up, and a virtuous cycle of vulnerability, empathy, and acceptance ensues. When trolls post racist comments on the camp’s social media, the campers use their joyful creativity to resist the fear and hate.

Through careful research and interviews, Wang has crafted a narrative KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

CHILDREN'S

that reflects many transracial adoptees’ feelings and experiences. The believable dialogue questions and explores deeply held beliefs about culture. Phoenny’s lovingly detailed, introspective viewpoint will positively influence readers’ awareness of their own emotional and cultural landscapes.

Blending moxie and grace, this novel is a worthy guide through cultural expansiveness and summer camp antics and angst. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-13)

Kirkus Star

The House Before Falling Into the Sea Wang, Ann Suk | Illus. by Hanna Cha Dial Books (40 pp.) | $18.99 | March 12, 2024 9780593530153

During the Korean War, a family adjusts as they take in refugees in their Busan home.

As Umma and Appa usher the families inside their small coastal home, Kyung Tak is asked to welcome them. Among the strangers, Kyung finds a friend, Sunhee, who cries as she tells Kyung how men from the north took her father’s fishing boat. Kyung gives the older girl a fish-shaped stone for comfort. As more people arrive, the constant noise, increasing chores, and lack of space start to take a toll.

A siren sounds one day, and everyone rushes to the underground shelter to wait in the darkness. Even after they emerge, Kyung feels the darkness linger and cries, longing to return to life before the war, before they took in so many strangers. The family comforts Kyung, and the guests reveal that they nicknamed the Taks’ home “the house before falling into the sea” because if it weren’t for the family’s kindness, they might have been chased by soldiers off the cliffs. Drawing from her own family’s experiences, Wang has crafted a lyrical gem of a story. Adopting a child’s perspective, the author manages to make topics such as warfare and loss of one’s home comprehensible to a young audience, while Cha’s bold KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_Childrens_RD_F.indd 119

strokes and splashes of color convey movement and enhance the emotional weight of the subject.

A poignant tale of light in the darkness—and compassion in times of war. (author’s and illustrator’s notes, questions to consider, glossary, guide to Korean names) (Picture book. 5-8)

Worries Big and Small Wilson, Hannah | Illus. by Samara Hardy Kane Miller (96 pp.) | $18.99 | March 1, 2024 9781684648054

What do you fret about?

Young children have many questions; here are some answers to help alleviate fears and embarrassment. This book tackles a slew of “what ifs,” with topics ranging from bodies and medical issues, schoolyard woes, and the dark to mortality, bullying, and climate change.

Each spread features two or three questions; answers vary in length from a paragraph to an entire spread. Some scenarios are fairly general (“What if I’m feeling sad?”), while others are more specific (“What if my friend says my puppy stickers are babyish?”), but the latter types can easily be applied to other situations. These scenarios were originally released as separate volumes, aimed at various age groups (Worries Big and Small When You Are 5; Worries Big and Small When You Are 6), so there’s some overlap among questions: “What if I have to see the dentist?” is followed, many pages later, by “What if it hurts when I see the dentist?” Still, the responses are different enough that readers will find value in all the entries.

Throughout, the text consistently makes a number of reassuring assertions: Everyone worries, monsters aren’t real, focusing on facts helps to focus the mind, and talking about feelings helps us cope with them. The writing is conscientious and the advice rooted in sound mental health practices. The accompanying cartoon illustrations depict racially diverse characters.

Big help for little worriers. (index) (Nonfiction. 5-8)

Finally Heard Yang, Kelly | Simon & Schuster (352 pp.) $18.99 | Feb. 27, 2024 | 9781665947930

Fifth grader Lina Gao grapples with social media and puberty in this follow-up to Finally Seen (2023).

A few months after the events of the previous book, Lina’s mother’s bath bomb business is stalling, so she records a heartfelt social media marketing video. It immediately goes viral, inspiring Lina to overcome her self-consciousness about her changing body to post online videos supporting the business, too. When her mother abruptly gives Lina her old phone, she finally feels included at school, diving headfirst into the world of texting and posting on social media. But along with the initial highs of connection, Lina experiences practically every negative impact of internet use, including misinformation, trolling, a craving for views, envy, FOMO, and body shame. After phone use by Lina and her classmates becomes more disruptive, their teacher explains the science behind what they’re experiencing, sharing information about dopamine, oxytocin, algorithms, and the online disinhibition effect.

Things come to a head when Lina enters a flame war on Discord and gets accused of cyberbullying just as best friend Carla discovers she’s been catfished. While Yang clearly has an important message to deliver, and readers will learn a lot about the dangers of the internet and social media, her depiction of fifth graders’ out-of-control phone use and the focus on teachable episodes cataloging online harms leave little room for organic storytelling and character development.

This highly anticipated sequel delivers less heart and more education. (author’s note, social media research) (Fiction. 8-12) JANUARY 15, 2024

119

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

Y O U N G A D U LT // T H E 2 0 2 4 Y O U N G A D U LT P R E V I E W

The first few months of 2024 will bring plenty of original and exciting works for teen readers to dive into. This sampling of 20 not-to-be missed titles includes a provocative memoir, innovative fantasies, verse novels that explore challenging questions, gripping horror, delightful romances, a historical account that shines a light on our present, an incisive mystery, feminist humor, and a dystopian novel that feels all too relevant.

Whatever your reading mood, you’ll find something to suit you here.

120

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 120

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

T H E 2 0 2 4 Y O U N G A D U LT P R E V I E W // Y O U N G A D U LT

Not Like Other Girls Adamo, Meredith | Bloomsbury | 448 pp. $19.99 | April 30, 2024 | 9781547614004

A thoughtful and thought-provoking feminist tale woven into an expansive mystery.

This duology closer following upon a bestselling series opener returns readers to Black’s spellbinding Faerie world.

The Boy Lost in the Maze

Chee, Traci | Harper/HarperCollins 432 pp. | $19.99 | March 5, 2024 9780063269354

Coelho, Joseph | Illus. by Kate Milner Candlewick | 320 pp. | $19.99 March 5, 2024 | 9781536236415

Both a mesmerizing fantasy adventure and a haunting meditation on shared trauma.

Thoughtful and well executed.

Ariel Crashes a Train

Bright Red Fruit

Cole, Olivia A. | Labyrinth Road | 464 pp. $19.99 | March 12, 2024 | 9780593644669

Elhillo, Safia | Make Me a World 384 pp. | $19.99 | Feb. 6, 2024 9780593381205

A stunning work that deeply explores poetry, the complexities of identity, and the longing for love.

A Tempest of Tea

In Utero

Faizal, Hafsah | Farrar, Straus and Giroux 352 pp. | $20.99 | Feb. 20, 2024 9780374389406 | Series: Blood and Tea, 1

Gooch, Chris | Top Shelf Productions 248 pp. | $24.99 paper | Jan. 23, 2024 9781603095341

Crowd-pleasing fun laced with political fire: a winner.

Coming-of-age meets cosmic horror; unforgettably striking, both visually and emotionally.

The Breakup Lists

A Suffragist’s Guide to the Antarctic

Khorram, Adib | Dial Books | 336 pp. $19.99 | April 2, 2024 | 9780593616390

This charming queer rom-com unfolding against a backdrop of high school theater introduces relatably real characters.

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 121

Black, Holly | Little, Brown | 368 pp. $20.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9780316592710 Series: The Stolen Heir, 2

Kindling

A revelatory, razor-sharp, and powerfully honest depiction of the reality of living with OCD.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

The Prisoner’s Throne

Lai, Yi Shun | Atheneum | 336 pp. | $19.99 Feb. 13, 2024 | 9781665937764

Polar exploration transforms a young woman in unexpected and interesting ways in this original, evocative tale.

JANUARY 15, 2024

121

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Y O U N G A D U LT // T H E 2 0 2 4 Y O U N G A D U LT P R E V I E W

Sheine Lende

Four Letter Word

Little Badger, Darcie | Illus. by Rovina Cai Levine Querido | 368 pp. | $19.99 April 16, 2024 | 9781646143795

McNeil, Gretchen | Disney-Hyperion 320 pp. | $18.99 | March 5, 2024 9781368097437

This prequel to Elatsoe, the groundbreaking debut by Little Badger (Lipan Apache), returns to its imaginative, magical world.

Readers will root for the multidimensional hero of this twisty whodunit with heart that’s sure to surprise and scare.

Bless the Blood: A Cancer Memoir

The Kill Factor

Nehanda, Walela | Kokila | 400 pp. $19.99 | Feb. 6, 2024 | 9780593529492

Oliver, Ben | Chicken House/Scholastic 368 pp. | $19.99 | April 16, 2024 9781338891850

Shatters mirrors and windows to reveal the jagged shards of self-­ determination: “gently volatile” and absolutely crucial.

The latest page-turner from Scottish author Oliver is set in a near-future world, offering sharp critiques of social inequality.

Snowglobe

Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal

Park, Soyoung | Trans. by Joungmin Lee Comfort | Delacorte | 384 pp. | $20.99 Feb. 27, 2024 | 9780593484975

Transporting and unputdownable; an appealing combination of deep and page-turning.

Infinity Kings Silvera, Adam | Quill Tree Books/ HarperCollins | 752 pp. | $19.99 March 12, 2024 | 9780062882363 Series: Infinity Cycle, 3

The stakes are higher than ever in this eagerly anticipated entry that wraps up an inclusive, socially aware fantasy series.

Rising From the Ashes Yoo, Paula | Norton Young Readers | 400 pp. $19.99 | May 7, 2024 | 9781324030904

Yoo returns with another riveting, nuanced account that contextualizes a pivotal moment in modern U.S.

122

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 122

Schreiber, Gretchen | Wednesday Books | 304 pp. | $20.00 | March 5, 2024 9781250892164

Honest and illuminating.

Lunar New Year Love Story Yang, Gene Luen | Illus. by LeUyen Pham First Second | 352 pp. | $17.99 paper Jan. 9, 2024 | 9781250908261

A sparkling romance anchored by a poignant coming-of-age story.

Diary of a Confused Feminist Weston, Kate | Simon & Schuster | 384 pp. $21.99 | Jan. 2, 2024 | 9781665937948

A raucously entertaining examination of feminist principles.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 123

12/20/23 5:38 PM

EMBRACING DISABILITY IN YA LITERATURE A FEW RECENT and upcoming titles naturally integrate well-rounded lead characters with physical disabilities into stories that go far beyond tired tropes, showing how enriching it is when we have broader representation of the full range of young adults’ life experiences.

Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest (Scholastic, 2023): Leaving high school behind and heading off to college is always a big deal. But everything gets more complicated when

124

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 124

the boy you’re attracted to is also applying to your dream school, and you must consider whether the institution will welcome you as a wheelchair user.

Effie Galanos (who, like debut author Forrest, has cerebral palsy) wants to leave Minneapolis to study journalism in New York City. Her memorable journey includes challenges, triumph, romance, and more.

Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot (Scholastic, 2023): It’s hard to imagine a more evocative setting for

a paranormal adventure than the famously haunted cathedral city of York in the north of England, as Talbot’s atmospheric debut proves. Charlie Frith, a gay teen who’s an amputee with prosthetic lower legs, is a seer who’s friends with phantoms. When the city’s ghosts start mysteriously going missing, it’s up to him and new crush Sam Harrow, who’s trans, to save them—a mission Charlie approaches with some trepidation following a traumatic incident.

Out of Our League: 16 Stories of Girls in Sports, edited

by Dahlia Adler & Jennifer Iacopelli (Feiwel & Friends, Jan. 23): This anthology stands out for the diversity of voices represented as well as the inclusion of less frequently portrayed sports.

Kayla Whaley’s perceptive, nuanced contribution, “No Love Lost,” follows 19-year-old wheelchair tennis champion Lotte Vogels, who brought home a Paralympic gold medal and a French Open trophy.

But when she’s featured in a Super Bowl commercial, the personal costs and endless calculations demanded of athletes in adaptive sports become glaringly obvious.

Whaley is a former senior editor at Disability in Kidlit.

Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle (McElderry, Feb. 20): This novel, by an

LAURA SIMEON

author who has Ehlers– Danlos syndrome, delves with insightful care into the ramifications of living with this disorder. It also opens with a memorable hook: “I’m just like other girls, and I’ll throat-punch anyone who says I’m not.”

Brynn Kwan, who’s Korean and white and whose dad also has EDS, hides her disability to protect herself from betrayal—but this strategy takes a toll, and she must decide whom she can trust to fully accept her.

Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal by Gretchen Schreiber (Wednesday Books, March 5): This emotionally honest debut, which blends romance with coming-of-age themes, does many things well, particularly addressing a frequently neglected topic: violations of disabled young people’s privacy and the centering of their parents’ perspectives. Ellie, who like Schreiber has the rare genetic disease VACTERLs, is dealing with the trauma of dozens of surgeries, the fallout of having a mom who blogs about her life, and the challenges of navigating relationships (including one with a boy who’s supportive and also nudges her toward uncomfortable growth).

Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.

Illustration by Eric Scott Anderson

Young Adult

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Y O U N G A D U LT

EDITOR’S PICK In this stand-alone companion to the award-winning Yummy (2010), a teenage boy learns that sometimes you can’t go around a problem: You have to go through it.

Darius, a Black 15-year-old living in the South Side of Chicago, wants one thing—a safe place to live with his unemployed stepdad and younger half sister, Cissy, following the death of his mother. When his best friend, Booger, shares a plan to get quick, easy money, Darius reluctantly agrees.

Despite Cissy’s disapproval, the boys skip school to take a bus across town to investigate an armored truck that

These Titles Earned the Kirkus Star

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 125

got into a traffic accident; they hope to grab some of the money they expect to find flying around. Things get out of control when Cissy sneaks along to keep an eye on them, and Booger brags about their journey on social media, putting targets on their backs. They have to use their street smarts and follow the survival rules Darius’ stepfather taught them for navigating territories controlled by microgangs to try to make it safely back home.

In this fast-paced story, each decision the characters make is critical. Despite the difficult situation the kids are in, Neri provides small pockets

Safe Passage Neri, G. | Illus. by David Brame | Tu Books 224 pp. | $20.95 paper | March 26, 2024 9781643790343

of hope and light. Brame’s evocative digital black-andwhite illustrations bring the setting to life, emphasizing the emotional intensity and high stakes.

127

133

127

125

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall

By Anna Bright Kindling

By Traci Chee

Somber with a sprinkling of optimism and a firm grounding in unconditional familial love. (author’s note) (Graphic fiction.

12-18)

The Last Bloodcarver

By Vanessa Le Safe Passage

By G. Neri; illus. by David Brame For some memorable, thought-provoking YA reads, visit Kirkus online.

JANUARY 15, 2024

125

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Y O U N G A D U LT

A mesmerizing fantasy adventure and a haunting meditation on shared trauma.

KINDLING

Not Like Other Girls Adamo, Meredith | Bloomsbury (448 pp.) $19.99 | April 30, 2024 | 9781547614004

Seventeen-yearold Jo-Lynn Kirby, ostracized by the guys she used to be friends with, comes to terms with many difficult experiences while she looks into the case of a missing girl.

Smart but struggling Jo is on academic probation at Rochester, New York’s Culver Honors High School and trying to conceal her school troubles from her loving but unsupportive and checked-out parents.

When Maddie, her former best friend, goes missing, Jo gets pulled into a scheme to find out what happened to her. Jo’s working with Hudson, a guy with whom she has a long and smoldering history, setting the stage for what proves to be a banter-filled, funny, sex-positive, and ultimately poignant romance that grows out of a fake-dating scenario. This, and the gradual reveal of Jo’s heartbreaking social history involving betrayal, bullying, and multiple instances of sexual harassment and assault, provide a strong emotional grounding for the sometimes-unwieldy twists and turns of the central mystery. Jo is an authentic, multidimensional character, and her relationships with a whole host of secondary characters are explored throughout, including what led to the end of her friendship with Maddie. All the main characters read white; there is some diversity in race and sexual orientation among background characters.

126

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 126

A thoughtful and thought-provoking feminist tale woven into an expansive mystery. (Mystery. 14-18)

Just Another Epic Love Poem Akhbari, Parisa | Dial Books (400 pp.) $19.99 | March 12, 2024 | 9780593530498

Poetry, first love, and family trauma all play roles in a queer Iranian American teen’s coming of age.

Mitra Esfahani, a “MuslimZoroastrian raised-in-Catholic-school weirdo,” has worn a protective shell since she was young, ever since her mother’s addiction to painkillers reached a tipping point and changed her family forever. Her lifeline has always been poetry: It both connects her to her heritage through her love for ancient Persian poets and also forms a bond with her best friend and secret crush, Bea Ortega, who’s Mexican American.

Together, with the help of The Book (the ongoing, shared work of confessional poetry that they began writing the year they met), the two seniors have withstood the trials of being queer people of color at their stuffy private Catholic school in upscale Medina, Washington. When Bea expresses her attraction, Mitra is euphoric about finally being able to show her true feelings—but she’s also convinced she’s going to screw everything up. Things become more complicated as ghosts of Mitra’s traumatic childhood resurface, forcing her to confront the way her history has been holding her back

without her realizing it. The author, a therapist, offers a heartbreaking but hopeful portrayal of parental addiction and its impact on families, written in lyrical first-person prose alternating with excerpts of poetry.

Chat logs, passed notes, and other ephemera are included, which lend authenticity to Mitra and her world.

Expressive, emotional, and quietly optimistic. (Fiction. 13-18)

Artificial Intelligence: Promise and Peril Allen, John | ReferencePoint Press (64 pp.) $32.95 | Jan. 1, 2024 | 9781678207243

A quick overview of the current state and uses of machine intelligence.

Despite Allen’s backloading this brief work with endnotes and outsized resource lists, he doesn’t delve very deeply into his subject.

