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Recent Reviews
Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Rave San Francisco Chronicle Striking ... What adds even more substance to this personal story is that the book radiates out into such issues as the collision between the Old World and the New, pitting Indigenous spirituality against institutionalized religion, and their differing approaches to medicine ... Readers expecting a conventional memoir will either be unconvinced by Rojas Contreras’ circular storytelling and the forthright presentation of the fantastical as fact, or they’ll find it appealing because such an unusual story demands a distinctive narrative approach ... Beautifully written and layered, an empowering act of recovery and self-discovery.
Lydia Conklin
Rave San Francisco Chronicle Lydia Conklin’s timely debut, Rainbow Rainbow: Stories, should be celebrated as both a work of activism and a literary triumph ... The standouts...tend to feature youth on the cusp of personal discovery ... All stories...are buoyed by Conklin’s remarkable gift for dialogue, clarity of description and ability to integrate humor into uncomfortable situations ... Conklin’s approach to identity is...nuanced. And reading about these poignant inner lives is absorbing and thought-provoking.
Brian Tierney
Positive The San Francisco Chronicle What allows these poems to grow beyond two-dimensional anecdotes about death and disease is Tierney’s lyrical and arresting phrasing, which, given the gravity of subject matter, leaves the reader unsettled ... There are times, however, when Tierney’s penchant for impressionistic scenes doesn’t benefit the poem, and the imagery, outstanding as it is, serves as a poor substitute for emotional resonance. The series of moments in Anthropocene, for example, is hit-or-miss. But for the most part, Tierney’s poems reach their pitch, delivering stunning insights into the interiority of a person coping with depression and grief.
Paul Tran
Rave The San Francisco Chronicle ... a remarkable book dealing with sexual assault and a survivor’s hard-won journey toward recovery ... As details of the speaker’s experiences surface — they are distressing but now visible and real — the reader too will come to believe that this young survivor will prevail, defined not by the wrongs done to them, but by the courage of their coming forward and giving language to the unbearable ... it is quite moving to witness the speaker arrive at that truth through self-empowerment and self-love.
Edgar Gomez
Positive On the Seawall That search for a way to exist at the intersection of ethnic identity and sexuality—a fraught expedition filled with alarming discoveries and awkward encounters—is fiercely articulated in this excellent debut memoir ... Gomez sheds light on the obstacles working-class Latinx queers continue to face, at home and in social settings. Information, education, financial support, and social services—all of those resources that become lifelines at the most critical junctures—can be elusive, resulting in dire consequences. But Gomez also illustrates how, despite limited access to many of these privileges, a young queer Latinx can still thrive, as he did. A journey not without difficulties, but also not without saving grace.
Obed Silva
Rave San Francisco Chronicle ... compelling ... Silva’s story is delivered in fragments, nonlinearly, which allows for plenty of reflection and backstory needed to understand what informs the rage expressed in the opening chapter ... The only drawback to Silva’s narrative structure is that it invites too many opportunities for digressions (at one point he even admits to the reader that he’s off-topic). A few times he even sidetracks into over-examinations of facets in Mexican culture, like song lyrics or slang—who is Silva speaking to when he explains the genesis of the word güey? The wordplay in the title, however, does merit Silva’s thorough explanation. Readers will overlook his missteps, however, because Silva’s inner turmoil is relatable, his story engaging, and his arrival to a place of compassion unforgettable and poignant.
Juan Villoro, tr. Alfred MacAdam
Rave Los Angeles Times ... gathers [Villoro\'s] most incisive essays, chronicles and personal memories in an attempt to tackle a singular challenge: How does one comprehend the most populous city in North America, with its rich history, complicated economy and multivalent culture? Each person who experiences it has his or her own interpretation of what the city is, and Villoro’s is as striking as the iconic urban center ... As a chilango, he offers firsthand insights into a bittersweet mode of life that many have come to accept, enjoy and even take pride in. He delivers that reality, however, with unabashed humor ... Though Villoro navigates such charged subjects as poverty, nationalism and corruption, his writing comes most alive when he highlights the assortment of Mexico City icons (some famous, some unheralded heroes) ... Villoro doesn’t delve too deeply into politics, but he doesn’t miss a chance to criticize one specific leader ... Alfred MacAdam’s translation is generally superb, though there is the occasional awkward word choice ... The joy of Horizontal Vertigo is that it offers a unique entry into Mexico City’s \'inexhaustible encyclopedia\' of people, places and old traditions, complementing the history books and outperforming the tour guides. Those expecting more personal stories about Villoro himself will have to find them wandering among the patriotic landmarks and the pirated music for sale on the busy sidewalks: Villoro is so closely identified with Mexico City that it’s impossible to imagine how one can be known without the other, which is why his writings consistently employ the communal \'we,\' as in this telling statement about the unbreakable bond between Chilangopolis and chilangos.
