book review: Ply by Hernan Diaz

 

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 3.5/5

Thank you Riverhead Books for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own. 

 

Hernan Diaz’s prose immediately drew me in…”Even at night, the bridge throws a shadow on the river — a black lane where the otherwise shimmering waters seem to deepen. I am invisible gliding down that narrow eclipse. No one can see me from above; no one can spot me from the shore. The whir of the propeller slicing through the current vanishes under the city’s hum that rolls over the river like a mist. The boat and I become nothing. A possibility no one considered.” 

 

The main character is unnamed, yet made deeply layered by the author sharing everything in her early life which has brought her to this point. A dual timeline was cleverly used to reveal this information, while getting the reader right into her current situation as a “pincher” stealing electricity in this future derelict city to trade for not only necessities but to donate to her favorite bands to play impromptu underground shows. 

 

The second part of the book shifts to her stealing electricity, but in aid to an older woman who is trying to succeed in an experiment she believes will change humanity. Because physics is my favorite genre, I was immediately intrigued by this new storyline. I also particularly loved the description of this woman…”Every now and then she falls behind on purpose to be able to study the old woman, whose features, in the yolky light of dawn, are a bit more relaxed. She’s an elegant cyclist whose upright posture and effortless pedaling manage to convey the understated joy her body finds in movement without renouncing a patrician sort of deportment. Hard to tell if her sinewy limbs are the result of ascetic emancipation or athletic discipline.” 

 

While the exceptional writing completely immersed me in the characters and world, I found myself needing to read this book in small chunks. It would have benefited from being much shorter, trimming excessive details while maintaining the integrity of the story. Furthermore, section two felt disjointed; weaving it into the rest of the book using the same dual timeline from the first half would have created a tighter, unputdownable five-star read. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys literary works where the investment pays off in prose that reads almost like poetry.

book review: Under Story by Chloe Benjamin

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  5/5

Thank you Putnam for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

This is easily one of the best books I've ever read - so much so that a single review can't fully capture why it's so amazing. It's also a story best experienced with limited information.

So, all I will say is if you love the accessible hard science of Cixin Liu, the atmospheric, philosophical prose of Emily St. John Mandel, and the deep character immersion of Sally Rooney, you will absolutely be drawn in with this blend. I am so excited that Warner Bros. and Heyday Films have acquired the screen rights -- I'm crossing my fingers for a cinematic adaptation styled after Netflix's Dark, which would be a perfect fit for this story. 

book review: Hoist House - A Novella and Stories

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4/5

With deep roots in the state, the author sets all six short stories and the concluding novella in Minnesota. Local readers will enjoy references to familiar towns and establishments, though these details never detract from the experience for those that do not hail from the state.

Robertson is a remarkably efficient writer. She crafts diverse and compelling characters, evocative settings, and deep emotion using very few words -- one story spans less than two pages yet delivers a complete, impactful narrative. The final novella follows early immigrants navigating language barriers, class structures, and shifting family dynamics while working the local iron ore mines. While fascinating, the novella feels a bit dense. Packing so much story and dialogue into a short format leaves the plot feeling crowded. It would make a wonderful full-length novel, giving the rich storyline more room to breathe. 

Ultimately, this collection is highly recommended for anyone seeking thought-provoking stories about identity, sexuality, and personal growth. I will definitely be reading more of Robertson's work.

book review: The Hill In The Dark Grove by Liam Higginson

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5/5

Thank you Random House for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

The Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam Higginson is a folk novel that captures the immense beauty of the Welsh mountains through vivid descriptive detail. It introduces a slow-building, eerie darkness that befalls Carwyn and Rhian’s remote farm. The sheep become sickly, an unpleasant earthy smell intensifies, strange dreams overtake their nights, and they begin to question what they see and hear. As Carwyn becomes more obsessed with digging up artifacts discovered in an unused part of the farm, the strange occurrences and dread only get more intense. 

The couple reminisces about their early life together while pondering generational folklore that may shed light on what they are encountering during this hard, strange year. Ancestral history of the land is also interjected into the book. Both providing a full and invested yearning for the reader to hope this couple can pull themselves to the other side of this darkness. 

I had so much fun looking up the Welsh words in the text and finding recipes for cawl, wimberry pie, and bara brith bread. This extra layer immersed me much deeper into the book. I do wish the ancestral history was tied a bit more neatly together as a complete story so that I could fully understand how it connected to the excavated mound. Doing so might have rounded out the ending by giving a glimpse into what became of the couple and how the site might affect future inhabitants, while still remaining vague.