Readers curious about what constitutes “intelligence,” the implications of the upcoming “technological singularity,” or even the future of smart medical implants, for example, should look elsewhere. Still, while presenting recent examples of AI-produced legal and historical documents that were rife with errors, and properly noting that smart homes are eminently hackable, he addresses privacy concerns as well as making good arguments for being cautious about relying on data-mining chatbots and similar aids for either security or (say) school assignments. Also, though he offers reassuring quotes from experts for balance, his observations about current and future uses of AI in homes, businesses, medicine, and the military include more than enough For another book about technology, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Y O U N G A D U LT

reasons for anxiety about near-future workplace losses and changes. Despite probably having a short shelf life (since it covers such a fast-changing technological field), this survey includes references to events up to mid-2023. The illustrations are largely filler.

Superficial but of some use for background reading and (ideally original) school reports. (image credits, timeline, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Star

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall Bright, Anna | HarperTeen (400 pp.) | $19.99 March 12, 2024 | 9780063083578

A witch and two princes are brought together in an adventure to save 8thcentury Wales.

When Ffion, a hedgewitch estranged from her powerful magical family, members of the Foxhall coven, suffers a terrible loss, she finds herself in the position to team up on a quest with Taliesin, the “bastard prince” of her kingdom of Powys. Ffion sets out to walk the length of Offa’s Dyke, determined to use her own magic to destroy it in order to return the disappearing magic to Wales. Meanwhile, Tal and his brother, Dafydd, have been pitted against one another in a challenge from their father, King Cadell, to destroy the dyke: Whoever succeeds will inherit the throne. While clever, opportunistic Tal hates magic, he’s desperate to become king. Dafydd would rather spend his days working at his forge as a blacksmith, but he’s coerced by Cadell into competing.

Throughout the journey to destroy the dyke and thwart their enemies, the brothers are thrown together with Ffion in ways they couldn’t have predicted. This comforting and cozy fantastical romance bursting with Welsh mythology is told from Ffion’s, Tal’s, and KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 127

Dafydd’s compelling points of view.

It’s an atmospheric jewel box with sympathetic characters readers will root for from the first page; they’ll only be disappointed to learn it’s a stand-alone novel and not a series opener. Ffion in particular shines as a thoughtful, brave hero with a compelling backstory.

Sparkling and lush; a gem. (pronunciation guide, author’s note) (Fantasy.

14-18)

dilemma to the next. But the series of climactic moments makes it difficult to get a sense of the characters’ personalities and motivations, leaving them feeling one-dimensional and hard to become invested in. Main characters are cued white.

Offers continual creative thrills but is lacking in robust characterization.

(Fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Star

Book, Beast, and Crow

Kindling

Byrne, Elizabeth | Quill Tree Books/ HarperCollins (368 pp.) | $19.99 March 12, 2024 | 9780062484789

Chee, Traci | Harper/HarperCollins (432 pp.) | $19.99 | March 5, 2024 9780063269354

nna Kellogg and A her best friend, Olivia Tiffin, live in Hartwood, New Jersey, known for the Wall, which encloses the Great Swamp, the abode of the legendary Hartwood Beast.

For their birthday ritual, Anna and Olivia leave good-luck offerings to the Ladies of Hartwood, a carving in the Wall. After Olivia convinces Anna to follow her through a hole she finds in the Wall, they meet an ancient woman who offers to answer questions. When the girls ask about their futures, she responds, “Some friends ye’ll have to let go, or perish trying to save them.” Anna, feeling uneasy, drags Olivia away. Later, as they’re returning from a field trip, the school bus narrowly misses a long-tailed creature running across the road, instead swerving into a tree, injuring students. In the ensuing chaos, Olivia is dragged into the forest and mauled by the mysterious animal. Weeks later, she’s recovering—doing Latin homework but unresponsive, “like someone else is in her skin.” Spectral women warn the girls that “those who have seen the Otherworld can never truly leave it”: Olivia’s time is running out, leaving Anna to save her. As the story rapidly evolves, the characters jump from one

Cast adrift after the war that they were created to fight, seven magical warriors search for meaning in the defense of a mountain village.

In a tale explicitly inspired by the Kurosawa classic Seven Samurai, the seven teens—six use she/her pronouns, and one uses they/them —are drawn together by a variety of acknowledged motives: duty, fulfillment, the promise of spoils. But what keeps them together is their brutal history and the kinship it has forged. Yanked from their homes at age 5, kindlings have been shaped into killing machines, expert both in ordinary weaponry and in summoning the blazing balar magic that literally burns its wielders out by their late teens. Chee assembles a cast that is both clearly individuated and collective. With the character perspective shifting chapter by chapter, the consistent use of the second person and occasional occurrences of us or we emphasize the group identity. Sentences frequently end in em dashes, strung in truncated paragraphs that highlight the kindlings’ feelings of brokenness; parenthetical statements express uncomfortable truths: “You believed in the code. You would’ve killed for it— / (You did kill for it.) / You would’ve died for it— / (You JANUARY 15, 2024

127

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

Y O U N G A D U LT

almost did—).” A complex cosmology lends texture to a world that features racial, sexual, and gender diversity; the kindlings share a common phenotype, with “angular” eyes, straight black hair, and skin in shades of brown or tan.

Both a mesmerizing fantasy adventure and a haunting meditation on shared trauma. (map) (Fantasy. 13-adult)

The Encanto’s Daughter de la Cruz, Melissa | Putnam (336 pp.) $19.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9780593533086 Series: The Encanto’s Daughter, 1

The heir apparent to a fairy-realm kingdom must ascend the throne after her father dies.

Half-human/ half-encanto Maria Josephina “MJ” Robertson-­ Rodriguez, who’s been hiding in the human world of Southern California with her mortal mother, is confronted by magical beings, who announce that her father, King Vivencio Basilio of the Sirena Court, is dead, and that she’s in danger. MJ is taken to Biringan, “the hidden fairy realm of the Philippine islands,” and she soon realizes that no amount of schooling by her mother or correspondence from her father could have prepared her for its magical vastness—or the political disarray threatening her succession.

As her queenly coronation looms, she attends the Biringan Academy of Noble Arts (where not even her peers from other kingdoms can be trusted), participates in council meetings with other royals (who question her ability to rule), and anxiously waits for her magical powers to manifest. MJ also investigates the late king’s death, aided by new friend Phoenix “Nix” Xing (a fellow hapcanto) and unlikely ally Sir Lucas Invierno—and discovers a dark magic that could claim her life next. From the quirky nicknames to the terrifying mambabarangs, or witches, de la Cruz’s latest is rich in 128

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 128

Filipino culture and mythology. MJ’s rapid acceptance as ruler of a magical kingdom that she left as a toddler is somewhat unconvincing, but the plot-driven story will please readers seeking constant action.

A promising, culturally rich, Filipinoinfused fantasy series opener. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)

An Unlikely Proposition Eves, Rosalyn | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (304 pp.) | $20.99 | March 5, 2024 9780374390273 | Series: Unexpected Seasons, 2

Two young women pursue their dreams in Georgian England in this companion to 2023’s An Improbable Season.

Nineteenyear-old Thalia Aubrey, an aspiring poet who’s sworn off love after an ill-advised elopement, has taken a job as companion to young widow Eleanor Lockhart, a post that gives her access to the literary bustle of 1818 London. Seventeen-year-old Eleanor, whose late husband, Albert, was in his forties, values her independence. The terms of Mr. Lockhart’s will stipulate that should Eleanor remarry, her inheritance will be passed on to his nephew—who’s now endlessly pressuring her to wed. Hoping to put an end to his meddling, she asks Henry, her friend Miss Salisbury’s brother, to be her temporary fake fiance—just until she can make another plan. Henry and Thalia have some history, and their feelings for each other grow, even as Eleanor develops an interest in Owen

Jones, whom she hires to help her with Albert’s advanced mathematical papers. Lonely Eleanor, who has no family, learns she doesn’t have to push others away, and that family can be found. Meanwhile, Thalia must fight for what she deserves, both in love and when it comes to her writing. Readers will enjoy this immersive world of etiquette, rules, and social stratification with its satisfying romances in which female independence is not surrendered in the pursuit of love. The central cast is cued white.

A charming foray into Regency romance. (author’s note) (Historical romance. 12-18)

Marked Man: Frank Serpico’s Inside Battle Against Police Corruption Florio, John & Ouisie Shapiro Roaring Brook Press (160 pp.) | $19.99 March 19, 2024 | 9781250621955

A profile of the maverick undercover officer who exposed widespread corruption in the New York City Police Department.

In this concise work, readers get an overview of the colorful lifestyle of Italian American Frank Serpico, who was played by Al Pacino in the 1973 movie Serpico. The authors add substantial passages from original interviews with their subject, offering clear senses of both his personal voice and his stubborn idealism; they recount how his refusal to participate in widespread payoffs as a cop in the late ’60s and early ’70s had him

Readers will enjoy this immersive world with its satisfying romances.

A N U N L I K E LY P R O P O S I T I O N

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Y O U N G A D U LT

continually being transferred from precinct to precinct like a hot potato— until he was shot during a drug bust in what may have been a setup and forced to retire on a disability pension. What comes through loud and clear is that what finally prompted him to go to the papers with his story was his inability to get anything for his testimony but platitudes and promises from city officials. The ensuing scandal resulted in reforms and some changes in government attitudes and police culture, but those with even a tangential awareness of current events will come away agreeing with the assessment of this still-proud whistleblower (or, to use his preferred term, lamplighter) that the “blue wall of silence” and official complicity are still shielding too many injustices to preserve public confidence in the probity of our police.

Gritty and inspiring, if light on specific details. (note to readers, glossary, source notes, bibliography, image credits, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Cursed Cruise: A Horror Hotel Novel Fulton, Victoria & Faith McClaren Underlined (288 pp.) | $11.99 paper March 19, 2024 | 9780593649381

A supernatural mystery unfolds aboard a boat with a haunted history.

Chrissy, Chase, Kiki, and Emma, all 18, are recent high school graduates known as the Ghost Gang. Their YouTube channel has over a million subscribers, and after their last ordeal, in which a deranged serial killer fan terrorized them while they were filming an episode at the Hearst Hotel, the pressure’s now on them to deliver another heart-pounding show. The Ghost Gang also hopes to leverage their fame into a TV deal. With that goal in mind, they board the famously haunted cruise ship the RMS Queen Anne, sister ship of the Titanic, which KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 129

will be sailing from New York City to Southampton for its inaugural voyage after major refurbishment. On board, they meet the Paranormal Patrol, a rival ghost-chasing crew. Told in alternating first-person viewpoints, this creepy and atmospheric story follows the main foursome as they have a series of chilling ghostly experiences while trying to unlock the truth of the ship’s past. Each Ghost Gang member faces a different challenge, putting their skills, confidence, and sometimes their safety to the test.

Kiki is brown-skinned; the other major characters read white, and Kiki and Emma are queer. This follow-up to Horror Hotel (2022) will please returning fans, and the novel holds water as a stand-alone adventure.

A fast-paced and fun Scooby-Doo– esque paranormal page-turner. (Horror.

13-18)

Here I Am Grimes, Shaunta | AW Teen (368 pp.) $17.99 | March 7, 2024 | 9780807504123

A friendless, bullied teen finds healing through weightlifting.

At 6 feet tall and fat, Marcella Boucher is friendless and self-loathing.

At school she faces constant, sometimes physical, torment, and at home, her gym-owning, ostensibly loving parents enforce dangerous calorie restrictions. She’s been making out with popular boy Lou, but only in secret. In fact, Lou is dating Vivi, a popular, skinny cheerleader. Marcella is humiliated after she asks Lou out in public—he not only rejects her, but Vivi also adds her own scornful insults. Her distress is so great that she tries to hang herself, an event that’s described in detail. After the aborted attempt, Marcella’s father forces her to visit a “board certified therapist specializing in eating disorders and childhood obesity.” Meanwhile, a surprising friendship with Jason, the new boy at

school, leads Marcella to a women’s weightlifting gym, where she gains self-confidence. Jason, who’s in foster care, has struggles of his own.

Marcella’s emotional growth arc also follows her eating disorder therapy to address her binging. However, her suicide attempt (provoked by vicious bullying at school, enablement of that mistreatment by the administration, and abusive fat-shaming at home) is not adequately addressed in therapy, and it’s seemingly not taken seriously enough by the adults around her, despite the livid bruises around her throat. All major characters appear to be white.

A painfully real account of a teen’s inhumane treatment, with mixed mental health representation. (mental health resources) (Fiction. 14-17)

Water’s Break Hansen, Sophia L. | Enclave Escape (320 pp.) | $24.99 | Jan. 9, 2024 9798886050868

An alien invasion threatens the freedom of an entire civilization.

Nica would rather be honing her Guardian skills than taking on the responsibilities of leading the nuptial pod for Rissa, her older sister, who will be bonding with Jonnat. Nica’s father is the Head Guardian of the Olomi, an amphibian people who reside in the Deep, and she’s long dreamed of following in his wake. But when an alien force suddenly arrives, it shatters the world as she knows it. Rissa goes missing, along with many other Olomi. Jonnat and Nica team up to retrieve Rissa, but Nica is captured by TAL, one of For more science fiction set in an underwater world, visit Kirkus online.

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

129

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Y O U N G A D U LT // Q & A

THE KIRKUS Q&A: EMMA LORD In The Getaway List, the YA novelist gets to relive her own experience as a New York newbie. BY STEPHAN LEE

What struck me about Riley from the very first page is that she didn’t get into any colleges, and she doesn’t seem all that upset about it—not because she’s apathetic, but because it didn’t work out in that moment.

That’s such a rare attitude.

Thank you for bringing that up. I actually did go into that [scenario] with a very deliberate intention, just because I feel like a lot of pressure is put on high schoolers to have a whole life plan. We’re both in our 30s now, so we know that 130

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 130

all the plans you make at 18 are going to get blown to heck anyway, so why make yourself miserable?

The things that I was doing at 18 that impacted my future were the things I was doing by choice. I was going to college, but I was writing by choice. I was writing fan fiction by choice. I was coming up with weird plot ideas by choice. I think about all the things I was doing because I was supposed to do them. Even when I finished college and I got the jobs I was supposed to

get, I would sit during lunch breaks and write. You have to follow your heart.

I love that an initial complication between Riley and Tom isn’t something super dramatic, but it’s so real: Tom is a bad texter.

Something that Covid magnified is that some people, when they get in a bad spot, just go into a shell and disappear. I call it “gremlin brain,” when you’re like, My brain is a bad flavor right now, and I just don’t want to be texting anybody. But then, if you’re not careful, you’ll get into a hole where you’re like, Oh, I haven’t texted them in a while, and now it feels weird to come out of the ether.

As a society, we’re all a lot better at forgiving

ourselves and each other for that [behavior] now. But these things are much more pronounced [when you’re a teenager], because you don’t necessarily have the tools to deal with problems that come up, like feeling lonely and feeling like a fish out of water. So that was a problem in the beginning that I wanted to use to be the tip of the iceberg for some larger problems.

How did you come up with the actual items on Riley and Tom’s getaway list?

A lot of them were things that I had really positive feelings about having done in high school. One of them was karaoke, and I remember the first time I ever did a karaoke room, it was with some high school friends,

The Lock Co.

EMMA LORD WROTE most of her teen rom-com The Getaway List (Wednesday Books, Jan. 23) while sitting on a bench in Central Park. “I like to get really cute when I’m doing it,” she says, “because I like to pretend I’m the main character, and that’ll motivate me to go sit on the bench and write.” Becoming a novelist who sits on Manhattan park benches seems like it could be IRL wish fulfillment for Lord’s exuberant main characters, and Riley from The Getaway List, Lord’s fifth book in four years, is no exception. The novel tells the story of Riley’s move to New York City the summer after graduation; she plans to reconnect with childhood friend Tom, experience a bucket list of adventures together, and rediscover who she actually is.

I first met Emma Lord in New York while we were working at the same millennial media company years ago and were trying to become YA authors in our spare time. In this Zoom chat, we catch up on our NYC dreams, Taylor Swift songs, and fictional apps. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Q & A // Y O U N G A D U LT

and we thought we were so cool: We’re grown-ups.

This whole room is ours. We can do whatever we want.

Whatever we wanted was to sing show tunes at the top of our lungs.

It was also just cool to pick things in New York that were priorities for me when I first got here—figuring out where to do writer meetups, exploring Central Park—so that was a vehicle to retrace baby Emma’s steps and relive some of that magic.

Was there a New York experience you had for the first time IRL in honor of this book?

Kind of, accidentally. I went to Little Island with my sister and her best friend,

and when I was there I was like, “Oh, this is going in the book.” I just started canvassing the area and taking pictures, which is funny, because I’m pretty sure that that’s what the characters do when they get there, too.

Little Island, for anyone who’s reading this interview and doesn’t know, is literally a little man-made island that’s off Manhattan’s west side, and it’s got all these beautiful sculptures and flowers and a stage. It’s all very public arts, beauty, and joy, and there’s a bridge that you take to get to it.

Your novels can almost be themed around different social media apps or internet

platforms, going all the way back to Tweet Cute. With The Getaway List, what might be that representative app or platform?

There’s a subplot in the book with an anonymous delivery service where you can send people little gifts and things, and [the characters] are bike messengers on it, so they can track each other’s whereabouts. I know that’s something that you can do on Snapchat and Find My Friends, so maybe those are the apps that would be the closest to it.

Honestly, your books are an app incubator. Speaking of which: Would you ever do a reissue or anniversary edition of Tweet Cute

We’re both in our 30s now, so we know that all the plans you make at 18 are going to get blown to heck.

The Getaway List Lord, Emma

Wednesday Books | 320 pp. | $20.00 Jan. 23, 2024 | 9781250903990

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 131

called Xeet Cute or Hanging

by Threads?

Oh my God, those are such great titles, but it would have to be a sequel almost. In Tweet Cute, those characters had their happily-ever-after, and I wouldn’t want to touch that.

But I do think it would be funny to have teenagers who took over the accounts afterward, and something went catastrophically wrong, and they ended up in some kind of war, using one of the new apps. But Tweet Cute will definitely stay the way it is! My friend was joking that it can go in the historical fiction section now.

Don’t worry, it’s timeless—I don’t know a single person who actually calls it X on a regular basis.

Me neither.

Quick, and don’t think too much: What are three Taylor Swift songs from three different eras that embody The Getaway List?

“Welcome to New York.”

