Pulsing with blood and pentagrams, murder and faith healing, Alec’s decidedly adult journey is not for the faint of heart but will grip readers with an interest in tense cult tales until the very end. In classic thriller style, Johnson teases out the clues between jolts of action–many believe Alec has been “chosen,” but for what?–until it’s possible to put together an almost-complete puzzle of Alec, his family, his friends, and, most importantly, his enemies, one of whom commands point-of-view passages throughout. The crisp, to-the-point prose, engaging characters, and pacing of revelations will keep the pages turning, though the end proves somewhat anticlimactic, leaving mysteries for the second book.
Alec is caught between a mad Satanic cult and true believers, in a tug-of-war between Satanism and Christianity. Johnson takes matters of the soul as seriously as the thrills, and does a miraculous job of weaving ideas and suspense as Alec continuously wins reader sympathy as he questions the beliefs that are foundational to life.
Takeaway: A dark adult thriller of faith, prophecy, and a murderous Satanic cult, crafted to keep readers guessing.
Great for fans of: Lynn Hightower’s Satan’s Lambs, Ray Russell.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
The author spent time growing up in the custody of Tennessee’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and renders the hospital and its residents with vivid description and spot-on dialogue. At times whimsical, poetic, or irreverent, Slowpoker skillfully uses humor to mask the melancholy pervading these lost boys’ existence. Even after Delphus, who suffers from epilepsy, stumbles into the “normal” outside life of happy families and helpful salesmen, he chooses to return to Clover Bottom, noting without complaint, “Out in the real world, there ain’t no place for us to go.” Superheroes, kung fu Buddhists, and CIA agents fill the boys’ imaginations as their reveries come to life. Occasionally, extended tangents distract from the narrative momentum, but these anecdotes carry ample charm thanks to Delphus’s spritely wit.
The author’s lighthearted name aside, this is sophisticated literature, both in structure and character depth. Artifacts intersperse Delphus’s first-person narrative—a newspaper article, footnotes, and more—and moments of magical realism intertwine with practical challenges. The characters’ vibrant, evolving personalities and varied voices are memorable. The life-affirming connections between these young people nurturing one another against the odds will appeal to readers of serious fiction about mental health, social services, and growing up.
Takeaway: A playful yet profound caper peeks into the hidden lives of lovable youth mental health-facility residents.
Great for fans of: Victor Lodato’s Mathilda Savitch, Truman Capote’s My Side of the Matter.
Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B
Avery proves adept at keeping the dual perspectives engaging as Frostfire, the first in the Sword & Sorcery series, reveals its world. Those chapters also are cleverly engaged with each other, long before the characters meet, as Avery draws compelling thematic links between the protagonists’ challenges and experiences. Amid the bumptious fantasy adventure storytelling—which involves trolls and pirates, rugged taverns and secret libraries, a baby slipshark and a just-hatched beast of wonder—Avery emphasizes his leads’ hearts and the lessons they learn about the harsh truths of their world and what it means to grow up.
That world might seem a touch familiar, at first, though Avery distinguishes it from generic fantasy as the novel surges ahead. The worldbuilding is solid, but it’s character that powers the book, which proves involving throughout but picks up in momentum once the storylines start bending toward each other, and a world-changing secret discovered by Erevan and co. comes to the attention of the powers that be in the academy where Aireyal is struggling to find herself. Real battles and danger follow, but Avery’s storytelling remains warm and inviting throughout, as his characters movingly doubt, grow, and strive to set things right.
Takeaway: This character-rich, split-perspective fantasy series kickoff is involving and surprising.
Great for fans of: Garth Nix, Naomi Novik.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
This is where Jackie’s mom steps in to deliver this story’s important central message about not over-promising and taking on too much, delivered in the book’s rhyming cadence: “To make people happy, I know how far you would go,/ but there often comes times you just have to say ‘NO!’” Even for young children, Jackie’s drive to be the best will be relatable, and Ferguson nicely highlights the stressful role that competition with peers can play in children’s lives. Jackie’s frustration and sadness at her perceived failings will also ring true with youngsters–and quite likely with overwhelmed older readers as well.
