New York (August 27, 2025) – Kirkus Reviews, founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus and now the nation’s leading prepublication journal of book reviews, announces the 18 finalists for the 2025 Kirkus Prize in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers’ Literature.
Winners in the three categories will receive $50,000 each, making the Kirkus Prize, now in its 12th year, one of the richest annual literary awards in the world. Writers become eligible only by receiving a rare, starred review from Kirkus Reviews. An esteemed panel of jurors, along with Kirkus’ editors, select the Kirkus Prize finalists and winners.
Kirkus Reviews editor-in-chief Tom Beer says, “In a time of shortened attention spans and endless news feeds, books have the unique power to slow us down, to help us to think deeply and imagine freely. This year’s finalists for the Kirkus Prize promise readers these and other riches; they’re exceptional works to be studied and savored for years to come.”
This year’s finalists were chosen from a total of 7,653 titles reviewed during the eligibility period. On average, Kirkus’ editors award the Kirkus star to 10% of the titles they assign for review each year. One of the most coveted designations in the book industry, the Kirkus star marks books of exceptional merit. Past winners include Percival Everett for James, Lily King for Euphoria, Jack E. Davis for The Gulf, Christina Soontornvat for All Thirteen, Héctor Tobar for Our Migrant Souls, Jerry Craft for New Kid, and James McBride for The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store.
The finalists for the 2025 Kirkus Prize are listed below, followed by a quote from their starred Kirkus review:
FICTION:
“Two young Indian writers discover their conjoined destinies by leaving home, coming back, connecting, disconnecting, and swimming in the ocean at Goa.… A masterpiece.”
“A web of friendship among millennial Black women stretches across several decades.… Elegant and unsettling, this novel evades the expected at every turn.”
“A 16th-century noblewoman is stranded on a desert island. How will she survive—and thrive?... Goodman’s sweeping page-turner is at once historical and modern, intimate and epic, personal and powerful.”
“In near-future Kolkata, the fates of two families become disastrously intertwined.… This electrifying depiction of dignity and morality under siege reveals the horror hidden by the bland term ‘climate change.’”
“A missing teenager is at the center of a densely populated plot that bobs, weaves, and levitates around a boxing gym in Austin, Texas, from 1998 to 2014.…Franzen/Roth/Irving comparisons earned and deserved.”
“Scenes from the life of a well-off but emotionally damaged man…An emotionally acute study of manliness.”
The jurors for the 2025 Kirkus Prize in Fiction are:
Thérèse Purcell Nielsen, a Kirkus reviewer and former public librarian; Oscar Villalon, a journalist and editor of the literary journal ZYZZYVA; and Kirkus fiction editor Laurie Muchnick.
NONFICTION:
“An eye-opening history of how Iran became a point on the ‘axis of evil’ and is considered such a dangerous enemy today.”
“A dynamic portrait that deepens our understanding of a complex artist.”
“A nimbly told story that should serve as a caution—but oddly, too, as inspiration—to would-be escapists.”
“An authoritative history of the debates and brutality that made our world.”
“Perry offers surprising revelations about the connection between the color blue and Black identity…An innovative cultural history.”
“Roy recounts a life of poverty and upheaval, defiance and triumph in an emotionally raw memoir, centered on her complicated relationship with her mother.… An intimate, stirring chronicle.”
The jurors for the 2025 Kirkus Prize in Nonfiction are:
Calvin Crosby, an owner of the King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City and executive director of the nonprofit Brain Food Books; Anita Felicelli, the books editor of Alta Journal and author of the books Chimerica, Love Songs for a Lost Continent, and How We Know Our Time Travelers; and Kirkus nonfiction editor John McMurtrie.
YOUNG READERS’ LITERATURE:
Picture Books
“The power of nature captivates and compels in this phenomenal tale of pushing limits. ”
Middle Grade
“A crisis forces a talented young football player to consider what he values most…Bold, extraordinary storytelling: not to be missed.”
“The things we fear don’t seem so scary once we get to know them…A magical book that allows death to become a beloved part of life. ”
Young Adult
“Michael L. Printz Honoree Åstot (Sámi) returns with a sophomore novel that explores grief, identity, and life in the digital age.… Limns the volatile peaks and valleys and emotional quicksand of adolescence with compassion and wry humor.”
“An account of the pathology and charm of Jim Jones, who led 918 people to their deaths in the Guyanese jungle in 1978…Extraordinary and illuminating.”
The jurors for the 2025 Kirkus Prize in Young Readers’ Literature are:
Annette Y. Goldsmith, a librarian and founding editor of the online international children’s literature journal The Looking Glass; Erika Long, a librarian, lecturer, and founder/consultant at Not Yo Mama’s Librarian, LLC; and Kirkus young readers’ editors Mahnaz Dar and Laura Simeon.
The three 2025 Kirkus Prize winners will be announced at an in-person ceremony at the TriBeca Rooftop in New York on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. The announcement will be livestreamed on Kirkus’ YouTube channel at 7:30 pm Eastern.
About Kirkus Reviews
For over 90 years, Kirkus has been the most trusted voice in book discovery. Kirkus Reviews covers more than 7,000 books published by traditional houses and more than 3,000 self-published books every year. The magazine is published on the 1st and 15th of every month, and because of the scope of its coverage, its authoritative voice, and the timeliness of its reviews, Kirkus Reviews is revered by many as the first indicator of a book’s potential.
Herb Simon and Marc Winkelman are Co-Chairmen of Kirkus Media, and Judy Hottensen is the Interim Chief Executive Officer and Publisher of Kirkus Reviews. The Chief Marketing Officer is Sarah Kalina. The Editor-in-Chief of Kirkus Reviews is Tom Beer. The President of Indie is Chaya Schechner. John McMurtrie is the Nonfiction Editor, Laurie Muchnick is the Fiction Editor, and Laura Simeon and Mahnaz Dar are the Young Readers’ Editors.
Kirkus Prize Publicity Contact: Kimberly Burns / kb@broadsidepr.com / 917.405.8708
For more information about the 2025 Kirkus Prize, including dates of eligibility, rules, and selection process, as well as complete bios of the 2025 Kirkus Prize finalists and jurors, please visit Kirkus Reviews/prize.
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