Falling in love interferes with a man’s quest for vengeance in Barnes’s dramatic fifth Diamonds in the Rough Regency (after The Infamous Duchess). Regina Berkly, the 18-year-old daughter of the Earl of Hedgewick, is shocked when her father gives one day’s notice that she is to wed the 14-year-old Marquess of Stokes, who is afflicted with a wasting disease. Stokes urges her to find some way out of the marriage. She runs away and straight into the arms of Carlton Guthrie, the Scoundrel of St. Giles, who lets her stay at his London tavern until she can figure out how to undo the betrothal. Carlton’s kindness is not altruistic, as he plans to use her as a lure so that he can confront the earl, who killed his father. As Regina and Carlton draw emotionally and physically closer, he struggles to harden his heart against her, while she pursues her suspicion that he’s nobly born.

Barnes’s excellent character development is highlighted as she reveals the hidden depths of Carlton’s past, his defense of the defenseless, and the pain he suffered after witnessing his father’s murder. She cleverly exposes the layers of Regina’s personality as the daughter of a peer who matures quickly when forced to confront disturbing truths about her father’s violence and reconcile them with the man she thought she knew.

Stokes is a charming and thoughtful young man whose company Regina enjoys, so readers may quibble with the idea that marriage to him would mean “ruining her life” with “no hope of happiness” solely because he’s disabled. In addition, Regina is implausibly quick to forgive Carlton for using her as a pawn in his revenge scheme. These drawbacks are the only flaws in this otherwise magnetic romance, which is enhanced by a fast-paced plot, sensuous attraction, and the mystery surrounding Carlton’s identity.

Takeaway: Regency romance fans will be enamored with this well-plotted tale of love, intrigue, and revenge.

Great for fans of Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series, Eloisa James’s Say No to the Duke.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Forgotten Duke (Diamonds In The Rough Book 5)

Pearson’s debut collection of intimate poetry offers a meditative selection of free-form vignettes across intertwining themes, all with a transformative tone. The title poem is split into six parts that capture the writer as a beachcomber describing the beauty of the shore (“bleached now by daylight/ under the assault/ of wind/ and flight/ and trumpets”). These are interspersed with shorter poems that fleetingly transport the reader elsewhere before returning to the coast. “Death of a...” envisions the sad end of a sad life, balanced by the captivating rural sunsets of Georgia in “Vanishing Point” (“the calico corona of/ autumn forgetfulness”).

Above all, Pearson demonstrates a mastery of imagery. Whether he’s describing a trip to the carnival or a Greek creation myth, the poems’ language and mood ebb and flow like the “retracting water” of the ocean. The tone is set organically through Pearson’s use of free-form verse and a sentimentality for childhood that feels like a personal diary, helping to develop a more intimate relationship between reader and poem. Other than adjusting to the rapid shift in subjects, the reader is required to do little in the way of mental gymnastics, leaving more time to enjoy the introspection that the poems invoke.

Bringing out the beauty in the everyday, the collection holds its own as a relaxing but powerful reminder to appreciate the little things in nature and in life. Sometimes the peaceful verse slips into melancholy, but even solitude brings “the gift/ of concentration/ allotted/ only/ to the lonely.” The images are quiet rather than breathtaking, encouraging attention to small creatures and subtle seasonal shifts. Even readers who would normally shy away from poetry will find comfort and calm in Pearson’s humble recollections.

Takeaway: Longtime poetry fans and new readers alike will appreciate the vibrant, lyrical imagery of Pearson’s nature-influenced verses.

Great for fans of Marge Piercy, Conrad Aiken.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B+

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Trine (Melvin Beederman, Superhero) introduces readers to lovable and quick-witted detective Goldilocks in this amusing mix of fairy tale and mystery. After inheriting her father’s investigative business, Goldilocks is desperate to pay the rent owed on the office that was also their home. She also fears being caught by Tom the Kid-Snatcher, who takes children to the horrible orphanage. When her first customer, Frank Sims, asks her to help find his missing grandparents and figure out why bears are living in their home, Goldilocks leaps to take the case—even though the home she must investigate is in the nightmarish Black Forest. Fortunately she has her sidekick cat, Charlotte, and her new friend, orphanage escapee Patty Wagon Patty, to help her.