Ferguson’s rhyming, singsong prose is inviting, and the lesson about choosing priorities is increasingly valuable for kids growing up in a culture that frowns on resting, taking things slow, and carving out time for self-care. Alisa Aryutova’s distinctive, bright illustrations bring the story to memorable life: the pictures show friendly, wide-eyed Jackie hard at work on various projects and interacting with her friends, neighbor, and her mother as she learns that sometimes saying no isn’t about disappointing others–it’s about being true to herself.
Takeaway: An ambitious young girl learns that trying to make everyone else happy isn’t the best approach.
Great for fans of: Elizabeth Estrada’s I Choose To Try Again, Jory John’s The Smart Cookie.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

The name of the titular character, Zero, encapsulates the irony at this story’s heart, and for all the pained truth of Schnupp’s playful truthtelling it’s still a laugh out loud moment when Zero promises an era of “Zero truth, Zero justice, Zero compassion and equality.” The novel is scattered with Schnupp’s inventive neologisms: whether it’s calling dying "de-fizzing," or references to something called "loopy juice," Schnupp makes the familiar absurdly unfamiliar. Rhetorical hyperbole around tariffs on foreign automobiles and hunting down traitors to make them swear allegiance to Zero hits close to home with an oblique critique of the state of contemporary American politics.
Some readers may find it hard to focus on the storytelling amid so many new words, strange phrases, and allusive insights. The narrative seems like one long series of satirizations, which after a point can become repetitive. However, Schnupp succeeds in maintaining a light, humorous touch throughout, and continually offers fresh invention and ideas. Lovers of political satire and humor will enjoy this story, which is as funny as it is innovative.
Takeaway: A boldly inventive blend of literary play and political satire and humor.
Great for fans of: Matthew Sharpe, Victor Pelevin.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B
Plattner dedicates this memoir to sharing the efforts to clear his name, efforts that culminated not just in exoneration but in an administrative discharge board finding that he should be retained in the Marine Corps Reserve as “a valuable asset to the service.” After this harrowing experience, Plattner achieved success as a journalist, and then salesman, all while continuing as a reservist. Readers will be fascinated by the ethical dilemma this memoir raises—especially the potential conflicts between the roles of reporter and warrior—as well as the gripping context it provides for the larger narrative of the Vietnam War.
The contents are compelling, particularly the disclosure of military bureaucracy’s effect upon an investigation that often was mysterious, which lightens the text’s occasional disconnected feel. Plattner includes extensive documentation to provide an external perspective for readers, most notably two appendices with military reports and correspondence related to his case, and his attention to detail illuminates elements of the conflict that could have been easily overlooked. The pressures Plattner faced are ably sketched, as is the function the press was expected to fulfill within Vietnam. In the end, readers will empathize with Plattner’s quest for equity and celebrate alongside him when he achieves exoneration, finally.
Takeaway: A Vietnam-era memoir about a journalist and soldier clearing his name after the military finds those roles in conflict.
Great for fans of: Robert M. Smith’s Suppressed, Conrad M. Leighton’s War Stories: A GI Reporter in Vietnam, 1970-1971.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: N/A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A-
The characterizations of Skye’s new friends–Thatcher, Rane, Alton, Wes and JennyBea–are delightful, bringing them to vivid life through her eyes, and the relationships among the students are rich, complex, and rendered with care. This paranormal young adult romance is rich with detail–at times, perhaps overwhelmingly so–yet often reminiscent of previous works in the genre, a choice that may divide readers. Its strengths lie in the particular care given to Skye’s voice and the story’s pacing. Hints of the larger mystery are teased out with care, deliberately leading readers along and stirring anticipation about what will come next, in this story and in future volumes.
