Starred Review Round-Up (6/29/21)

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

THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET by Catriona Ward
ISBN 9781250812629 | on sale 9/28/21

“There’s a creeping sense of something off with every member of the cast, even as Ward immerses the reader in each of their hyperfocused points-of-view. Subtle clues scattered throughout make terrifying sense in retrospect as the bigger picture slowly comes into focus. This masterful horror novel packs an emotional wallop that lingers.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Disguising itself as a straightforward serial killer story, this strikingly original work quickly evolves into a more special story. It will push readers to their limit, but also make them glad they stuck it out.”–Library Journal, starred review

UNBOUND: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke
ISBN 9781250621733 | on sale 9/14/21

“A soul-baring memoir by one the most significant social activists of the past two decades… An unforgettable page-turner of a life story rendered with endless grace and grit.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Intensely moving and unapologetically frank, Burke’s fearless memoir will uplift and inspire the next generation of survivors, advocates, and truth-tellers.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

SAVED BY A SONG: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting by Mary Gauthier
ISBN 9781250202116 | on sale 7/6/21

“This is a treasure of a book as well as a love letter to songs and songwriters and the people who listen to them.”–Booklist, starred review

“A powerful memoir that says as much about Gauthier and her eventful, trailblazing life as it does about her music.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES by Charlotte McConaghy
ISBN 9781250244147 | on sale 8/3/21

“A lovely, gripping tale about a world that could be our own.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“The bleak landscape is gorgeously rendered, and made tense by its human and animal inhabitants, each capable of killing. Throughout, McConaghy avoids melodrama by maintaining a cool matter-of-factness. This is a stunner.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

BEAUTIFUL WORLD, WHERE ARE YOU by Sally Rooney
ISBN 9780374602604 | on sale 9/7/21

“A novel of capacious intelligence and plenty of page-turning emotional drama.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Rooney continues her exploration of class, sex, and mental health with a cool, captivating story about a successful Irish writer, her friend, and their lovers… As always, Rooney challenges and inspires.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

DIRTY WORK: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America by Eyal Press
ISBN 9780374140182 | on sale 8/17/21

New Yorker contributor Press investigates in this engrossing and frequently enraging survey the conditions of Americans who perform essential jobs that are ‘morally compromised’ and ‘hidden from view’… This deeply reported and eloquently argued account is a must-read.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Americans might ignore dirty work, Eyal concludes, but we are all complicit in it. Essential reading for those interested in social justice issues.”–Library Journal, starred review

DEAR MISS METROPOLITAN by Carolyn Ferrell
ISBN 9781250793614 | on sale 7/6/21

“Ferrell’s innovative and harrowing debut novel draws on the Ariel Castro kidnappings in Cleveland for a story about the abduction and captivity of three young women in Queens, N.Y., and their subsequent escape in 2007… Composed of an assemblage of fragments, photos, articles by Mathilda, and first-person narration from the victims, this effectively unpacks both individual and collective trauma. It’s blistering from page one.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This tale of pain and healing will keep readers fully engaged and discussion groups talking for a long time.”–Library Journal, starred review

THE ARBORNAUT: A Life Discovering the Eighth Continent in the Trees Above Us by Meg Lowman
ISBN 9780374162696 | on sale 8/10/21

“A riveting memoir from ‘Canopy Meg,’ a pioneer in treetop science… Solid science combined with a pleasing writing style make for a winning book.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Lowman connects her life to her research in chronological chapters, interspersed with short histories of various tree species. A highly engaging read for fans of popular science or ecology titles, and budding (or experienced) scientists.”–Library Journal, starred review

CROSSROADS by Jonathan Franzen
ISBN 9780374181178 | on sale 10/5/21

“This first novel in an ambitious trilogy tracks a suburban Chicago family in a time of personal and societal turmoil… Franzen’s intensely absorbing novel is amusing, excruciating, and at times unexpectedly uplifting—in a word, exquisite.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Throughout, Franzen exhibits his remarkable ability to build suspense through fraught interpersonal dynamics. It’s irresistible.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

LAST SUMMER IN THE CITY by Gianfranco Calligarich
ISBN 9780374600150 | on sale 8/10/21

“The account of a lost generation in Rome in the early 1970s (possibly the children of the children of Hemingway’s lost generation) carries the weight of both family history and generational saga. A portrait of a young man adrift in a world where meaning has been swept away.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Is there any place in society for those who refuse to color within the lines? This is a question that Leo struggles to answer. A marvel of a novel.”–Booklist, starred review

THE MADNESS OF CROWDS by Louise Penny
ISBN 9781250145260 | on sale 8/24/21

“Seamlessly integrating debates about scientific experimentation and morality into a fair-play puzzle, Penny excels at placing her characters in challenging ethical quandaries. This author just goes from strength to strength.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Gamache’s longtime belief in our common humanity is severely tested here, but, finally, it is that belief and the actions deriving from it that seem to offer the only balm for our lingering bruises. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Millions of readers will find that picking up a new Gamache novel is the perfect way to celebrate the easing of a pandemic.”–Booklist, starred review

GONE FOR GOOD by Joanna Schaffhausen
ISBN 9781250264602 | on sale 8/10/21

“Excellent fair-play plotting, genuine surprises, and convincing characters make this a surefire winner. Mystery fans are in for a treat.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Schaffhausen, author of the Ellery Hathaway procedurals, seamlessly weaves past and present together and easily manipulates strong romantic and family-loyalty subplots that might otherwise sink a poorly constructed story. In this strong series debut, though, these multiple story lines provide layers to a heroine who sacrifices everything she loves in pursuit of justice, emerging with an optimistic eye toward what comes next.”–Booklist, starred review

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