bookshelf
Recent News & Features
Book List
JAN. 17, 2012
A dark journey well worth taking—engrossing, disturbing, illuminating. Full review >
JAN. 10, 2012
JAN. 10, 2012
Setting and plot are the heart and soul of this ripping space thriller, and they’re unforgettable. Full review >
JAN. 2, 2012
Yes, many teens face more compelling problems than those of a smart, attractive daughter of affluent and loving, if... Full review >
FEB. 7, 2012
Rich with detail and emotion, a sophisticated read for teens and adults alike. Full review >
FEB. 1, 2012
FEB. 1, 2012
Heartbreakingly honest. Full review >
FEB. 21, 2012
JAN. 1, 2012
A superb offering—and therefore a shame that its cover design of a boy and girl in a clinch makes it look like a run-of-the... Full review >
FEB. 1, 2012
A stirring and thought-provoking account of an unsung figure in 20th-century American history. Full review >
FEB. 16, 2012
Hauntingly beautiful. Full review >
FEB. 2, 2012
A moving, honest and hopeful story. (Fiction. 14 & up) Full review >
MARCH 5, 2012
A story that, like Finley, expresses a lot in relatively few words. Full review >
MARCH 27, 2012
MARCH 1, 2012
A thorough and absorbing recreation of the ill-fated voyage. Full review >
MARCH 6, 2012
From the grief-stricken shell of her former self to a nascent refugee and finally to a full-fledged resistance fighter,... Full review >
MARCH 1, 2012
While in the end there are some plotlines left untied in slice-of-life fashion, the bittersweet resolution of the main... Full review >
MARCH 1, 2012
Though this novel begs inevitable thematic comparisons to John Green's The Fault in Our Stars (2012), it stands on its own... Full review >
JAN. 10, 2012
Green seamlessly bridges the gap between the present and the existential, and readers will need more than one box of tissues... Full review >
APRIL 2, 2012
An impressive blend of biography and magical realism. Full review >
APRIL 3, 2012
If you haven’t discovered this series yet, get going; if you’re already a fan, why are you even reading this review? (Urban... Full review >
APRIL 1, 2012
While readers who long for concrete answers may be frustrated, those willing to go along with this captivating exploration... Full review >
MARCH 13, 2012
This epic has everything readers can ask for: great characters and a truly spectacular plot filled with romance, suspense,... Full review >
APRIL 17, 2012
Brilliant: a vision of history before the victors wrote it. Full review >
APRIL 1, 2012
The issue is seldom front and center in books for teens, but Vivian refuses to falsify or avoid the uncomfortable realities... Full review >
APRIL 3, 2012
A page turner—with grace. Full review >
APRIL 1, 2012
Part science fiction, part adventure, part mystery, but every bit engrossing; be sure to start the hold list for the sequel Full review >
APRIL 1, 2012
Written with the authority of a fine writer with an inquiring mind, this dramatic story is history writing at its best. Full review >
FEB. 28, 2012
Readers will definitely want to have, know or be Maggie’s brothers—but she herself proves to be no slouch when it comes to... Full review >
APRIL 12, 2012
Rich in voice, humor and dazzling imagery, studded with edgy ideas and wildly original, this multicultural mashup—like its... Full review >
MAY 1, 2012
Inventive and hilarious, with laugh-out-loud moments on every page. Full review >
MAY 15, 2012
Space battles! Political intrigue! Engineered warriors! Techno-wizardry! Assassins! Pirates! Rebels! Duels! Secrets, lies,... Full review >
MAY 8, 2012
Absolutely delectable; if it has more fripperies and furbelows than are strictly speaking necessary, it makes up for that in... Full review >
MAY 1, 2012
Prescient writing, fully developed characters and completely, tragically believable situations elevate this sad, gripping... Full review >
MAY 1, 2012
Breathtaking. Full review >
MAY 15, 2012
A carefully researched, precisely written tour de force; unforgettable and wrenching. Full review >
APRIL 1, 2012
A smart and rewarding ode to literature. Full review >
JUNE 1, 2012
As the clock ticks down on Heidi's soul, readers will be rooting for both Jerome and Heidi with all their hearts. Full review >
MAY 1, 2012
Devastating and heartbreaking, this will be a disappointment for readers looking for a conventional happy ending. But those... Full review >
JUNE 26, 2012
This cracking good mixture of magic and place will leave readers eagerly awaiting the sequel Full review >
JUNE 14, 2012
While the happy ending comes as no surprise, the path to it is funny as well as satisfying, with many nods to Jane Austen... Full review >
MAY 15, 2012
A vivid, disturbing and all-too-real topical story. Full review >
MARCH 13, 2012
No simple coming-out story, this many-layered effort is gritty, warm and ultimately hopeful. Full review >
JUNE 1, 2012
Surprising, vivid and cohesive—the work of a pro. Full review >
AUG. 21, 2012
Intense, keenly insightful, nuanced and affecting. Full review >
MAY 1, 2012
Tart, funny and fast-moving, with a touch of rueful realism and a lot of heart. Full review >
AUG. 7, 2012
This commingling of comedy, brutality and fantasy evokes a rich alternate universe with a spitfire young woman as its... Full review >
SEPT. 1, 2012
Thorough, deeply researched and stylistically clear, this is a necessary, exemplary book. Full review >
FEB. 21, 2012
Meticulous pacing and finely nuanced characters underpin the author's gift for affecting prose that illuminates the... Full review >
APRIL 17, 2012
An engrossing exploration of how a murder affects a community. Full review >
JULY 10, 2012
Who knew the biography of a germ could be so fascinating? (acknowledgments, picture credits, index [not seen]) (Nonfiction.... Full review >
JULY 3, 2012
Laugh-out-loud funny, heart-wrenchingly sad and fist-pump-in-the-air triumphant, this sparkling gem proves that vampires,... Full review >