“Cardigan,” to some degree: the coming and going of a relationship and a friendship being established.

Also, there’s the whole line about the “heartbeat on the High Line,” and that does come into the book at some point. I don’t know why “Ours” is coming to mind. It’s just like when these two characters have a language that nobody else understands.

A lot of people have made assumptions about what Riley and Tom are and what they aren’t, and that’s the core of it. They’re just like, This is ours.

Stephan Lee is the author of the novels K-Pop Confidential and K-Pop Revolution.

JANUARY 15, 2024

131

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Y O U N G A D U LT

the invading landwalkers. Enslaved with other abducted Olomi in harsh, dry conditions, Nica despairs as she’s forced to serve the cruel landwalkers, whose goal is the exploitative agricultural terraformation of the Olomi’s world. Horrifyingly, Nica and her friend Pescha have been selected for invasive medical tests. Nica manages to make friends and to find allies who will sacrifice everything for a chance to return to the Deep. Hansen captures both the beauty of water and the brutality of slavery. The environmentally harmonious lives of the Olomi sharply contrast with those of the enslavers, who seek to bend the planet to their will; the parallels with trans-Atlantic chattel slavery are abundantly clear (and reinforced by Olomi vocabulary that echoes Yoruba words).

The ending sets up for a sequel that readers will anticipate. Characters are fantasy diverse in appearance.

A bittersweet portrayal of humanity, resilience, and courage. (Science fiction. 14-18)

The Baker and the Bard Haught, Fern | Feiwel & Friends (160 pp.) | $17.99 paper | March 5, 2024 9781250828514

A quest for a magical ingredient takes two young heroes on a fantastical environmental adventure.

Blue-skinned, magenta-haired, nonbinary Hadley is a bard, and pink-haired, russet-skinned Juniper is a baker. The pair work together at the Blue Heron Inn, and while they’re best friends, there may be feelings between them that aren’t entirely platonic.

Although Juniper’s star is rising thanks to her tremendous baking skills, Hadley is in need of “some adventurous material” as inspiration for their performances. After someone offers a bag of riches as payment for a last-minute special food order, the duo sets out to search for the rare mushrooms that will make the pastries glow 132

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 132

The characters are sympathetic and complex, expressing conflicting emotions.

THE LAST BLOODCARVER

in the dark. In the neighboring city of Gryfice, they learn that something mysterious is eating the farmers’ crops during the night. There’s a trail leading into the forest, but people are scared to investigate. Hadley eagerly sets off to investigate, while levelheaded Juniper suggests stopping to make a plan. Their quest quickly becomes more complicated, but they meet an important ally, who shows them that things aren’t always as they seem. Haught’s charming debut features colorful digital art resembling watercolors that captures the mood of this magical, feel-good story, and the eco-fantasy elements are enriched by the heartwarming relationships. Gender identity is thoughtfully touched upon in a conversation between Hadley and one of the fey.

Sweet and satisfying. (recipe, character sketches) (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)

The Other Lola Jones, Ripley | Wednesday Books (336 pp.) | $14.00 paper | March 12, 2024 9781250340467

Best friends Cameron Muñoz and Blair Johnson return to tackle another mystery in this follow-up to Missing Clarissa (2023).

The traumatic events surrounding their solving of a cold case still deeply affect both Cam and Blair, albeit in different ways. Smart, unsentimental Cam finds herself prone to unwelcome waves of emotion as she tries to simply reason her way out of her newly developed anxiety attacks, while talented writer Blair longs

for the fulfillment she experienced while producing their popular yet controversial podcast. Then Mattie, a freshman at Oreville High, where the girls are seniors, approaches them and begs for their help. This case involves investigating the strange appearance after five years of a girl who claims to be Lola, Mattie’s missing sister. Lola’s mom and brother believe the girl’s claims, but Mattie isn’t so sure. Blair convinces Cam to take the mystery on, even though Cam is distracted by her early-decision MIT application and worries about her long-distance girlfriend. The book includes several missives from Lola to Mattie interspersed between chapters that alternate between Cam’s and Blair’s third-person perspectives. This carefully structured tale paints Mattie’s complicated family with a wash of dysfunction, which, along with Cam’s realistic struggles with her mental health, will easily encourage readers to feel empathy.

Cam is white and Mexican American; Mattie uses they/them pronouns, and they and Blair read white.

A poignant, intricately plotted novel that will keep readers guessing.

(Mystery. 13-18)

Who We Are in Real Life Koops, Victoria | Groundwood (288 pp.) | $17.99 paper | Feb. 6, 2024 9781773068893

Teen fans of tabletop role-playing games fall for each other while confronting homophobia in their school and community.

Bisexual Darcy just moved from KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Y O U N G A D U LT

the city to the small town of Unity Creek with her two moms. One mom is the new doctor in town, and the family immediately faces pushback for being queer. At school, fierce Darcy befriends sweet, soft-spoken Art after they end up paired for an assignment and discover their mutual love of RPGs. Their friendship blossoms into a crush, but Darcy still has a boyfriend, one whose emotional manipulation is making it hard to break up with him. Darcy also bonds with the few other queer students at school and sets out to start a queer-straight alliance—only to learn that Art’s father is their biggest opponent. With a narrative that switches between Darcy’s and Art’s perspectives, lovable characters (who are cued white), and fiction based on their Dungeons & Dragons campaign (which has parallels to their real-life dilemmas), this story will appeal to fans of contemporary queer slice-of-life stories. The homophobic harassment Darcy’s family faces in their new rural community isn’t sugarcoated, but the optimistic yet realistic ending with some unresolved conflicts will leave readers with hope.

The game sections tie into the story nicely, but they sometimes disrupt the flow of the otherwise fast-paced, romance-forward tale.

A charming story about standing up for what’s right. (Fiction. 14-18)

Pieces of a Girl Kuehnert, Stephanie | Illus. by Suzy Exposito | Dutton (352 pp.) | $24.99 March 26, 2024 | 9780525429753

In this zinelike memoir, a YA author shares the pain of her fraught growing-up years in the 1990s.

Kuehnert, a white woman from a middle-­ class family, knew from age 7 that she wanted to be a writer. She struggled with depression and by eighth grade was self-harming. In ninth grade, KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 133

eager to launch her “Real Teenage Life,” she started hanging out at Scoville Park in her hometown of Oak Park, Illinois. Scoville had an outsized influence on her life: It was there that she started using alcohol and drugs and started dating a boy who raped and abused her. That brief relationship caused tremendous pain and led to disordered eating, addiction, and another unhealthy relationship. “This is the truth about rock bottom: It doesn’t exist. You will keep falling until you die unless you choose to climb.” Kuehnert’s friendships with girls were intense, complicated, and sometimes cruel.

Laced throughout the book are homages to Nirvana, Courtney Love, and other grunge and punk musicians.

Kuehnert’s story unfolds through essays, with the text broken up by photos, cartoons, fragments of her poetry, journal entries, and images of her zines. The book’s appeal rests in the author’s engaging and honest voice, the mentions of ’90s cultural touchstones (such as the Riot Grrrls), and the chronicling of her path to survival. The latter part feels rushed, but the bulk of the work illuminates her youthful thought processes in ways that will be helpful to many readers.

A raw, deep dive into one young woman’s struggle for wholeness.

(Memoir. 14-18)

Kirkus Star

The Last Bloodcarver Le, Vanessa | Roaring Brook Press (384 pp.) $19.99 | March 19, 2024 | 9781250881526 Series: The Last Bloodcarver Duology, 1

Nhika has been called many terrible things throughout her short life, but she knows herself to be a heartsooth.

Heartsooths can read and manipulate a person’s body and blood with a mere touch of skin on skin. But in the

technocratic city-state of Theumas, she’s feared and reviled as a monstrous bloodcarver. After Nhika’s captured by Butchers and sold to Mimi, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, she’s set a seemingly impossible task—to heal the barely surviving witness to Mimi’s father’s recent untimely death. Nhika finally begins to hope she might be accepted and that she can use her gift as it was intended, laying some of the ghosts of her past to rest. But a chance meeting with Kochin, a mysterious boy who knows more than he should, soon spirals into a tangled web of intrigue and evil beyond her imagining.

Nhika faces an impossible choice: whether to “help the first family to trust her, or follow the last person in the city who might truly understand her.” Le writes with meticulous care.

The richly detailed worldbuilding is infused with Vietnamese cultural elements, and the characters, viewed through Nhika’s jaded yet desperately hopeful eyes, are sympathetic and complex, expressing conflicting emotions and motivations. The story demands, in the best possible ways, that readers think, posing questions of identity, family, and trust for them to ponder. The insidiously twisty ending packs a punch, leaving an opening for a sequel.

An entrancingly well-written debut. (map) (Fantasy. 12-18)

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You Liang, Ann | Scholastic (320 pp.) | $19.99 Feb. 6, 2024 | 9781338827156

When her cathartic hateemail drafts are accidentally sent out, a teen girl tries to smooth things over with the guy who infuriates her most.

After her father left years ago, Sadie Wen vowed to be a good daughter for her mother’s sake. Now in her final year at her prestigious high school JANUARY 15, 2024

133

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

Y O U N G A D U LT

in Melbourne, Australia, Sadie has proven her perfection—she’s school co-captain, gets good grades, and excels in extracurriculars—all while helping at their family bakery. Being perfect is tough, but she copes by unleashing her frustration in email drafts she never intends to send.

When they accidentally go out, Sadie’s perfect image crumbles. While some were written to people who had wronged her, Sadie addressed the most ruthless emails—some dating back nine years—to her longtime nemesis and school co-captain, Julius Gong. When someone posts a video of their subsequent public altercation, damaging the school’s reputation, the principal forces Sadie and Julius to work together on school projects as punishment. At first, it seems like they’ll never get along, but as the Chinese Australian teens get to know each other, Sadie realizes that there might be more than pure loathing between them. This sweet, cozy story is full of charming dialogue and laugh-out-loud scenes. Alongside the romance storyline, Sadie learns about going beyond just pleasing others.

The emotional angst and awkwardness, adolescent pressures, and other emotions are engaging and relatable.

Full of giggles, snark, and sweetness: Rom-com lovers, I hope this does find you. (Romance. 12-18)

Running Mates Locker, Emily | Bancroft Press (256 pp.) $18.95 | Feb. 14, 2024 | 9781610886222

Two love-struck teens cross the political divide in this debut.

Edgartown, North Carolina, is split between its liberal Eastside and conservative Northside.

Instilled with progressive values by her moms, Annabelle Morningstar, who’s cued white, embodies her neighborhood: She’s an executive committee member of the Liberal Liaisons, eats vegan, and is aiming for 134

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 134

This gritty and sometimes gruesome thriller thrums with gripping menace.

UNDER THIS RED ROCK

the Ivy League. But when her grades make these ambitions appear out of reach, she focuses on cross-country, joining a weekly conditioning club for student athletes who hope to be recruited by colleges. The program is organized by “quintessential Northside boy” Gabe Delgado, son of a Cuban American Republican senator. The closer Anna gets to the “tall, dark, and handsome” Gabe, the more her seemingly unshakable beliefs shift, even as she tries to merge their worlds—with sometimes disastrous results. Meanwhile, a student-led boycott strikes Anna’s favorite indie bookstore after the owner prevents the store’s employees from unionizing amid unsavory rumors. Can Anna find the courage to seek the truth and fall in love, just like in the romance novels she devours? Though Locker’s tackling of pervasive ideological differences is commendable, her commentary on U.S. politics falls flat due to an overreliance on farcical depictions; this element feels like a satirical novel without the satire.

Furthermore, the bookstore conflict inexplicably fades away toward the latter half. Thankfully, the cutesy budding romance that makes up the bulk of the narrative hits all the right notes.

Stay for the likable romance; skip the politics. (Fiction. 12-18)

For another YA romance exploring political themes, visit Kirkus online.

Under This Red Rock McGinnis, Mindy | Katherine Tegen/ HarperCollins (336 pp.) | $19.99 March 19, 2024 | 9780063230415

In an insular Ohio town, a young woman struggles with family trauma and experiences hallucinations that she keeps secret.

Sixteen-year-old Neely, like her dad and older brother, Lance, who is now dead by suicide, can hear voices. Neely’s mother died in a car accident many years ago, and later her dad left, leaving Neely living with her touchingly supportive but somewhat repressed grandparents. A longtime fan of the large cave system that’s a tourist attraction in her town, Neely snags a job working there for the summer. Neely, who’s gay but not out to many people, quickly falls for beautiful, smart Mila, who runs tours of the caves. When a shockingly horrific death occurs in one of the caves after Neely tries weed for the first time at an employee after-party and experiences what seems like a psychotic break, she fears she may be responsible. This gritty and sometimes gruesome thriller thrums with gripping menace, especially as Neely’s brother’s only friend, Brian, alleges that Lance was sharing incel-like posts on an anonymous internet site. Neely’s frank, self-deprecating inner monologue is often bitingly funny, providing balance to the grim subject matter. Though they’re portrayed with nuance, Neely’s hallucinations sometimes seem to move with the plotting, which, given KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Y O U N G A D U LT

the unpredictable nature of serious mental illness, can make this element feel too convenient. All the main characters read as white.

A propulsive, unpredictable, and troubling thriller. (Thriller. 14-18)

Breathing Underwater Nash, Abbey Lee | Holiday House (224 pp.) $18.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9780823453863

Tess has her entire life planned out, and it revolves around one thing: swimming.

The water is where Tess thrives.

She’s a talented swimmer who never slows down; she’s on track for a college sports scholarship and professional career.

But when she has a seizure and receives an epilepsy diagnosis, those careful plans fall apart. Over the course of the summer, there are more surprises in store for Tess, including a romance with new neighbor Charlie and repairing her fractured relationship with her best friend, Mac. Nash allows time for Tess to adjust, exploring the uncertainty following her first seizure as well as the aftermath when her symptoms recur. Her seizures are realistically frightening and unmooring. She has a network of support in her frazzled but loving family members, and her relationships with them, Charlie, and Mac are sweet, if not as fully fleshed out as they could be. While Tess’ journey is heartfelt, readers will wish that the novel explored in greater depth how she progresses beyond total denial and despair. Ultimately, the most interesting dynamic is between Tess

and swimming: the dangers it now poses and the overriding passion she must regain and harness to learn once again why she loves it. Her athletic spirit drives her against the odds to find a place for herself in a sport that may no longer have one for her.

Main characters read white.

A sincere story of approaching a new reality with a competitive edge.

(Fiction. 14-18)

Out of Left Field Newman, Jonah | Colors by Donna Oatney Andrews McMeel Publishing (304 pp.) $16.99 paper | March 26, 2024 9781524884826

A closeted teen steps up to the plate for a cute boy—and himself.

After jocks ridicule and knock over his history class presentation, freshman Jonah picks up the pieces. Cute classmate Elliot helps. That small act of kindness makes sparks fly, cuing confusing feelings. Jonah decides to join the baseball team to get closer to Elliot—even if it means enduring more bullying from the other teammates. But Coach Jackson sees Jonah’s athletic potential and takes him under his wing. As the plot follows the four baseball seasons until Jonah’s graduation, Jonah slowly goes from laughingstock to star. But does he ever truly fit in? Cartoonist and editor Newman’s semiautobiographical graphic novel debut is a heartfelt tale of self-discovery. Consolidating all four years of high school into one book makes for a quick pace.

A welcome hit into the outfield of books about queer athletes.

OUT OF LEFT FIELD

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 135

Clever paneling and nearly wordless sequences effectively pump the brakes for key moments—and show glimpses of Jonah’s wild imagination.

Despite the rampant bro culture and homophobia of the aughts setting, multiple queer characters of all ages at various stages of coming out add an important sense of community and possibility. A subplot about a female teammate briefly touches on sexism. Though the ensemble cast is diverse in skin tone, the majority of the main cast present white; Coach Jackson is Black.

A welcome hit into the outfield of books about queer athletes. (author’s note, process notes, resources) (Graphic fiction. 14-17)

Cancelled Penn, Farrah | Viking (368 pp.) | $19.99 March 19, 2024 | 9780593528303

A white high school senior sets out to change her school’s culture of misogyny after a case of mistaken identity damages her reputation.

Eighteenyear-old Brynn attends prestigious Greenlough Academy on a scholarship. She’s earned a reputation as a “serial dater” due to her tendency for brief, casual relationships. She’s managed to parlay this experience into a side hustle as a flirting coach: She charges a fee for advising her peers on how best to communicate with their crushes and score dates. But Brynn is devastated to find her much-needed income source in jeopardy when a video circulates on social media of a girl dressed in an identical Halloween costume to the one she was wearing performing oral sex on her popular ex–best friend’s boyfriend. Everyone assumes the mystery girl in the banana costume must be Brynn—and it’s her reputation that suffers, not the boy’s. Determined to find a way to shift her classmates’ perspectives, Brynn and her friends form a club JANUARY 15, 2024

135

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

Y O U N G A D U LT

to bring about a “femolution,” denouncing sexism in their school community. Brynn’s diverse social group—including a trans girl; a pansexual, hijabi, Lebanese American girl; and a pregnant biracial (Persian and white) classmate who’s been ostracized—get to lead club discussions on topics and stigmas that affect them.

These messages are powerful, but it’s Brynn’s inner monologue that has center stage, and it loses some of its initial impact because of its repetitiveness.

Girl power tackles sexism, stigma, and peer pressure in the age of social media. (Fiction. 14-18)

In the Orbit of You Schumacher, Ashley | Wednesday Books (320 pp.) | $20.00 | March 19, 2024 9781250886040

Two teens meet again for a second chance at romance while dealing with trauma and identity crises.

Sam and Nova were best friends and next-door neighbors; at age 5, they played make-believe games under an oak tree. However, Sam was growing up in dangerous conditions with abusive parents. Before he was sent away to live with his uncle, he promised Nova he’d find her again “when we’re big.” Years later, due to Nova’s mom’s itinerant career, they find themselves attending the same high school (Nova’s sixth) in Texas. Unfortunately, Sam is now in a relationship with Abigail, a popular cheerleader and genuinely kind person. He’s also committed to playing football thanks to his innate talent, despite not really enjoying the sport.