Despite the story’s intricacy and length, readers may find themselves at times wishing for greater clarity about Skye’s background, the island itself, and some small world-building tidbits that would further enrich the story and more firmly situate the school within a persuasive reality. Although the novel’s impact could be intensified by tightening the abundance of detail in this story, overall it is a delightfully light read with a promising beginning to a new series.
Takeaway: This YA paranormal romance follows richly characterized students at an island magical magical academy.
Great for fans of: Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series, Stephanie Meyer.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: A

Vivid with immersive historic detail, plotted with memorable twists and turns, and told in arresting, irresistible prose (“My priest and teacher is an assassin and seducer”), Fogle’s expertly wrought tale will entrance readers of historical fiction and anyone interested in stories of lovers swept up in times of terror. Looming over Joachim and Aularia’s budding romance is the barbarity of the Spanish Inquisition (Fogle doesn’t skimp on details of the more disturbing aspects, including torture), and readers will root for a happy ending as the pair face potential tragedy. Danger abounds, friends and foes alike will fall, and hearts will break, though Joachim and Aularia passionately believe in their ability to affect change. In Fogle’s hands their plight is gripping and emotionally resonant.
The author’s background as a psychotherapist contributes to her masterful handling of characters, both their actions and their inner lives, and she brings clear-eyed life to her milieu, capturing 15th century Barcelona in descriptive prose steeped in impeccable research. This story of tyranny and love will keep its audience turning the pages–and unlikely to forget its ending.
Takeaway: Fogle’s clear-eyed narrative about the barbarity of the Spanish Inquisition brings history to glorious life.
Great for fans of: Alice Hoffman’s Incantation, Mitchell James Kaplan’s By Fire, By Water.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

In conversational, splendidly descriptive prose, Magliano invites young readers on an absorbing quest as the bone reveals its exciting secrets, and Wences works to understand the mystical remains with the help of his friends Matteo and Jeanine, rediscovers his love of adventure–and travels to an otherworldly realm in the process. For all the excitement and fun of an exciting new world where dinosaurs roam and a carcharodontosaurus named Akheilos snacks on tortilla chips in the kitchen, the book’s greatest strength is its keen understanding of Wences’ inner world–his relatable teen angst and frustration, made sharper by the heartache that he can’t quite articulate.
Magliano displays impressive, scientifically accurate dinosaur knowledge that will appeal to even the most discerning aspiring paleontologist. This book’s thrilling voyage is made even richer by author/artist Magliano’s emotionally resonant illustrations, which suggest both the best comic books and an artist’s private journal entries, and the fantasy story's strong connection to Wences’ real-world challenges, offering an insightful look at self-discovery and grief that young readers will find encouraging and inspiring.
Takeaway: This engrossing middle-grade fantasy blends an insightful look at self-discovery and grief with a realm where dinosaurs roam.
Great for fans of: Jess Redman’s The Miraculous, Laura Martin’s Edge of Extinction series.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Strangeweather blends approaches drawing upon from 20th century beat, psychedelic, and meta fiction, with a welcome contemporary embrace of nonbinary living, plus a reporter’s eye for revealing detail (“Splintered boards and broken cinderblocks, his house is made from the castoff parts of other houses”) and a conjurer’s ability to make accounts of altered states resonant rather than tedious. Restless yet precise, the prose seizes hold, powered by memorable thoughts: “Being a zombie wouldn’t be so bad, she thought. It was probably the most comfortable, molasses feeling you could ever imagine, drunker than you’ve ever been, stoned out of your gourd.
Often, the book is chameleonic and kaleidoscopic, with passages written in the voice of online postings, tourist brochures, job applications, and even a lengthy Nabakovian rejection note for this very book, calling the leads “thinly veiled metaphors for the current state of affairs in pre-post-neo-late- capitalist America.” Satiric, provocative, humane, challenging, and far too long, Strangewather’s koans both test and reward patience, especially in evoking what is “arguably the creepiest jungle in the world.” It’s a novel that’s determinedly not for everyone, but admirable in its convictions, ambitions, execution, and commitment to insight and dazzle.
