14,424 book reviews and counting...

"...clever, satisfying, and often playful..."

"(a) dazzling and accomplished collection from the South Korean writer Kim Bo-young..."

"lashings of local mysticism and a flair for transgressive imagery make her an arrestingly original talent..."

"a striking first novel, a chilling insight into an oppressive world, where bad thoughts and bad deeds ripple just below the surface..."

"Anthony Quinn’s latest period novel extends his richly pleasurable and loosely connected series portraying London down the decades..."

"explores the optimistic and pessimistic implications of life’s persistence..."

"melancholy, tender, comic..."

"Bear is a bizarre but strangely uplifting book about a woman’s quest for freedom..."

"candid and darkly funny..."

"sharply funny and astute..."

"a gentle, hopeful story..."

"My advice: buy the short stories and then buy this book and read them back-to-back...."

"Samson’s novel is sharply observant of the personal price paid by the island’s female muses..."

"In this coming-of-age story set in a near-future England, a teenager discovers life’s possibilities as climate chaos intensifies..."

" Mir offers us a fascinating glimpse into a world rarely portrayed in fiction..."

"is a work in the great Scottish gothic tradition..."

"one of the most captivating and distinctive voices in contemporary Irish writing..."

"A very welcome rediscovery..."

"quietly compelling..."

"Louise Kennedy is a very major talent..."

"Benjamin Myers’s multifaceted short stories grapple with the nature of masculinity..."

"an insider critique of masculine bravado...."

"The Egyptian writer’s fictional reworking of the failed 2011 uprising is a blistering examination of corruption and dissent..."

"a celebration of multiculturalism and friendship, and a rallying cry to make the world a better, kinder place..."

"Very funny and wonderfully profound, this book makes you glad to be alive..."

" a tale abundant in humour, history and humanity, with a poignant message about time passing..."

"a distilled psychological tour de force from an exceptional writer..."

"A classroom apocalypse anticipates the greater horrors over the horizon...."

"Despite its bleak subject matter, this is a book suffused with the joy and fulfilment of raising a child..."

"a beautifully written, emotionally gripping book..."

"All these stories are brilliant, but with few exceptions they are bleak..."

"This is natural history as police procedural; and life on Earth as the scene of a crime...."

"Twisted, dark and fizzing with fury, it’s a lot of fun...."

"deliciously sinister and obsessive, an immersive journey into a world where ballet is everything, with one hell of a twist...."

"In this coming-of-age story set in a near-future England, a teenager discovers life’s possibilities as climate chaos intensifies..."

"her pacy thriller is a persuasive account of the terrible cost of living a double life..."

"Flynn keeps the tension bubbling nicely..."

"an unusual and thoroughly enjoyable read..."

"My advice: buy the short stories and then buy this book and read them back-to-back...."

"The Old Enemy has an old-style, mid-Atlantic feel to it but it is no less gripping for that..."

"Motel, money, murder, madness: it has all you need to keep you happy..."

"a distinctly more thought-provoking novel than is customary in the genre..."

"quietly compelling..."

" a tale abundant in humour, history and humanity, with a poignant message about time passing..."

"both an enjoyable read and an educational one..."

" Vidich’s style is sparse but atmospheric..."

"Rhodes makes up for her limited canvas with evocative descriptions of the rugged landscape..."

"a finely written thriller haunted by a powerful sense of the struggle between good and evil..."

"Rachael Blok’s amusing update of Agatha Christie finds time to highlight working conditions in Bangladeshi factories in addition to uncovering a wicked plot involving blackmail and murder..."

"Thirty years on from writing Prime Suspect, La Plante is still delivering the goods...."

"multilayered and emotionally astute..."

"The funniest thing about this book is that it is funny...."

"[an] unforgettable debut..."

"A well researched and compelling read..."

"[a] character-driven debut..."

"[a] riveting, creepy mystery novel..."

"The second I finished this extremely impressive debut, I went back to the beginning and read it again..."

