Starred Review Round-Up (4/30/21)

We’re seeing stars! These titles all received multiple starred reviews:

SORROWLAND by Rivers Solomon
ISBN 9780374266776 | on sale 5/4/21

“Solomon once again stretches the boundaries of speculative fiction in this distinct and visceral exploration of the trauma of Black and queer bodies in an all-too believable near future.”–Booklist, starred review

“They display a maturing control of their craft, employing a breathtaking range of reference that will enable any reader, from horror geek to Derridean academic, to engage with this thrilling tale. This is a tour de force.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

WALKING ON COWRIE SHELLS: Stories by Nana Nkweti
ISBN 9781644450543 | on sale 6/1/21

“This is a groundbreaking and vital work.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Stories about Cameroonian Americans that complicate the usual immigrant narratives… Boisterous and high-spirited debut stories by a talented new writer.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR MOTHER IS A WITCH by Rivka Galchen
ISBN 9780374280468 | on sale 6/8/21

“This is a resounding delight.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Dazzling in its humor, intelligence, and the richness of its created world.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

LET THE RECORD SHOW: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993 by Sarah Schulman
ISBN 9780374185138 | on sale 5/18/21

“Vital, democratic truth-telling.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“This engaging, accessible book will find a wide audience among readers interested in activism from the ground up. It will also be a foundational document for historians for generations to come. A must-read.”–Library Journal, starred review

THE ARTFUL DICKENS: The Tricks and Ploys of the Great Novelist by John Mullan
ISBN 9781408866818 | on sale 5/11/21

“This superlative, fresh collection will please stalwart fans and bring new readers to the Dickens canon.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A brisk, authoritative look at a literary icon.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER: A Memoir by Ashley C. Ford
ISBN 9781250305978 | on sale 6/1/21

“A potent coming-of-age memoir from a popular podcaster and BuzzFeed host… Sure to be one of the best memoirs of 2021.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“This remarkable, heart-wrenching story of loss, hardship, and self-acceptance astounds.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

DEAD BY DAWN by Paul Doiron
ISBN 9781250235107 | on sale 6/29/21

“This entry stands as the best yet in a superior series.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This series just keeps getting better, although Bowditch is going to need some serious body-part replacements if he keeps going at this rate.”–Booklist, starred review

THE MAIDENS by Alex Michaelides
ISBN 9781250304452 | on sale 6/15/21

“The intelligent, cerebral plot finds contemporary parallels in Euripides’s tragedies, Jacobean dramas such as The Duchess of Malfi, and Tennyson’s poetry. The devastating ending shows just how little the troubled Mariana knows about the human psyche or herself. Michaelides is on a roll.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Michaelides’ stage-setting skills are as masterful here, as they were in THE SILENT PATIENT (2019); another tense, cleverly twisted winner.”–Booklist, starred review

ONE LAST STOP by Casey McQuiston
ISBN 9781250244499 | on sale 6/1/21

“With all the fun and camp of a drag show (of which this novel features more than one) but grounded in the tenderness of first love, this time-slip rom-com is an absolute delight. McQuiston brings the goods.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“It is a love story on all levels, one that marvels at the magic of human connection and is unabashedly romantic.”–Booklist, starred review

BLACKTONGUE THIEF by Christopher Buehlman
ISBN 9781250621191 | on sale 5/25/21

“Readers of epic fantasy novelists, like Tolkien or Brian Sanderson, will enjoy this journey, which is by turns fun, magical, or terrifying for the travelers. Buehlman offers a departure from his horror novels in this fantasy with dark undertones. With fabulous examples of invented languages and dialects, this title is transporting.”–Library Journal, starred review

“Give this to those readers eager for George R. R. Martin or Patrick Rothfuss to finish their series, or to any fantasy fan. Highly recommended for all library collections. This is epic fantasy adventure at its best.”–Booklist, starred review

RIDGELINE by Michael Punke
ISBN 9781250310460 | on sale 6/1/21

“Punke again brings the Old West to life in this engrossing account of the violence and horror of a Wyoming massacre that presaged the Battle of Little Big Horn… This is historical fiction at its best.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Ridgeline transcends genre categorization—any sophisticated reader would appreciate this novel.”–Booklist, starred review

A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT by Becky Chambers
ISBN 9781250236210 | on sale 7/13/21

“Chambers begins a delightful new series full of familiar themes: heart, hope, and purpose.”–Library Journal, starred review

“The first book in Chambers’ new series feels like a moment to breathe, a novel that exists to give readers a place to rest and think… Recommended for fans of Chambers’ Wayfarers series and THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by TJ Klune.”–Booklist, starred review

THE ART OF LOSING by Alice Zeniter
ISBN 9780374182304 | on sale now

“This is both a classic tale of the immigrant experience and a meditation on how that experience reverberates through generations of a family.”–Booklist, starred review

“Highly recommended; from a multi-award–winning French novelist.”–Library Journal, starred review

TEST GODS: Virgin Galactic and the Making of a Modern Astronaut by Nicholas Schmidle
ISBN 9781250229755 | on sale 5/4/21

“With brisk prose, extensive interviews, and plenty of panache, Schmidle captures ‘the difference between fighter pilots and everybody else.’ The result is a page-turner, perfect for anyone in search of a story about the incredible coming within reach.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Schmidle, whose father was a marine fighter pilot and instructor, applies his personal interest in aerospace subjects to this book’s extensive research and in-depth interviews. For fans of The Right Stuff or Top Gun.”–Library Journal, starred review