Ladee Hubbard
Positive The Los Angeles Times ... engrossing ... What reads as a different novel altogether is actually a clever complement to the Sitwell section. Through Jennie’s encounters with groups religious, political and even artistic — not to mention loan sharks — every surviving member of the Barclay staff resurfaces, each one bringing her one step closer to the infamous Rib King, who is now seen as a minstrel, an embarrassing remnant of a romanticized past ... By offering these contrasting tones, Hubbard is illuminating the transition from a time that was still shaking off the shadows of slavery to one that was forward-thinking, fueled by dreams that were suddenly achievable in the economic boom of the 1920s ... Unfortunately, the second half of the novel cannot unfold without Hubbard’s leaning hard on convenient coincidences that drag the reader through a winding road of plot twists, sometimes at break-neck speed. This comes across as too neatly engineered in service to tying up an array of loose ends, but it’s difficult to find fault with an author who has written such magnificent and compelling characters as Jennie and Mr. Sitwell ... delightful and surprising. Hubbard’s own superpower is her gift for building extraordinary worlds that examine troubled periods of America’s past while shedding light on the unquestionable innovation and determination of African Americans who, perhaps improbably, thrived within them.
Robert Jones Jr
Rave The Los Angeles Times ... striking ... their private conversations (and arguments) over timeless questions about agency, freedom and survival resonate even with the present moment ... Jones sets the stage for a startling climax, though readers will wonder, given the historical period, if any other outcome were possible for two young slaves in love ... The overriding message of The Prophets is difficult to pin down if it’s not the transparent one: that Black queer love is not meant to thrive within the confines of Western paradigms ... In the end, it’s not the lessons that will endure but the exceptional storytelling — the powerful experience of reading this novel. There is no minor character in The Prophets, which delivers a dazzling gallery of unforgettable portraits ... by highlighting lives over plantation life—the humanity of the slaves over the inhumanity of slavery—the narrative remains centered on a Blackness with an imagination that doesn’t need whiteness in order to exist, breathe or even be free.
Stephen Graham Jones
Positive The Los Angeles Times ... [a] stark page-turner ... In keeping with the conventions of the revenge genre, each man will meet his fate in ingenious, mind-twisting ways ... Is Elk Head Woman’s destruction a ruthless warning against losing one’s way, against adopting the colonizer’s mind-set? Or is she simply evil incarnate, a manifestation of centuries of American carnage? Either way, if this weren’t a horror novel, some might call her tactics overkill ... One reason for the disconnect between crime and punishment is that Jones’ exceptional Native American characters, flawed and relatable, earn the reader’s trust and sympathy...The men’s banter, their affection for one another, their personal choices and troubled journeys frame their wrongdoings, big and small, as consequences of their complex lives on a reservation, not of their nature. And so the harrowing misfortunes that await them seem strangely undeserved ... If Jones is up to some form of re-appropriation, his scheme is overshadowed by the outsize gore, as well as the fact that only Lewis makes any effort to figure out what any of it means. He is the most reflective of the group, the most alert to the big picture, but he drops off halfway through. In the second half, Elk Head Woman weaves an intricate setup for Gabe and Cass that results in a bloody face-off at the sweat lodge, with hardly a moment for the characters to breathe, much less to ponder what’s happening and why ... Despite the conundrum that is Elk Head Woman, The Only Good Indians redeems itself with a climactic edge-of-your-seat battle both on and off the basketball court ... Given Jones’ focus on developing Denorah as a character, readers might be left wondering if there’s an overarching allegory in this death match between an elemental, hellbent force and one who, through strategy and adaptability, is determined to survive in this unlikely arena, the reservation. And yet the more one tries to tease out a meaning, the fuzzier the intention becomes ... strains to weave a horror story with robust character studies. In the end, there is enough in each strand to appeal to both the genre fan and the literary reader, even if neither is fully reconciled to the other.
Marcelo Hernandez Castillo
Rave The Los Angeles Times The experience of being an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, written as a personal account, is seldom seen in American literature even though it is a reality for millions of Mexicans residing in the United States...The publication of Marcelo Hernandez Castillo’s Children of the Land is an excellent addition to this small but necessary body of work, underscoring the fact that in each such immigrant there’s a unique story that deserves to be heard ... is only one man’s voice, yet it amplifies the struggles and dilemmas that countless others have endured and will continue to endure, particularly during today’s political climate of animosity against migrants ... In this courageous memoir, Castillo lays bare his emotional truths with remarkable intimacy and insight. Ever the poet, Castillo can’t resist a lyrical stroke here and there.
Isabel Allende, Trans. by Nick Caistor and Amanda Hopkinson
Positive The Los Angeles Times Isabel Allende’s latest novel marks a return to the time and setting of the book that jump-started her literary career, The House of the Spirits, but with far less supernatural elements and a more expansive engagement of revolution, exile and the determination of the human spirit ... Despite the prominence of historical events and that the protagonists are so intricately woven into them, the novel manages to develop the complicated bond between Victor and Roser ... A Long Petal of the Sea, a page-turning story rich with history and surprising subplots that keep the novel unpredictable to the end, serves as a counterpoint and companion to Allende’s first novel. This time, though, she focuses on the lives of the downtrodden but no less heroic figures of war.