"Scarrow, turning away from his previous Roman adventures, has produced a gripping thriller..."

"a (mostly) convincing portrait of the mercurial dramatist ..."

"Edge of the Grave builds to a wildly implausible finale, but it’s a dark and powerful story..."

"This is natural history as police procedural; and life on Earth as the scene of a crime...."

"a striking first novel, a chilling insight into an oppressive world, where bad thoughts and bad deeds ripple just below the surface..."

"deliciously sinister and obsessive, an immersive journey into a world where ballet is everything, with one hell of a twist...."

"Lighthearted, witty and effortlessly clever, just like its wonderful heroine..."

"Flynn keeps the tension bubbling nicely..."

"an unusual and thoroughly enjoyable read..."

" Mir offers us a fascinating glimpse into a world rarely portrayed in fiction..."

"a tense, pacy read..."

"Motel, money, murder, madness: it has all you need to keep you happy..."

"quietly compelling..."

"This gripping thriller, first in a series, shows what a wonderful storyteller Maitland is...."

"Lea writes beautifully of island life and love, and the sacrifices that both demand...."

"both an enjoyable read and an educational one..."

"Robinson cleverly incorporates the two plots, showing how police work has had to adapt in a very different climate..."

" The mystery surrounding the disappearance of a Jewish bookseller’s young wife provides another treat for Georges Simenon fans after the delights of his Maigret series..."

"a finely written thriller haunted by a powerful sense of the struggle between good and evil..."

"Rachael Blok’s amusing update of Agatha Christie finds time to highlight working conditions in Bangladeshi factories in addition to uncovering a wicked plot involving blackmail and murder..."

"Thirty years on from writing Prime Suspect, La Plante is still delivering the goods...."

"[a] riveting, creepy mystery novel..."

"A well researched and compelling read..."

"[a] character-driven debut..."

"Blooming with wonderful, vibrant and charismatic characters..."

"beautifully wrongfooting the reader every step of the way..."

"Later is a horror story, but it’s also a proper thriller, told by a master of his craft..."

"Edge of the Grave builds to a wildly implausible finale, but it’s a dark and powerful story..."

"Goddard at his impeccable best..."

"an insightful study into a period of history often overlooked in fiction..."

"a gentle, hopeful story..."

"yes, it’s fun, but it’s not substantial. Still, perhaps that’s enough..."

"a celebration of multiculturalism and friendship, and a rallying cry to make the world a better, kinder place..."

" a tale abundant in humour, history and humanity, with a poignant message about time passing..."

"In the third of a cycle of novels on witness and memory, the author examines the trauma of what her characters have seen — and not seen..."

"Kaitlyn Greenidge is good on the contradictions of freedom, and the persistent, sour legacy of slavery, but it is the mother-daughter relationship that makes this novel dazzle..."

"Lea writes beautifully of island life and love, and the sacrifices that both demand...."

"Saint’s version is energetic and compelling, and the women become more than just the victims of the whims of men..."

"This gripping thriller, first in a series, shows what a wonderful storyteller Maitland is...."

"The concept is appealing, if a little muddled..."

"Hornby combines a moving portrait of sisterly devotion with a comic depiction of the provincial life so brilliantly evoked in Austen’s own novels...."

"AK Blakemore’s exceptionally accomplished debut feels especially pertinent now, as women’s protests against their treatment by men are met with further aggression or accusations of hysteria..."

"Edge of the Grave builds to a wildly implausible finale, but it’s a dark and powerful story..."

"Scarrow, turning away from his previous Roman adventures, has produced a gripping thriller..."

"Scott sympathetically resurrects a life half-hidden in the shadows of history..."

" an immensely satisfying read..."

"There’s real cleverness at work here..."

"This first instalment in Matthew Harffy’s new series is a gory treat..."

"colourful and punchy..."

" a moving portrait of a place and its people..."

"an insightful study into a period of history often overlooked in fiction..."

"Very funny and wonderfully profound, this book makes you glad to be alive..."

