6,713 book reviews and counting...

"Whether or not you agree with his views, he remains an astute commentator on the contemporary political fracas...."

"Let’s give O’Brien credit for her energy and passion, for reminding us that at every moment girls are being abused and exploited with unconscionable cruelty and malice...."

"Buchanan is particularly effective at describing the reinforcing loops of depressive thought. ..."

"Blatantly indebted to Stephen King..."

"they remain as expert at suspense, plot and the psychology of stressed heroines...."

"What we get in Olive, Again is the human condition, a deluge of it. ..."

"Few writers are so well able to convey strength and self-belief, with the result that the reader is forced to accept everything he says, sometimes against one’s better judgement...."

"Donoghue contrives a neat comedy of errors as Noah tries to make sense of Michael’s world...."

"One Booker shortlist later, Galley Beggar were proved correct. Ellmann’s novel isn’t perfect, and it may not take the prize, but in a world where Ian McEwan is still at large, something introspective and richly painted is a tonic for us all...."

"an unsettling mass of contradictions..."

"Joyce’s influence is writ large here, and The River Capture could be read as an extended love letter to the great novel of interiority..."

"a vivid portrait of the often painful transition to adulthood and autonomy, laced with a moral purpose that is not without ambiguity or doubt...."

"The writing style will be a bit too chatty for some, but Corcoran maintains suspense throughout and she is brave enough not to opt for a fairytale ending...."

"Exploring sin, guilt and atonement, this dazzling study of displaced lives has the moral complexity of the greatest novellas..."

"The book is a bit like drinking: refreshingly obliterative, realistically distorted...."

"a shorter book might have given this story so much more power...."

"Nell Zink has rapidly established herself as a striking writer of off-beat stories with an idiosyncratic style to match..."

"Elliott is possessed of a tremendous inner articulacy, which Litt ventriloquizes with immense skill...."

"An admirably transparent approach to poetic prose..."

"Denfeld, a death penalty investigator, paints a distressingly realistic portrait of life on the street..."

"A particular kind of modern American epic..."

"He cannot hope to laugh the terrible reality of Brexit out of existence, but McEwan’s comic parable at least provides some relief from a political farce that has long gone beyond a joke..."

"The Giver of Stars is rip-roaring popular fiction, in which eyes meet furtively and bodies touch tremulously..."

"A sharp intelligence beneath the romantic sensibility makes the less convincing story elements almost forgivable..."

"[T]here is plenty to recommend in its moving, honest account of a young black man trying to find his way in a hostile world..."

"exploits are proficiently recounted and a topical theme is unfurled..."

"they remain as expert at suspense, plot and the psychology of stressed heroines...."

"Few writers are so well able to convey strength and self-belief, with the result that the reader is forced to accept everything he says, sometimes against one’s better judgement...."

"a finely written book, evocative and moving in its exploration of how we live now, without being maudlin or sentimental..."

"The writing style will be a bit too chatty for some, but Corcoran maintains suspense throughout and she is brave enough not to opt for a fairytale ending...."

"Oates manages the tension and the profoundly eerie atmosphere with precision and economy. But it is the prose that lifts the spirit with its poetry...."

"The Institute is written with the swaggering confidence of a master..."

"Clever and well plotted, this is a true original that will stay with you long after its chilling close..."

"A powerful, psychological drama that is perfect for book-club discussions..."

"Although Alagiah makes fairly heavy weather of the necessary scene-setting and exposition, it’s worth hanging in there, as the plot shifts up a gear and becomes a gripping tale of events spinning out of control in a country struggling to redefine itself...."

"Although the cult itself is not entirely convincing, the novel is a very good study of vulnerability, and how our best intentions can often lead us astray..."

"[Cleeve] demonstrates her unerring touch for character and her fierce grip of plot. A new detective star is born...."

"With its teasing mix of real and fictional characters, Horowitz’s fast-paced novel remains tantalising to the final page..."

"The Wych Elm offers a persuasive critique of social privilege..."

"The plot, which also involves Headley’s son and Matheson’s daughter, is somewhat contrived, but Barclay does a good job of keeping all the characters in play in a proficient thriller that presses all the right buttons...."

"Jackson raises the stakes again and again in this skilfully plotted novel..."

"It is a touching development in their relationship, but feels more like an interlude than a fully realised novel..."

"Characterisation and locale are pared to the bone: plotting reigns supreme. Fortunately, that’s Horst’s primary skill...."

"Thomas Harris and The Silence of the Lambs provide the prototype for Hoag’s new literary identity..."

"a techie thriller about the kindness and cruelty of strangers..."

"It’s a provocative, tub‑ thumping sci-fi of which H. G. Wells might have been proud...."

"a wonderful Gothic confection that sticks in the mind long after the last page is turned..."

"they remain as expert at suspense, plot and the psychology of stressed heroines...."

"a short, sharp shocker..."