Takeaway: Charles Hayes’s Tripping, Terence McKenna, John C. Lily.
Great for fans of: A bold, sprawling novel of an intersex couple’s search for peace through hallucinogens in Mexico.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Wilberforce’s storyline is uncomplicated and manageable for younger readers, and he avoids character development in favor of immediate adventure: Barry, along with Kari and Fast Tommy, have minimal introduction before Barry’s love for roller skating surges the story along, and the movement keeps going as the main players all prep for Fast Tommy’s skate race. Wilberforce’s digital illustrations are engaging and dynamic in their composition, a montage of sorts, but when it’s a close up of Barry or a portrayal of his anger, his expression is terrifying, which may be off-putting to some younger readers.
A highlight is the emphasis on the rewards of friendship, practicing, and not giving up, alongside Wilberforce’s brief reference to social bullying–when Barry falls on his skates, his friends’ teasing makes him feel “very small.” Discerning readers may also notice Kari in the background of illustrations asleep in a hammock, perhaps a cheeky nod to the tortoise and the hare fable, which this story echoes and shares a moral with–Kari is a rabbit after all. VROOM! is a straightforward and uplifting book for young readers who need a bit of encouragement to keep trying and to have friends who will support their goals.
Takeaway: Barry’s story will encourage younger readers with a push to keep trying and surround themselves with supportive friends.
Great for fans of: Diane Alber’s A Little Spot of Perseverance, Carmen Agra Deedy’s The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: B
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
By exploring eight primary attributes of disruptive thinking, Copeland brings clarity to an often abstract concept. Though some of these attributes will sound familiar, such as “the go getter,” he also analyzes more novel characteristics: readers are encouraged to channel their inner daydreamer as a means of fostering no-holds-barred imaginative ideas, and Copeland emphasizes the need for “wonderment” to enhance curiosity and promote discovery. He circles back to the inevitability of failure as a “stepping stone to success” and illustrates this with compelling, real-world precedents– including Milton Hershey, who was forced to claim bankruptcy during his initial business attempt. Copeland provides intuitive tools that readers can use to rearrange these failures into victories, namely steering clear of advice to shun risk-taking and learning to evaluate failure objectively for future progress.
Sections of this guide get bogged down at times with peripheral information, but overall readers will find a wealth of straightforward, hands-on recommendations to help “tap into their own infinite capabilities.” Though disruption has become a buzzword, Copeland deconstructs a well-worn concept to deliver refreshing perspectives–and his willingness to dive into more complicated issues like the cognitive processes behind disruptive thinking elevates the text. Visionaries and those longing to transform industries should read this.
Takeaway: A guide to what makes transformative thinkers tick, along with user-friendly guidance to reach full creative potential.
Great for fans of: Adam Grant’s Think Again, Brandon Bornancin’s Whatever It Takes.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A
Harris shares his musings chronologically, from the spring of 2020 through 2021, and circles around four central themes: initial shock and the range of his responses to isolation, a comparison of the coronavirus pandemic with past plagues, medieval theories of disease, and Covid’s effect on our politics, with Donald Trump in the role of viral villain. Harris likens his time in isolation to an interval in a “gilded cage,” full of “endless cooking and solo eating, and the repetitive chores of a butler and staff,” and dedicates space to illuminating the impact of Covid on society. His portrayal of Berkley as a “scene out of [a] post-apocalyptic” film is particularly stark, as he details the seclusion of enjoying an outdoor, pre-takeout dinner drink at a local café, complete with “plastic cashier shields” and neighboring-table small talk about who will survive the pandemic.
Harris weaves abundant historical and cultural references into this portrait of a singular time and place framework, capturing for the future his drift of thought in a polarized era, often sounding off in heated yet familiar passages likening Trump to Hitler unlikely to persuade those who don’t agree with him politically. Nevertheless, the slim collection preserves a singular moment of rage, fear, and uncertainty.
