General Fiction
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Plot/Idea: In Helen Bonaparte, D'Stair tells the story of the titular heroine, a listless academic, who experiences a profound midlife awakening while on tour of Italy. Every page is imbued with longing and lust; every turn of Marieke's head; every hand gesture; every refolding of her green scarf consumes Helen. Across the backdrops of Venice, Florence, Assisi, Pompeii, and Rome, each stop journey becomes more enticing and tempting.
Prose: The prose is highly detailed, often fragmented, almost painterly. Intriguingly, the narrative takes on an objective quality, as though the protagonist is viewing herself externally.
Originality: Tales of sexual and psychological renewal are a mainstay of literature. D'Stair takes an often mesmerizing approach that will leave a deep impression on readers.
Character/Execution: The character of Helen, in particular, is finely drawn. Readers will feel her coming to life via her powerful and overtaking attraction to Marieke as well as her encounters with the art of Italy. Marieke, meanwhile, emerges through subtle descriptions, movements, and gestures.
Blurb: D'Stair takes an often mesmerizing approach to a tale of sexual and psychological renewal that will leave a deep impression on readers.
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Plot/Idea: From the very start, it is clear Biswas is going to take the reader on a journey of epic proportion. While it feels improbable that a man with epilepsy can travel through time and space, we buy into the journey Franz’s mind takes and are curious to see where it leads. This is a definite page-turner with potential for cinematic adaptation.
Prose: The narration–largely told from Franz Herbert himself–portrays his unique voice and experience. It transports the reader directly into his world of time travel. Even the sentences, that at times seem to jump and fall off the page (with particular spacings and indentations), make the reader feel that they are a part of the journey. Biswas is a master storyteller who pulls the reader in.
Originality: A story that bends both time and space, The Astronomer is reminiscent of other time-travel novels and films. But Biswas has a clear understanding of a unique universe and character that take the “exploration of the universe” to a different level. A love story that many can relate to and tugs at the heartstrings only adds to the readability of the novel.
Character/Execution: Franz Herbert is a misunderstood genius, someone who is capable of seeing and doing things that the rest of the world can’t understand. This type of protagonist is compelling to a reader for it invokes awe, pity and, most importantly, curiosity. Franz's character is unforgettable and his experience on his journey is the glue that ties the book together.
Blurb: Biswas is a master storyteller who pulls the reader into a journey of epic proportions.
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Plot/Idea: The Mating Habits of Fireflies is a beautifully executed novel set in late 1960s-1970s California and Italy. Protagonist Emily Rowan, a deeply intuitive woman who interprets the world via her art, discovers a kindred soul in musician Danny Jackson, only to have their powerful connection interrupted by the Vietnam War.
Prose: St. Clair's prose style is fluid, lyrical, and hypnotic. While the writing meanders, and is rich in dreamlike imagery, the narrative is never overwrought.
Originality: The Mating Habits of Fireflies is a richly told love story that is also deeply evocative of the era in which it is set. Music, art, and sensuality infuse the accomplished storytelling.
Character/Execution: Emily is a passionate individual with a kaleidoscopic perception of the world around her. Her connection to Danny is palpable on the page, and never reduced to platitudes. Friends and other figures flicker through the storytelling, at times reading more as archetypal figures than fully formed characters. Nevertheless, their presence in the novel enhances its haunting qualities.
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Plot/Idea: Naked Girl has a compelling, heart-wrenching plot that allows readers to get inside the minds of two very abused, lost children who are doing their best to navigate the life they've been handed.
Prose: The author writes in beautiful, flowing prose that draws the reader in and keeps them engaged in the moments when the plot lags.
Originality: To be motherless children of a drug-selling, cult-leader father in the 1970s is a fascinating enough context, but the author's careful depiction of the complicated extended-family dynamic enhances the novel's world even more. The occasional reference to Great Expectations also adds a layer of interest, as well.
Character/Execution: The novel contains a tapestry of relatable, compelling characters, Nana in particular, which compels the reader forward. Tense and perspective shifts that occur later in the novel (as the siblings get older), while understandable from a narrative perspective, sometimes feel incongruous.