The characters, both good and evil, are perfectly written for tween readers. Charlotte is the ideal companion and gives Goldilocks someone to narrate her plans to. The new friends she makes, such as wise Patty, are fun and endearing. The questions of whether Goldilocks will prevail against the tough landlady and dodge the Kid-Snatcher add suspense that will keep young readers hooked but not scared. This isn’t a comedy, but the frequent dashes of dark humor keep the story from getting too intense. Unfortunately, Baykovska’s chapter-head sketches are bland, but the writing is vibrant enough to stand alone.

Putting a Nancy Drew twist on the tale of Goldilocks and the three bears, Trine adds adventure, mystery, friends, and villains, telling an intriguing story of why Goldilocks was at the bears’ house and what happened after she ran away. Though Goldilocks faces real-life fears and troubles such as potential homelessness, losing a parent, stranger danger, and tales of giant spiders in the dark forest, the tone stays light, drawing readers into the new layers of an old story.

Takeaway: Older children will want to investigate right alongside this tough, smart, noir-influenced version of Goldilocks and her clever friends.

Great for fans of Great for fans of Liesl Shurtliff’s Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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In this exciting middle grade mystery, writer and editor Hass follows two siblings and their friend as they solve a major crime. It’s a hot summer in Richmond, Va., where 12-year-old Sally Corbett and her 11-year-old brother, Andrew, are still mourning their father a year after his death. They manage their own lawn and pet care business to help support the family; their mother, Cary, has just been named head curator at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. When some antique toys are stolen from an exhibit Cary is putting together, she fears she could be fired by Mr. Calhoun, the museum’s grouchy executive director. Sally and Andrew decide to search for the missing toys. At the start of their investigation, they befriend fellow tween Henry Morrison, whose resourcefulness and determination help them crack the case.

Corson’s breezy, black-and-white sketches are pleasing, but they don’t always accurately reflect the text. Fortunately, they do an excellent job of showing Sally, Andrew, and Henry’s bravery, especially when they find an unconscious man and save his life. Readers will also admire the children’s maturity as they quickly and rationally split responsibilities, such as traveling to other neighborhoods and interviewing suspects. The kind, understanding relationship between Sally and Andrew is enjoyable to read.

Thanks to a riveting plot leading up to a thrilling climax, readers will find it difficult to put down this book. Anyone drawn to American history will enjoy the idea of Revolutionary spies hiding messages in children’s toys. Hass doesn’t explicitly touch on racial issues, but the white Corbetts’ easy friendship with Henry, who’s black, subtly contrasts Virginia’s more open-minded present with the era in which the toys originated. A diverse cast of likable characters and a swift plot will leave young readers eager for the next Shockoe Slip Gang adventure.

Takeaway: Middle grade readers will love this fast-paced adventure with a touch of American history.

Great for fans of Gertrude Chandler Warner’s Boxcar Children series, Avi’s Night Journeys.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B+

Click here for more about The Shockoe Slip Gang

Wright’s detail-rich novel, which lightly fictionalizes her family’s history, is a real heartstring-tugger. In 1918, Anne Aletha O’Quinn, an educated suffragist, travels from her home in Odum, Ga., to Ray’s Mill. Her late uncle has left her his house, and she plans to open a school. She meets her uncle’s executor, Neville Clements, and his black sharecropper tenants, Alex and Nellie Hamilton. She’s also attracted to Patten, Neville’s twin brother, a widower who runs the family lumber mill. While seeking students, she encounters opposition to her plan to educate both black and white children. To her dismay, she realizes that her stance against the increasingly popular Ku Klux Klan may mean that nearby families will not send students to her school, leading to its failure. She must find a path of action that’s both ethical and practical.

