Starred Review Roundup (8/17/23)

Stars all around! These titles all received multiple starred reviews:

STARLING HOUSE BY ALIX E. HARROW
9781250799050 | 10/3/23

“Harrow’s prose cuts straight to the heart as she melds a story of family legacy and historical oppression with a stirring coming-of-age tale and a call to speak the truth. Readers will be left chewing on this tale long after the last page.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Harrow’s captivating prose centers her flawed, cynical protagonists in a haunting plot of horrible actions, fog-hidden beasts, and moving connections between family, friends, and lovers… Harrow’s mash-up of twisted fairy tales and Southern gothic fiction is a haunting story of longing, lies, and generational curses.”–Library Journal, starred review

REYKJAVÍK: A CRIME STORY BY RAGNAR JÓNASSON AND KATRÍN JAKOBSDÓTTIR
9781250907332 | 9/5/23

“Jónasson, a translator of Agatha Christie mysteries, teams up with Icelandic prime minister Jakobsdóttir for a thrilling Scandinavian noir inspired by a real-life cold case… Jónasson has clearly learned a thing or two from Christie’s trademark tight plotting and penetrating characterizations, and Jakobsdóttir’s insider knowledge of Iceland’s halls of power lend the proceedings an air of authenticity.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A slow-burning, spellbinding whodunit. Agatha Christie, to whom it’s dedicated, would be proud.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

GOOD BAD GIRL BY ALICE FEENEY
9781250843968 | 8/29/23

“This well-written, fast-paced novel is full of Feeney’s trademark twists and turns. Fans of the author and those who enjoy psychological thrillers will want to check it out.”–Library Journal, starred review

“[Feeney] mines the murky waters of mother/daughter relationships with aplomb, anchoring the flashy plotting in palpable emotion. This crafty thriller will touch readers’ hearts as much as it bends their minds.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

THE NAVIGATING FOX BY CHRISTOPHER ROWE
9781250804501 | 9/26/23

“[The hero’s] journey to rescue his reputation and give his enemy exactly what he deserves is the kind of fable that fantasy readers will love, while his world has everything it needs to keep readers enthralled and hoping for more. Highly recommended for readers who love fantasies of talking, thinking animals.”–Library Journal, starred review

“Rowe packs a lot into this slim volume, with perceptive descriptions enhancing the worldbuilding and taut, morally complicated action keeping the pages flying. Readers will savor this.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

AFTER THE FOREST BY KELL WOODS
9781250852489 | 10/3/23

“All of Woods’s characters are drawn with exceptional sensitivity, and Greta’s well-crafted struggle to thrive despite early suffering and ongoing societal prejudice resonates. Woods is a powerful new voice in speculative fiction.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Setting the story [right after the Thirty Year War] gives her dark fantasy a realistic feel, which she offsets with connected fairy-tale epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. These aspects meld together into a fable that begins 20 years after the happily ever after of Greta and her brother, Hans.”–Booklist, starred review

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ABED SALAMA: ANATOMY OF A JERUSALEM TRAGEDY BY NATHAN THRALL
9781250854971 | 10/3/23

“Thrall, former director of the Arab-Israeli Project at the International Crisis Group, now a writer based in Jerusalem, tells the stories of heroic teachers, grieving parents, traumatized children and blasé officials in an unforgettable and devastating symphony of pain and outrage and a demand for responsibility.”–Booklist, starred review

“Journalist Thrall…offers a unique window into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in this captivating profile of Abed Salama, a Palestinian phone company worker and political activist… [This is] a heart-wrenching portrait of an unequal society.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

BRAINWYRMS BY ALISON RUMFITT
9781250866257 | 10/10/23

“Rumfitt has a point to make and she makes it with passion and nuance, without ever getting in the way of good storytelling. The characters are memorable and realistically flawed, and the horrors feel all too real. Readers will need strong stomachs to get through this, but those who do will be rewarded by the thoughtful intensity of Rumfitt’s voice.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“With biting, abrasive commentary, Rumfitt’s bold prose pulls no punches and refuses to relent as readers are pulled deeper into Frankie and Vanya’s fears regarding safety, love, and a darkness creeping closer and closer.”–Library Journal, starred review