Blurb: Janna Brooke Wallack's Naked Girl, a Novel, tells the sweeping story of Sienna and Siddhartha, the youngest members of a highly-unconventional family helmed by the drug-dealing, cult-leader father.
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Plot/Idea: Dancing with Dragons follows protagonist Gaia's journey in the aftermath of a devastating event that results in the loss of her parents. Ogden crafts an inventive and vivid narrative that is beautifully told.
Prose: Ogden has a lightly poetic writing style that particularly comes alive when describing Gaia's dancing and the wildlife of Western Australia.
Originality: Ogden effectively weaves together two primary plots: Gaia's return to life after tragedy, and her quest to save her family's land from developers. Both aspects are finely executed and equally intriguing without feeling disparate.
Character/Execution: Gaia is an immensely appealing protagonist who begins her story as a skittish loner and displays clear development throughout the novel. Side characters and the natural world are similarly well conveyed.
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Plot/Idea: This is a sophisticated and engaging period work that offers readers a bit of everything. Set in 1915, readers will be transported back in time where they will happily stay ensconced until Beatrice's story reaches its gratifying conclusion. The plot is richly detailed, satisfyingly complex, and engrossing.
Prose: Gable is a first-rate storyteller, able to convincingly recreate a bygone era not just in setting and prose but in cultural norms of the time. The language in particular is true to the time period, which greatly enhances this captivating work. Description is multilayered and flows perfectly within the narrative, and the prose here is refined and polished.
Originality: This delightfully meandering plot and exquisite historical setting will capture readers' minds and hearts from the first page.
Character/Execution: Gable constructs lifelike, dynamic characters—particularly Beatrice and Jonah—whose yearning to find a secure place of belonging will resonate with readers. Secondary characters, including Varina and Beatrice's other classmates, are convincing and lively.
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Plot/Idea: This Norse based epic takes on rough seas, life or death battles, and a host of intriguing characters. At the heart of the novel is a romance, but Gill forms it rough around the edges and suspenseful—fitting for the story’s setting—while adding in the perfect touch of lore.
Prose: Gill’s writing is authentic and sharp, with multiple perspective changes that are clearly orchestrated and smooth the narrative out for readers. The setting is vividly wrought, brimming with Norse mythology and portraying the day-to-day struggle to survive—and carve out some kind of life—in an unforgiving, vengeful world.
Originality: Among Sea Wolves is stunningly authentic, with era-appropriate language and descriptions that will appeal to any fans of Viking legend.
Character/Execution: Rivalries are sketched convincingly and add edge to the plot, and the cornerstone relationship—between poet Skarfr and wise woman Hlif—is arresting. Their tumultuous journey together is fraught with seemingly endless problems, but through it all, their devotion and magnetic connection drive the novel. Supporting characters, notably the fearless captive Brigid, round out the story and add depth.[
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Plot/Idea: Butterfield’s sweeping plot follows Marguerite de Valois, initially a naïve princess of France who enters a tumultuous marriage with Henri, the Prince of Navarre, and comes into her own through hard-fought battles, profound love affairs, and a deep awakening to the dangerous, conniving world around her. The story grows with Marguerite, as she transforms into a powerful—and infamous—queen, while somehow managing to keep vestiges of her youthful self at the same time.
Prose: Butterfield writes with charming, witty pose, perfectly intoning the speech patterns of her characters and the era of the novel.
Originality: This novel sets itself apart through Butterfield’s spotless prose and deeply thoughtful character studies; Marguerite is a powerhouse from the start, stunning in her intensity and relatability, and Butterfield perfectly balances her vulnerability with her growing skill and capacity to rule.
Character/Execution: Marguerite is alive with poise, vulnerability, and a sincerity that makes her breathtakingly real. Butterfield animates the novel’s historical setting, fashioning character interactions that breed familiarity and arresting charisma; Catherine de Medici is a powerful contradiction of volatility and strength, a worthy opponent to the renowned Marguerite, who slowly comes to realize her own resoluteness through the mistreatment she experiences at the hands of others.