Despite these small notes, this book absolutely deserves a 5/5. I was astounded by the imagery and the author’s ability to evoke so much about these characters lives through the written word. Readers who love literary works will appreciate this, and those that enjoy lore, witchcraft, or horror will love it even more. I highly recommend this debut novel and so look forward to anything future this author might release.

book review: Sunrise by Tea Obreht

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  3/5

Thank you Random House for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

In Téa Obreht's newest novel, we follow multiple characters interacting with the mysterious, remote town of Sunrise, Wyoming, across three points in the past hundred years. Obreht's detailed, descriptive writing quickly piqued my interest and I was intrigued to find out the town's secrets. However, before I reached the quarter mark, I got the feeling much of the character backstories weren't critical to the core plot. These backstories were interesting, and could loosely be seen as adding to the character development. Yet, my engagement began wavering without enough bread crumbs to build discovery and momentum. Ultimately, I didn't find the story to ever tie together in a satisfying or particularly novel way. The book might have benefited from prioritizing a more complex story around the town of Sunrise first, then using all characters to support that vision. Instead, the few clues that were presented were vague and spread out; the crucial plot pieces needed to be more bluntly laid out. 

Readers who enjoy literary, historical fiction might still find fulfillment here. Obreht's style and depth overall make her a writer I would like to read more from.

book review: Fruit Fly by Josh Silver

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

Fruit Fly by Josh Silver will easily be knocking a book off to take its place on my top five shelf! I desperately hope this gets adapted for the screen because I was so incredibly invested in these characters. The depth is just remarkable; the authors ability to read people and capture both their inner and outer dialogue is masterfully done.

Mallory seemingly has the perfect curated life - a stately house and a handsome husband. Yet, she's been unable to write another book since her debut novel and fights demons in both her marriage and her mind. On the flip side is Leo, a fellow writer of poetry, who battles addictions and demons of his own. Mallory attempts to claw her way back to the life she wants when she crosses paths with Leo, realizing his personal story is just the plot for her next novel. But, at what cost? And, is his story truly hers to tell?

As we navigate everything that unfolds, it's unclear whether either of them is a reliable narrator. Interjections of diegetic text from both Mallory and Leo provide an even deeper layer of these characters. Ultimately, in their similar lives - if not for money and location - they are both just trying to survive. I was wholly unprepared for the incredible ride of this book - it is a raw, dark, nail-biting, and deeply relatable.

book review: Awake Awake by Fiona Mozley

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 

Thank you Algonquin Books for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

Fiona Mozley’s Awake Awake is a timely and uniquely modern literary novel that follows a diverse group of classmates from their school days into their thirties. I was immediately drawn in by this rich cast of characters, who represent a wide spectrum of backgrounds, religions, politics, and life paths. Mozley delivers information through seamless storytelling, making the reader feel like an organic extension of the friend group. 

Alongside this group dynamic, the protagonist, Mary, works through the shifting realities of her own memories. Did her grandfather have a hand in Hitler’s death? Or do she and her brother share similar mental health struggles? These nuanced discussions on mental health are incredibly important. I appreciate how the novel centers this topic, exploring it not just in a clinical setting, but through the support from friends and family as well.

The religious and political themes are woven beautifully and authentically into the plot without feeling forced. Having lived my own formative years in the 2000s and 2010s, I can definitely attest that life isn't siloed from these issues—they really have been a constant background presence in our lives. Mozley perfectly captures the tension between activism and peace, being pro-war, or caring deeply but lacking the agency to act. The last quarter of the book brings these thought-provoking topics to a head, leaving me with several favorite quotes to revisit.

I highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates slow-unfolding, coming-of-age stories. If you also love the extra depth that subtle dialects and British settings bring to a narrative, Fiona Mozley is an author to add to your list. I certainly plan on reading more of her work.

book review: Etna by Paul Yoon

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5/5

Wow. Just… wow. I’m calling it now: this will easily be my favorite book of the year, and honestly, likely one of my favorites for a long time to come.

As my own dog napped, head laid contently on my legs, I began this book. And from that first paragraph until the last, I was immersed, seeing so much of Etna in my own. She is taken from the only place she’s known and thrust into the front lines of a war. As the war finishes, Etna yearns to go back home, encountering humans and animals along the way, all lending to a deeply woven journey of the harshness and strife of life, but also the beauty and humanity as well. So much emotion is contained within this short book, I’d like to start back over on the first page to experience it all over again. 

I think almost anyone could find something to connect with in this story. It’s a beautiful, universal tale.

Thank you Scribner for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

book review: The Lost Mozart by David K. Israel

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  5/5

Thank you Post Hill Press for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

Get ready to immerse yourself in the world of classical music! David K. Israel, the author of The Lost Mozart, is a composer and musician himself, so this literary work is deeply infused with musical history, songs, and classical composers.

