Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Available Now (page 3)


Cover art for WE NEED NEW NAMES
FICTION
Released: May 21, 2013

"Bulawayo crafts a moving and open-eyed coming-of-age story."
A loosely concatenated novel in which Darling, the main character and narrator of the story, moves from her traditional life in Zimbabwe to a much less traditional one in the States. Read full book review >
Cover art for AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED
FICTION
Released: May 21, 2013

"The stories spill from Hosseini's bountiful imagination, but they compete against each other, denying the novel a catalyst; the result is a bloated, unwieldy work."
After two stellar novels set (mostly) in Kabul, Afghanistan, Hosseini's third tacks among Afghanistan, California, France and Greece to explore the effect of the Afghan diaspora on identity. Read full book review >
Cover art for SIGHT READING
FICTION
Released: May 21, 2013

"Unfortunately, just when the motifs of cognitive dissonance and self-deception are about to deliver a fitting climax, the piece resolves with an anodyne coda of unearned redemption."
Kalotay's soulful second novel chronicles the collateral damage three classical musicians inflict on the people who love them. Read full book review >
Cover art for MERMAID IN CHELSEA CREEK
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 21, 2013
by Michelle Tea, illustrated by Jason Polan

"The ornate literary style and grim themes make this read more like a story about adolescence for adults than one aimed at actual teens. (Magical realism. 12 & up)"
An avant-garde author's fantasy debut is exquisitely written but draining in its unrelenting ugliness. Read full book review >
Cover art for TARNISHED
FICTION
Released: May 21, 2013

"Series fans will--well, they'll wolf it down."
Werewolf Andrew Dare and his mate, Silver, face new challenges in this sequel to Silver (2012). Read full book review >
Cover art for FINDING YOUR ELEMENT
NONFICTION
Released: May 21, 2013

"Mostly a rehash of The Element, but fans may glean some insight about understanding who we are as individuals and how we can have a better life that communicates our uniqueness to the world."
Another self-help book about attaining your true potential, from Robinson and co-author Aronica. Read full book review >
Cover art for CTRL ALT DELETE
NONFICTION
Released: May 21, 2013

"Lively tips and practical advice pinned to a presentation of emerging digital technologies."
Information Technology and marketing guru Joel (Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone, 2010) lays out his vision for how businesses and individuals must re-organize themselves to make it in the upcoming upgrade of the digital world. Read full book review >
Cover art for APOCALYPSE COW
FICTION
Released: May 21, 2013

"Despite a generous accolade from Discworld creator Terry Pratchett, who bestowed the inaugural Terry Pratchett Prize upon it, this zombie adventure inspires more gasps than laughs."
"Two legs bad," might be the borrowed motto of the titular monsters of this apocalyptic look at the end of the world--were the great beasts not busy trying to kill everybody. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE CARETAKER
FICTION
Released: May 21, 2013

"Top-notch effort in the first of a promising trilogy."
Ahmad debuts with a fast-paced literary thriller, shifting action from the desolate ice-clad Siachen glacier separating India and Pakistan to the posh environs of Martha's Vineyard. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE UNWINDING
NONFICTION
Released: May 21, 2013

"Exemplary journalism that defines a sobering, even depressing matter. A foundational document in the literature of the end of America--the end, that is, for the moment."
New Yorker writer Packer (Interesting Times: Writing from a Turbulent Decade, 2009, etc.) ranges across the country to chronicle the time when "the coil that held Americans together in its secure and sometimes stifling grip first gave way." Read full book review >
Cover art for THE PLANET THIEVES
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 21, 2013

"Clichés aside, it's an enjoyable, if totally undemanding read for sci-fi–starved audiences. (Science fiction. 9-12)"
Eighteen cadets stand between the terrifying Tremist fleet and the annihilation of Earth! Read full book review >
Cover art for HITLER'S PHILOSOPHERS
NONFICTION
Released: May 21, 2013

"A straightforward work that only hints at the underlying questions of moral failing supported by many of these philosophical works."
A systematic breakdown of the core players and ideas usurped in Nazi ideology. Read full book review >