Takeaway: A fiery collage of texts, photographs, and illustrations offering an intimate record of pandemic life.
Great for fans of: Bill Hayes’s How We Live Now, Covid Chronicles: A Comics Anthology.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B+
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B+
With inviting historic and cultural detail, and a keen sense of feeling caught between nations, Marzell dramatizes the daily lives and drifts of mind of his cast, the fiction attentive at all times to the question of what life for people like Matthias or Josef, his friend, would have felt like. “America is complicated,” Josef says early on, before Hitler’s invasion of Poland changes everything. They yearn for the Heimat, for family and friends, “the food, the smells” and lifting the beer stein.
The 20th century, of course, will disrupt these lives further, with the lives of Matthias, Josef, their friend Feliks, and endless millions of others scattered by the winds of war. Marzell’s depiction ranges from Pearl Harbor to Nuremberg, plus much discussion of everything before and after (“The civilized world would not tolerate that,” one character insists, during a discussion of Hitler’s dark plans.) Much of the story and world are revealed through dialogue as Marzell’s people, like any of us, try to make sense of a world that won’t slow down.
Takeaway: A humane, vividly realized epic of German immigrants to the U.S. between the world wars
Great for fans of: Lourise Erdrich’s The Master Butchers Singing Club, Mary Relindes Ellis’s The Bohemian Flats.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
Between those extremes, Bohunk, with disarming frankness, shares the everyday work it takes to manage addiction, in good times and bad, as well as complex issues of legacy and spirituality: The son of a Catholic mother and a secular Jewish father, Bohunk, in his youth, felt some shame at his Jewish heritage, and while in recovery found his own beliefs in conflict. The “higher power” component of Alcoholics Anonymous eventually nudged him to work to find a “God-consciousness” in his own way, a process that Bohunk describes with welcome humility–he never tells anyone how to live, instead offering his experience and self-discovery as an example.
Elsewhere, Bohunk’s Redemption is alive with spirited, persuasive opinions (“The Industrial-Medical complex overall kills more than it saves lives when it comes to addicting drugs they push on to the public”) and striking character sketches: He describes his father as “a typical New Yorker, worldly in the confines of a few square blocks.” The twelfth step of AA recovery, of course, emphasizes the joy of living, a phrase that could have served as this lively book’s title. Bohunk’s celebration of life as a parent proves as engaging as his suspenseful account of the abduction, and he laces insight about addiction throughout.
Takeaway: A psychiatrist’s memorable story of facing addiction, sobriety, and child abduction.
Great for fans of: Peter Grinspoon’s Free Refills, Leslie Jamison’s The Recovery.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Adults make that difficult, of course, both at the systemic and personal levels. Most worrisome is Lewis, a neighbor who watches the children’s apartment window and seems to know more than he lets on. (He calls Isabella “Bella Beauty” and makes declarations like “Just so you know, I keep secrets really good.”) As spring turns to summer, and Isabella tries to keep everyone fed and make sense of SNAP and unemployment benefits, Lewis grows creepier, the story grows darker, people from Chandra’s church begin sniffing around—and, reeling from shocks and trauma, Isabella and co. must face the possibility of discovery.
Throughout, Peluso demonstrates a firm command of how complex societal systems work (and fail), from Oakbriar to the state of Florida to a community-minded church and, ultimately, the justice system. She also understands the hearts and fears of kids, how daunting and inhumane those systems can appear from the outside, and the preciousness of stability and love. The storytelling tends toward a reportorial directness, as if she’s documenting a true case and trying not to editorialize. That approach distances reader from character, but it doesn’t diminish this scenario’s pained urgency—or ultimately hopeful conclusion.
Takeaway: A pained, realistic novel of children left parentless by the pandemic and vowing to get by on their own.
Great for fans of: Erin McKenzie’s Taking Chances, Cris Beam’s To the End of June.
Production grades
Cover: C+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
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