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Plot/Idea: Yet, Here We Are is an excellently crafted tale of mystery, romance, and self discovery set during two turbulent post-war periods. The storyline is absorbing, exploring the consequences of keeping secrets to ourselves and how they can impact greatly on the rest of our lives.
Prose: Yet, Here We Are is a powerfully affecting book that is both memorable and deeply engaging. The compelling storyline is equally touching and witty, held together by a poetic prose style that is as involving as it is illuminating.
Originality: Yet, Here We Are is a brilliantly evocative novel which explores the central characters' experiences with love and betrayal at pivotal moments in history. Massman's text is an honest story of hope and loss set in post-war society that leaves a profound impression on the reader.
Character/Execution: Elizabeth, Louise, and Sage are all complex characters committed to their individual causes. Massman's powerful female protagonists thrive in a novel that expertly delivers a message of resilience and hope in the face of adversity.
Blurb: A brilliantly crafted story of love, loss, and resilience.
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Plot/Idea: A Girl, Stuck boasts a clever and engrossing plot line that delivers its share of surprises. Harry Smith will delight and entertain readers as she works her case, engages in snappy dialogue with love interest Trey, and eventually earns an unexpectedly happy ending.
Prose: Huston is a skilled writer, able to convincingly depict an outwardly rough-and-rugged female gumshoe named Harry, who's not only smart but immensely likeable. The writing is engaging and concise, putting readers on the hook from the get-go.
Originality: This is a fun and arresting work with a distinctive cast of characters and memorable plot line. The hero is her own blend of spunky, shrewd, vulnerable, and wholly relatable.
Character/Execution: Even minor characters, such as Leo and Marty, are carefully developed and blessed with memorable qualities in Huston's hands. Harry is an absolute standout, both spirited and dynamic, with a soft edge that will endear her to readers.
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Plot/Idea: In The Curious Always Find Trouble, the second title in the Goshena graphic novel series, Bright delivers a wildly inventive and surrealistic narrative portrayal of the afterlife.
Prose: Bright's writing style is suiting for the wonderfully outrageous circumstances: direct, dryly witty, and playfully esoteric. While blocks of dialogue can sometimes overwhelm, more descriptive passages prove engaging, and the accomplished b&w artwork offers an unusual aesthetic of Gothic-meets-Robert Crumb.
Originality: With a stellar blend of graphics and text, Bright's work offers a sparklingly unique vision infused with absurdity.
Character/Execution: From protagonist Eli Fitzpatrick–a deceased murder victim–to the reigning Goshena, Queen of the Big In-Betweena, Bright crafts a stellar cast of iconic characters.
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Plot/Idea: Elly Robin: Bird in a Gilded Cage is the wonderfully written fifth volume of The Ordeals of Elly Robin series. Quaver's acutely observed study of high society is a finely written story of a young piano prodigy that is full of vim and glorious detail.
Prose: Quaver's text is elegantly detailed and precisely orchestrated, full of lush passages of brilliant description rendering an evocative and intoxicating atmosphere. The poetic and lyrical use of language captures both the essence of the characters and the society they inhabit.
Originality: Elly Robin: Bird in a Gilded Cage is intermittently illustrated with highly stylized cartoons that help bring Quaver's story into focus. This confidently conceived latest installment in the Elly Robin series of books contains sharp and astute observations of early 20th century American aristocracy.
Character/Execution: Elly Robin is a fascinating protagonist who clearly does not fit in with the upper echelons of high society. The authentic dialogue and well rounded characters that proliferate the novel fit perfectly in Quaver's world of racial prejudice, power, love and desire or freedom.
Blurb: A brilliantly realized mystery drama.
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Plot/Idea: Street is a powerfully written drama that follows Julian Alvarez as he negotiates a life of crime, drug addiction, and social disturbance. Metcalfe's brilliantly orchestrated tale has a memorable and enlightening storyline that is packed with riveting drama and raw emotion.
Prose: Metcalfe's text is sensitive, humorous, and honest, with acute attention to detail masterfully bringing the streets of 1970s New York to life. Johnny Alvarez's tough, hardboiled, and stark experiences make for an absorbing, immediate, and tension-filled reading experience.