Wright cleverly intertwines fact with fiction as she outlines the horrific prejudices in early-20th-century Georgia and the difficult decisions facing those who wanted to promote equality. Anne Aletha is a magnetic and almost too-wonderful protagonist. She’s admirable in her determination to educate all children and truly human when succumbing to her desire for Patten or furiously grieving lynchings and influenza deaths. She practices what she preaches, forming a true friendship with the Hamiltons (who are fully realized characters) and pitching in with Nellie’s laundry business. She also helps children orphaned by influenza and corresponds with her brother Frank, who’s serving in the military in France.

Though the plot trails off at the end without a real sense of finality, the pace is otherwise even and immersive. The vernacular (“Learned him to hunt and fish, and look after hisself”) is appropriate to the characters and adds color without overwhelming the dialogue. This intriguing story is greatly enhanced by the close-up view of a tumultuous era.

Takeaway: Fans of American historical fiction and strong women will be delighted by this vivid story of love and activism in 1918 Georgia.

Great for fans of Great for fans of Sue Monk Kidd’s The Invention of Wings, Jojo Moyes’s The Giver of Stars.

Production grades
Cover: C
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B+

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Catholic neurosurgeon Kubala combines his work and faith in his debut book, a historical-medical investigation into the possible causes of Jesus Christ’s death that is both factually dense and accessible to the average reader. It takes most of the book to arrive at Kubala’s own theory, but readers familiar with Jewish and Christian stories will be impressed by the lead-up, which includes a deep dive into the history of Judea, its politics, and its religious leaders as well as a play-by-play of the week and hours leading up to Jesus’s death that is more detailed than an Easter service.

The book’s specificity defines its most likely readers. As Kubala points out, his fellow medical professionals will likely “find the language to be somewhat elementary.” However, laypeople may think it reads too much like a textbook. Some knowledge of the Bible is assumed, and non-Christian and Christian alike will occasionally feel preached at. But for intellectually curious Christians and history buffs interested in the era, Kubala’s work is a treasure trove of research. Even the seasoned churchgoer will learn something new—Kubala sometimes strays quite far afield, as when he explains the etymology of the names Golgotha and Calvary—and all readers will appreciate the clear, objective prose.

Anyone looking for a gripping narrative, emotional argument, or devotional text should look elsewhere. Kubala’s restrained writing style and well-reasoned arguments resemble those of medical journal articles. What he does successfully provide are the tools to allow anyone to consider the details of Jesus’s execution—local history, medical understanding, cause-of-death theories—and an invitation to remember Jesus’s sufferings and rejoice in the triumph of his resurrection. The descriptions are gruesome, the illustrations are basic, and the message is explicitly Christian, but those in the target audience will find it genuinely moving.

Takeaway: This scientific yet tender exploration of Jesus’s final week and execution will find a home in Christian bookstores, Bible study groups, and discussions of apologetics.

Great for fans of Lee Strobel, N.T. Wright.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: C
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: B

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Fritsch’s solid revisionist take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet uses Ophelia, depicted as living a quiet agrarian life a decade after the events of the play, as its reflective, tell-all narrator. King Fortinbras, who has just learned that Ophelia is alive and traveled to see her, listens to her version of the story. Four childhood friends, Hamlet, Ophelia, Laertes, and Horatio, are united in opposing the war with Norway, but they grow apart as Hamlet and Laertes study abroad while Ophelia secretly leads the rebellion against conscription and uses her position as Hamlet’s desired bride to listen in on the deliberations of the royal chambers.

Fritsch’s alternative plot is logically worked out and clearly told. He successfully sells the premise that an Ophelia with no actual interest in marrying Hamlet but much interest in bringing Denmark to peace under a good leader could have orchestrated all of the deaths in the play. But Fritsch misses an opportunity to truly change the point of view. His stepwise reworking of the story comes at the expense of developing a passionate voice for Ophelia as either a cold schemer or a populist hero, and will be most interesting to Hamlet fans who appreciate the care with which he reworks canonical events. He slips into a third-person omniscient view for scenes where Ophelia is not present rather than developing a second narrator or relying on readers’ ability to fill in the blanks, another distancing choice.

