General Fiction
Plot/Idea: Lose Yourself is a riveting and passionately written sports tale which effectively emphasizes the power and allure of baseball. Wetzel's accessible novel keenly illustrates how baseball can profoundly affect the lives of everyone it touches, both on and off the field.
Prose: Wetzel's text is effervescent, vividly telling Brett Austen's story with wit and panache. He confidently builds tension and drama with a scrupulous attention to detail that really brings the "in-game" scenes to life.
Originality: Written with verve and style, Lose Yourself effectively covers all bases: life, love and sports. Wetzel brilliantly captures the magic of sport as well as offering up an often touching and sentimental study of family dynamics.
Character/Execution: Brett Austen is the central focus of Lose Yourself, but other characters such as sports reporter Dana Peck are equally fascinating. Wetzel expertly handles the emotional struggless between his well-developed characters with naturalistic and involving dialogue.
Blurb: A candid and vibrant sports drama.
Plot/Idea: While infused with erotica, at its core, this is a story about a group of friends finding where they fit in the world. The reader follows them as they navigate heartbreak, challenging transitions, and difficult family dynamics, as well as the trauma of rape, racism, and HIV scares, all rawly and vividly depicted.
Prose: Naked Love Berlin positively sings in the moments depicting meaningful character communications and interactions. Sex scenes, while effectively rendered, can sometimes break the spell of the otherwise immensely engaging storytelling.
Originality: Gay life in Berlin from the expat perspective is not a common subject matter, and it's an interesting one. The city is almost a character in and of itself and the author excels at creating atmosphere.
Character/Execution: Readers will feel deeply for the individual characters as they discover, suffer, grow, and seek their own versions of happy endings.
Plot/Idea: This engrossing story takes place during a pivotal time in world history, and Suchman adds careful detail to the set up, particularly in the novel's beginning. That slows the pace initially, but Alice's story is also lovingly constructed in the process.
Prose: Suchman is a reliable writer, able to establish a sound framework for this historically significant novel. The prose is direct and steady, capably narrating the book's tense, tragic experiences.
Originality: This work is a fictionalized account of a true story, enhanced for context and storytelling. Suchman breathes vivid life into Alice's story, making her a memorable—and inspiring—character.
Character/Execution: Suchman is skilled with characterization, particularly with Alice, but also with Selma, Emma, and Alfred. Readers will be deeply impacted by their tragic stories, long after their fate is revealed.
Plot/Idea: In Christie’s smooth plot, Fran Carter is a struggling romance author in her 50s, facing the downfall of not only her long-term relationship but also her career. Readers stay largely inside Fran’s mind for the novel’s bulk, as she undertakes a journey to redefine herself and her writing.
Prose: The prose is contemporary and strong, written in a clear voice that capably digs into Fran’s thoughts and feelings. There are moments when Fran’s reactions come across flat, but the style is otherwise appealing.
Originality: Readers will appreciate Fran’s work on her writing while she simultaneously navigates the upheaval in her own life. Christie aptly mirrors her professional journey with her personal quest to refresh and reawaken her inner self.
Character/Execution: As Fran’s awareness of her stagnancy grows, so too does her desire to change things, and Christie allows readers an inside seat to her transformation. The change is fluid, natural, and beautiful to watch.
Plot/Idea: This fluid, lyrically-wrought novel starts off as a breezy tale of summer indulgence, where a group of children in India set off to laze their days away by the Simroo River. The narrative initially mirrors that summer pace, meandering slowly through the story's different perspectives, but once it picks up readers will be swept into the dark secrets simmering just beyond summer's reach.
Prose: Somvanshi's expressive prose perfectly suits this romanticized tale and accurately depicts the woes of star-crossed lovers.
Originality: Summer of 93 combines several moving parts, from intrigue to romance to history, culminating in an entertaining concept that will appeal to fans of genre-crossing novels.
Character/Execution: Distinct and imperfect, the characters in Somvanshi's novel mesh in ways that make them seem incredibly real and believable. Their struggles with love, growing up, and heartbreak will resonate with readers of all ages.
Blurb: Summer of 93 beautifully explores themes of love and community against a stirring backdrop of feminism and a broken social system.
Plot/Idea: Hoti's dark story will appeal to YA readers in its coming-of-age elements, as it examines the limits of young love amid complex religious themes. The relationship between Sean and Jeremiah quickly takes flight, full of rich contradictions and tenuous connections that place both boys in harm's way, and the ending is satisfyingly shocking, a fitting conclusion to such an intense novel.
Prose: The prose is persuasive, and hard-hitting in the novel's more blistering moments, while giving voice to themes that are critical for relevant audiences.
Originality: The story's setting is cleverly fashioned and memorable from the start, and the lurking horror throughout the novel has a chilling effect.