"Ferociously funny..."

"Beth is quite rightly earning her title as 'Queen of Uplit'..."

"Fans of David Nicholls will adore this..."

"Gailey’s main concern is showing how people are shaped by others ... but the novel doesn’t rise above the banal...."

"Buchanan offers astute social observation..."

"A promising but flawed Troubles tale..."

"an exciting, ambitious debut..."

"In a narrative that brims over with colour and invention, Jago summons up Jacobean London with enormous persuasiveness..."

"fuses race, sexuality and grief into a tale of dissolving love..."

"Maine reworks the conventions of historical romance in a narrative that regularly undercuts expectations of what is to come...."

"the collection feels fully coherent by the end..."

"the perfect antidote to a trying time..."

"brimming with beautiful prose..."

"hits you right in the feels..."

"bursting with vibrant characters and utter charm..."

"This will make you laugh and cry..."

"what a joy..."

"Warm and funny..."

"made me want to read her entire back catalogue..."

"(A) haunting tale in unpretentious but persuasive prose..."

"It's the debut rom-com you'll want on your list..."

"A feel-good Christmas treat..."

"(a) dazzling and accomplished collection from the South Korean writer Kim Bo-young..."

"the book delivers on the huge, mind-bending promise made in its first few pages...."

"This is natural history as police procedural; and life on Earth as the scene of a crime...."

"In this coming-of-age story set in a near-future England, a teenager discovers life’s possibilities as climate chaos intensifies..."

"a beautifully written, emotionally gripping book..."

"All these stories are brilliant, but with few exceptions they are bleak..."

"wonderfully surreal and weirdly uplifting ..."

"There’s real cleverness at work here..."

"Ouloo’s restaurant at the back-end of the universe has acquired some charming guests, but strip away their backstories and boy, do this lot need a plot..."

"This is first-class space opera, with added spycraft, diplomatic intrigue and scary aliens..."

"a tale as sincerely thought out in human terms as it’s technically well researched..."

"a contemporary visit to one of science fiction’s favourite futures..."

"a powerful literary exploration of loneliness, redundancy and the relentless processes of change..."

" Genetic winners and losers fight for their interests in this thoughtful take on our genetically engineered future..."

"Given the alternative facts and fake news swilling through social media at the moment, it’s hard to say what in this scenario feels particularly far-fetched..."

"Stanislaw Lem’s lively, sardonic satire asks what we really want from exploration (beyond a mirror for our own vanity)..."

" It all makes for a funny, whimsical caper, laced with lightly philosophical insights into storytelling and human frailty..."

"a cool, classy cyberpunk riff on the cold war spy thriller..."

"Smartly choreographed as it moves between opposing forces on two planets, this is a rousing good read..."

"(A) smart and thought-provoking piece of work..."

"In a field thick with medieval despots and fairytale atmosphere, it stands out for its uniquely different and complex setting..."

"Adam Roberts is one of the most intellectually daring British science fiction writers, trying something different in every book..."

"a richly imagined eco-gothic tale..."

"It’s welcome escapist fare in these stressful times..."

"diehard fans of Ready Player One might find this retread satisfying, but readers new to Cline will wonder what all the fuss is about..."

"scalpel-sharp and oddly moving..."

"We, Robots will make a fine Christmas present..."

"yes, it’s fun, but it’s not substantial. Still, perhaps that’s enough..."

"A very welcome rediscovery..."

"In the third of a cycle of novels on witness and memory, the author examines the trauma of what her characters have seen — and not seen..."

"Scarrow, turning away from his previous Roman adventures, has produced a gripping thriller..."

"colourful and punchy..."

"This first instalment in Matthew Harffy’s new series is a gory treat..."

"a fabulous fun read..."

"The violence in The Sunken Road is unceasing..."

"Francis Spufford’s generous writing style combines a close-up view of events with a distant perspective. ..."

"The second volume of Mosse’s wars of religion trilogy vividly depicts persecution and how politics can upturn ordinary lives..."

