An outlandish novel that delivers wonderful laughs.
In Corbin’s debut satire, a pastor feels lost in a world that accepts all sexual orientations.
At the opening of Corbin’s novel, a stunning archaeological discovery in Syria has upended religion and culture all around the world: The oldest copy of the Gospel of Mark reveals that Jesus ministered to a gay man and declared him “blessed among all people.” However, amid a wave of coming-out celebrations and “voluntary reparations programs,” not everyone is happy about the sudden shift to acceptance. Twenty-seven-year-old Pastor Rick Harris of Hickory, North Carolina, takes after his gruff father—who was pastor of their church before him—and delivers a fire-and-brimstone warning against anyone believing in this so-called “New Revelation.” But his elders inform him that times have changed, and Rick either has to attend an “atonement camp” in Virginia or lose his job. There to greet him at the airport are drag performer counselors Marilyn Man Hoe and the “indelible” Eileen Right, who pop champagne in the car as they welcome the square, disgusted Rick to a camp with luxurious 700-thread-count sheets, seminars on the AIDS crisis, and a troupe of shirtless, helpful pool boys (even though there’s no pool at the camp). Rick befriends other attendees, including his roommate, Jimmy Simons, and they set off on a wild investigation after Rick receives a mysterious note telling him the camp is not as it seems and that he must seek out the truth. At the same time, however, Rick can’t deny childhood memories that resurface or his growing, loving bond with Jimmy, which will challenge his beliefs.
Over the course of the story, Corbin offers readers a clever inversion of societal pressures that yields a wealth of possibilities for exploring themes of homophobia and self-acceptance. The author manages to find a wealth of gags in the topsy-turvy world he’s created in these pages, and he pits Rick against larger-than-life characters who deliver scathing takedowns alongside gentle messages of self-care. The book often goes in for obvious jokes, playing with gay stereotypes left and right, but its punchlines really hit home thanks to Corbin’s fast pacing and quick wit. Some of the standout moments along the way include a scene in which clueless straight people deduce that BDSM–related items are torture devices and Eileen’s delightful quips, such as “If all the gays are in Hell, Rick, I’m sure we’ve at least doubled the property value.” Rick’s flashbacks to his first love and his first real experience with shame are genuinely powerful as he remembers suddenly shifting from ecstasy to dread during a key encounter. There are more relatable, tender moments always bubbling under the surface of Corbin’s zany tale, but as it moves into the second act, there’s a madcap dash of secret societies, shifting alliances, surprising reveals, and conspiracies that run all the way to the highest levels. Much like Rick’s thoughts when he partakes in the camp’s bottomless mimosas, the plotlines and motivations become a bit fuzzy—but they’re certainly fun.
An outlandish novel that delivers wonderful laughs.Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73543-850-4
Page Count: 354
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
A pleasant if not entirely convincing tribute to the power of art.
A French art historian’s English-language fiction debut combines the story of a loving relationship between a grandfather and granddaughter with an enlightening discussion of art.
One day, when 10-year-old Mona removes the necklace given to her by her now-dead grandmother, she experiences a frightening, hour-long bout of blindness. Her parents take her to the doctor, who gives her a variety of tests and also advises that she see a psychiatrist. Her grandfather Henry tells her parents that he will take care of that assignment, but instead, he takes Mona on weekly visits to either the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, or the Centre Pompidou, where each week they study a single work of art, gazing at it deeply and then discussing its impact and history and the biography of its maker. For the reader’s benefit, Schlesser also describes each of the works in scrupulous detail. As the year goes on, Mona faces the usual challenges of elementary school life and the experiences of being an only child, and slowly begins to understand the causes of her temporary blindness. Primarily an amble through a few dozen of Schlesser’s favorite works of art—some well known and others less so, from Botticelli and da Vinci through Basquiat and Bourgeois—the novel would probably benefit from being read at a leisurely pace. While the dialogue between Henry and the preternaturally patient and precocious Mona sometimes strains credulity, readers who don’t have easy access to the museums of Paris may enjoy this vicarious trip in the company of a guide who focuses equally on that which can be seen and the context that can’t be. Come for the novel, stay for the introductory art history course.
A pleasant if not entirely convincing tribute to the power of art.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9798889661115
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Europa Editions
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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