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Posts tagged with ‘A Minus Reviews’

SIREN QUEEN by Nghi Vo

July 21, 2022

HOLLYWOOD MAGIC AND ANCIENT MAGIC entwine in this gloriously original fantasy that combines legends from the early days of the movie industry with legends of terrible faery bargains. Complex takes on race, sexuality, and class as well! A MINUS

SIREN QUEEN
Tordotcom
2022

Grade: A MINUS

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SLEEPWALK by Dan Chaon

July 2, 2022

DRIFTING THROUGH A SLOW APOCALYPSE, an off-the-grid fixer and hitman finds connections he never knew he had—ones that put him in danger. Luminous Pynchonesque near-future thriller feels both wildly fantastic and deeply familiar. A MINUS

SLEEPWALK
Henry Holt and Co.
2022

Grade: A MINUS

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BRAKING DAY by Adam Oyebanji

June 30, 2022

STUNNING FAR-FUTURE SCIENCE FICTION thriller set on a generation ship approaching its destination after more than a century in space. Exciting plot is rich in action, and the world-building and characterization shine. A MINUS

BRAKING DAY
DAW
2022

Grade: A MINUS

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THE WALL by Sarah Jane Singer

June 27, 2022

A FRESHLY IMAGINED FAIRY TALE reworks many classic tropes—from the walled-in castle to the family curse to the heroine’s quest—in fascinating, inventive ways, and with a wealth of vivid descriptions. A MINUS

THE WALL
Sarah Singer
2022

Grade: A MINUS

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CONSTRUCTING A NERVOUS SYSTEM by Margo Jefferson

June 9, 2022

BRILLIANT, KALEIDOSCOPIC MEMOIR from absolute genius Margo Jefferson views her own life through the lens of popular and high culture, and re-examines cultural touchstones through deep dives into intersectionality and identity. A MINUS

CONSTRUCTING A NERVOUS SYSTEM
Pantheon
2022

Grade: A MINUS

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CITY ON FIRE by Don Winslow

May 19, 2022

SPECTACULAR CRIME THRILLER follows a 1980s Italian vs. Irish mob war in Providence. Tense, high-stakes action complemented by brilliant characterization and dead-on dialogue. Great beach read, if you can wait that long…. A MINUS

CITY ON FIRE
William Morrow
2022

Grade: A MINUS

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THE BOOK OF THE MOST PRECIOUS SUBSTANCE by Sara Gran

April 16, 2022

AN EROTIC EXISTENTIAL THRILLER about the hunt for a magical book of tremendous power, but also about loss and disappointment and passion and creativity and sumptuous meals. Sara Gran dazzles, as always. A MINUS

THE BOOK OF THE MOST PRECIOUS SUBSTANCE
Dreamland Books
2022

Grade: A MINUS

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ANCESTOR TROUBLE by Maud Newton

March 31, 2022

THE DAZZLING ENIGMA OF HEREDITY, and the many ways we try to grasp at it, from family stories to genealogy to genetic research. Maud Newton’s clear, engaging prose moves seamlessly between her own family tree and the broader questions. A MINUS

ANCESTOR TROUBLE
Random House
2022

Grade: A MINUS

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MOUTH TO MOUTH by Antoine Wilson

March 19, 2022

CHANCE ENCOUNTERS CHANGE LIVES in this spectacular novel. Bold combination of the psychological thriller and the comedy of manners offers exquisite satire of the big-money art world as well as fascinating characters. A MINUS

MOUTH TO MOUTH
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
2022

Grade: A MINUS

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THE ACCOMPLICE by Lisa Lutz

March 17, 2022

DEATHS AND A LONG FRIENDSHIP don’t usually mix well, but somehow Luna and Owen stayed close—until Owen’s wife is murdered. Magnificently twisty thriller with unforgettable characters. A MINUS

THE ACCOMPLICE
Ballantine Books
2022

Grade: A MINUS

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