"Light the blue touch paper and retire to a comfortable chair...."

"His description of the cauldron of Stalingrad, and of the Shakespearean vengeance Nehmann takes there, are well worth relishing..."

"Maine reworks the conventions of historical romance in a narrative that regularly undercuts expectations of what is to come...."

"diehard fans of Ready Player One might find this retread satisfying, but readers new to Cline will wonder what all the fuss is about..."

" Klay’s own experience as a former US marine gives battle scenes authenticity..."

" a triumph of precise scholarship and imaginative sympathy..."

"Many Different Kinds of Love paints a harrowing picture of being hospitalised with Covid-19..."

"Fathers, mothers and grownup children reflect on leaving home and the ‘dance between closeness and distance’ in an outstanding anthology..."

"chronicles experiences of landlords, desire, porridge and emotional labour with impressive formal guile..."

"This translation of Beowulf into muscular urban slang is electric..."

"In many ways it feels as if Cannibal has paved the way for itself..."

"unsettling reflections on displacement..."

"(a) supremely vivid evocation of the times and places of Violette’s brief life ..."

"Landmark work highlights poet’s misogyny but fans and scholars will find riches among letters..."

"a heartwarming collection in which older-and-wiser poet and child converge – in sun and shade...."

"canters from Gilgamesh and Homer to Mary Oliver and Les Murray in three hundred pages with a breezy sense of mission..."

"You've really never read a book quite like this one..."

"Published posthumously, the last of three Dante translations reveals Gray’s powers of insight and invention..."

"Atwood’s first poetry collection in over a decade is intimate..."

"Ann Pasternak Slater has written a partial account of the life of Vivien Eliot in which her famous husband’s behaviour is always tip-top..."

"[a] brave and affirming collection..."

"Rankine sketches her clearest vision of a just future..."

"Instagram star Rupi Kaur has been savaged by critics in the past – but even fans will be disappointed by her new offering..."

"A fierce and clear-eyed debut that finds a fresh way to explore humankind’s role in environmental chaos..."

"This largely faithful retelling of Trojan myth is genial enough, but has unsavoury aspects for the modern reader..."

"a fine anthology by any measure, especially a literary one..."

"In Grimoire, Robert Robertson mixes Scots, English and Gaelic to mesmerising effect..."

"From postwar London and empty afternoons to a perfect love affair, this masterly new collection is rich in beautiful phrases..."

"It is such books, books like this one, that in a time of strident and dishonest polemics readers should attend to with a feeling ear..."

"Wells and Edmondson are doing insightful critical work, and they are also inevitably reflecting the politics of our current moment..."

"His work on language and colonialism is newly urgent in these times, but he is also one of the great literary explorers of the human condition..."

"a treasure trove of poetic pleasure..."

"This modest collection is welcome and those who have not read Boland..."

"a rich and satisfying novel..."

"read slowly and absorb every detail of the world Knox conjures..."

"fantastic and colourful, but lacking depth..."

"Contemporary fantasy, at its best, is both escapist and urgent: this does both admirably..."

"the ride is stretch-limousine smooth and the evocation of the Hollywood Hills of the Seventies affecting..."

"What saves the book from being just a retread of rather familiar material is McDonnell’s blisteringly comic-caustic tone..."

"In a field thick with medieval despots and fairytale atmosphere, it stands out for its uniquely different and complex setting..."

"Weighty questions underlie the wackiness and misadventures of a temp’s 23 jobs and 18 boyfriends in this surreal fable..."

"a brilliantly varied assortment of tales..."

"By turns gripping and poignant, Hall of Smoke is a compelling debut..."

"Gong’s vivid Shanghai is a place to get enjoyably lost in..."

"Michel Faber’s fantasy novel is seamless and sure-footed throughout..."

"Susanna Clarke’s enchanting, extravagant fusion of magic and memory..."

"Human-sized bunnies roam Britain in a dystopian satire on middle-class complacency..."