"a vivid portrait of the often painful transition to adulthood and autonomy, laced with a moral purpose that is not without ambiguity or doubt...."

"Oates manages the tension and the profoundly eerie atmosphere with precision and economy. But it is the prose that lifts the spirit with its poetry...."

"Clever and well plotted, this is a true original that will stay with you long after its chilling close..."

"A powerful, psychological drama that is perfect for book-club discussions..."

"With his impeccable pacing, and richly humane story-telling, Sallis brings his heroine to life in a way that is tender and yet as threatening as only the best noir can be...."

"The Wych Elm offers a persuasive critique of social privilege..."

"The plot, which also involves Headley’s son and Matheson’s daughter, is somewhat contrived, but Barclay does a good job of keeping all the characters in play in a proficient thriller that presses all the right buttons...."

"With its teasing mix of real and fictional characters, Horowitz’s fast-paced novel remains tantalising to the final page..."

"[Cleeve] demonstrates her unerring touch for character and her fierce grip of plot. A new detective star is born...."

"Uneven and marred by anachronisms, this is nevertheless a promising debut – gothic, claustrophobic and wonderfully dark..."

"[W]hile one may judge that the novel as a whole doesn’t work, never becoming a complete and credible thing, it is rich in individual delight..."

"magnificent... shines an unflinching light on an ugly side of contemporary America..."

"It is a touching development in their relationship, but feels more like an interlude than a fully realised novel..."

"Characterisation and locale are pared to the bone: plotting reigns supreme. Fortunately, that’s Horst’s primary skill...."

"Thomas Harris and The Silence of the Lambs provide the prototype for Hoag’s new literary identity..."

"While Wilson tempts providence by inviting comparison with the real Agatha Christie, on the evidence of this book he succeeds admirably...."

"a techie thriller about the kindness and cruelty of strangers..."

"an unsettling mass of contradictions..."

"a shorter book might have given this story so much more power...."

"Try as he might to redeem O’Brian, Tolstoy tends only to make matters worse..."

"Tracy Chevalier excels at writing about the ordinary human characters who find themselves accidentally at the centre of history...."

"Prescott says that her novel contains direct descriptions and quotes from first-hand accounts of the events... This may explain some of her heavy-footed prose, but sadly can’t excuse it...."

"action-packed, densely plotted read..."

"There are many brilliant passages in the novel ..."

"If you liked A Woman in Black, you'll love this utterly gripping and atmospheric book..."

"An intriguing and nostalgic read..."

"[W]hile one may judge that the novel as a whole doesn’t work, never becoming a complete and credible thing, it is rich in individual delight..."

"an enjoyably overwrought exercise in dark melodrama...."

"A curious historical experiment from 1797 to get a man to live alone underground for seven years is spun out into a novel..."

"It’s a provocative, tub‑ thumping sci-fi of which H. G. Wells might have been proud...."

"a gripping and intelligent portrait of a woman fighting to survive..."

"the characters and setting are wonderful..."

"A sharp intelligence beneath the romantic sensibility makes the less convincing story elements almost forgivable..."

"The Giver of Stars is rip-roaring popular fiction, in which eyes meet furtively and bodies touch tremulously..."

"This novel is talky, smart, anarchic and quite sexy. You begin to linger on those three s’s when you speak the title aloud..."

"I adored this uplifting story about hope and love..."

"A warm-hearted witty debut about finding friendship where you least expect it..."

"an enjoyably overwrought exercise in dark melodrama...."

"Can she reconcile her past in this riveting read?..."

"a fascinating account..."

"funny and beautifully written..."

"An unmissable, multi-layered read..."

"Love and humour are found at the end of the road for a pair of elderly protagonists..."

"a harrowing and a bewitching adventure..."

"the pleasure of this novel is in the quirky characters, the effervescent writing and the comedy in just about every line..."

"enthralling..."

"The new Oxford poetry professor draws on The Odyssey in her skilful collection..."

"Where this volume breaks new ground in English is in conveying Brecht’s extraordinary poetic inventiveness...."

"Baroque rhyme glues the bric-a-brac together, making each poem more than the sum of its eclectic parts..."

"a rare collection of her lyrics, poems and paintings, handmade as a gift for friends by Joni herself more than 40 years ago..."

"[Miller] combines biting social satire with moments of tender beauty..."

"The US poet’s voice is searing, powerful and, even in hopelessness, beautiful..."

"[r]eading this book can feel like sliding into that sunken world..."

"Hilarious, heartbreaking diaspora tales..."

"like all great poetry – its story speaks urgently to the present..."

"Inspired by a spell in hospital, Hugo Williams confronts the body in crisis with irresistible style..."

"exactly Geoffrey Hill’s idea of poetry: a sad and angry consolation, alert to the past. ..."

"some brilliant, one shocking..."

"lyrical successes – and plenty of imaginative touches..."

