Book Reviews Archive

Confronting the Past in Elias Rodriques’s Debut Novel

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Rodriques examines what it is to reconsider male friendship in adulthood, to balance newfound beliefs and acceptances.

Reinventing Loss in The Vault

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Cerpa navigates the helplessness of trying to express what is inexpressible amid the cruel accrual of despair.

The Allure of Scapegoating in Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch

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In her new novel, Rivka Galchen explores insidious philosophical terrain with incisive intellect and humor, once again proving herself to be one of contemporary fiction’s sharpest minds.

Skewering Workplace Racism in The Other Black Girl

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The driving pulse of Zakiya Harris’s debut novel is a sharp critique of the publishing industry’s lack of diversity.

Bad People and Bad Dreams in A Door Behind a Door

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Yelena Moskovich’s novel is loose, dreamy, and symbol-packed. Characters morph and become nightmarish versions of themselves, and it is unclear if the transformation is real or only a bad dream.

Collecting Art and Grief in Letters to Camondo

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De Waal pays homage to delicate, restrained elegance of good style, a kind of style that requires keen perception, artisanal knowledge, and sensitivity.

The Purpose of Art in Rachel Cusk’s Second Place

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Cusk's new novel is worth reading for its sharp descriptions and powerful story alone, but it’s the in-depth exploration of the purpose of art that makes the story meaningful.

Crossing Boundaries in Whereabouts

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Jhumpa Lahiri’s new novel beautifully showcases the way we experience life: the moments that are most important—the turning points—are often only realized in retrospect.

Curb’s Exploration of American Othering

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Divya Victor’s new collection is a moving critique of the South Asian immigrant experience within post 9/11 America.

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

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Caleb Azumah Nelson’s highly anticipated debut celebrates Black art and explores generational trauma.