The modern language generally works fine, though profanity sometimes sits awkwardly in the characters’ mouths. New characters—Eric, Claudius’s servant, and Christina, the Swedish ambassador—add little. Feminist readers may be frustrated that the role of Gertrude is mostly unchanged, but will cheer Ophelia’s agency. Though Fritsch doesn’t fully transform the character of Ophelia, his storytelling brings freshness to a classic.

Takeaway: Shakespeare fans will enjoy this adaptation of Hamlet, which gives a woman center stage without straying too far from the original.

Great for fans of Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed, Jeanette Winterson’s The Gap of Time.

Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B-

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History and Hawaiian culture are interwoven in Kennedy’s promising novelization of stuntman and actor Kim Kahana’s life, developed in consultation with Kahana’s wife. Kahana’s serene life as a young boy in Hawaii is shattered in 1941 by the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the beginning of WWII. Soldiers tell Kahana stories of America, fueling the boy’s desire to go to the mainland. In 1945, after the war has ended, Kahana stows away on a cruise ship to San Francisco. During his convoluted travels through the continental United States and service in the Army, he encounters kindness from strangers, opportunities, bad luck, and second chances that set him on the path to becoming an actor and stuntman.

Kennedy’s often tender coming-of-age story successfully reveals key moments in Kahana’s adventure-filled life that shaped his career. The timeline is sometimes unclear, but it’s evident that Kahana’s curious nature, streetwise ways, and perseverance both landed him in and got him out of trouble. Readers will enjoy learning how strangers helped Kahana survive by teaching him skills and encouraging him to stay positive.

The novel is illustrated with a handful of photos, though their placement does more to interrupt the narrative than to enhance it. The simple prose (“He knows that quick breathing increases oxygen blood flow, which will give him more power”) suggests that the book is geared toward middle grade readers, but some unnecessary details, such as a paragraph describing the information printed on a business card, may not hold their interest. Any reader can appreciate beautifully descriptive passages that highlight Hawaiian culture, as well as those that capture the horrors of WWII and the Korean War and show how racism permeated American culture at the time. Kennedy’s book portrays Kahana as a model of determination and optimism through these difficult circumstances, and his story is inspiring.

Takeaway: This inspiring fictionalized biography of a stuntman’s life and career may resonate with young teens.

Great for fans of Great for fans of Bill O’Neill’s The Great Book of Hawaii, Jackie Chan’s I Am Jackie Chan.

Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: C
Illustrations: B
Editing: C
Marketing copy: B-

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Psychologist Otis’s report summarizes the results of his longitudinal study tracking how and why medical students eventually chose their career disciplines. The study, initially conducted between 1967 and 1976, ended when funding was cut. Decades later, Otis used the internet to track down many of the participants and learn where their careers had taken them. Using a variety of statistical methods, this book analyzes this data. Otis tracked trends regarding the predictive power of certain psychological profile tests with future career choices. He also studied physicians’ satisfaction with their careers, the types of practice they chose, the kinds of communities they lived in, and other factors.

The book is written as a series of related medical journal articles and is not aimed at laypeople, though the language is fluid and accessible. There are pages of tables and statistics that the average reader might find difficult to parse, along with detailed descriptions of methodology. One key finding is that while most medical students don’t know exactly what they want to specialize in, they have a good idea of what they don’t want. Another is that it’s possible to improve students’ attitudes toward working in community hospitals if they are assigned attentive mentors to provide guidance.

Observing that there are periodic shortages in certain medical specialties, Otis suggests that consortiums of schools coordinate research along the lines of his study, using their results to guide the allocation of resources and help students find the most suitable career prospects. He shares all of his testing methodology for others to use as a model. He also recommends undertaking medical research as a way to advocate for peace, but his vagueness on this issue is at odds with his otherwise rigorous approach. This study will serve anyone interested in the methods by which medical students do and should select their areas of specialty.

Takeaway: Medical students and med school administrators will dig into this study of how physicians choose their careers.