Character/Execution: Both Sean and Jeremiah are well drawn, though Jeremiah is preternaturally wise and knowledgeable considering his age of just 15 years old. The story's two central teachers—Mr. Van Orton and Dr. Jeunet—play the perfect villains: remorseless, believable, and downright terrifying.
Plot/Idea: Rasmussen's plot flows naturally and easily, creating a seamless tale of connection and belonging despite the conflict the two central characters must navigate.
Prose: Rasmussen's conversational tone smoothly transitions from light, everyday topics to great emotional depth. There is power in the simplicity of the text, pulsing just the beneath the surface as Rachel and Katie foster a forceful attachment and face life's adversities together.
Originality: This fitting topic for contemporary audiences—women's rights over their own reproductive health—is shared from unique angles, with no judgment or overt agenda, giving the book a fierce, but also strangely gentle, impact.
Character/Execution: Rasmussen delivers very relatable, inspiring main characters who each possess a distinctive voice. Secondary characters adequately support the narrative.
Blurb: The Stories We Cannot Tell pays homage to femininity in nearly all of its forms, reminding readers that sisterhood is timeless.
Plot/Idea: Acts of Faith is a richly told and well-researched historical novel about two Jewish men, Juan and Isaac, and the events of their lives as they face persecution, the expulsion of Jews from Spain, and the Inquisition.
Prose: Gorsky's prose is specific, highly detailed, and doesn't shy away from vivid descriptions of unsettling events and circumstances; the plague in particular is described in fascinating, gory detail.
Originality: Acts Of Faith is unique in that it depicts two very different Jewish men enduring persecution and prejudice, and how they deal with (or deny) their faith, set against the backdrop of the expulsion of Jews and the Spanish Inquisition.
Character/Execution: The men are sympathetic characters, particularly Isaac, a physician who only wants to help people and practice his faith openly. Juan, however, is more layered and problematic; he's a self-hating Jew raised as a Christian, and his shame, confusion, and self-loathing only grow over time; he ultimately emerges as more a figure of pity than a hero.
Plot/Idea: Heinrich builds this distinctly domestic plot around an unconventional central lead—Mary Kline, an unlikely mother struggling with her physical health while navigating the ups and downs of parenting (and life in general). After Mary steps in to parent her friend Pearl's baby, Elizabeth, she feels that her destiny is complete; but Elizabeth is a study in contrasts as she grows, both appreciative of and bothered by Mary, and Heinrich probes those thought-provoking concepts throughout.
Prose: Heinrich writes rich, thoughtful prose that skillfully patches together this intriguing tale, a story that brims with subtle metaphors and will make an impression on readers.
Originality: Mary's self-conscious, weighty personality consumes the novel, but Heinrich delivers a myriad of character-driven moments that make this book distinctive.
Character/Execution: Mary and Elizabeth stand out as deeply developed characters, bursting with relatability and appeal—each in their own unique way. Pearl is less well defined, though Elizabeth's father, James, is carved with careful attention to detail, and he fully transforms through the novel.
Plot/Idea: Starman After Midnight is a riveting and witty collection of stories linked by two next door neighbors who have contrasting personalities. Semegran manages to tie these stories together in an inventive, imaginative and provocative manner that is thoroughly enjoyable.
Prose: Semegran's text is consistently resourceful and involving, possessing great sentence structure and top-notch character descriptions. His poetic and lyrical attention to detail helps evoke a slightly mysterious atmosphere while his conversational and natural tone of voice allows for a fluid reading experience.
Originality: Starman After Midnight is an absorbing, immersive, and intriguing collection. The author brings a uniquely quirky and often surrealistic quality to the interconnected tales full of mystery and suspense.
Character/Execution: Seff, a forward-thinking writer, and Big Dave, an old-fashioned plumber, are brilliantly realized central characters, both with memorable personality traits. Throughout, Semegran's characters are authentic, natural, and astutely observed.
Plot/Idea: See Sadie Jane Run is a briskly-paced, character-focused romantic thriller that doesn't let its foot off the gas for a second. Written in a confident and accessible manner, Huston's energetic storyline is sure to have widespread appeal.
Prose: Huston's text is crafted with verve and passion, successfully blending entertaining characters with a kinetic and attractive prose style. Her well observed dialogue neatly emphasizes character traits, while the dual first person narrative makes the reading experience more personal and pleasurable.
Originality: See Sadie Jane Run benefits from keen attention to detail and well crafted central characters. Written at breakneck speed, the reader barely has a chance to catch their breath before Sadie's next set of shenanigans are set in motion.
Character/Execution: Huston's central characters are instantly appealing, Sadie Jane Klein is dripping with charm and intelligence while her teenage crush, Dutch Holland, is handsomely intriguing. The characters are affable and naturalistic, neatly bolstered by interesting personality quirks that make them even more alluring.
