Editorial reviews

All of it adds up to a remarkable package, thought-provoking and compelling, as it ricochets between the familiar and the unexpected.

Though occasionally reminiscent of David Mitchell, Sjón’s work is unlike anything else in contemporary fiction. Strange—but stunning.

This wayward, exciting odyssey confronts death throughout. Nothing is quite what it seems, and there are no easy answers. Here, instead, is an artist preoccupied with questions.

An intimate and resonant take on finding one’s place in the world even while being pulled in opposing directions.

The entire narrative is imbued with a sitcom gloss that ultimately numbs the reader to the emotional crises that Ruth faces.

The Shepherd’s Hut is resplendent, too, with excellent descriptions of the outback and the struggles Jaxie must overcome just to eke out a living. The visceral images of hunting kangaroos and the desperation of thirst create a marvelous sense of realism that made me feel like I was native to a country I’ve never set foot in.

Meet Me at the Museum is a touching, hopeful story about figuring out what matters and mustering the courage to make necessary changes.

It will unmoor you, send you wobbling around your house in a haze. It will slide some eels under your skin. My recommendation? Let it. We can all stand to learn some new truths.

Following along as Sunshine navigates the tenuous waters of her family relationships and attempts to make amends was actually quite a funny and charming read.

My advice: Don’t take the bait when “The Third Hotel” starts voguing like a thriller. Instead, read it as the inscrutable future cult classic it probably is, and let yourself be carried along by its twisting, unsettling currents.

Pheby is a writer possessed of unusual – indeed, extraordinary – powers. His Lucia is a fully accomplished account of a troubled and troubling life.

It’s a sign of excellent literature to be able to effortlessly hold up multiple interpretations at once. Murata’s book is no exception: It’s all of these things while also rendering an artful grotesque of modern personal branding.

Johnson is a capable participant in a grand tradition of Southern literature, giving readers indelible images of corpses, snakes (so many snakes), and glimpses of magic and mystery.

Li expertly crafts a deeply felt and beautifully evoked multigenerational narrative.... She skillfully maintains the balance of how families and loved ones can harm you more than anyone, and also can be there for you when no one else is.

Simultaneously disturbing and enthralling, Murata’s short work, a bestseller in her own country, speaks volumes about society and the role of the outcast.

A reader who knows what to expect will take pleasure in this book.

Kudos strips away the noble, glamorous veneer to reveal the profane guts of the book industry.

Another terse, smart, sometimes witty glimpse of contemporary life, filtered through the perception of its highly intelligent and observant central character and an assortment of literate, articulate people who cross her path.