Great for fans of Brian Freeman’s The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: B
Editing: A
Marketing copy: C

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Vellos, a user experience designer and founder of the discussion series Better Than Small Talk, brings her social know-how to the masses with her marvelous debut handbook on adult friendship. After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area and having a tough time making long-term, quality friends, Vellos decided to study experiences of friendship. In interviews, discussions, and surveys, she found that most people reported a feeling she calls platonic longing. Vellos attributes this longing to the quest for friendship being stymied by frequent moves, busyness, other relationship commitments, and “antisocial media.” She is a firm believer that vulnerability and hard work are the keys to overcoming these obstacles and building quality connections, and her book lays out strategies for cultivating friendships both new and old.

There is so much to love about this handbook. Vellos’s writing is easy and conversational; she shares stories of cooking with housemates and neighbors as if chatting with the reader over a meal. Such anecdotes are seamlessly accompanied by robust research that helps readers understand the value of relationships in measurable ways. At the end of each chapter, a “Try it” section is filled with activities, journal prompts, and more invitations to dig deeper. Vellos’s own charming drawings complement the text.

Vellos powerfully and personally challenges the reader. Her tips are more like life coaching sessions, pushing her audience to defy awkwardness and ask thoughtful questions. Those reading this book to improve their friendships may end up improving themselves as well. The only limitation is that Vellos’s advice is focused on face-to-face relationships in urban environments, though much of it is applicable in other situations. If every person who reads this book takes it to heart, there will be a lot more friendship in the world.

Takeaway: This tender, practical handbook will help lonely millennials, isolated elders, the recently heartbroken, and anyone else eager for more and better friendships.

Great for fans of Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project, Brené Brown, Mari Andrew.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B+
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A+

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Australian author Choubey (The Migrant) paints a bleak portrait of the dangers of obsession in this muddled novel. The book opens with Dr. Walter West celebrating a triumph with colleagues at the Mind Experiments Corporation, which builds machines that can share and alter consciousness and memory. Then Walter is hit by a truck and glimpses a man who carries a blue diamond. The rest of the book covers the events of the preceding five days. Indian schoolteacher Bhanu Roy travels to a remote island and meets Spanish actress Camila, Malian general Mali, Iranian wrestler Farhad, and Russian oligarch Pushkin. All have fled scandals in daring escapes. Roy believes the island houses a magical blue diamond that can make his dreams come true, and he embarks on a desperate search.

This concept is promising, but the execution makes it challenging to follow. The point of view changes from one sentence to the next, making it difficult to really get to know the characters. The narration dispassionately describes reactions without evoking emotion (“Mali’s face displayed a look of shock and regret”). This does little to build a connection between the reader and the characters, and when danger threatens, it’s hard to get excited about it. The timeline jumps around quite a bit, and it’s not always clear whether the events of the book are dreams, fantasies, or reality.

Readers who persevere will be pleased with a philosophical section near the end of the book that explores the nature of the self. Unfortunately, the final revelations about MEC’s experiments fall flat. The glimmers of intriguing philosophy are hidden beneath a slippery story that, like Roy’s quest, offers much challenge and little reward.

Takeaway: Philosophical readers may appreciate this discursive thriller, which pivots around concepts of the self.

Great for fans of Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island, Hanya Yanagihara’s The People in the Trees.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: C
Illustrations: -
Editing: C
Marketing copy: C

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This richly poignant and romantic novel from Lovett (Rubies from Burma), set in 1920s Georgia, follows a poor young woman’s struggle to improve her life. Tenny Oakes leaves Weedy Grove and travels to Ashbyville to escape the unwanted attentions of landlord Arno Shackley and to search for her brother, Byron, who went off to serve in the Army and never came home. Eventually Tenny trains for a career in nursing, where she encounters intern Pete Godwin. Unbeknownst to Tenny, Pete’s cousin Gussie accidentally photographed her while she was bathing in the river some time before. Gussie reluctantly gives up photography to marry Ned Fletcher, a mill manager who looks much like Byron, while Pete and Tenny develop a friendship that’s strained when he weds snooty socialite Swanee Burkett. When Swanee has a stroke after giving birth, Tenny leaves the hospital to care for her, and she struggles to stay professional demeanor while pining for Pete, who suffers from Swanee’s disdain.