After the two recognize one another and re-form a connection, the Crush personality quiz they take as part of a school fundraiser registers them as 99% compatible. Sam’s and Nova’s similar and compelling struggles with self and authenticity, along with meaningful discussions of dealing 136

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 136

with the legacy of abuse, make this a perfect fit for Colleen Hoover fans.

Some repetitive tropes and occasional plot holes weaken an otherwise compelling drama, but Nora’s fatness is refreshingly not presented as a problem. Discussions of anxiety and depression are sprinkled throughout, with effective and realistic descriptions aptly capturing the challenges of high school life and occasional humor successfully lightening the heavy mood. Major characters read white.

A theatrical, emotionally intense love story. (Romance. 14-18)

The Stricken Shamy, Morgan | CamCat Books (384 pp.) $19.99 | March 5, 2024 | 9780744307696

Every night during sleep, people’s spirits journey to a parallel universe, but only the Nobles are conscious of their dual lives.

Those from Noble bloodlines can move freely between Khalom, the city located beyond white gates that they’re responsible for protecting, and Desolation, or “everywhere outside of the city.” Seventeen-year-old Clara has been trapped outside Khalom for a decade, her memory of the city lost until a mysterious entity guides her back. Her return incites fear among her new classmates: Like her grandmother before her, Clara has the power of Death. She becomes a formidable student and a critical player in a struggle for Khalom’s survival. In the physical world, Clara strives to protect her brother from a group seeking to utilize her

bloodline’s extraordinary abilities. In Khalom, she fights disgraced Nobles who threaten to destroy both worlds in their search for immortality. The original premise stands out, and the worldbuilding is meticulous, but the plot is complex to the point of being convoluted, potentially overwhelming readers before they have the chance to bond with the characters. The interconnected plotlines across the two worlds feel disorienting, though they do ultimately coalesce. Clara’s internal conflicts depict her less as a chosen one and more as a teenager grappling with situations larger than herself.

Clara is cued white; there’s racial diversity among secondary characters.

An ambitious story that tries to do too much, but fans of intricate fantasies will find elements to enjoy. (Fantasy. 14-18)

Not Your Average Jo Shim, Grace K. | Kokila (384 pp.) | $19.99 March 12, 2024 | 9780593462768

A hopeful young Korean American musician faces the harsh realities of the music industry.

Her whole life, Riley Jo has lived in smalltown, mostly white Bentonville, Arkansas, where she’s constantly dealing with discrimination and microaggressions.

She dreams of leaving and pursuing her ambitions to play guitar and write music someplace where people understand her better. When she’s accepted by a prestigious arts boarding school in Los Angeles for senior year, Riley jumps at the chance. At

Compelling struggles make this a perfect fit for Colleen Hoover fans.

I N TH E O R B IT O F YO U

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Y O U N G A D U LT

A music-centered story of self -discovery and finding your voice.

N OT YO U R AVE R AG E J O

first, everything seems great. She makes Asian American friends and feels truly seen. She also gets to play in a band—and their adviser, Blake Collins, is a famous white music producer, meaning they have a real shot at a record deal. He’s also the father of one of her bandmates. But Riley gets a rude awakening when Blake openly discriminates against her because she’s Korean. Struggling to figure out where she belongs—in the band, among her family members and peers, and in a post-pandemic world where anti-Asian hate is on the rise—Riley fights to be heard.

This enjoyable coming-of-age story explores a number of powerful themes connected to the music industry, nepotism, race, discrimination, and speaking up against prejudice.

The sometimes messy and awkward nature of the story contributes to its feeling real, relatable, and intriguing as it delves into emotions around self-discovery and bias that are confusing and uncomfortable.

A compelling, music-centered story of self-discovery and finding your voice.

(Fiction. 12-18)

Strong Like You Simpson, T.L. | Flux (224 pp.) | $14.99 paper March 12, 2024 | 9781635830941

Poverty and father worship lead an Arkansas teenager into dangerous choices and situations.

Ignoring plenty of signs that his missing father was not the best role model, Walker struggles to emulate his dad’s facade of toughness, KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 137

both on and off the high school football field that he and Sawyer, his tight buddy and cousin, brutally patrol. Even as the prospect of being turned out of their house looms, and his new coach spends more and more time with Walker’s abandoned, penniless mom, the sophomore resolves to track his errant father down and fetch him back to set things right.

But the trail quickly leads through an ugly tangle of drugs, drinking, and criminal acts to a shocking revelation, followed by gun violence. Walker’s emotional instability, the small-town setting’s poverty, and the descriptions of families in crisis all lend the tale a harsh cast overall. But at the urging of a patient school guidance counselor, Walker discovers the power of poetry to articulate his feelings and also finds in his coach a steadier father figure. The book explores masculinity, with Walker having a heartening insight near the end, when he realizes that with the right help, people can learn better than they were taught. (The lucky ones, anyway.)

The coach draws comment for being Black; other major characters seem to be white.

A grim but not entirely hopeless picture of life in the Ozarks, threaded with tragedies both immediate and endemic. (reading guide) (Fiction.

13-17)

For another book about high school football, visit Kirkus online.

A Reckless Oath Smith, Kaylie | Disney-Hyperion (528 pp.) $18.99 | Jan. 30, 2024 | 9781368081634 Series: A Ruinous Fate, 2

In this sequel to A Ruinous Fate (2023), members of the ensemble cast fight for their goals despite setbacks and danger.

Trapped in the Neverending Forest, Calla, Gideon, Caspian, and Hannah are struggling after the death of Onyx Prince Ezra, Gideon’s younger brother, and the kidnapping of the siren Delphine.

Even as they attempt to escape the forest, bring Ezra back to life, and rescue Delphine, the war looms ever closer. Meanwhile, Delphine, who was horrifically tortured by Reniel (the sadistic former leader of her Shoal) as punishment for leaving him, plots her escape by feigning submission and remorse. Lastly, the Valkyrie Amina, having stolen Ezra’s heart, is finally free of the forest, and she flies home to exact her revenge against the Valkyrie queen, only to discover that society and her friends have changed.

Despite intriguing mini-quests and plot developments, the pacing drags, and the rotating points of view lessen the tension, although the inclusion of Gideon’s and Delphine’s viewpoints does add welcome depth to the relationships. Delphine’s flashbacks and self-analysis, in particular, are empathetic, even though the torture scenes become repetitive. The depictions of corrupting power and societal inequities and control are intriguing but limited by centering on the seemingly one-dimensional antagonists.

The strong, well-depicted focus on friendship and love is uplifting and provides a thematic thread despite the diluting rotating narration. The cast contains fantasy diversity.

Unlikely to win new fans, but returning readers will find elements to appreciate. (map, character glossary) (Fantasy.

13-18) JANUARY 15, 2024

137

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

Get the ultimate inside scoop on the best new books.

Scan the QR Code to listen now:

New episode every Tuesday

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 138

12/20/23 5:38 PM

P O D C A S T // Y O U N G A D U LT

Fully Booked Author Brandy Colbert helps us celebrate the Best Young Adult Books of 2023.

BY MEGAN LABRISE EPISODE 350: BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF 2023 EDITORS’ PICKS:

The Dos and Donuts of Love

by Abida Jaigirdar (Feiwel & Friends) Plan A by Deb Caletti (Labyrinth Road) My Flawless Life by Yvonne Woon (Katherine Tegen/ HarperCollins) Wings in the Wild by Margarita Engle (Atheneum) All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr (Amulet/Abrams) THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

Death Is Potential: A Kate Swift Mystery by Bob Burnett Legacy of Honor: The Air Warrior by Larry A. Freeland Bungalow Terrace by Robert Monroe A King of Cartoons by Simon Paul Woodwar

Photo Credit Jamaal

Fully Booked is produced

by Cabel Adkins Audio and Megan Labrise.

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 139

To hear the episode, visit Kirkus online.

On this episode of the Fully Booked podcast, Brandy Colbert joins us to discuss The Blackwoods (Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins, Oct. 3), an enthralling YA novel centeringon three unforgettable members of a Black Hollywood dynasty—and one of our Best Young Adult Books of the Year.As Kirkus writes in a starred review, “Colbert’s sprawling novel is a deeply felt love letter to Black Hollywood’s groundbreaking forebears and a tribute to the transformative power of maternal love.”

Colbert is the award-winning author of books for young readers of all ages, including Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, The Voting Booth, The Only Black Girls in Town, and Little & Lion.

She teaches in the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program at Hamline University. Here’s a bit more from our starred review of The Blackwoods: “Through decades of commitment to her craft and resilience in the face of discrimination, Blossom ‘Bebe’ Blackwood cemented her legacy as an award-winning Black actor and trailblazer. When Blossom passes away at the age of 96, her family celebrates their beloved matriarch and feels adrift without her guidance. This is especially true for 17-year-old cousins Ardith and Hollis Blackwood, who sometimes struggle with the challenges of being born intoa highly visible family. Bebe was best friend to Ardith, a devout churchgoer and rising actor. For Hollis, a grounded high schooler content to remain on the outskirts of the Hollywood elite, Bebe represented the beauty of triumph over adversity. As the teens adjust to their new normal, a long-buried secret comes to light, forever changing their

The Blackwoods Colbert, Brandy

Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins | 384 pp. | $15.99 October 3, 2023 | 9780063091597

perceptions of the great-grandmother they all thought they knew.”

First, Colbert shares a bit about how she celebrated the Oct. 3 publication of The Blackwoods. We then explore the life of protagonist Blossom Blackwood, who provides one of three perspectives from which the story is told, and introduce her granddaughters, Ardith and Hollis, who provide contemporary perspectives on celebrity, family, tradition, and scandal. Colbert talks about how she built confidence in writing the historical portions of the novel, and the tools she used to bring Blossom’s scenes to life. We discuss how our society processes scandals—and what constitutes a scandal—and how they’ve changed from the ’40s to today; how each one of us now walks around with a camera in our hand, able to capture any transgression at a moment’s notice; our shared admiration for the work of film historian and author Donald Bogle; the importance of community and belonging; and much more.

Then young readers’ editor Laura Simeon highlights a few titles from our Best Books list.

12/20/23 5:38 PM

>>>

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 140

12/20/23 5:38 PM

B O O K L I S T // Y O U N G A D U LT

1

3

2

5 Short Reads That Pack a Punch 1 Outta Here

By Lea Beddia

A heartbreaking testament to saving oneself.

2 Huda F Cares?

By Huda Fahmy

Delightfully heartwarming.

4 Poemhood: Our Black Revival: History, Folklore & the Black Experience: A Young Adult Poetry Anthology

Ed. by Amber McBride, Taylor Byas & Erica Martin

By Connie Goldsmith

Will incite sympathy, not to say outrage, along with admiration for these often-underestimated birds.

An inspiring deep dive into the history of activist music.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524_KR_YA_RD_F.indd 141

5

A rich, thoughtful anthology exploring centuries of Black poetry.

5 Rise Up and Sing!: Power, Protest, and Activism in Music

3 Pigeons at War: How Avian Heroes Changed History

4

For more short and memorable YA books, visit Kirkus online.

By Andrea Warner; illus. by Louise Reimer

JANUARY 15, 2024

141

12/20/23 5:38 PM

Indie Stories about magic are about as old as storytelling itself. These days, such tales often focus on children’s and teens’ adventures, but there are plenty of authors casting spells for older readers, as well—and some push genre boundaries. One notable example is Deborah Harkness’ bestselling 2011 paranormal romance fantasy novel, A Discovery of Witches, which launched a trilogy of books that inspired an AMC TV series that ran from 2018 to 2022.

Indie authors have conjured up plenty of works of wizardry for adults, including these recommended titles: The Battle for Arisha’s Mountain (2021), the first installment in Kelly Allers’ Final Age of Magic series, tells a tale with some familiar epic-fantasy elements; for example, its adult protagonist, alchemist Kaden Raylon, has seemingly prophetic dreams of his impending demise (“he…wondered if this is what it felt like to be old, to anticipate one’s own death”) and a coming “army of darkness.”

However, the narrative also 142

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 142

effectively delves into new realms by offering what our reviewer calls “magical multi-species chaos”: a fictional world that’s home not only to dragons, but also talking birds, angel-like Seraphs, and even reptilian fortune tellers. It also features graphic battle scenes that fans of the Game of Thrones TV series are likely to enjoy.

Stephanie Damore’s 2021 series-starter, Witchy Reservations, combines a cozy mystery with lively paranormal elements.

Angelica Nightingale is an events planner at a Chicago hotel who’s called back to her enchanted hometown of Silverlake, Georgia, after 13 years away. Silverlake is home to a community of witches, including Angelica’s Aunt Thelma, who wants Angelica to help save her struggling hotel, the Mystic Inn. But when Thelma becomes a murder suspect, Angelica must clear her name with the help of her lawyer ex-boyfriend, with whom she has a fraught relationship—and she’ll also have to wield magic again

for the first time in years.

Kirkus’ reviewer favorably compares the work to Charlaine Harris’ popular Sookie Stackhouse novels (the inspiration for the HBO series True Blood) and notes that “Angelica makes for an effortlessly endearing Everywoman hero.”

Magical Midlife Madness (2020) by K.F. Breene also tells the story of a woman unearthing small-town secrets, but Jessie Evans’ circumstances are a bit different. For one thing, the middle-aged, recently divorced woman knows nothing of the town’s magic—at least, at first. At the story’s outset, Jessie enthusiastically takes a job as the caretaker of a mansion in the California mountain town of O’Briens, which

she’d visited on vacation as a child. Before long, she’s hitting it off with attractive local bartender Austin Steele. However, she soon finds that the townsfolk are leading “magical double lives,” as our reviewer puts it, and that O’Briens is not what it seems; it all leads to a confrontation with evil, of course. Our review notes that the work includes “a few too many references to Jessie’s post-childbirth bladder,” but also “chatty, lively worldbuilding in a rollicking fantasy.” There’s little doubt, in any case, that many readers of a certain age will find it refreshing to follow the magical adventures of someone in their 40s.

David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.

Illustration by Eric Scott Anderson

WORKS OF MAGICAL THINKING

DAVID RAPP

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

EDITOR’S PICK Crujido’s surreal, romantic stories about an apartment building’s residents offer a dash of magical realism and wonder to their Pacific Northwest settings.

The collection opens with a welcome to the Mt. Vernon Apartments, a three-story building in Spokane, Washington, that houses the dreamy tales’ various characters. There’s a World War I veteran with PTSD who finds a cage containing tiny, bird-sized women with wings, dressed in silk, in “Apartment A: The Songbird (1918).”

In “Apartment B: The Tower (1918),” there’s an unnamed lover, locked away like a princess in a tower during a flu epidemic, who eventually floats away like the bride in a Marc Chagall painting. A mannequin from a department store

These Titles Earned the Kirkus Star

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 143

comes alive and tries to escape in “Apartment C: The Mannequin (1934)”; when a manager mistakes her for another woman, she ultimately ends up working there as an employee. Other stories feature a talking bear and a telephone that connects the present to the past. Crujido’s stories are frequently whimsical but often have a touch of melancholy: A couple meet in their dreams but are unable to stop the passage of time; a bitter and irascible widow literally loses her head. With their magic and flights of fancy, these stories have a sweetness to them that, as one passage puts it, is “sugared with sadness.” Crujido remarkably connects moments from 100 years of one building’s history, but in doing so, she reveals the sense of loss

143

The Strange Beautiful

By Carla Crujido

150

Now You Are a Missing Person

By Susan Hayden

The Strange Beautiful Crujido, Carla | Chin Music Press 202 pp. | $16.95 paper Oct. 24, 2023 | 9781634050531

and ennui that underpins the passage of time. Indeed, the Mt. Vernon Apartments are haunted by the memories of previous stories.

Throughout the collection, Crujido’s clear, careful prose is enhanced by bursts of levity, such as a refrain (“At the exact moment…”) that runs throughout “Apartment E: The Dandelion

(1958),” a rich (and scathing) character study of a gossipy middle-aged woman. Gorgeous, italicized postscripts to each tale offer a memorable image or tragic note on which to linger.

Individually, these works are delightful treats; together, they’re a sumptuous feast.

Dazzling, magical narratives, full of delight and sorrow.

152

The Question in the Dancer’s Kiss

By Kevin Hincker

152

The Story of Neeps and Tattie

By Amy Johnson & Diane Madden; illus. by Abigail Gray Swartz

JANUARY 15, 2024

143

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

You Never Knew Me Almquist, Marty | Cafe Au Lait (232 pp.) | $7.99 paper | Nov. 11, 2023 9780985262464

Personal discovery pairs well with French gastronomy in Almquist’s novel about the power of friendship and the thrill of second chances.

Around 2007, after her daughter has left home, Bostonian Jane Longworth is shocked to discover that her husband doesn’t share her dream of traveling the world together. She takes an impulsive trip to Paris alone, where she befriends two other women: Englishwoman Fiona Braxton and Véronique Moreau. Their friendships, along with the magic of the French capital, help each woman grow personally and professionally. Véronique’s career at gourmet food chain store Bon Gout takes off as she oversees the opening of a London branch; she and her husband, Jean-Pierre, work through their differences about how to balance their professional ambitions with their desire to start a family.

Fiona, who’d been consumed with caring for her dying mother, slowly lets go of the guilt that keeps her working at her family’s factory; she tentatively pursues a job with Véronique’s company and a relationship with Emily Spenser, a very supportive academic.

Jane follows her passion for food, enrolls in cooking school in Paris, and begins a romance with Bernard Dubois, a devastatingly handsome and charming chef. Long discussions and bonding sessions between the three women are interspersed with pleasurable, if familiar, descriptions of the sights and tastes of Paris (“the tang of the tarragon and the rich buttery taste of the bearnaise”). The three women at the center of the narrative are sympathetic and relatable, and it’s easy to cheer on their joys and successes.

As the story moves along, there’s a certain repetitive simplicity in the author’s belief that the City of Lights 144

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 144

can solve any problem. Still, Almquist is perceptive about the desires and fears of women at various stages of their lives.

A light addition to the adventures-inParis genre offers cozy fun to fans of travel fiction and tender love stories.