This is a coming-of-age story about Noah, a twenty-one-year-old college senior trying desperately to figure out how to use his degree—partly to prove his parents wrong, and partly to prove something to himself. While interning at a radio station, Noah forms an unlikely friendship with Bertram, an elderly radio announcer. Noah is welcomed into Bertram’s wider circle of friends, who provide a listening ear, crucial support, and wise guidance during this pivotal time in his life.

While hanging out and discussing music with this eclectic group, Noah unbelievably stumbles across the beginning of an unfinished Mozart string quartet. He decides to complete the piece in an effort to gain notoriety and earn money to help his friends. Getting the piece finished and finding an audience is a bumpy ride, but Noah’s inner circle stays close, and he even navigates a new romance with Eos along the way.

Israel’s personal background in classical music brings an incredibly rich layer to the characters and the overall story. The musical tidbits are woven in beautifully without ever feeling forced, and I came away with a much deeper understanding of the genre. However, readers who are already familiar with—or have a deep love for—the ins and outs of classical music will likely appreciate this the most. While the narrative always expertly circled back to the main plot, there were times when the heavy musical detours caused me to lose track of the story a bit. Still, I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a rich, rewarding, and challenging read.

book review: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  3.5/5

Yellowface kept me engaged as an enjoyable and interesting read. I did recently read The Plot/The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz and Fruit Fly by Josh Silver and will say I found those to be a bit more of a unique take on this trope. Both also created a higher level of pace and suspense in needed areas. I did appreciate R.F. Kuang's discussions on cultural appropriation and authenticity. Possibly, if I had read it before any other similar books, the plot and execution might have knocked me off my feet better.

book review: Once We Forget by Elise Geither

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  4/5 stars

Thank you Hidden Shelf Publishing for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own. 

Once We Forget by Elise Geither is a moving exploration of how memory enriches our lives, recedes into deep forgotten places, or is lost altogether, potentially never to surface again. 

 

The story follows Rose and her mother’s partner, Henry, as they navigate the increasingly evident changes dementia takes on her mother’s mind and body. Simultaneously, Rose grapples with holes in her own memories: she cannot remember anything before the age of nine. Why is this? And, who is this mysterious blonde girl Lily that begins haunting her dreams? 

 

Through vivid, fragmented narration, Geither masterfully captures depicts how the world almost stands still for dementia patients and their caregivers. They spend their days either fighting to stay afloat or desperately grasping at remaining memories to maintain a connection to the past. As Geither beautifully writes: “We don’t know what becomes of the words. We only know they go away. And there is a soft white page left where they used to be, like a book being erased page by page.” 

 

The secondary plotline—Rose’s quest to uncover memories of a potential sister—unfolds through minor revelations. However, I craved deeper exploration and stronger narrative milestones. The story misses ripe opportunities to expand this mystery, such as the weekend Rose watches Jolie, her stay at a haunted cabin, or the moment she receives her mother’s journal. The revelation came instead in a memory that was finally poured out in full. This left me unsatisfied and still with questions. Utilizing her mother’s journal or diving deeper into her stay with Aunt Grace—the exact day her memories stopped—could have fully realized this subplot's potential. 

 

Despite wanting a more fulfilling resolution to Rose’s arc, I am grateful to have read this book. It is deeply sorrowful, yet it offers a healing space for anyone navigating cognitive decline with a loved one. The raw emotions on the page make it incredibly easy to connect with, and fans of literary fiction will deeply appreciate Geither's craft.

book review: Astronaut! by Oana Aristide

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  5/5

Thank you W. W. Norton & Company for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own. 

In 1989, dictator rule clouds Romania. Eight-year-old Lia doesn’t fully grasp why she is constantly getting into trouble. She sees the oppression, rations, and suspicion among neighbors, but naively she just wants to be a kid. The fear and tension from her parents is palpable, that any mis-step their child might make could cause them to be imprisoned or worse. Paralleling Lia’s innocence is Detective Constantin, who is trying to solve a serial killer case without offending the high-ranking officials watching his every move. These two storylines eventually collide in a deeply satisfying conclusion. 

Through not only Lia’s eyes, but Constantin’s son as well, we get a really beautifully orchestrated look at childhood under oppression. I especially loved the nightly parables Constantin reads to his son to explain the world’s harsh truths; including the full text of these stories was a wonderful touch. Lia’s simple, poignant desire to “get the colour back into the world” really resonated with me. 

I highly recommend Astronaut! by Oana Aristide to anyone who wants to open themselves up to something a little different, fresh, thought-provoking, and intriguing.