Lovett’s writing style is lyrical, with humble sensory depictions—an “evil-smelling” iron tonic, a clip-clopping mule—that pull the reader in. Her narrative expertly combines the stories of a host of characters, though Tenny always stands foremost. Tenny’s transformation from the daughter of a sharecropper to a well-educated nurse is admirable and uplifting, highlighting her grit and determination at overcoming the odds against her as she endures rape, an unwanted pregnancy, and heartbreak.

The author’s attention to class and racial distinctions reveals the tenor of the times. She references how both Ned and Tenny have changed their manner of speaking to distance themselves from their poor origins and alludes to the ease at which a black man is framed for a hit-and-run car accident. The pace of Lovett’s writing never falters throughout the lengthy narrative, which will appeal to any fan of stories set in the early-20th-century South.

Takeaway: This engrossing tale of a determined young woman escaping poverty in 1920s Georgia will capture readers’ hearts.

Great for fans of Delia Owens’s Where the Crawdads Sing, Jojo Moyes’s The Giver of Stars.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about The River Nymph

Debut author Oshiro’s straightforward, sensible guide to excelling as a manager contains a wealth of valuable advice from his decades-long career in leadership. Taking the tone of a trusted mentor, Oshiro sets out to impart hard-won knowledge and help aspiring executives get ahead. Chief among his lessons are investing in one’s own training, learning how to understand and please one’s superiors, and battling through overwhelming tasks. Once readers take their first steps onto the leadership ladder, Oshiro counsels them on how to keep growing—emphasizing the importance of maintaining scrupulous business ethics, doing due diligence when hiring and firing, and dealing straightforwardly with complaints and discontent.

Oshiro's clear account of his career—including both achievements and failures—gives readers confidence in his advice, and he advocates for readers, advising them to believe in themselves and to move on from employers who don’t sufficiently value them. He shows managers how to encourage top performances and balance work and life demands. Oshiro also offers an unflinching and realistic look at doing what one must do to stay afloat during hard times, using his short-lived sales career as an example. Admirably, Oshiro focuses on the positives of his former employers, and he is especially generous in praising his time at Ross Perot’s company Electronic Data Systems, singling out Perot as a guiding light in his working life.

Suitable for executives and would-be managers at all levels and stages of their careers, Oshiro’s practical guide will serve as a handbook for success for those who follow its wise advice. His own sterling ethics are on display throughout, and his empathetic tone and well-paced narrative will easily draw readers in and invite them to soak up his knowledge.

Takeaway: Managers at any stage of their careers can benefit from this mix of thoughtful memoir and timeless business advice.

Great for fans of Bill George’s True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, Peter F. Drucker’s The Effective Executive.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about Individual Performer To Manager

Bell examines the heart-breaking consequences of bullying in her moving YA debut. Financial straits force Abby Feldman and her father to make an unwelcome move from San Francisco to the small town of Kissimah, S.C. A chance meeting leads Abby to meet Hollis Wickwire, whose dog promptly drags them into a muddy pond, and they form a delightful friendship full of adventures. However, the start of school brings new shocks as Abby discovers a tyrannical bully, Lexie Cross, rules seventh grade and that Hollis is Lexie’s favorite victim.

Bell draws on personal experiences to weave a revealing narrative on bullying and “bullycide” (when a person commits suicide because of bullying) into an otherwise nostalgic teen story. Lexie’s savagery shatters the idyllic sense of the initial chapters. When Lexie starts terrorizing Abby (including over Abby being Jewish) and Hollis with a wide variety of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, she sets them off on a downhill ride to a sad conclusion. Bell skillfully portrays the psychological effect of Lexie’s bullying on the rest of their class as well. It’s particularly thought-provoking and saddening to see the failure of parents and school authorities to address Lexie’s behavior in a meaningful way.