JULY 3, 2012
Working with the darker threads of Barrie’s bittersweet classic, Anderson weaves an enchanting tale. Full review >
JULY 10, 2012
Dragon books are common enough, but this one is head and talons above the rest. Full review >
JULY 19, 2012
Infused with an urgent hope, this glimmering love story exhilarates and refreshes. Full review >
JULY 17, 2012
Simply lovely. Full review >
JULY 3, 2012
A solid addition to what is turning into a swell series. Full review >
OCT. 9, 2012
An uncommon (to say the least) coming-of-age, retraced with well-deserved pride but not self-aggrandizement, and as... Full review >
JUNE 19, 2012
This smart, stylish series opener raises the bar for paranormal fiction, leaving readers impatient for the next installment. Full review >
JUNE 19, 2012
Among the most historically and culturally significant battles ever fought, Marathon gets righteous due—and so does its... Full review >
AUG. 28, 2012
An awe-inspiring, thought-provoking reminder that love reaches beyond physical appearances or gender. Full review >
JULY 17, 2012
B95 is a 4-ounce, robin-sized shorebird, a red knot of the subspecies rufa. Each February he joins a flock that lifts off... Full review >
AUG. 7, 2012
Though hamstrung by a depressingly chick-lit-y cover, this total-immersion emotional experience is one readers will both... Full review >
AUG. 28, 2012
This one goes to the head of the class. Full review >
AUG. 28, 2012
A well-written, compelling trip to a past not often portrayed in children's literature. Full review >
AUG. 28, 2012
A wonderfully crafted and deeply satisfying novel, full of detail that provides texture and meaning. Full review >
AUG. 21, 2012
A standout sequel and engrossing ghost story. Full review >
AUG. 7, 2012
Pulse-pounding thrills leavened with laughter. Full review >
AUG. 14, 2012
Far more than a summer romance, this is a tribute to those left behind. Full review >
SEPT. 4, 2012
More! More! (Science fiction. 12 & up) Full review >
SEPT. 11, 2012
Proper fantasy, balanced between epic and personal; this promises to be an engrossing series, with intimations of bigger... Full review >
SEPT. 11, 2012
From the gripping first line, a fast-paced, thought-provoking and stirring story of sacrifice. Full review >
SEPT. 11, 2012
Fearlessly foul, this consistently comical series should be required reading for all teenage boys and anyone else with a... Full review >
SEPT. 18, 2012
Deeply moving and fast-paced, this life-affirming effort is a worthy addition to the bookshelves of sturdy readers. Full review >
SEPT. 4, 2012
An astonishing, wrenching achievement. Full review >
SEPT. 11, 2012
This book won't make readers proud to be Jewish. It will make them proud to be a pool player in a porkpie hat, a tattooed... Full review >
SEPT. 11, 2012
Bracing, powerful, resonant. Full review >
SEPT. 11, 2012
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for preteens and teens, a surefire hit. Full review >
SEPT. 18, 2012
Soars higher than the arashitora Kristoff writes about; superb. Full review >
SEPT. 4, 2012
Readers will be captivated. Full review >
SEPT. 18, 2012
Not for the faint of heart due to both subject and length, but the intricate plot and magnificently imagined details of... Full review >
SEPT. 1, 2012
Brava! Full review >
OCT. 23, 2012
Astrid's parents moved both her and her sister away from their New York City home years ago to a small town symbolically... Full review >
SEPT. 18, 2012
The magic is entirely pragmatic; the impossible, extraordinarily true. Full review >
OCT. 16, 2012
Aside from the too-anxious-to-eat valorization, fresh as a daisy and sharp as a tack. Full review >
OCT. 2, 2012
Heartless September sprouts a heart during this remarkable, awesome journey. Full review >
OCT. 1, 2012
True to this series' winning formula, an enjoyable mix of terror, comedy and romance. Full review >
OCT. 2, 2012
Brilliant and remarkably unsettling. Full review >
OCT. 2, 2012
OCT. 1, 2012
An uplifting story that convincingly celebrates the power of perseverance. Full review >
OCT. 23, 2012
A solid and captivating look at these remarkable pioneers of modern fiction. Full review >
OCT. 16, 2012
Though the portrayal of Rob’s deteriorating mental state is raw and often uncomfortable, in the end, the honest, uncensored... Full review >
OCT. 9, 2012
Absorbing, compelling and unforgettable. Full review >
OCT. 1, 2012
Readers will learn much about the war in Afghanistan even as they cheer on this feisty protagonist. Full review >
NOV. 6, 2012
A rare, rewarding, sumptuous exploration of artistic passion. Full review >
OCT. 23, 2012
Simply brilliant. Full review >
SEPT. 25, 2012
Unexpected, drily funny and full of the pathos and wonder of life: Don't miss it. Full review >
DEC. 11, 2012
The exactly right conclusion eschews easy resolution, though there’s plenty of hope as they flounder into the future. Full review >
NOV. 13, 2012
MARCH 20, 2012
Infused with nostalgia and affection, this celebration of the deliberately constructed self will hold readers in its spell... Full review >
Recent News & Features
The Magazine: Kirkus Reviews
Featuring 266 industry-first reviews of fiction, nonfiction, children’s, and YA books; also in this issue: our best fiction and nonfiction books of 2023, author interviews, and much more
subscribe
The Kirkus Star
One of the most coveted designations in the book industry, the Kirkus Star marks books of exceptional merit.
The Kirkus Prize
The Kirkus Prize is among the richest literary awards in America, awarding $50,000 in three categories annually.
Be the first to read books news and see reviews, news and features in Kirkus Reviews. Get awesome content delivered to your inbox every week.
© Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