Restarting Your Life When You Are No Longer a Wife Burroughs, Diane | Lookfar (172 pp.) $14.76 | $15.00 paper | April 6, 2021 9781736544815 | 9781736544808 paper

Burroughs discusses learning to thrive after finding herself single at age 50 in this motivational guide.

The author’s world as she knew it turned upside down when, at the age of 50, her partner of 24 years left her for a younger woman. The emotional journey toward healing and self-acceptance wasn’t easy; Burroughs shares her experience here to help others who find themselves in the same predicament. From the outset, she emphasizes that this guide is strictly for those women who find themselves alone after the age of 50, “not twenty or twenty-five, where the whole world’s ahead of you and a fresh start means not living with your parents anymore.” Her advice is similarly biting, full of unconventional tips like hiring a “breakup assistant” (“My assistant actually labeled a box, ‘Photos you do not want to look at.’

How great is that?”) alongside more traditional platitudes (“The thing you will realize once you start doing whatever you want without telling a soul is that you are truly now an adult”).

The book walks readers through the multiple steps needed to recover from the emotional trauma of being left, from anger to grief to the sheer joy of getting reacquainted with friends and—more importantly—oneself.

Burroughs uses copious metaphors to drive her points home, from “life is a moving sidewalk” to an extended comparison between her stolen

front yard flowerbox and her stolen husband. While these can occasionally become tedious, the book really shines when illuminating the psyche of a woman experiencing a very specific kind of emotional pain, including her acknowledgment of what she dubs the “Doubt Monster” and her realization that “figuring it all out” won’t ever really lead to any significant understanding of why her husband left. By turns lighthearted and introspective, Burroughs truly bares it all.

A helpful primer for getting over heartbreak after the age of 50 with humor and heart.

Foxhawk: It Begins Cervarich, Frank | San Francisco Bay Press (318 pp.) | $19.99 paper | Oct. 24, 2023 9781734602463

A young man seeking to re-invent himself gets caught up in a secretive plot in this complex thriller.

After a short, dissatisfying stay at the intelligence agency nicknamed “The Office,” Charlie Foxhawk Carter wants a fresh start. He leaves behind Richmond, Virginia, his family and friends, and all of his old expectations. Like many other young people, he moves to San Francisco during the Summer of Love.

In San Francisco, he takes a position as a claims investigator for Life Beneficial.

For his first case, Charlie investigates the death of murder victim Bob White.

He’s soon getting pressured by the company president, his immediate supervisor, and White’s own parents to sign off on the cause of death so the claim will be paid. When he resists, Tony Vitolinich, Charlie’s cousin, suddenly becomes the prime suspect in the murder. While working to clear Tony, Charlie, who left his longtime crush Isobel back in Richmond, meets Heather Chicago, the girl of his dreams, who has her share of secrets.

He also learns that White’s father, Bull, who’s been causing much of the KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

A beautifully written, socially conscious, and occasionally challenging read.

HOLLER

turmoil in Charlie’s life, is a high-ranking Office official. Eventually, Tony and his girlfriend, Jane, who’s also Heather’s sister, are abducted, and Charlie and Heather must race to locate and rescue them while avoiding The Office’s clutches themselves.

There’s a lot to like about Cervarich’s latest work, including the winning protagonist Charlie, who, like many young adults at that time, was trying to find his own way. Unfortunately, his doing the right thing and following his moral compass serves to get him into more and more trouble as he angers important, shady people. Cervarich does a magnificent job of evoking San Francisco during a turbulent time, but with all the mysticism and drug use in the novel, it’s difficult to tell what’s real and what’s imagined; Office agents also seem to lurk everywhere, which feels unrealistic. Still, this intriguing first volume in Cervarich’s series bodes well for future installments.

A young drifter fights the good fight in this atmospheric, engaging character study.

The Heart of Innovation: A Field Guide for Navigating to Authentic Demand Chanoff, Matt, Merrick Furst, Daniel Sabbah & Mark Wegman | Berrett-Koehler Publishers (208 pp.) | $24.95 paper Nov. 7, 2023 | 9781523005703

Chanoff, Furst, Sabbah, and Wegman offer a new interpretation of innovation— and a more systematic way to approach it—in this nonfiction work.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 145

Innovation is not the same as mere invention, aver the authors; while the latter could be a mere “flash in the pan,” the former always precipitates a substantive and lasting shift in human behavior and will “become embedded in the world outside the innovator’s head.” For this to happen, the innovator must satisfy a profound desire on the part of the prospective user. “Successful innovation also must connect with the deep selves, the motivations, the pride, validation, ambition, et cetera of the people for whom the innovation is intended.” The authors devote this analytically rigorous text to an assessment of this hunger, what they call “authentic demand,” something that’s not reducible to either a rational calculation or a frenzied response to fancy marketing or sweeping trends.

Authentic demand arises when the consumer considers the lack of a product to be a problem, “almost as a violation of something important.” This means that consumers will not be able to forgo products that so obviously and seamlessly make sense in their lives. The authors, all of whom have extensive business and academic experience with innovation, describe a “deliberate methodology” for finding that elusive authentic demand, and they provide the means for diagramming various situations to locate it. Some of the ground they cover is a stale rehashing of the business book genre’s shopworn tropes—the discussions of confirmation bias and creating a culture of “radical candor” seem perfunctory and obligatory. Still, the book is both surprisingly original and practically oriented and should be genuinely helpful to anyone looking to clarify what innovation is—and how to harness it.

A thoughtful, concise, and practical guide to commercial innovation.

Holler Chapman, Danielle | Unbound Edition Press (190 pp.) | $28.00 paper | Oct. 9, 2023 9798987019955

Chapman reckons with a family history forged in the white privilege and bigotry of the old South in this memoir.

The pivotal event in the author’s young life, the one that would determine the trajectory of her childhood, took place on a beach in Okinawa, where her father was stationed with the U.S. Marines. She was about 3 years old, and her parents were swimming in the waves. One large wave took her father down, tearing his hand from her mother’s grip. The wave almost took her mother as well. A few years later, Gayle Chapman told her little girl how she had wanted to die with her husband, but God told her she must live and take care of her child.

Her paternal grandfather (her “Papa”), a former Marine Corps commandant, flew to Okinawa to bring his bereaved family home to the United States, where mother and daughter were cared for by Chapman’s grandparents until Gayle could set up her own home; Papa became her de facto father.

She spent her summers in Fairfield, Tennessee, staying in the ramshackle ancestral home of her great-grandfather, General Leonard Fielding Chapman Jr. Stories of carefree summer days intertwine with her growing awareness of her ancestors’ participation in the cruelty of slavery and her current family’s lingering residual bigotry—the author wrestles with her conflicting feelings of love for Papa and her great-grandfather and an inherited guilt over a family history that represents everything she stands against. Chapman is a published poet and essayist, a teacher of Shakespeare and creative writing at Yale, and an unabashed progressive—each of these attributes is reflected in her elegantly composed prose. Abundant literary JANUARY 15, 2024

145

12/20/23 5:39 PM

>>>

INDIE

references, philosophical musings, and emotional reflections spool out in lengthy, linguistically complex sentences, always in search of an answer to her overriding question: “How can heaven and hell exist cheek by jowl in a place, in a person, in a nation’s history, and in oneself?”

A beautifully written, socially conscious, and occasionally challenging read that rewards time and patience.

Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Advocacy: 2024 Edition Daley-Harris, Sam | Rivertowns Books (348 pp.) | $32.95 | Jan. 9, 2024 9781953943347

Daley-Harris details the history of his successful citizens’ lobbyist group and sketches a blueprint for others to follow.

The author’s nonprofit lobbying group, RESULTS, whose name once stood for “Responsibility for Ending Starvation Using Legislation, Trimtabbing, and Support,” was founded in 1980 in Southern California as a small group of friends writing letters to elected officials to help fight poverty and world hunger. Decades later, it’s blossomed into a considerable organization with chapters all over the world, and it’s one that’s been widely recognized for helping to reduce malnutrition and preventable disease with what Daley-Harris calls “transformational advocacy.” As he sees it, his success was a function of this deliberate approach, which he sharply contrasts with that typically practiced by many larger organizations, a strategy that “disempowers the average citizen.” The author distills transformational advocacy into three practical parts, which he articulates with impressive clarity. First, such advocacy requires an organizational structure that provides support for its volunteers with a clarity of mission purpose and a set of high expectations.

146

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 146

Second, it features a disciplined plan for outreach that not only produces letters to elected officials and editorials to newspapers, but also cultivates close personal relationships with politicians and journalists. Finally, and most importantly, the author focuses insistently on the empowering value of idealism—the sense that one can truly make a difference: “This idealism includes holding ourselves and our governments accountable to our greatest ideals. If government is broken, we are part of that brokenness and must engage in healing ourselves too.”

Daley-Harris’ approach to explicating transformational advocacy is eclectic.

He furnishes a history of his own group, personal testimonials from those who’ve worked within it, and an account of the success of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, the first organization to replicate the specific methodology of RESULTS. The author’s focus is less on limning a conceptual framework to be copied, though, and more on concrete illustrations that show transformational advocacy in action. As a result, this is a thoroughly practical work that could serve as an instructional guidebook for those looking to start their own advocacy group, or who simply wish to become more involved as individuals.

Aside from all the practical instruction, including how to become an effective spokesperson, Daley-Harris explains what he sees as the proper mindset of the activist: a psychological comportment that’s unabashedly and cheerfully optimistic and freed from the expectation of failure. In short, he writes, activists must come to see themselves as leaders who are capable of changing things: “With transformational advocacy, volunteers are trained, encouraged, and then succeed at doing things they never thought they could

do as advocates—accomplishments like meeting with members of Congress and bringing them on board and enlisting editors to write about their issue—and, as a result…they see themselves as community leaders.” Overall, the author’s analysis of effective action is as persuasive as it is accessible, and his call to democratic participation is inspiring.

A handbook for aspiring activists that readers will find to be both inspiring and practical.

There’s Something I Forgot To Tell You Davis, Dawn | FriesenPress (372 pp.) $39.99 | $24.99 paper | Oct. 24, 2023 9781039192133 | 9781039192126 paper

In Davis’ final book of the Tower Room fantasy series, young Charlotte Lisa Hansen and her friend Henry Jacobs are in London, with Charlotte determined to finish what they started in a previous adventure.

Charlotte, as it happens, is special.

She’s in touch with “the universal,” and when she accesses the Tower Room in her grandfather’s Toronto house, she can time-travel. She and Henry did this in the series’ first entry, The Tree of Life (2015); they went back to 1939, tasked with ensuring that Gwendolyn, a friend of Charlotte’s grandfather, didn’t get her hands on a brooch—a talisman called the Tree of Life. In this, they succeeded, but they failed to set her on a better life path.

Now they’re back in the year 1999 to return the brooch to Gwendolyn, who’s now in her 70s, and save her

The author’s analysis of effective action is as persuasive as it is accessible.

RECLAIMING OUR DEMO CRACY

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

from her own bitterness. In London, they’re the guests of a woman named Sarah Nyman; the wise and ever helpful Oliver, who supports Sarah’s pursuits; and his excitable young grandson, Jeremy. Sarah is a free spirit in her 90s who runs a drama school for kids, and she was once the lover of Gwendolyn’s charismatic older brother, Charlie, an aviator who died early in World War II. Sarah now has the brooch and cedes it to Gwendolyn, who, typically, is not impressed.

However, Sarah also persuades her to direct a new production of a play that Gwendolyn adapted decades ago—an endeavor that slowly pulls Gwendolyn out of her self-absorption. In the end, a kind of magic has been achieved, even if it’s a rather mundane thaumaturgy—not hocus-pocus, but the caring of friends.

Later books in a series often suffer as stand-alones; in this case, newcomers may struggle with understanding who various minor characters are and wonder just what turned the young Gwendolyn against the world.

They may also wish to get more detail about Henry, an affectless 11-year-old boy with a very useful eidetic memory. However, Davis is an ambitious writer who has an engaging way with metaphors and other vivid turns of phrase. At one point, for example, Henry is in a tight spot, and the author offers a truly terrifying line: “All his phobias were waking up, yawning, and sniffing the air.”

At another point, Henry encounters a shabbily dressed fellow carrying a briefcase, which makes him wonder whether the man is “a vagabond on his way up or a financier on his way down.” Davis also has notable skill with dialogue, with many scenes reading like tidy playlets, and 11-year-old Charlotte seeming wiser than senior Gwendolyn. Indeed, readers may wonder if Charlotte is, in fact, ageless. Her time traveling and hypersensitivity to auras are clever conceits; she sometimes experiences what amount to out-of-body experiences. New readers will likely want to discover more about Charlotte, as well as Henry, and may feel KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 147

compelled to read the whole series, starting with The Tree of Life.

An absorbing novel that’s ultimately about the simple virtues of love and caring.

The Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures Pocketbook Doss, Julia & Lorna Myers | Self (163 pp.) | $50.00 paper | July 27, 2023 9798851431050

A guide to the nature and treatment of seizures.

In this book about psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, pediatric psychologist Doss and clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist Myers provide readers with comprehensive basic information about these health incidents, which they first differentiate from epileptic seizures, although they’re very similar both in terms of bodily impacts and personal trauma. They discuss diagnoses, treatment options, and practical issues for managing these conditions for all ages and walks of life, from middle school students to adults (PNES most commonly affects 15- to 35-year-olds). The authors discuss a wide array of factors involved with PNES and include, for instance, a checklist to consult when surveying an office or waiting area for patients: Is there wooden or glass furniture?

Are there pillows handy? Mittens to help a seizing patient avoid self-harm?

Doss and Myers touch on various therapeutic techniques, like cognitive behavioral therapy, which “involves changing maladaptive thoughts and beliefs that trigger maladaptive coping behaviors.” The authors also use frequent short segments and bullet points to advise on the short- and long-term effects of PNES—everything from dealing with immediate symptoms to adapting to cumulative health impacts. Drawing on their combined experience, Doss and Myers address

such things as psychosomatic symptoms or panic attacks, differentiating them from PNES proper. The wide sweep of subjects they cover—from the breadth of possible manifestations to practicalities, such as determining ahead of time precisely how a caregiver may and may not touch a PNES patient during a seizure—and the accessible prose make this an easily navigated, helpful resource.

An invaluably clear, complete overview of all aspects of non-epileptic seizures.

The Lost Scroll Ejaz, Malik & Tahira Ejaz | Fact and Lore Publishing (735 pp.) | $19.99 paper March 29, 2023 | 9781778190056

A fantasy that focuses on a mysterious world and its inhabitants.

Welcome to Serenus. This seemingly peaceful island is populated by people (known as Seren) who have all landed there under the same bizarre circumstances. Arrivals to Serenus always wake up on a boat that’s floating down a river. They have no memory of their pasts. They see dinosaurs and the Rocky Mountains on their journeys before they come ashore at Serenus. There, they pick names (though the protagonist is in no hurry to do so, forcing some to call him No-Name) and are assigned jobs. No-Name gets to be a thinker: someone who explores unanswered questions. They all seem to be content with their situations until cracks start to show in the tranquility. For one, those who attempt to leave Serenus never come back. No-Name is also warned about a fellow thinker named For more Indie content, visit Kirkus online.

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

147

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

Qilam. While some say Qilam is crazy, No-Name is intrigued. Qilam informs him that things are more complex than most of the Seren realize and that an evil wizard lives on the island.

These startling revelations are merely the beginning of the trouble to come.

Right from the outset, this work by Tahira Ejaz and Malik Khalid Ejaz abounds with questions. What is this place? Why the Rocky Mountains?

How trustworthy are the Seren? The narrative moves along briskly as the puzzles mount. The riddles will keep readers intrigued along with such fantasy elements as an emphasis on magic and a search for ancient knowledge. A simple prose style also helps the story maintain a steady pace (for example, No-Name reflects on another character: “I had made up my mind about him”).

Unfortunately, the authors sometimes rely on stock phrases. At one point, “Everyone gasped in horror,” while later a group stared “in disbelief and shock.” Similarly, dialogue can be blunt: “We will leave early in the morning.” Nevertheless, the work delivers a captivating journey into the unknown that only gets stranger as the imaginative story unfolds.

A well-paced, engaging fantasy adventure that rewards readers with new, unusual discoveries.

Terms of Estrangement: Letters to Trevor Elsasser-Chavez, Gregory | Austin Macauley Publishers (242 pp.) $15.85 paper | June 23, 2023 9781685625795

A gay father reaches out to his son to explain the breakup of their family in this epistolary memoir.

ElsasserChavez, a novelist, playwright, and high school English teacher in Los Angeles, frames his story in a series of letters to his teenage son, Travis, who cut off contact with him in 2019, after the author came out as gay and asked Travis’ 148

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 148

Elsasser-Chavez’s narrative is a richly textured coming-out story.

TERMS OF ESTRANGEMENT

mother for a divorce. Both events were difficult for the conservative Christian family to accept. Much of the book presents an agonizing account of Elsasser-Chavez’s unsuccessful, decades-long effort to deny his sexual orientation through Christian “conversion” efforts that included prayer, psychoanalysis, and aversion therapy that required him to sniff a jar full of dog feces while looking at pictures of attractive men. During his 23-year marriage, he notes, his unfulfilled romantic longing and his sense of sinfulness and shame led to depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts, all of which traumatized his three sons. Elsasser-Chavez also revisits his failed attempts to break into Christian broadcasting and television as an actor, producer, and writer, and he offers shrewd analyses of pop culture, as when he notes “a staple Disney mantra: ‘Children: follow your heart, disobey authority, and all your dreams will come true.’” He also dispenses advice to Travis on everything from changing a tire to accepting “your feelings and emotions while learning an efficient way to rope them in.” Elsasser-Chavez writes in anguished, plangent prose about the battle between his sexual longings and antigay church doctrine: “In the Christian universe, being called a ‘sinner’ lessens the sting of the pronouncement because it just makes you one person [among billions] of other sinners….But homosexuals are ‘broken.’ Which implies damage that can never truly heal.” Equally captivating are his quiet, evocative depictions of family life: “Knocking on our adjoining wall to say ‘goodnight.’