Jeanine Cummins
Mixed Los Angeles Times Cummins’ decision to center the story on Lydia is a good decision, and I wish the book had remained a narrative about a woman who is willing to do the impossible to save her son ... But the book ventures into the larger political minefield of immigration, particularly the sensitive territory of Central American migration. By employing the third-person omniscient point of view, Cummins not only shows insights from the unique perspective of Lydia, who is the outsider, but also from the perspectives of characters like Rebeca and Soledad, who are the insiders. The Honduran women’s tragic back stories sound a bit too familiar, and their characterizations are inscribed within an outsider’s wishful but two-dimensional view of women in this situation: They’re illustrious examples of resilience and perseverance; they are defined by their victimhood. That at one point they call themselves \'Indian\' and not \'indigenous\' also shows a lack of insider knowledge (or research) on the part of the author ... Cummins tells a highly original story, and I enjoyed following Lydia’s adventure. But the characters’ moralizing and other moments of pandering to social justice language toward the end of the book get in the way of the narrative, which, stripped of the other points of view, could have shined more compellingly. That’s unfortunate because Lydia’s journey is ultimately a story of personal growth.
Paul Theroux
Positive The Los Angeles Times Herein the fascinating zigzag of Theroux’s observations. He affords great respect and kindness to the working-class people he meets, humanizing their stories, admiring their struggles and applauding their dignity and pride. In another instant, his comments come across as self-serving ... In an effort to see past the negative stereotypes, he latches on to a no less objectionable one: the good Mexican, humble and resourceful, \'making the best of it\' when resisting the pull toward the border or resigned to the improbability of migration due to lack of funds ... Eventually Theroux does manage to distance himself from his initial startling premise that his trip to Mexico had something to do with the fact the he, a 78-year-old white man, identified with the \'despised Mexican, the person always reminded he or she is not welcomed, whom no one ever misses.\' He does this by relinquishing the center of the narrative to people who don’t think that about themselves ... For the most part, Theroux’s portraits of Mexican lives are powerful, candid, and multivalent, with a few notable exceptions ... Theroux’s impeccable research and superb descriptive prose make On the Plain of Snakes a trip worth taking.
Marwa Helal
Rave On the Seawall ... timely and surprising ... striking ... Helal’s use of prose is an effective choice, supporting a narrative that unfolds as part autobiography and part ethnography of the \'immigration industrial complex.\' The result is a stylized documentation (simultaneously an abecedarian and an alphabetized catalogue of events) of a sociopolitical situation steeped in paperwork with dehumanizing terminology and discriminatory requirements designed to create obstacles and not, despite the claims of these institutions, to expedite access or citizenship ... inventively protests the ways American culture, proclaiming the foreign and alien undesirable, demands that its immigrant communities assimilate ... also reimagines the conventions we have come to expect from poetry. It’s as if Helal proposes that, in this instance too, we should re-examine the confines of definition and the rules that restrict belonging.
Gina Apostol
Rave The Los Angeles Times Gina Apostol’s stunning novel Insurrecto offers a nuanced narration that deftly illustrates the power of perspective and the importance of the storyteller while revisiting the complicated history of the Philippines ... the inspired structure of the novel: all three story lines (the road trip, Chiara’s script, Magsalin’s alternative vision) unfold out of sequence, constantly challenging the reader to piece together the stories—a task that becomes impossible once it’s clear that Apostol has interwoven the narratives. Like parallel universes, all three exist simultaneously, complementing each other like the parts of a stereo card: it takes more than one side to achieve depth ... each strong female lead shines in her individuality ... An arresting novel with a timely political message, Apostol’s Insurrecto dazzles with its inventive structure and superb portrayals of women as leaders of ingenuity, creativity and reason.
Armistead Maupin
Rave The San Francisco Chronicle Maupin’s memories are by turns touching and humorous, as when he recalls losing his virginity in 1969 ... Maupin highlights his Hollywood friendships, which move beyond name-dropping and into poignant conversations about coming out, particularly during the fight against AIDS in the 1980s ... the heart of the book comes through when Maupin’s worlds collide: His parents happen to be in town for a visit when Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone are assassinated. The sorrow of watching his Republican father at an emotional memorial for a great figure, a victim of homophobia, suddenly turns the narrative into a heartrending portrait of redemption ... Engaging and revelatory, Maupin’s memoir is a delight, punctuating a distinguished career in letters.
Arundhati Roy
Mixed The Los Angeles Times The Ministry of Utmost Happiness unfolds in that liminal space between novel and history lesson, which might disappoint all but her most ardent fans since the fictional story appears to have been written in service to the nonfiction content. Yet there are plenty of moments of dazzling wording and surprising exchanges between her characters to keep readers interested in sloughing through the density of information. Patience occasionally cedes a reward when a story within the story bursts open, allowing one more compelling glimpse into India’s soul. Thankfully, those moments are not few, nor do they lack gravity — but neither do they accumulate into something more substantial. By the end, the fragmented narrative remains just that: pieced together, occasionally engaging and never quite fulfilling.
Sandra Cisneros
Positive The Los Angeles Times Instead of moving away from Mango Street, Cisneros has built an even bigger, more impressive structure around it...