Book List

Best Debut Novels of 2017

  • FICTION

    MY ABSOLUTE DARLING

    AUG. 29, 2017

FICTION

MY ABSOLUTE DARLING

by Gabriel Tallent

A powerful, well-turned story about abuse, its consequences, and what it takes to survive it. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • FICTION

    THE RESURRECTION OF JOAN ASHBY

    AUG. 29, 2017

FICTION

THE RESURRECTION OF JOAN ASHBY

by Cherise Wolas

From the start, one wonders how Wolas is possibly going to pay off the idea that her heroine is such a genius. Verdict: few... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • FICTION

    TEMPORARY PEOPLE

    MARCH 14, 2017

FICTION

TEMPORARY PEOPLE

by Deepak Unnikrishnan

An enchanting, unparalleled anthem of displacement and repatriation. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • FICTION

    LIVE FROM CAIRO

    JULY 11, 2017

FICTION

LIVE FROM CAIRO

by Ian Bassingthwaighte

The ironies of bureaucracy and wartime, à la Catch-22, meet the ironies of love and sacrifice, à la The Necklace, profoundly... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • FICTION

    THE FLOATING WORLD

    OCT. 17, 2017

FICTION

THE FLOATING WORLD

by C. Morgan Babst

Deeply felt and beautifully written; a major addition to the literature of Katrina. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • FICTION

    STANDARD DEVIATION

    MAY 27, 2017

FICTION

STANDARD DEVIATION

by Katherine Heiny

An amusingly engaging take on long-term marriage with a lovably loopy character at its center. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • FICTION

    MARLENA

    APRIL 4, 2017

FICTION

MARLENA

by Julie Buntin

Devastating; as unforgettable as it is gorgeous. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • FICTION

    EVERYTHING BELONGS TO US

    FEB. 28, 2017

FICTION

EVERYTHING BELONGS TO US

by Yoojin Grace Wuertz

Engrossing. Wuertz is an important new voice in American fiction. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • FICTION

    WHAT WE LOSE

    JULY 11, 2017

FICTION

WHAT WE LOSE

by Zinzi Clemmons

A compelling exploration of race, migration, and womanhood in contemporary America. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • FICTION

    RABBIT CAKE

    MARCH 7, 2017

FICTION

RABBIT CAKE

by Annie Hartnett

How a whip-smart young girl handles the loss of her mother and the reorientation of her family; charming and beautifully... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • FICTION

    THE TALENTED RIBKINS

    AUG. 8, 2017

SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

THE TALENTED RIBKINS

by Ladee Hubbard

To describe this novel, as someone inevitably will, as Song of Solomon reimagined as a Marvel Comics franchise is to... Full review >

FULL REVIEW >
  • FICTION

    GOLDEN HILL

    JUNE 27, 2017

FICTION

GOLDEN HILL

by Francis Spufford

A first-rate entertainment with a rich historical feel and some delightful twists. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

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