You guys knocking back. Man, that kills me.” Elsasser-Chavez’s narrative is a richly textured coming-out story, and divorced parents will relate to

his hard-won insights into wounded families.

A heartfelt and moving saga of self-acceptance and reconciliation.

Round the Twist: Memoir of a Young Colon Cancer Survivor Febre, Lisa | Black Rose Writing (307 pp.) | $22.95 paper | Sept. 6, 2023 9781685132668

Febre offers a memoir of surviving colorectal cancer and its aftermath.

In her first book, the author—a musician, yogi, and mentor with the California-based Colorectal Cancer Alliance—describes many aspects of her journey with stage 4 colorectal cancer, emphasizing the specific experience of getting this type of cancer at the relatively young age of 47. She begins with an account of a colostomy that was a necessary part of the treatment, and how she learned to live with it. Febre then takes readers through surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment, as well as her feelings about each. In addressing the effects of chemotherapy, she debunks some common assumptions about hair loss (noting, for example, that it doesn’t happen to every cancer patient). She includes her own take on head-shaving, including when to begin and when to stop. Febre is also unsparing in her descriptions of the other effects of chemotherapy and the use of steroids, including personality changes and cold sensitivity, which can affect food intake and induce KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

nausea. The author discusses blogging about her condition during her treatment, as well as its limitations.

Throughout, Febre maintains a sense of optimism, reflected in her determination to survive, but beyond emphasizing the role of good health habits, she doesn’t offer the inspirational lessons that are common in cancer memoirs. She effectively acknowledges various biases in the medical system and the limitations of prior fitness when undergoing treatment. In places, she also acknowledges the difficulties that younger cancer patients face as the average age for cancer diagnosis moves downward.

Overall, readers will come away with a sense of the author’s gratitude, though she insightfully notes that, in some ways, she remains the same person she was before her ordeal. The book also includes appendices about cancer care and full-color photos of Febre and her loved ones.

An engaging and unsentimental remembrance of fighting illness.

No More Empty Spaces Green, D.J. | She Writes Press (320 pp.) | $17.95 paper | April 9, 2024 9781647426163

In Green’s debut novel, a geologist seeks fulfillment at a dam site in Turkey.

In Turkey, 1973, American geologist Will Ross has come to the remote village of Kayakale, where a vast dam is being built to harness the hydroelectric power of the mighty Euphrates.

As the project’s chief foundation geologist, Will must “read the story in the rocks” beneath the dam—a story that, so far, has been giving the engineers nightmares. Will planned to come alone, but a last-minute complication (involving his ex-wife’s alcoholism) requires Will to bring his three children—15-year-old Kevin, 12-year-old Rob, and 4-year-old KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 149

Didi—along with him for the remainder of the project. The children are not happy to have their lives uprooted from suburban New Jersey and dropped into a compound in the middle of the Turkish wilderness.

The lone bright spot is the presence of Paula, a peppy young teacher from West Virginia who offers Will and the kids some kindness as they acclimate to their new surroundings. The whole project is put on pause until Will can figure out the cause of the mysterious voids that exist in the rock beneath the site, threatening the dam’s stability. The problem turns out to be larger and stranger than Will anticipated, and it may require more than mere scientific know-how to fix, even as his family’s situation teeters as precariously as the ground beneath his feet. Green’s prose is tender and keenly observant: “They ambled up to the base of a tower of tuff where ocher striations crisscrossed pure white rock, as if a painter had stroked a brush across it. The light moved over it as the sun rose, making the lines dance on the rock’s surface.”

In the wonders of subterranean rock formations, Green finds an apt metaphor for Will’s unplumbed psyche, painting a portrait of a man desperate to keep his life from being crushed beneath the pressure of life’s obligations.

A fascinating and frequently moving novel of family and geology.

Junk Drawer: Random Acts of Literary Stupidity Haley, Clif | Lulu.com (124 pp.) $10.29 paper | May 30, 2023 9781312543744

Debut author Haley offers amusing observations about life in the 21st century in this nonfiction book.

“Will this book change your life?...Will it help you find solutions to the problems that plague you?” asks the author in the

opening lines of this book. The answer, per Haley’s characteristically charming, self-deprecating humor, is a resounding, “No.” It will, however, evoke frequent laughter over the course of nearly 40 eclectic short chapters, united only by their genre-defying randomness. One chapter focuses on modern food; the author notes that, while the diet of health-conscious eaters “consists mainly of food yanked from trees and chicken,” those with less discerning palates now have access to abominations like “hot dogs with cheese in the middle” and other concoctions formulated by society’s best “food engineers.” Other chapters offer Covid-19-era exercise tips for the next pandemic (which include “getting the mail”); explain how to “Explode Your Retirement Savings by Maybe Winning Big in Las Vegas”; and outline how to become a “Real Stand-Up Employee” by purchasing a standing desk.

One particularly hilarious chapter looks at the official adoption of the “golf ball-sized hailstone” as an official unit of measurement used by meteorologists; Haley reports that NASA has followed suit, declaring “yay high” as its new official measurement of distance. With only a handful of exceptions, the book generally avoids scatological or partisan political humor, offering instead a gut-busting collection of family-friendly, non-offensive comedy. Its chapters are supplemented by an ample assortment of photographs with amusing captions and an appendix with instructions for nonplussed readers on how to turn the book’s pages into paper airplanes. Rarely meanspirited, Haley saves his most piercing barbs for himself, noting, for instance, that he “knew he wanted to be a writer the moment he put on his first cardigan sweater about one year ago.” At just over 100 pages, this is an easy read that is best consumed a chapter or two at a time.

A delightfully haphazard anthology of humorous looks at food, work, and life in modern America.

JANUARY 15, 2024

149

12/20/23 5:39 PM

>>>

INDIE

The Magu Program

Hartle, Matt | Bowker (257 pp.) $25.00 | $14.99 paper | Sept. 20, 2023 9798988666820 | 9798988666806 paper

In Hartle’s SF novel, set in a nightmarish Tokyo of tomorrow, an amnesiac warrior-hacker finds himself protecting a mysterious woman and child from powerful corporate interests.

Toxic “Base City” is the never-specified (but nonetheless identifiable) city of Tokyo a century hence. Skyscrapers blot out the sunlight, amoral corporations vie for control and profits, and technological body modifications, sensory boosts, and human-machine interfaces are standard means of social advancement for those who can afford them. Formidable datahacker Ashiro Taki is an extreme case even by secret-agent standards, with military-grade cyborg augmentations, combat reflexes, and storage drives (“It was remarkable—the man was as much synthetic as he was organic. Organs and tissues had been replaced, muscles and bones enhanced; armor plating was everywhere”). Why he exists in this state, he doesn’t know; his long-term memory has been wiped, and he goes from one (generally violent) assignment to another in the murky Base City underworld, sustained by drugs, deadlines, and vestigial visions of his past. By chance or design, Ashiro crosses paths with fugitives from the mighty cybernetics-based Hakko Ichiu Corporation. They are Chiya, a female “healer,” and a mystery boy called Wren, who’s somehow of immense value to the company.

Wren was placed in Chiya’s care, and she fled with him to hide in the poorest districts. Ashiro becomes their defender against a determined dragnet of lethal pursuers. It’s long been fashionable to declare cyberpunk a defunct genre, but when an author of Hartle’s talents pumps this much juice into the tropes, they come alive as they 150

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 150

did in the heady 1980s, when William Gibson’s Neuromancer debuted. The action is slick, the techno-veneer is seductive, even in its horrific aspects, and a retro, noirish flavor leavens the future-shock. Wren’s secret is easy to guess and key plot points remain hazy, but genre readers should salute this diverting yarn’s all-Asian cast—while Japanese anime influences have always helped to define cyberpunk, too often the lead parts default to Anglos.

Immersive, dystopian cyberpunk recalling the genre’s 1980s heyday.

Kirkus Star

Now You Are a Missing Person: A Memoir in Poems, Stories, & Fragments Hayden, Susan | Moontide Press (162 pp.) $19.95 | $16.95 paper | May 9, 2023 9781957799124 | 9781957799100 paper

A woman reflects on love, loss, and life in a moving memoir that blends poetry and prose.

Hayden tackles some of life’s biggest themes—from sex and motherhood to grief and art—with a mix of poems and short essays. She traces her journey from the Los Angeles artist community of the 1970s to later childrearing with section titles that guide readers through her emotional state, including “Dislocated,” “Unavailable,” “Landed,” “Endangered,” and “Situated,” among others. At the heart of the memoir, however, is the notion of death. After a series of sudden losses—including that of her husband, who died in an avalanche while skiing in 2008, leaving Hayden to raise their 11-year-old son alone—the author spent much of her time examining her feelings of grief, both within herself and in the context of the larger world: “This has always been / a ‘Quest’ story / with its circuitous route, / its point and its shoot, / its natural disasters / Still running to the men / who were once /

boys without fathers….” Occasionally, the poems and essays are preceded by a quote that gives context to the topic at hand; “The Family Table,” for instance, offers a thought from Rabbi Yehiel E. Poupko before the author’s reminiscences about her Jewish upbringing.

Various recurring characters, both major (her parents, husband, son) and minor (a psychic, unnamed lovers), appear throughout the work to provide a consistent narrative thread. Casual mentions of Hayden’s acquaintanceships and friendships with various poets, songwriters, and artists give readers an intriguing peek into her unconventional life.

Even when the author writes in prose, her words have a lyrical edge; her scraps and fragments of stories always seem poised to take off in flight: “When I was nineteen, my heart had a head-on collision with a once famous matinee idol, twenty-five years my senior. He had the boots, the breath, the space in his step. He had the rugged, feelingless behavior.”

Hayden is skilled at imbuing even the simplest of words with resonant meaning, which gives the work a haunting quality of searching for something just outside one’s reach. This occurs when she discusses religious clarity (“He’d thought sitting in the Orchestra Pit at synagogue / would bring him closer to God, but the choir, with its rinah u’tefillah / —temple songs written to open the heart—pushed him away”) or testing boundaries (“I was an anomaly in the West Valley, a trickster with a two-spirit nature, Technics turntable and a Barbie suitcase, jam-packed with personal belongings….And I was a bolter, always running away, but just for a little while”). A sense of rawness permeates the memoir, which hits all the more starkly when punctuated with sweet moments, such as memories of her father’s sweet tooth or of sneaking clove cigarettes at Sunday school. As readers roam through accounts of joys and tragedies in Hayden’s life, a solid narrative begins to take shape—one that inspires even as it plumbs the depths of anguish.

A poignant tale of grief and hope that stirs the heart.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

A confidence builder for readers with hearts full of wanderlust.

B AC K PAC K E R S ’ G U I D E TO T H E G LO B E

A Fondness for Truth: A Linder and Donatelli Mystery Hays, Kim | Seventh Street Books (359 pp.) | $18.95 paper | April 16, 2024 9781645060833

A suspected hate crime divides a town and embroils two investigators in Hays’ novel.

This Switzerland-set mystery novel, the third in the author’s Polizei Bern series, begins with the violent and tragic death of Andi Eberhart, 33, who’s struck by a car and killed while riding her bicycle home through the icy streets of Bern.

The hit-and-run aspect of the death devastates her Sri Lankan partner, Nisha; she immediately suspects foul play, revealing to investigators that the couple and their newborn daughter, Saritha, had been terrorized by a relentless barrage of anonymous homophobic letters sent to their home. When the event is recategorized as a homicide, detective duo Giuliana Linder and Renzo Donatelli ramp up their investigation as a list of suspects begins to fall into place. Someone in Nisha’s Tamil family, stridently opposed to her queer lifestyle, could possibly be responsible—most notably her brother, Mathan, who’s been texting her with shaming messages.

Various others might have wanted to cause Andi harm, too: Perhaps the murder could be connected to her job counseling soldiers, or retribution for her reporting racist, bullying guards at the courthouse where a client worked. As the details of Andi’s KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 151

personal life, in addition to her forthright personality and outspoken temperament, become more lucid, Giuliana and Renzo’s job of ferreting out a killer grows more difficult amid an ever expanding group of suspects and plausible leads (“She always hated people who said one thing and meant another. Our girl always spoke her mind, didn’t she, dear?”).

With the duo’s powers of deduction once again on impressive display, this third outing is a fine addition to the series, with Hays remaining consistently focused on current affairs, international cultures, and hot topics.

The author puts LGBTQ+ parenting trends, hate crimes, and homophobia center stage in an investigation that brings heat to these issues and leads to a rousing resolution.

A brisk, smoothly written police procedural from an author engaged with contemporary social issues.

Backpackers’ Guide to the Globe: An Intrepid Travel Guide for the Solo Adventurer Heiter, Kim & Natasha Weinstein | Self (264 pp.) | $29.99 paper | Nov. 15, 2023 9798989175109

Heiter and Weinstein present an informative guide for travelers on their own.

The authors, both experienced solo voyagers, have collaborated on a guide aimed at encouraging travelers to be open to adventure, which can be had without breaking the bank. Unlike a standard guidebook, which generally ticks off

places to see, this is a testimonial to travel as immersion: “slowing down and branching out beyond the comforts of what you think you know.” The authors stress the importance of doing advance research and preparation while being open to new experiences and unexpected changes in plans. They also emphasize that readers must respect ways of life that are different from their own: “As travelers, it is our social responsibility to reserve judgment and approach other cultures with an open mind (and heart), eager to learn and grow through the experiences gifted, shared, or created by those we encounter along the way.” In addition to highlighting travel’s consciousness-raising effects, the book offers a substantial amount of practical guidance based on the authors’ extensive journeys.

Information that’s not usually found in travel guides—about menstruation while traveling, and the different types and availability of hygiene products worldwide—may be especially helpful to women. General advice about visas, vaccines, travelers’ insurance, common scams, packing, tipping, staying in hostels, and using alternative modes of transportation will help younger or novice travelers. Useful websites are listed at the end of the book (with the caveat that contact information may change at any time). Overall, the authors are earnest in their belief that travel is life-altering and should be experienced sooner rather than later.

Their personal reflections, sprinkled throughout, will encourage those who want to set out on a solo travel adventure but also desire some wise advice before setting out.

A confidence builder for readers with hearts full of wanderlust.

For more Indie content, visit Kirkus online.

>>> JANUARY 15, 2024

151

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

Kirkus Star

The Question in the Dancer’s Kiss: The Book of Sound Hincker, Kevin | Self (334 pp.) | $15.99 paper Aug. 14, 2023 | 9798987630174

A mentally unstable former artist sees colors invisible on the normal spectrum and is plagued by ghosts in Hincker’s novel, the second in a series.

Once considered the most talented young artist in Skysill Beach—an art colony / tourist trap on the Southern California coast populated by artists who work with ultraviolet light—Gale is now an alcoholic who can barely hold down his job authenticating real paintings from forgeries because of his bad attitude, almost constant state of inebriation, and his frequent seizures, which he calls “storms.” When Gale is approached by a wealthy art collector and tasked with traveling to Los Angeles to have a potentially invaluable canvas authenticated—a painting that was allegedly done in 1492 by an Italian artist who painted with “higher colors”—Gale leaves the confines of Skysill Beach for the first time in his life and quickly realizes that the ghost (of a woman who died by suicide) who has been haunting him, his sexually charged relationship with a psychic, and his mysterious past are all entangled in a grand-scale conspiracy that includes the end of time itself. An intriguing premise, deeply developed characters, masterful worldbuilding, an impressively intricate storyline, and some bombshell plot twists at the novel’s end make this a virtually unputdownable read. Gale’s self-deprecating, razor-sharp wit (“…my strengths are introspection and getting drunk…”) gives the story an added layer of literary appeal. At the height of an intense scene in which antagonistic characters meet, Hincker throws in this great line: “For a second no one spoke because it would’ve wasted the stare down.” Though the various narrative 152

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 152

elements, when considered separately, aren’t exactly groundbreaking, cumulatively the storyline has a wonderfully fresh and innovative feel.

A blueprint for the next evolutionary step in genre-hybridized fiction.

Living Life Unwounded: A Memoir James, Sydney Oliver | AuthorHouse (300 pp.) | $42.99 | $18.99 paper | Sept. 11, 2023 9798823011600 | 9798823011617 paper

A young woman reflects on her relationship with her husband and caring for someone with mental illness.

In her heartbreaking debut memoir, middle school science teacher James revisits the time when she first fell in love with her ex-husband, Adam, and how their relationship was affected by his struggle with bipolar disorder. (Some names in the book have been changed, according to the author.) A Michigan native living in Indianapolis, she met Adam, who worked at a medical device company, after church one day, soon after he’d moved to town. The two began dating a few months later and enjoyed getting to know each other during dinners, trips, and baseball games. The relationship progressed very quickly, and within months of their first meeting, Adam proposed during a trip to the Grand Canyon. The two promptly began wedding planning before Adam, who was with the National Guard, had to leave to fulfill his military service. Later, he insisted that they buy and renovate a house together while planning their wedding and pursuing their careers.

After they married, Sydney learned that Adam had concealed his bipolar diagnosis from her, as well as his history of stays in hospitals and mental health facilities. This omission shattered her trust in her spouse, but she tried to help him as his illness worsened. James’ expert, descriptive prose gives readers an intimate and unguarded look at what she went through as Adam’s caretaker;

she particularly gets across the pain of being lied to by someone she loved: “Every conversation we had, every moment we shared, everything I thought Adam was, was tainted by his lies. And worse, he had asked for my hand in marriage under false pretenses, taking away my right to know who I was giving my heart to.” Ultimately, this book effectively explores what a person might be willing to do under such difficult circumstances. As a result, readers will feel a closeness to the author, and they may find themselves analyzing their own relationships, and their own definitions of what it means to love someone.

An honest and deeply personal account of a troubled marriage.

Kirkus Star

The Story of Neeps and Tattie Johnson, Amy & Diane Madden | Illus.

by Abigail Gray Swartz | Maine Authors Publishing (28 pp.) | $25.95 | April 24, 2022 9781633813472

Two tortoises make a home with humans near Loch Ness, Scotland, in this rhyming story about a decadeslong relationship between a woman and her pets.