"a collection rich in language and dark in tone..."

"Wry, clear-eyed and uncompromising..."

"It is among his greatest work...."

"The British poet’s technical dexterity and way of seeing the past afresh reap rich dividends..."

"laugh-out-loud funny [with] a feminist bite..."

"this edition is utterly remarkable..."

"The relationship between art and our beleaguered ecosystem fires the Australian poet’s new collection..."

" may seem a slight book at first, but – like a rock pool – look closely and you’ll find a whole world...."

"The surreal and fiery debut from a striking new voice..."

"captivating bundle of spectral vignettes and wry half-anecdotes..."

"subtlety and an intellectual curiosity..."

"poems of lasting power..."

"a finely written book, evocative and moving in its exploration of how we live now, without being maudlin or sentimental..."

"as a political document, offering reassurance and solace, it delivers superbly..."

"Beside its predictably fine dialogue, the book’s strengths include the Stephen King-like way humour is interwoven with horror and Koepp’s enthralling conjuring of the fungus, which becomes as vivid as its human co-leads..."

"Neal Stephenson’s sequel to Reamde sees reality augmented and humanity absorbed..."

"Ted Chiang's ingenious experiments lead readers back to the future..."

"a fictional mathematical discovery is placed in the past and its ripple effects are carried forward..."

"A dystopian thriller that wears its smartness on its sleeve..."

"Two environmentally dystopian visions of a flooded earth..."

"detailed depiction of scientists diligently going about their work..."

" a remarkably clever and engrossing first novel..."

"...what an absorbing read!..."

"a shorter book might have given this story so much more power...."

"action-packed, densely plotted read..."

"[W]hile one may judge that the novel as a whole doesn’t work, never becoming a complete and credible thing, it is rich in individual delight..."

"Although crammed with characters and detail, the intricately woven story never slackens its merciless grip ..."

"The New Girl is the 19th outing for the Israeli spymaster and is as enjoyable as ev..."

"a fascinating account..."

"I disliked this on first read, then was absolutely blown away..."

"Forty years of the Basque conflict, simplified..."

"the punch and intensity of the writing and the voice of Jessie are rather remarkable..."

"eerie, vulnerable, brave and captivating..."

"Jing-Jing Lee charts the ‘lost years’ of a Japanese military brothel survivor..."

"both beautifully written, a crisp, ice-cold immersion in the glory of the wilderness..."

"detailed depiction of scientists diligently going about their work..."

" a remarkably clever and engrossing first novel..."

"Sidebottom conjures up this landscape and its people brilliantly..."

"awesome, awe-inspiring space opera..."

"It’s something more than well crafted; it’s phenomenal...."

"Although crammed with characters and detail, the intricately woven story never slackens its merciless grip ..."

"the best one so far..."

"[a] devilish satire..."

"a genuinely new take on the Robin Hood tales..."

"A novel where special coffins are required to keep the dead from rising, and river gods vandalise jetskis could be irritating. But here the tricks pay off..."

"The eagerly awaited follow-up to her bestselling, magical 2011 debut The Night Circus, which was translated into 37 languages..."

"a richly picaresque adventure..."

"[a] striking account of growing up gay in Syria..."

"Fabulous elements are mixed with everyday life and references to Brexit in an intriguing mother-daughter story about origins..."

"reassert[ing] that black readers are as capable of having broad, varied, multifaceted interests as anyone else...."

"the narrative builds like a tidal wave ..."

"reading it can often be a bit of a slog, to be frank..."

"if you enjoyed JRR Tolkien’s The Silmarillion, you’ll like this...."

"Horrendously read-able, deliciously sickening and elegantly twisted, Joe Hill’s new collection of stories range from elegiac pulp to full-on horror...."

"Some readers might find [the authorial interjections] jarring; to others, it might feel like authorial over-sharing. In the end though, I think Logan pulls it off...."

"This novel is talky, smart, anarchic and quite sexy. You begin to linger on those three s’s when you speak the title aloud..."

"If you liked A Woman in Black, you'll love this utterly gripping and atmospheric book..."

"an enjoyably overwrought exercise in dark melodrama...."

"Innovative and unsettling debut novel..."

"A deeply unsettling tale, superbly told..."

"original and engrossing... brilliant..."

"Zombies hunt for living flesh in an Ireland destroyed by ‘the Emergency’ … but does this debut bring anything new to the dystopian genre?..."

"this book is an artefact in itself – a tactile, mysterious and seductive one..."

"Kristen Roupenian’s sharp, powerful and uncomfortable debut collection of stories..."

"her command of her material is scintillating..."

"There is no sign of second-album syndrome: the mix of grotty provincial realism and amateur cold-case sleuthing works just as well here...."

"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 masterpiece..."

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

"this flawless performance is captivating..."

"it certainly is a wild ride..."

"devilishly good..."

"a sweet romance that explores autism..."

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