Hollis and Abby are memorable, likable characters, and their attempts to capture an injured heron while evading alligators and bugs result in an endearing friendship. Bell’s crisp descriptions of fictional Kissimah give a clear sense of the teeming wildlife, and the townspeople vividly showcase the cultural nuances and complexities of the South in the 1980s. The framing of Abby’s adult recollections and the lively prose and pacing make the story immersive. The memorable characters and the questions raised in Bell’s heart-wrenching debut will stay with readers long after the final page is turned.

Takeaway: Both adult and teen readers will be moved by this poignant story and find it a valuable resource in discussing and countering bullying.

Great for fans of Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places, Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A+
Marketing copy: A+

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Inspired by the work of English poet George Crabbe (1754–1832), Ramsey’s lyrical debut book-length poem takes a rhapsodic tone while recounting his experiences living in community housing. Writing in the style of Crabbe’s “The Village,” which sought to depict the grim realities of village poverty in the 18th century, Ramsey gives an honest view of impoverished 20th-century urban life through untitled poems with a wide range of topics. Excoriating the gap between the privileged and the destitute (“The wealth around them makes them twice as poor”) and confronting the fear of dying homeless and alone (“Here, to the church behold no mourners come”), Ramsey paints a heartbreaking picture.

The verses have no named characters, but Ramsey exhibits a gift for empathy as he describes the plight of the lower classes through metaphor. However, the pastiche itself can be a barrier. The scansion of the heroic couplets sometimes falters, and many of the concepts can be lost in the anachronistic language. Readers familiar with older poetry may be comfortable with lines such as “Fain would they ask the hoary swain to prove,” but this work will be less accessible to the average reader.

Portraying a small and often unacknowledged slice of life in its rhymes, the book stands as a forceful condemnation of class stratification as well as a respectful homage to Crabbe’s work. Even those readers who struggle with the language will applaud Ramsey’s ambition of conveying 20th-century plights in an 18th-century style, and he succeeds in engaging the reader’s sympathies, as he hopes: “Let this passing song distaste overpower,/ And make you more forgiving from this hour.”

Takeaway: Readers familiar with both 18th-century poetry and 20th-century poverty will appreciate this moving reminiscence in verse.

Great for fans of Giacomo Leopardi, William Blake.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: -
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A

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Erickson’s debut is a comprehensive entreaty to save a rapidly dying Earth with compassionate activism. Erickson fears the planet is facing the end of the Anthropocene epoch, the “Age of Humans.” After citing dire statistics about global warming and vanishing species, he declares, “We are failing to take action to implement the solution because what we lack is awareness.” His five-part strategy is intended to create that awareness; encourage compassionate support for animals, humans, the land, communities, and democracy; and inspire action and collective work to heal the planet. To bolster his arguments, he includes three new short essays by activists, a photojournalist, and a doctor, as well as a reprinted poem by Wendell Berry.

Emotional descriptions (often illustrated by vivid photos) of animal cruelty, oceanic dead zones, and Farm Bill subsidies for “Big Ag” elicit compassion, outrage, and shame. Erickson takes care to balance his concerns with suggestions for solutions. For example, after decrying the ravages of diabetes and related ailments, he prints a brief essay by celebrity doctor Joel Fuhrman on healthy eating (though some readers may take issue with Fuhrman’s suggestion that people suffering from medical problems eschew medications in favor of following Fuhrman’s own trademarked dietary plan). A discussion of topsoil loss due to overfarming is followed by a primer on regenerative agriculture.

Readers who find calling their senators easier than going vegetarian will be relieved by Erickson’s view that government intervention is just as important as individual and community activism. “Realize your power as a citizen in our democracy,” he advises, encouraging readers to push for the Green New Deal and other large-scale actions. Though informed conservationists will know much of this information already, Erickson’s passion and earnestness make it accessible and interesting to a wider readership.

Takeaway: This alarming but not alarmist work provides purposeful, accessible, and concrete ways to counter and prevent ecological damage.

Great for fans of Melanie Joy’s Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows; Elizabeth Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A+
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about The Great Healing - Five Compassions That Can Save Our World