Neeps and Tattie, two tortoises, live in a bothy—a small hut—near Loch Ness with an older woman named Annie and her dogs, Angus and Tess. The story flashes back to when Annie adopted the tortoises 52 years earlier, when she was 10. Young Annie builds a small home for them in her garden and takes care of them for decades, both indoors and outdoors, where the tortoises like to play hide-and-seek with the dogs.

When the weather cools, Annie brings the pair inside to hibernate in her refrigerator until spring. Johnson and Madden show the joys of long-lived pet ownership in accessible rhyming phrases.

Youngsters are likely to chuckle at the refrigerator hibernation in Swartz’s full-color illustrations, which feature two tortoises withdrawn into shells on a tray KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

labeled “Do Not Eat.” Scottish terms such as bothy and loch are explained in a glossary, but readers won’t need definitions to understand the tale. (The meanings behind the tortoises’ names, however, may elicit giggles.) Painted images capture the pastoral setting on Loch Ness and give the straightforward story a whimsical feel, hiding familiar shapes in bushes and clouds.

A charming tale sure to pique kids’ interest in Scotland—and tortoises.

Man-Killer Kelter, Lawrence | Black Rose Writing (260 pp.) | $21.95 paper | Jan. 11, 2024 9781685133528

This thriller finds a Brooklyn private investigator facing a vicious gangster and a dubious Russian boxer.

It hasn’t been easy for Det. Gina Marie Cototi to keep up with her hefty caseload, primarily consisting of insurance fraud. But her troubles only surge when someone steals her 1963 Corvette Stingray, a mint-condition classic that’s been in her family for 60 years. In trying to get her car back, she mingles with criminals and unavoidably incites the wrath of mobster Luca Mura. Meanwhile, an insurance case leads her to boxer Vlad Rzhevsky. The Russian seems to take a liking to Gina, and while he may prove an ally in dealing with Mura, he has his hands in such criminal endeavors as illegal steroid distribution. Gina’s encounters with Mura unsurprisingly turn dire. Luckily, she has others on her side who are much more reliable than Rzhevsky, from her older sister/roommate, Theresa, to former parole officer

and potential romantic interest Rocco Benelli. Kelter delivers some terrific set pieces, including one of Rzhevsky’s boxing matches and a “hoity-toity” Japanese restaurant where something illicit is going down. An often vibrant cast complements these backdrops—the entertainingly unpredictable boxer, Gina’s not-so-legitimate businessman cousin, and her unabashedly promiscuous sister (“She projected the kind of heat that made guys walk face-first into walls. Father John at the local parish once offered to leave the church for her”). Gina herself is a well-drawn protagonist, a gumshoe who endures men’s groping hands and condescending terms of endearment (including sweetie).

But in this series opener, readers see very little of the sleuth’s investigative skills, as there’s no real mystery or much evidence to dig into. She’s nevertheless capable and holds her own in confrontations, with the novel’s latter half yielding some perilous situations. The book likewise has a few shocks, especially regarding one character, who provides an effective teaser for the sequel.

Electrifying characters elevate this well-crafted detective tale.

The Broken Harmonica Leonard, Samuel K. | LitFire Publishing (674 pp.) | $26.55 paper | July 9, 2018 9781641519625

A Black family weathers poverty and racist violence in the wake of the Civil War in Leonard’s historical novel.

The story opens in 1871 with former enslaved people Cornelius Wright and his wife, Sissy, living with

A starkly moving portrait of life under the threat of terror.

their children Jacob, Jed, Ezekiel, and Patsy in New York City, where Cornelius plays harmonica in a band and almost allows his drinking, womanizing, and violence to tear the family apart. Mending his ways, he moves the family to rural Maryland, buys a farm, and opens a blacksmith shop that becomes the center of the town of Oakfield, which has a substantial Black population. Ensuing decades bring independence and prosperity to Cornelius and his kids, but also plenty of trouble in the racist South, including a false accusation of an extremely serious crime. Years go by, and in 1915, white developers start pressuring Cornelius to sell his farm, and a resurgent Ku Klux Klan begins threatening him; soon, the Klan goes after his sons as well. Through Cornelius’ narrative voice, Leonard paints a rich, nuanced view of the lives of freed Blacks who are hopeful for the future but struggling to make their way in a racist world.

Armand’s characters are complex and flawed, and much of the story’s drama stems from familial friction, which is depicted with painful realism. Over the course of the novel, the prose is vivid and sensual, as when it describes a lengthy sexual encounter between Cornelius and a passionate Irish immigrant.

Sometimes it achieves a nightmarish intensity when describing violence: “I watched his left eyeball shatter like a piece of glass sending white and black shards flying in all different directions.” The result is a starkly moving portrait of life under the threat of terror.

A gritty, engrossing saga of survival under Jim Crow that packs an emotional wallop.

For more Indie content, visit Kirkus online.

>>>

THE BROKEN HARMONICA

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 153

JANUARY 15, 2024

153

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

The River of Cheese Lowles, Amanda Jane | Illus. by Mario Coelho | Nightingale Books (42 pp.)

Nov. 30, 2023 | 9781838759742

In this debut picture book, a cat comes up with a seemingly foolproof plan to catch a mouse.

In a classic tale of pursuit and near capture, a nameless feline finds his tranquil existence in an aging Victorian house rudely interrupted by the appearance of a mouse. As may be expected, he gives chase, dashing past a number of local village residents: an older man, a woman in a green dress, a fox, a baker, a jockey, and more. The race endures for a number of pages until the cat decides to approach the problem with smarts instead of the speed that has failed him thus far: “I’ll get that mouse if it’s the last thing I do, / I’ll think of a plan too good to be true!” He runs to the local cheese shop, whose wares he uses to fuel his massive trap for the mouse. But he doesn’t account for every possibility and he’s taken aback when his scheme goes awry.

Lowles’ entertaining tale is told in bouncy, memorable rhymes that are augmented by her repetition of adjectives, like “It was a hot, hot day in an old, old house.” Coelho’s watercolor illustrations are exaggerated and cartoonish, reflecting the story’s wacky tone. But the action-packed plot is slow to arrive to the cat’s final plan, stealing some of the pleasure from these rhymes as they become repetitive in their descriptions of the townspeople, who are mostly white.

An enjoyable feline tale that’s slightly hindered by pacing issues.

For more Indie content, visit Kirkus online.

154

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 154

Mukherjee’s tales illustrate the vast chasm between inner and outer life.

L I S T E N T O T H E S TA R S

Fire at the Stymie Club: Stories from the Mississippi River to Chesapeake Bay Martin, Sandra Olivetti | New Bay Books (456 pp.) | $25.00 paper | June 20, 2023 9798985347777

Martin offers a memoir and a collection of her work as a journalist in this nonfiction book.

The author’s earliest memories are from her personal Eden in idyllic Key West, Florida, where her father was stationed during World War II. As the war drew to a close, Martin’s parents “weren’t going to let the party end” when they returned home in 1948 to St. Louis, Missouri, to found the Stymie Club, a supper club and cocktail lounge. In the book’s gripping first chapter, the author recounts her atypical childhood spent in this adult oasis that attracted men from all walks of life, from plumbing contractors to dentists to professional football players, lured in by the cigar smoke, alcohol, and young waitresses. The club offered the titillation of “secret love,” as frequent romantic affairs between patrons and waitresses were known even to the adolescent author, and it was raided on multiple occasions by local law enforcement as an alleged center of illicit gambling. Having worked as a journalist for more than half a century, Martin has a knack for storytelling, alternating autobiographical vignettes from her fascinating life with an anthology of her work, which has been published in the Washington Post,

the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and other national publications. The stories range from personal reflections on her family’s Italian roots to explorations of the lives of Abraham Lincoln reenactors in Illinois. The book also highlights the author’s career in journalism, including her coverage of the 2018 mass shooting at the office of The Capital newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. The book concludes with a poignant series of pieces that reflect on the lives of the family members, friends, and pets who have affected Martin’s life. The author’s personal and engaging text is accompanied by a treasure trove of full-page photographs, snapshots, newspaper clippings, and replications of primary sources, including postcards and handwritten letters. Given the inherent brevity of newspaper writing, the book may leave many readers wanting to learn more, particularly about the menagerie of characters who frequented the Stymie Club.

An absorbing and fitting tribute to a career journalist.

Listen to the Stars: Six Spellbinding Stories Mukherjee, Avi | iUniverse (184 pp.) $4.35 | $3.81 paper | Feb. 28, 2023 9781663250353 | 9781663250339 paper

Mukherjee’s tales illustrate the vast chasm between inner and outer life, but also how intimate a relationship can be with a stranger.

There’s a very old short story form in which the main character meets a stranger KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

who tells a story that’s too compelling not to repeat. Five of the six tales in Mukherjee’s collection use this format; the outlier, “Smile Without Reason,” perhaps doesn’t because its main plot device—a virus that triggers random acts of violence—absolutely forbids it. Even in the table of contents, the author introduces stories as if they’re interesting strangers. In “Flow With the Tide,” Cesar, an American businessman in Tokyo, meets Annie, a younger Japanese woman who’s searching for her American father, whom she’s never known. Readers will feel time and geography, memory and desire, pulling in different directions, an underlying complexity that’s sometimes subtly obscured by the traditional structure. “Another World” effectively turns the format sideways as Brett Engler, college professor and professional poker player, meets journalist Drew Casey outside his Las Vegas condo; fully half the story consists of their discussion of games of chance, skill, and life. In “Click for Romance,” two men meet on a plane bound for Shanghai from Chicago, and Mukherjee’s readers are treated to a treatise on online dating. Fittingly, the form hits its high point in the last, titular story, which threads the entire collection’s many themes through the words of elderly professor Avtar, who shares a table by chance with Liz, who’s traveling alone on business. When Liz later tells her husband, Liam, about the man, Liam recognizes him as a famous lecturer, and they fly out to San Francisco to unwind his gentle riddles. “Never Alone” is clearly the dark horse and dark heart of the collection. In it, Ajay Raj’s son, who has schizophrenia, sees the story title as a description of the constant voices in his head; Ajay never feels more alone than when he’s with his son—a soul-crushing irony.

An exploration of a common story setup that yields significant rewards.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 155

Cape Wrath Olson, Ted | Story Road (300 pp.) $16.99 paper | Sept. 19, 2023 9798218043988

In Olson’s novel, tragedy and signs of the ghostly dead surround a lighthouse in the Scot­tish Highlands.

By the mid1950s, Andrea Sinclair has loved Thomas MacAllister for years. She’s known him since before the outbreak of World War II, in which he fought as a Royal Navy commander. Now retired, Thomas is a keeper for a lighthouse on Scotland’s northwest tip, while Andrea lives much farther south, in Glasgow. She can visit him, but she wants him to leave or request a transfer to be closer to her. Thomas, for a reason he won’t explain, simply will not abandon this particular lighthouse. Then comes an unexpected tragedy: Thomas ends up the victim of a bloody murder. As Andrea’s life is thrown into turmoil, a new keeper steps into Thomas’ former role, along with two new assistants.

The men have hardly settled in when at least one of them begins to see an apparition wandering near the cliffs; another shocking death soon follows.

Nearly a half century later, Edinburgh reporter Mary Craig has a story in mind involving the mysterious deaths and the now-decommissioned lighthouse, where she witnesses something potentially supernatural. She wants to get some insight into Thomas via his journals, but they’re now in the hands of his American nephew, Evan Robbins, who’s in Scotland to learn about the relatives he’s never known.

Mary and Evan form an unlikely duo while learning everything they can about Thomas, which includes tracking down the people he knew decades ago and following clues about a mysterious box that may contain some answers.

Olson’s novel is a deftly understated cross-genre tale. The romance between Andrea and Thomas is refreshingly

subtle (Andrea has her own story: She’s a stage actress whose fellow cast members seemingly resent her, likely due to her wealthy, influential father, Samuel), as are scenes with ghosts that people may or may not actually be seeing. The same is true for the murder mystery, which doesn’t drive the narrative; although readers know more about Thomas’ death than most of the characters do, not every detail is immediately revealed. The author orchestrates the various subplots and the dual time periods to great effect, amping up the narrative with an unwavering pace. Olson builds tension throughout the novel in a variety of clever ways; the lighthouse’s coastal setting puts it right in the heart of storms, as when a blizzard’s roaring winds unnerve those inside the beacon. Similarly, Andrea has a strained conversation with Samuel while he struggles to quiet and control his barking dogs pulling against their leashes. Vibrant descriptions, especially of the towering lighthouse, outfit the story with a moody atmosphere. In one scene set in the beacon’s lightroom, “pale sunlight filtered through clouded glass. [Mary] walked across the steel floor, following the curve of the room and shuffling through pebbles, sticks, some broken glass, and dirt.” While the ending illuminates much of what’s unfolded, plenty remains for readers to interpret on their own.

Dynamic characters headline a riveting story of lost souls and the inescapable past.

Dragon Guard Penn, Blake & Raven Penn | Good Lux Creative (502 pp.) | $29.99 | $17.99 paper Oct. 3, 2023 | 9798987789544 9798987789551 paper

One girl choose between her own safety and the survival of those she loves in Blake and Raven Penn’s YA fantasy novel.

Meleya of Misthaven is a magi, a person who possesses magical powers. She JANUARY 15, 2024

155

12/20/23 5:39 PM

>>>

INDIE

lives in the land of Evgard, a medieval-like realm where being a magi is illegal. Her parents were arrested for breaking this very law and now reside in prison, where they’ll remain until Meleya serves her time in the dragon guard as a proxy soldier. While in training, Meleya makes friends with Solvai, whose father died in battle and whose mother is an experienced soldier, and Brigan, an heir to a noble title. Also on their squad is Bjorn, who loathes magi with a passion, and Edrea, who’s ambitious and hates anyone who gets in her way. Everything is going according to plan—Solvai is made captain and Meleya and Brigan bond with dragons—when their home is attacked and Meleya has to make a drastic decision. She can either stay safe and sacrifice the lives of the guard’s dragons, or she can save them and reveal herself to be a magi, putting herself and her parents in danger.

Meleya knows what she must do, even if the consequences are drastic.

She and her squad are moved to the Outcast Outpost in the dangerous lands known as Dragon Mists, where unspeakable horrors await them.

The authors return to The Skystone Chronicles for another great fantasy adventure with magic, dragons, and more. Meleya is a wonderful heroine with convincing internal struggles over being a magi (“My head was buzzing, my pulse out of control.

What was I thinking? Using etherarchy out in the open?”) and anxiety about the fate of her parents, as well as inspiring willpower and a heart of gold. Her friends, Solvai and Brigan, are compelling characters with their own complexities and personal turmoil. This story of oppression, war, and political intrigue is well

balanced by a fun sense of adventure and entertaining humor.

A sincere and compelling fantasy story for those who feel like outcasts.

Out of the Uniform, Back Into Civilian Life: No Nonsense Veterans Benefits Guide Pike, Jason | Self (78 pp.) | $9.99 paper Sept. 30, 2023 | 9798988961017

A basic navigational manual for dealing with benefits for veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

Pike, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and a decorated combat veteran, opens his slim handbook by guessing that all of his readers found it by reading his memoir, A Soldier Against All Odds (2022). But this is an entirely independent work that seeks to demystify the intricacies of applying for and securing government benefits as a military veteran.

After a few lines of autobiography and a brief overview of the history of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, he gets right down to business, starting by clarifying who qualifies for benefits and who doesn’t; for instance, he interestingly notes that those who have received “other than honorable” discharges can still get certain VA benefits. He covers three main pillars of the benefits system—pensions, health care, and education—and at every step, he clarifies the dictates of what he calls “the massive bureaucratic edifice” that governs these programs and apportions the VA’s $240 billion budget.

Each of his book’s short sections

An immersive and meticulous rendering of a bygone era.

CHOPPED

156

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 156

includes a “Pro Tip” inset that adds extra advice, such as “Keep all your medical records and any paperwork related to health and medical issues for the entire time you are on active duty.” He likewise uses bullet points to clearly spell out the often-lengthy lists of qualifications for any given benefit. These are all features of Pike’s refreshingly straightforward approach, and readers facing the daunting complexities of VA rules and regulations will appreciate the author’s cheerful bluntness and repeated assurances that things aren’t as intimidating as they might at first seem. He covers an incredible amount of very specific material at a fast pace, but the work never feels rushed, and he always takes the straightforward tone of a veteran who’s dealt with all of this himself.

Fellow veterans are sure to find the book invaluable.

An intensely useful guide to a vast program’s complexities.

Chopped Pollock, Dale M. | Shadowbrook Publishing (338 pp.) | $27.99 | $17.99 paper March 6, 2023 | 9798218117023 9798218117016 paper

In Pollock’s historical novel, the murder of Boston’s richest man in the 19th century leads to a celebrated trial.

On Nov. 23, 1849, George Parkman was witnessed entering Harvard Medical College at 1:45 p.m. There was no proof that he ever exited the building.

Parkman, a doctor who was also engaged in real estate investment and moneylending, was not known for “benevolence or generosity.” One of his immigrant tenants complains, “Tha money go out, but nun ever come back, Docter. The roofs, they still leak. The wind, she still blows right inna where the babes sleep, Docter. Ye be killin’ tha little babes!”

Parkman is known as the “Tiger Creditor,” as he’s always in ferocious KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

pursuit of those who fail repayment.

One of these was Professor John White Webster, who was $2,400 in debt to Parkman. By all accounts, Webster was “the meekest of men.” So, it was quite a shock that body parts recovered in Webster’s vault are determined to have belonged to Parkman, “a fearsome man in any circumstances.”

Who would dare lift a hand to one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the city, let alone cut him into pieces? Could Webster be “the most cool-headed killer imaginable?”

One man determined to find out is Dr. James Winchell Stone, who uses phonography to record the minutiae of the trial. The author has one degree of separation from the case: His wife, Susie O’Keefe Pollock, is the great-great-granddaughter of Stone.

Reflecting almost two decades’ worth of research and writing, this lively historical novel is built on a copy of the actual trial transcript passed on to Pollock by her mother. An invented romance between Stone and a fictional Irishwoman named Ellen O’Keefe expands the scope of the courtroom drama to touch on issues of immigration and class. While the whodunit is rather elementary, there is a “now you know the rest of the story” twist that does this sensational trial justice.

