PositiveThe Philly VoiceWhether the ghosts in these stories are somehow, you know, real is sort of beside the point in writer Colin Dickey’s fascinating (but rarely spooky) new non-fiction book ... Dickey crosses the country to see them firsthand and describe them with clear eyes and artful prose.
Nell Zink
PositiveThe Philly VoiceNicotine is a good yarn, plot-wise, but the real hooks are in its sometimes subtle (though occasionally broad) bits of satire. It’s not mean-spirited — these post-post-hippies mean well, after all — but the book has teeth and bares them in fun ways. Every single one of Zink’s novels has been different, and a bunch came with a Jonathan Franzen seal of approval. This might not be her most 'important,' but it’s gotta be the most fun.
Colson Whitehead
RaveThe Philly VoiceThough Whitehead’s sparse and direct prose never lingers on the brutality of slave life, he doesn’t shy away from the facts of it ... Whitehead doesn’t linger too long on the trains, either. The sci-fi nerd in you might want some technological specifics spelled out, but you’ll have to settle for the gorgeous and austere mystery of the situation ... Read this book.
Dave Eggers
PositiveThe Philly VoiceEggers’ prose is charming and direct, telling the story with a quick pace and little artifice. It’s also pretty funny ... It’s debatable whether they’re heroes, as the title suggests, but their increasing ability to persevere in the face of moral and physical obstacles makes them admirable and makes this gripping, occasionally nerve-wracking novel so hard to put down.
