RaveThe Washington PostGood Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton is a beautifully written, sparse post-apocalyptic novel that explores memory, loss and identity. The narrative moves seamlessly ... . Fans of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven and Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora will appreciate the Brooks-Dalton’s exquisite exploration of relationships in extreme environments.
Emily St. John Mandel
RaveThe Washington PostThe details of Arthur’s life before the flu and what happens afterward to his friends, wives and lovers create a surprisingly beautiful story of human relationships amid such devastation … One by one, members of the Traveling Symphony disappear as the Prophet pursues them through the desolate countryside, mimicking the narrative in Dr. Eleven, a comic book created by one of Arthur’s ex-wives. A gorgeous retelling of Lear unfolds through Arthur’s flashbacks and Kirsten’s attempt to stay alive.
T.C. Boyle
MixedNewsday...intertwining narratives recall early reality television shows such as Road Rules and Big Brother, where everything is being recorded, revised, edited and shared. While entertaining, Boyle’s characters could have used more development and felt one-dimensional. Boyle’s descriptions of the biosphere are intriguing, but the reader wants more of them ... The Terranauts falls short of fully exploring these issues, instead focusing on the dysfunctional relationships of its characters, with moderate success.
Indra Das
PositiveThe Washington PostThe tale of these three broken souls is translated by professor Alok Mukherjee at the request of a beautiful stranger, whose life is bound to Cyrah and Fenrir’s. Das’s lyrical tale explores difficult subjects — rape and sexual identity among them — without descending to gratuitous violence or cliche.
Alexandra Oliva
PositiveThe Washington Post\"Oliva brilliantly scrutinizes the recorded (and heavily revised) narratives we believe, and the last 100 pages will have the reader constantly guessing just what Zoo is capable of doing to find her way back home.\
Bill Broun
PositiveThe Washington PostThe book’s plot indeed dovetails eerily with some recent events — Brexit, terrorism — but in this smartly written dystopian novel, things are even worse than the headlines ... Broun’s debut will have readers cheering for Cuthbert even as they question the man’s sanity.
Joe Hill
PositiveThe Washington Post...a splendid, fast-paced apocalyptic tale... Hill’s witty sense of fun permeates the novel’s larger themes of prejudice and redemption, making the book’s 700-plus pages a surprisingly quick read.
Andrew Michael Hurley
RaveThe Washington PostFans of Shirley Jackson are sure to savor Andrew Michael Hurley’s Gothic horror novel The Loney...Tight, suspenseful writing makes this masterful novel unsettling in the most compelling way.
David Means
RaveThe Washington PostHystopia by David Means is a fascinating novel within a novel...Complex without being confusing, the novel weaves Eugene’s own battle with mental illness and his sister’s disappearance into a beautiful, haunting tale of loss.
Ken Liu
RaveThe Washington PostLiu’s wondrous tales eloquently explore the place where ordinary and the extraordinary meet.
Helen Oyeyemi
PositiveThe Washington PostBuilt around the idea of keys, locks and magic doors, the stories cover a wide territory — from mythology and fairy tales to smartphones and YouTube stars...In each, Oyeyemi, a Nigerian-born British writer named one of Granta’s best young British novelists in 2013, again shows her ability to mesmerize and enchant.
Amber Sparks
RaveThe Washington PostRanging from flash fiction to longer pieces, Sparks’s stories beautifully explore how there are 'never enough endings' for anyone — or that perhaps, in fact, one’s life is always unfinished.