An immersive and meticulous rendering of a bygone era and a trial that scandalized Boston.

Adult Human Male Radclyffe, Oliver | Unbound Edition Press (90 pp.) | $25.00 paper | Sept. 12, 2023 9798987019979

A trans author presents a discussion about being trans in a cis world.

Anyone can be trans, from entertainers to cashiers to members of one’s family, notes Radclyffe. Why, then, he asks, has discourse around this topic “become a pinball machine” in which trans people are the ball, ricocheting against the KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 157

walls? Radclyffe asserts that it’s partly a matter of perspective. Some voices are simply louder, he notes—journalism, politics, and religion are largely cisgender domains. Using his own personal experience, wit, and enthusiasm, the author guides his readers to viewpoints that may be new to them. On the subject of trans kids competing in sports, he invites readers into the mind of a child on a soccer team. The child has body dysmorphia but is happy and at peace with her teammates. To ban her from playing, the author says, means only considering the feelings of cis people who feel threatened. At another point, the author explains that he didn’t transition from one sex to another, but “changed my body to become itself.” Overall, Radclyffe presents an empathetic and insistent work that effectively brings clarity to several topics for people who might lack it. For example, he uses an analogy of sheep in pens to illustrate a “binary world, where the two sexes are separated off from each other. There is no migration, there are no gates between the fields, and the fences never move.”

He points out that such thinking is limiting (“Why can’t we just have full run of the countryside?”) and driven by misogyny, and he clearly expresses his belief that all feminists should embrace trans rights, because the “mythical hierarchy of female weakness / inferiority and male strength / superiority can only exist if the two sexes remain separate.” He also notes the many gender identities to choose from beyond the binary male/female option (Radclyffe posits that there are between 72 and 93). In addition, the book contextualizes such often-misunderstood topics as gender therapy and gender-affirming surgery.

A brief but powerful and affecting book on the struggles of the trans community.

For more Indie content, visit Kirkus online.

Men-in-the-Middle: Conversations To Gain Momentum With Gender Equity’s Silent Majority Reed, Kori | Pure Ink Press (312 pp.) $18.99 paper | Aug. 11, 2023 9798987586600

Reed considers the median male executive in this nonfiction study of workplace equity.

What’s standing in the way of gender equity in the workplace?

The simple answer is: men. Men hold three out of every four senior executive positions in America, and if they’re unwilling to make an effort to promote gender equity in the workplace, it isn’t likely to get done. It’s worth exploring, then, just what men think about gender equity. “#MeToo elevated stories predominantly about men who took advantage of situations or offended women but not conversations with men about gender-related issues in the workplace and their viewpoints on change for good,” writes the author. Reed set out to have these conversations by interviewing men in corporate leadership roles, attempting to discover what they actually think about gender in the workplace.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of the men she spoke with sat somewhere in the mushy middle, “far from the extremes of either outwardly, vocally championing women or treating women like sex objects in the office.”

This book probes the fine points of the views of these men with the goal of better understanding how true gender equity can be achieved.

Reed mixes her interviews (which are anonymized through the use of pseudonyms) with research on the ways opinions get shaped and a selection of mediation strategies. Her prose is direct and nonjudgmental, as here, when she presents the views of a man she calls Bob: “While Bob supports gender equality, he won’t treat men and women in a similar JANUARY 15, 2024

157

12/20/23 5:39 PM

>>>

INDIE

way regarding work-social events like meeting over drinks or dinner. He perceives there is a potential risk of a false accusation, especially when, in a one-on-one setting, it would be his word against hers.” The evidence the author collates may not be surprising in the broad strokes, but the nuances she gleans contain a great deal of compelling information. The book makes for a fascinating window into the mind of the contemporary male executive in the post-#MeToo era.

An illuminating study of how men look at workplace gender equity.

Constellation Clues: The Cipher of the Seven Stars Reed, Lee | River Grove Books (285 pp.)

Feb. 27, 2024 | 9781632997838

sharp middle A schooler with sky-high aspirations solves a mystery while navigating new friendships, sisterhood, and chronic migraines in Reed’s middlegrade novel.

For 12-year-old budding astrophotographer Quinn Knight, a family move from Ohio to Texas isn’t totally awful. Sure, the weather is a trigger for her migraines, and her older sister, Vivica, has already claimed her throne as eighth grade class president and star of the school musical. But her eldest sister, Georgie, with whom she’s close, has moved out of her college dorm to live with them, and their new town, Hill Springs, has very little light pollution (perfect for stargazing). Her new bedroom has a skylight, a high-powered telescope, and a great view of the star cluster Pleiades. In the early morning before her first day at her new school, Quinn tries to ease her nerves by taking some photos, only to be shocked by two things: The stars appear to her to move “like a swarm of crazed fireflies that inhaled a box of Pop Rocks,” and she sees 158

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 158

someone sneaking up to their house and leaving a note; it turns out to be a threatening missive for Vivica—the first of several. Quinn is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and protect her sister. With her new friends Xavier and Tiya, she exercises her passion for scientific reasoning to analyze evidence, look for clues, and compile a list of suspects—all while honing her astrophotography skills, coping with chronic pain, and navigating middle school. Reed’s wellpaced mystery is imbued with comedy and heartfelt moments. Quinn is a smart and spirited protagonist and narrator whose wry humor and can-do attitude will make her relatable to young readers. Throughout, Reed depicts Quinn’s struggles with migraines, as well as other characters’ health concerns, including epilepsy, asthma, and food allergies, with honesty and sensitivity. Quinn and her family are depicted as white, and there are numerous supporting characters of color, including Xavier, who’s Latine, and Tiya, who’s South Asian. The novel’s positive portrayal of young, STEM-inclined female characters is refreshing as well.

A clever, uplifting, and entertaining story.

Other Stages Rose, Terez Mertes | Classical Girl Press Jan. 25, 2024 | 9798988521211

A principal dancer, a dancer-­ turned-ballet master, and the latter’s teenage daughter face life changes and challenges in this latest installment of Rose’s balletcentered series.

In 2008, Katrina Devries and Javier Torres, both performers with San Francisco’s West Coast Ballet Theatre, have sex as friends, not lovers, and have a son, Dario, together. A few years later, Javier announces that he’s moving out of their shared house to the other side of the city to live with

his lover, Brent. He also makes major changes to the dance company’s upcoming gala: He will now partner with a younger female dancer, and Katrina will be part of another dance, to be created by a disturbingly nasty guest male choreographer. Katrina leans on the support of her friends, including April Manning, a former dancer who’s now a ballet master and the sole woman in the company’s leadership. The arrival of David Lavigne, a personable piano accompanist, also disrupts the company’s dynamics. April’s 14-year-old daughter, Kylie Garvey, who loves classical music and feels like an outcast in her high school, develops a crush on David, while he yearns to break through Katrina’s reserve. Then Kylie commits a frightening act that tears Katrina and April apart. Will they be able to move past their problems to transform the company’s gala? In this fourth book in Rose’s Ballet Theatre Chronicles, she skillfully continues to explore the sometimes-obsessive personalities and preoccupations of the members of her lively, fictional dance company. For example, April, the protagonist of her previous entry, Ballet Orphans (2021), makes an observation at one point that shows the difficulty she has in seeing beyond her chosen profession: She ruefully notes that her “non-dancing daughter,” Kylie, has “the foot type all ballet dancers coveted.” Katrina, the lead character here, is also the most intriguing; Rose crafts a lovely backstory that effectively shows how Katrina is empowered by tapping into a dance art—belly dancing—that she first experienced and loved as a child.

An accomplished interweaving of character trajectories in the intense world of ballet.

For more Indie content, visit Kirkus online.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:39 PM

INDIE

Hispanic Sonnets Salinas, Alex Z. | Flowersong Press (164 pp.) | $16.00 paper | Oct. 12, 2023 9781953447227

A volume of poetry focuses on dreams, memories, and thought experiments.

In this collection, Salinas explores both himself—a Hispanic man, a Texas poet, a Roman Catholic, a wordsmith—and society. Though the author has coined the term “Hispanic sonnet,” explaining that it’s “a 15-line, free-verse poem with a separated last line as its own stanza,” he doesn’t limit himself to this invented form. Dreams are a central theme, often starring literary icons like Vladimir Nabokov and Gabriel García Márquez. In one such dream, the speaker erroneously compliments his date, Harper Lee, on To Kill a Bald Eagle: “Harper Lee snorted / And her Blizzard dribbled out her nose as though / She’d sneezed.” The writing life is a recurring theme: “I dreamt I had a homework assignment / Due yesterday, today, tomorrow, the day / After & each day forever—it was called / Being A Writer.” In “Audacity,” Salinas fantasizes about “obliterating you with ruthless poetry.” Contemplating life vis-a-vis the beloved denim jacket his grandfather left him, the poet observes that “many things don’t fit anymore.” At a Barnes & Noble cafe, he critiques a high schooler reading Foucault. Pop-culture touchstones are also scattered throughout. Kurt Cobain and Goethe mingle in one poem; Kanye West and Indiana Jones appear in another. Salinas uses vivid and inventive imagery, from a “pimpled ceiling as constellation” to “sherbet skies” and the “velvet tongue of our brutal fathers.” He deftly contemplates contradictions: “The most alive person I know / Is dead” and the way his “brown-skinned childhood hero— / My godfather—glorified Trump’s MAGA-red crusade.” He also injects subtle humor in lines like “A lover KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 159

once asked: / ‘How do you write / Beautifully?’ / I replied: / ‘Be born ugly.’” Many of the poems read like fever dreams: “As I lay dying / With spiders in my mind / The plumpest calls himself / William Faulkner.” But some of the poetic experiments fall flat, including “A little help from my friends,” which is a compilation of random comments on unrelated topics.

A collection that offers a captivating mosaic of a poet’s interior life.

The Blood of Patriots and Traitors Scott, James A. | Oceanview Publishing (320 pp.) | $23.99 | $18.99 paper Feb. 21, 2023 | 9781608095261 9781608096053 paper

A former CIA operative enjoying a well-deserved respite is drawn back into the treacherous world of espionage in Scott’s thriller.

This second installment in the Max Geller series begins in January 2020: Max has returned to Russia, risking his life to save Vanessa, the woman he loves, when Rodney, his former CIA boss, uses her as a pawn to manipulate Max into smuggling out a potential defector with critical information vital to U.S. national security. Max, a wanted man after his exploits during his previous incursion into Russia, is hunted by the Russian authorities, and whether the defector truly exists is uncertain—could he be a lure to draw Max into the clutches of his archnemesis, FSB Lieut.

Col. Konstantine Zabluda? After Max takes the mission to save Vanessa, he’s thrown back into a game of cat and mouse in which his survival and the very fate of the world hang in the balance. Scott’s spy thriller is a sequel to The President’s Dossier (2020), Max’s previous adventure, but it can be read as a stand-alone story. The plot-driven novel is propelled by a web of intrigue that spans continents, with plenty of twists and turns (who, exactly, is Max’s true

enemy?). The tension grows palpable as Max navigates a labyrinthine world of defectors, blackmailers, and adversaries both within Russia and the United States; the narrative provides a roller-­ coaster ride of action sequences and narrow evasions (“Spying is a game of using people. Nobody escapes, not even the puppet masters”). Less enthralling is the somewhat superficial romance subplot. The relationship between Max and Vanessa, while presumably central to the storyline, is not developed sufficiently for readers to understand Max’s motivations. Their connection, though pivotal in guiding Max’s decisions, lacks depth and emotional resonance.

The novel’s strength lies in its excellent pacing and intricate construction of shadowy geopolitical machinations—a strength that ultimately proves to be rather topical.

A plot-driven thriller that misses deeper emotional nuances but hits the sweet spot of global intrigue.

America in the Year 2048 and Other Stories Sen, Shukdeb | Newman Springs Books (220 pp.) | $23.95 paper | Aug. 16, 2023 9798887634807

Themes of identity, political commentary, and racial equality permeate Sen’s new collection of short stories.

Opening with the titular “America in the Year 2048,” Sen sets the tone for the collection’s 13 stories, which blend a political history of the United States with a future U.S. where “multiracial groups will experience humane treatment and a pluralistic ideology that embraces racial, sexual, and economic equity for all Americans.”

Not all entries are set on American soil, but a thread of justice and inequality runs throughout. “God’s Shadow” offers a single powerful page invoking the horrors of the Holocaust, while the longest story, “Justice Delivered,” uses nearly 50 pages to explore issues of JANUARY 15, 2024

159

12/20/23 5:39 PM

>>>

INDIE

women’s rights in arranged marriages via the smart, charismatic character of Anamica Biswas. Anamica leaves a drunken, abusive husband to pursue a successful technology career in New Jersey. Relationships are another theme in the book: Friendship and romance go hand in hand, from love across class divides in “Tiki” to what’s perhaps the most powerful story in the collection, “Chandralekha.” The tale follows Chandralekha Chatterjee, who’s Indian, and Stewart Larson, who’s English, as they fall in love against the background of the Indian independence movement during the 1940s. Sen impressively grapples with many different histories—from Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to the Second World War—giving readers fresh ways of viewing these events. While the juxtapositions are occasionally jarring and the historic details sometimes hobble the storytelling, the collection ties everything together, uniquely highlighting connections across multiple countries and timeframes.

A strong, inventive collection on social justice that uses the past to imagine a better future.

A Morning With Blueburry Seymour, Jon | Tielmour Press (40 pp.) $9.99 paper | Nov. 1, 2023 | 9781738013807

A hungry muffin’s favorite breakfast dish is out of reach in author/illustrator Seymour’s picture book.

This feather-light, just-for-fun children’s story begins as a muffin named Blueburry takes a stroll on the kitchen counter looking for a tasty treat for breakfast. A bowl of icing would be perfect, but it’s on a table that’s some

“one thousand muffin-meters away.”

Blueburry’s thwarted efforts to reach the table include an unfortunate balloon incident, a rope made of soggy spaghetti, and a too-powerful slingshot crafted from kitchen tools. Encouraged by his kitchen counter friends—a bowl of fruit, a loaf of bread, and a juice box—Blueburry “hike[s] up his muffin liner,” keeps trying, and turns failure into unexpected success. Young children will undoubtedly get a kick out of how thoroughly Blueburry appreciates the finale to his dilemma.

Still, readers will find that a clear message of peer support and self-confidence comes through. The author adds whimsy to the proceedings with his spare, fine-lined, pen-and-ink illustrations that give life to goofy-faced food items. Some words, including sound effects, are enlarged for emphasis, encouraging young children to read along. (A “Blueburry” muffin recipe is included.)

A giggle of a tale with a simple lesson of determination.

Arise, My Amazing Boy: Inspiring Stories That Help Build Confidence and Self-Esteem Sommer, Mateo | Illus. by Henrique C. Rampazzo | LittleBigPage (89 pp.) | $18.99 $11.72 paper | Nov. 8, 2023 | 9788367973106 9788367973090 paper

A giggle of a tale with a simple lesson of determination.

In a series of short stories with young boy protagonists, Sommer provides familiar scenarios for kids with positive and potentially

motivational outcomes.

In “Just Be YOU!,” Joey is the last boy to be picked for a team in gym class: “It was such a lonely feeling being the last one standing there for everyone to stare at.”

Then, he tries to be funny in math class, but the joke embarrassingly falls flat. As he’s contemplating his terrible day after school, he says aloud: “Why can’t I be more like Nathan?” To Joey, Nathan is smart, good at chess, and cool.

His comment is heard by Nathan’s sister, Natalie, who explains to Joey that Nathan wasn’t like that a year ago, but he learned to be happy being himself after a football tryout. Natalie also notes that Joey once stood up for Nathan when he was bullied: “You’re kind and brave.” Subsequent stories have messages such as “You don’t need superpowers to be a hero,” “Believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to try new things, even if you might not always win,” and “Being kind is much better than being mean.”

Rampazzo’s grayscale cartoon illustrations effectively support the text, as in the illustration in the story of Colin, whose family lost their home in a fire. Other boys feel sympathy for Colin and empathetically “replace some of his precious things.” Overall, Sommer’s stories are short and easy for youngsters to read, with very clear morals. One illustration is repeated at the end of each story (a school hallway scene with children at their lockers); on these pages is an image of a torn note on which the story’s message is written.

Tales that offer opportunities for big discussions of friendship, bullying, self-confidence, and empathy.

For more Indie content, visit Kirkus online.

A M O R N I N G WITH B LU E BU R RY

160

JANUARY 15, 2024

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 160

KIRKUS REVIEWS

12/20/23 5:39 PM

B O O K L I S T // I N D I E 1

Indie Books of the Month 1 Love Lifted Me

2

3

4

5

By William C. Noble

A plain, revealing look at the contours of rural life in the American South.

2 Sister

By Leia M. Johnson; illus. by S.J. Winkler

A gentle, affecting picture book about opening hearts and homes.

3 Rose Girl

By Holly Lynn Payne

Disarmingly powerful—a nuanced story of female resilience that reaches across the ages.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

011524 KR Indie_Rd_F.indd 161

4 Her Eyes Were on the Stars

6

By Jennifer Sommer; illus. by Gayle Cobb

An essential acknowledgement of an under-sung scientist.

5 Holy American Burnout!

6 The Deepfake

By Sean Enfield

By Joan Cohen

A tour-de-force collection of essays on issues surrounding race, education, and American history.

An indecisive woman finds inner strength—and romance—in this wise and witty tale.

JANUARY 15, 2024

161

12/20/23 5:39 PM

New from beloved graphic novel superstars

★ “A SPARKLING ROMANCE.” —Kirkus Reviews

★ “SURE TO BE A RUNAWAY HIT.” —Booklist

★ “HEARTWARMING.” —Publishers Weekly

★ “BEAUTIFUL.” —School Library Journal

★ “GORGEOUS.” —Horn Book

SCAN TO LEARN MORE! An imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

011524 KR Year Indie_Rd_F.indd 162 Back Cover Final.indd 1 Lunar New Love Story Kirkus

12/20/23 12/19/23 5:39 9:36PM AM