Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




The “We’re Not Drinking the Kool-Aid” List of 2010 (Acclaimed Books—or Books by Acclaimed Authors—That Didn’t Live Up to Our Expectations)


Cover art for BY NIGHTFALL
FICTION
Released: Oct. 5, 2010

""Does America get the art it deserves?" wonders Peter. Or the novel?"
A surfeit of literary and cultural references can't disguise a lightweight soap opera. Read full book review >
Cover art for ABOUT A MOUNTAIN
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 8, 2010

"Well-meaning but off the mark."
Middling wanderings along the Las Vegas Strip and the Nevada desert. Read full book review >
Cover art for IMPERIAL BEDROOMS
FICTION
Released: June 18, 2010

"Don't hold your breath for act three."
A sequel to Less Than Zero (1985). Read full book review >
Cover art for FREEDOM
FICTION
Released: Aug. 31, 2010

"If "freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose" (as Kris Kristofferson wrote), this book uses too many words to convey too much of nothing."
The epic sprawl of this ambitious yet ultimately unsatisfying novel encompasses everything from indie rock to environmental radicalism to profiteering in the Middle East. Read full book review >
Cover art for WILLIE MAYS
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 9, 2010

"Well-researched and fluid, but tendentious and tunnel-visioned."
An admiring--at times even worshipful--portrait of one of baseball's greatest players, whose on-field exploits were astonishing but whose inner life remains largely hidden. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE FACEBOOK EFFECT
NONFICTION
Released: June 15, 2010

"Comprehensive but one-sided and surprisingly bland."
Fortune senior editor for Internet and technology Kirkpatrick delivers a data-heavy, analysis-light biography of the Internet's second-most-visited site. Read full book review >