Starred Review Round-Up (6/1/21)

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

UNTIL PROVEN SAFE: The History and Future of Quarantine by Nicola Twilley and Geoff Manaugh
ISBN 9780374126582 | on sale 7/20/21

“This thoughtful study couldn’t arrive at a better moment.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“An infectiously appealing overview of efforts to contain the potentially infectious.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

ENCIRCLING 3: Aftermath by Carl Frode Tiller
ISBN 9781644450581 | on sale 7/13/21

“Tiller has created a polyphony of intriguing characters and a brilliant inquiry into the construction of personhood. This strong series couldn’t have gone out on a better note.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A surprising, emotionally intense character study that elevates everyday anxieties into epic form.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

THE RENUNCIATIONS: Poems by Donika Kelly
ISBN 9781644450536 | on sale now

“Kelly’s second effort feels scraped raw, seeking to understand humanity in primal terms in the same way as her debut, but here building to even grander emotional and linguistic crescendo.”–Library Journal, starred review

“Kelly explores in her powerful latest the tenuous line between desire and trauma in poems that ache with memory and revelation.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

THE CHOSEN AND THE BEAUTIFUL by Nghi Vo
ISBN 9781250784780 | on sale now

“The plot unravels tantalizingly slowly, and Vo’s immersive prose never ceases to captivate. The Gatsby-related details and hints of magic will keep readers spellbound from start to finish.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“With magic creeping in around the edges, this is a unique, well-developed, and haunting Gatsby retelling.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

BIG VAPE: The Incendiary Rise of Juul by Jamie Ducharme
ISBN 9781250777539 | on sale now

“Fast-paced and impressively researched, this detailed account sings.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Intensive, exemplary reportage on a controversial industry cloaked in scandal.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

KIN: A Memoir by Shawna Kay Rodenberg
ISBN 9781635574555 | on sale 6/8/21

“What makes this one special is the way the debut author widens her view to tell the stories of her parents, grandparents, and other relatives, including times before she was born, with as much compassion and realistic detail as she gives her own story.”–Booklist, starred review

“Rodenberg’s depth of feeling, intelligence, and love open eyes and demolish stereotypes.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

RAZORBLADE TEARS by S.A. Cosby
ISBN 9781250252708 | on sale 7/6/21

“Lean and mean, this is crime fiction with a chip on its shoulder. Violence and love go hand in hand in this tale of two rough men seeking vengeance for their murdered sons.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Few novels marry tough and tender, head-banging and coming-of-age, as seamlessly as this one does, but that’s no surprise from a supremely talented writer who keeps getting better.”–Booklist, starred review

FALLEN by Linda Castillo
ISBN 9781250142924 | on sale 7/6/21

“In addition to providing readers with plenty of Amish cultural context, Castillo adds surprising twists to the gripping plot and touches upon police brutality and Amish discrimination. This sterling entry can be easily read as a standalone.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Castillo’s latest in her acclaimed series offers a twisty, tragic plot and new insights into the savvy Burkholder. An absolute cracker of a book.”–Booklist, starred review

ETHEL ROSENBERG: An American Tragedy by Anne Sebba
ISBN 9781250198631 | on sale 6/8/21

“A concise yet thorough account of a 1953 miscarriage of justice with alarming relevance today.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Ultimately, Sebba places the martyrdom of Ethel Rosenberg, a ‘profoundly moral woman,’ on the long scroll of anti-Semitic and sexist atrocities, creating a redefining and redemptive work of astute protest and caution.”–Booklist, starred review

SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN by Shelley Parker-Chan
ISBN 9781250621801 | on sale 7/20/21

“Parker-Chan’s debut is forceful, immersive, and unforgettable. This inspired queer retelling of Chinese history is an exciting read.”–Library Journal, starred review

“The side characters in her story and the plots and betrayals that swirl around the book’s events are themselves intensely compelling, but it is Zhu’s strength of will and passion that give this novel its spark.”–Booklist, starred review

I LIVE A LIFE LIKE YOURS: A Memoir by Jan Grue
ISBN 9780374600785 | on sale 8/17/21

“Absorbing, insightful reflections on being human.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“[He] brilliantly articulates what it’s like to be ‘erased and rewritten,’ and, more poignantly, what it’s like to obliterate the narrative one’s been handed. This stunning work isn’t to be missed.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review