This measured, thoroughly engaging coming-of-age tale hits all the right emotional notes.
A young woman reflects on the years leading up to her beloved brother’s disappearance in Sasson’s novel.
In 2012, “Grub” Donohue sits outside the home of the man who she believes is responsible for the loss of her brother. The story hops back to the start of the millennium, when she’s a 14-year-old living with her family in Sydney, Australia. Her warmhearted parents love both of their children, though everyone, it seems, has a particular fondness for Grub’s older brother, Elijah. He’s a skilled swimmer, an inspired artist, and, like his mother, an exceptional cellist. He also dotes on his little sister, whom he’s often playful with and always protective of. Grub doesn’t like it when Elijah starts spending so much time with the same-aged Zed, even if she’s mysteriously drawn to this boy. It’s not just that he’s taking away moments with her brother; Zed may be a bad influence, too (the friends, for example, sneak out on a weeknight). Years later, in 2010, Grub works toward her dream of becoming a physician—she’s a student and part of a group researching diseases affecting memory, mood, and movement. Elijah, who’s still glued to Zed, is the quintessential starving artist with a perpetually empty wallet. Zed ropes Elijah into taking a job that’s more than it appears, and Grub’s once-affectionate brother takes a turn for the worse. Then he suddenly vanishes, leaving his family with more questions than answers. Is it all because of Zed? Or is there something else Grub has yet to learn—or simply doesn’t want to face?
Sasson methodically unspools Grub’s and Elijah’s stories. Grub, who narrates, is the true focus, and she easily wins the reader’s sympathy—this girl, who rarely complains, practically lives in her brother’s shadow; her longtime best friend crushes on him, and her mother gives the impression that she’s disappointed Grub isn’t as creative as Elijah. The Donohues are an intriguing bunch. The siblings’ dad was born in Northern Ireland, and their mom comes from a family of Sephardic Jews who emigrated from Egypt. This creates a visual distinction between the siblings, as Elijah sports a tan year-round and Grub’s skin is “so pale it glow[s].” As the story progresses, Grub experiences adolescence in convincing ways: She endures school bullies, has more than one romantic interest throughout the years, and deals with body image issues (her teen peers develop much faster than she does). Although readers will likely deduce which way Elijah’s story is headed, there’s a shock or two before the end. Before then, the protagonist mixes with dynamic characters, from Zed (who always has a scheme he’s cooking up) to a teacher who leaves a lasting impression. Grub’s narration often approaches the poetic: “I carried around this secret of wanting to be a physician like carrying something stolen in my pocket. I tried to hide it but at the same time I couldn’t resist reaching in and pulling it out to toy with.”
This measured, thoroughly engaging coming-of-age tale hits all the right emotional notes.Pub Date: Jan. 30, 2024
ISBN: 9781922848420
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Affirm Press
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
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
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
© Copyright 2026 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.