"a harsh, improbable world that blends some of the tropes of young-adult fiction with both grim realism..."

"It’s sad and satisfying..."

"plenty of spark and impetus to make up for its not wholly original premise..."

"deliciously horrid horror..."

"To get a feel for The Loop, imagine if the TV series Stranger Things lost its sense of humour. ..."

"This eerie tale of twins in an apocalyptic commune conjures a rich dystopian spell..."

"this glorious doorstep of super-queer terror is presided over by the ghost of Shirley Jackson..."

"Four family tales about escape and revenge crackle with dark forces..."

"Death in Her Hands, like all Moshfegh’s novels, is a mystery, as well as a portrait of a broken mind...."

"one never tires of her cynicism and bleakness, even over 600 pages..."

"combines crime fiction with elements of gothic horror, set in and around a creepy village churchyard in Sussex..."

"Perhaps winning this year’s Goldsmiths Prize for innovation in fiction might bring the astonishing oeuvre of M John Harrison to a wider audience..."

"B Catling’s Munky might be called MR James with a soupcon of PG Wodehouse and a dash of Viz..."

" It is the most magical of books about the magic of books..."

"There are chills galore in this enjoyable 70s-set debut about disturbed teenagers and malevolent spirits..."

"represents one of King’s most obscure and impressive accomplishments..."

"The zombie-meister’s epic about a virus destroying human civilisation is everything you could have hoped for..."

"I’m not sure whether this is a case of very good or very unfortunate timing..."

"Jones is excellent at depicting the anxiety of Native Americans in contemporary society..."

"written with skill and a zealous intensity..."

"plenty of spark and impetus to make up for its not wholly original premise..."

"Devolution deftly incorporates “real-world” history..."

"Lebbon excels at portraying the phantasmagorical proliferation of nature within Eden..."

"It’s a grim ride, by turns moving and harrowing, and not for the faint-hearted...."

"a book I began to think of as a classic even before I’d finished it..."

"If you like comics, and you’re also in need of some serious, escapist fun... I suggest that you dive straight into The Grande Odalisque..."

"This funny story of a student’s trip abroad with her new anarchist friend will resonate with anyone who has been a fresher..."

"Although some books on grief can be prescriptive and preachy, this one is neither..."

"the most astonishing blend of narrative, meta-narratives and visuals..."

"every page of this luscious collection is delightful..."

"He has an incredible ability to capture universal fears in a handful of minimal panels..."

"witty graphic novel unleashes hipster hell..."

"a powerful piece of work..."

"A funny, thought-provoking treat..."

"The idea of a graphic history of medicine seems almost an impertinence right now. ..."

"Year of the Rabbit movingly depicts the rising terror of the Khmer Rouge years...."

"South Korea’s reputation for comic art continues to blossom in this feline tale of feasts and filial duty..."

"this soapy, spiky book is a compelling read..."

"Funny, sweet and emotionally true, it doesn’t so much tiptoe on to fraught cultural territory as dance wildly across it..."

"Come for the consumer satire; stay for the heartache...."

"With her pithy put-downs and her easy way with half-truths, it’s impossible not to warm to Little Lulu..."

" a beloved genius of storytelling and illustration..."

"Rusty Brown is a human document of rare richness..."

"a restrained, poignant graphic novel..."

"This affecting account of family life features dreams of monsters, classroom japes – and a father hooked on heroin..."

"a huge year for the Wimpy Kid comes to a close with Greg's 14th adventure...."

"a masterpiece..."

" There is...real daring here, as well as empathy and imagination..."

"this flawless performance is captivating..."

"devilishly good..."

"it certainly is a wild ride..."

"Bear is a bizarre but strangely uplifting book about a woman’s quest for freedom..."

"Melissa Broder’s prose is witty..."

"Buchanan offers astute social observation..."

"A legendary recording is at the core of this metafictional novel set between St Petersburg and St Andrews..."

"a sweet romance that explores autism..."

"One admires Slimani's bravery in creating a deeply unsympathetic character ..."