Originality: Street is an all-encompassing story from New York's back alleys and hoods. Metcalfe's stark and pertinent observations of the mean streets of 70s New York pack a mighty punch.
Character/Execution: Johnny Alvarez and his fellow squatters inhabit a life filled with drug deals, extortion, gang culture, and violence. The captivating characters that Metcalfe draws are natural and authentic, displaying an emotional sensitivity that is engrossing to read.
Blurb: A stark and powerful 70s drama.
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Plot/Idea: In this harrowing tale of sisters and survivors, Nicky stands vigil at the bedside of a comatose and pregnant Viv after a tragic car accident. As she contemplates their abusive childhood, their complex relationship, and the secrets Viv tried to protect her from, Nicky searches for the deep wells of love and resolve she will need to face an uncertain future.
Prose: The prose, style and dialogue throughout are very natural; the wealth of details and quirks interesting and often amusing. The only discordant note with regard to the prose is the length of the book: at 108,000 words, the descriptions of Nicky’s daily routine as she goes about basic household activities and trips to and from the hospital could have been trimmed significantly without losing any of its considerable appeal. The book may also have benefited from moving the investigation of the girls’ parentage closer to the beginning.
Originality: While She Taught Me Everything is not wildly original—and might have benefited from a snappier title—the strength of the voice and the complex relationship between Nicky and Viv makes this family drama fresh and endearing.
Character/Execution: Besides the strong prose and voice, the characters are the real stars of She Taught Me Everything. Nicky and Viv are richly drawn, sympathetic, complex, and multi-dimensional. From the first childhood flashbacks of abuse, neglect, and abandonment through their enterprising efforts to live independently, their relationship and the complications of multiple harrowing experiences draws the reader intimately into their sphere.
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Plot/Idea: This striking plot centers on the complex Singleton family, as they face internal turmoil and an external world continually forcing change into their lives. Conflict is introduced gradually, adding to the story’s unhurried, leisurely pace, but the character-driven moments stand out.
Prose: Morenike' crafts a world full of rich heritage, as the characters work to keep their Gullah background alive in the face of the mainstream culture they’re continually thrust into. From snippets of the Gullah language to boo hags tormenting the family to watchful ancestors, the story brims with ancient mystery alongside contemporary uncertainties.
Originality: This gentle portrayal of a beautiful culture against a clashing mainstream is well done through the eyes of the Singleton family. Morenike’ allows the family the depth necessary to showcase their customs, while seamlessly weaving their legacy into the wider world.
Character/Execution: GirlChild is a lavish homage to family and culture that unfolds through the story’s skillfully drawn characters. Sparrow is a spotlight throughout, with the dissonance of her home culture and her desire to forge a life of her own making playing out in her everyday life, and her return to her roots is intensely done—while still paying respect to her longing for change.
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Plot/Idea: Marriage and Hanging is about Rachel Woodley, a dissatisfied, grieving wife and mother whose husband, Josiah, is accused of murder. When the townsfolk and his colleagues seem entirely prepared to let him hang, she must investigate on her own and, in the process of helping clear his name, her love and regard for him are rekindled.
Prose: Morrissey's prose is vivid, detailed, and often lovely, even when describing a crime scene. ("He tried gently to lift her chin with one finger, to get a better look at the rope around her neck, but as all three of the men reported after, the girl’s whole body moved as he did so, being quite stiff.") At a stroke, she sets up sympathy for the victim as well as the men investigating her death, and brings the reader directly into the book/time period.
Originality: There are many murder mysteries about aggrieved wives and unjustly accused husbands, but none with a heroine like Rachel. And the plot takes several delightful, unexpected turns. The author's subversion of this trope was inspired.
Character/Execution: The characters are vivid and, for the most part, likable, especially Josiah, who is under tremendous pressure throughout but never loses his compassion for others, nor his deep love and appreciation for his wife. Rachel is clever and determined; without her help, Josiah likely would have hanged and to his credit, he knows it. Her dissatisfaction with her marriage and her place in society is understandable, though at times she comes off as bitter.
