Book Reviews Archive
Facing Pandemic Memories in Mary Jo Salter’s Zoom Rooms
The poems in Mary Jo Salter's collection invite readers to consider what we will remember from a time that feels unforgettable now. As COVID-19 begins to take up less and less space in our heads, will it be more than distant memory, something almost unintelligible to future generations?
Death Rituals and Found Families in Olivia Clare Friedman’s Here Lies
The natural world is a member of the found family of Friedman's protagonist, and a character she gets to know over the course of the novel. As the world around her is collapsing, she is left to address what still matters.
Personal and Academic Pursuits in Elaine Hsieh Chou’s Disorientation
Elaine Hsieh Chou’s debut is not only an outrageously enjoyable academic mystery, but also a moving portrayal of self-discovery.
Decay and Rebirth in Irene Solà’s When I Sing, Mountains Dance
Irene Solà reveals the beauty and brutality of life in a mountain village that holds the scars of the past, but also the seeds of slow repair and renewal.
Exploring “Withoutness” in Solmaz Sharif’s Customs
Solmaz Sharif’s language is spare and all the more sharp for what remains. Her poems explore “withoutness” in one’s history, and it’s through that withoutness that this collection takes shape, revealing an enormity of presence, of emotion, and of meaning.
States of Unknowing in Paul Tran’s All the Flowers Kneeling
Tran’s poems are an antidote to a world that asks us to prioritize progress over reflection, mastery over ambiguity. Their collection is a necessary reminder that states of unknowing, too, are fruitful.
Disconnect and Dissuasion in Ella Baxter’s New Animal
Ella Baxter’s debut novel is a raw, unflinching look at the aftermath of grief.
Unraveling Reality in Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century
Each story feels like a potential episode of Black Mirror, exploring futuristic technology and the dangerous hold it has on all of us. Fu present us with the following question: while technology has added many conveniences to our lives, should we accept it? Should we push back for the
The Forming of a Self in Claudia Durastanti’s Strangers I Know
Claudia Durastanti’s English debut is a flame held up to the inexpressible self.
A Feeling of Belonging in Bernardine Evaristo’s Manifesto
Evaristo’s memoir shows how one writer found her place in the world through storytelling, giving artists a roadmap to a deeper understanding of their own lives through the act of creating.