PositiveNew York Journal of BooksOn the surface, You Deserve Nothing might sound like another serving of expatriate wine-and-cheese, in which the pseudo-worldliness of Diane Johnson meets the Dead Poet’s Society. Fortunately, Mr. Maksik largely avoids these clichés by refusing to flatter his characters and by putting some of Silver’s lofty ideas to the test. He writes about both the uses and limits of literature when confronted with the messiness of life ... You Deserve Nothing is a promising début. Alexander Maksik is a skilful writer, and this novel shows a commitment to serious literature.