Blurb: A thoroughly entertaining romantic thriller.
Plot/Idea: Sea Tigers & Merchants is set in the late 18th century about merchants, sailors, and the building of empires in the brand-new United States. While men must take lethal and financial risks (storms, pirates, the British Navy) to forge their fortunes, the women are no less courageous, often raising families alone for years while their men are at sea, and risking the inherent dangers of childbirth and abandonment. While it is the second book in a series, to the author's credit, it can be read as a standalone novel.
Prose: Wagner-Wright's prose is clear and descriptive, and she wastes no time bringing the reader into the 18th century with its dangers and delights. For example, newly orphaned Elizabeth "Lizzie" Rowell is thrown into the deep end immediately, forced to journey to a strange town and rely on her cousin for food and lodging. ("She hadn’t expected luxuries, but the accommodation in her father’s barn was better than this. At least the cow and horse had provided some heat.") There's also a helpful glossary at the end of the book for readers who don't know a banyan from a ratline.
Originality: There are many novels set in the late 18th century about the struggles early Americans had to face merely to survive, never mind earn their fortunes. But Sea Tigers & Merchants is an enjoyable read, and the author clearly did her research. She also includes a recipe section, and the ending, while abrupt, leaves the reader wanting more.
Character/Execution: The numerous characters emerge as individuals with their own struggles, perspectives, and voices. Lizzie comes across very different from, say, Betsey West, while Geordie and his father could not be more different. Further, Lizzie is relatable and rootble, and even the villains can't be dismissed as merely good or evil.
Plot/Idea: Developing a fictionalized account of how a woman saved the legacy of Vincent Van Gogh is clever and compelling. The novel is well structured and ably plotted.
Prose: The writing here is solid, clear, and effective. The book is well-researched and the author does a great job providing context.
Originality: As this isn't a topic people will have encountered, it feels like a fresh take on the history of a well-known artist. The way Van Gogh's pieces are included is a nice conceit.
Character/Execution: Jo starts as a bit weak and easily overwhelmed; seeing her gain strength and continue pushing toward something she feels is important helps the reader root for her. Some characters feel a little cliche, but Jo is a well rendered protagonist.
Plot/Idea: Frank Lloyd Wrong is an endearing coming-of-age novel centered on a character forced to navigate his family's unique dynamics long before he's ready to do so.
Prose: Grote's prose is conversational and distinct, with candid, wry humor infused throughout. While the narration itself has a slight tendency to ramble, the tone is age-appropriate and readily engaging, with sparkling phrases on nearly every page.
Originality: Frank Lloyd Wrong deals in familiar themes–particularly the experiences of a young man grappling with adult responsibilities. But the novel comes alive through the uniquely disordered family at the center of the story. Grote brings empathy, humanity, and heart to the storytelling that will stick with readers.
Character/Execution: Grote's characters are the novel's core strength. Christian is presented as an individual torn between childhood and adulthood, while his mother emerges as a caregiver doing her best despite her inherent challenges.
Plot/Idea: This dynamic family drama follows Jason Lahey as he slowly loses his grip after stumbling onto an enigmatic slot machine abandoned in a field. He starts drinking too much, alienating himself from his family, and finds himself mired in past trauma. The storyline is sad but believable.
Prose: Peters writes with polish, though his descriptions tend to be overly ornate. Dialogue is a strength here, as the characters converse in natural, unstudied ways.
Originality: Fortune Falls is primarily character-driven, with a smattering of major events—such as the horrific death of Jason's neighbor and Jason's son's traumatic response—that are firmly grounded within the narrative arc. The slot machine hints at a larger intrigue that sometimes feels excessive for the story's framework.
Character/Execution: Main character Jason is compelling in his downward spiral, and, as his self-sabotage grows, readers will be swept into his difficulties.
Plot/Idea: Star Late Rising is a kaleidoscopic mish-mash of drama, comedy and surrealistic literature. Ron Luce's confidently told story boldly raises pertinent questions about who we are as individuals, as a collective and as a society teetering on the brink of collapse.
Prose: Luce's text is presented as a theatrical play, with excellent attention to detail in the stage directions that help create an imaginative and provocative atmosphere. In addition, the effect of the narrator talking directly to the reader makes the text feel more personal and resonant.
Originality: Star Late Rising is an engaging, genre-bending novel which has a strong focus on drama and theatrical performance. Its interesting and offbeat presentation is its strength, although the format may not be to many readers' tastes.
Character/Execution: The narrator and the three professional actors who make up the cast of Star Late Rising are well orchestrated and engaging. And intriguingly, as a result of the book's unique format, it often feels like the characters are directly in conversation with the audience.
