A fascinating premise and themes that can still speak to us today.
A retelling of Socrates’ story, set in a dystopian America in the 1830s.
In early-19th-century America, society is wild about the Greeks. Philadelphia, the capital, styles itself the Athens of America, and Greek names—or approximations—are very common. Thus, the young narrator is named Palleias, and the Socrates figure is “Teacher Scotes,” who behaves just the way Socrates did, courting the same dangers (such as purportedly corrupting the young, for example). One of Scotes’ acolytes is named Xephon (see Xenophon). But the Founding Fathers are long gone, and these epigones took the wrong lesson from the Greeks. This “democracy” is a nasty parody; it’s populism run amok. Whatever the people decide in a great assembly on any given day becomes the law, no matter how short-sighted or unjust. Has debt become burdensome? Well, abolish it, and too bad about the rich lenders! Palleias’ father, Antonyn, is a highly respected representative, one of those who certify the people’s will. He was once Scotes’ student but is now his enemy and forbids Palleias from associating with the man. All this comes to a head when Antonyn arranges to have Scotes arrested and charged with corrupting the youth, a capital offense. A core theme that is wonderfully handled is the inner torment of young Palleias, who’s drawn to Scotes but is also a dutiful son. The book has long passages of—what else?—Socratic dialogue, although Holland replicates that type of dialogue well, even if only the most committed students of philosophy might follow all of it (“But the people are a cauldron, and if boil they will, they still require time to heat”). It’s also a bit hard to believe that these citizens could be quite so fickle and self-serving. Palleias, who later assumes the mantle of Plato, talks some sense (and necessary shame) into his fellow compatriots in a rousing speech toward the end, even if they still have much work to do.
A fascinating premise and themes that can still speak to us today.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9798891383104
Page Count: 424
Publisher: Mascot Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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