Set a century from now, Emmett’s bold, brainy, and provocative fiction debut explores urgent issues of truth, mis- and disinformation, and what it means to be human, all from the perspective of a winged, part-cyborg “Reverse Journalist” (or RJ) in the employment of the Mother Country, China. (One great pleasure of the novel: the geopolitics of the 2100s.) As an RJ, or “journalist of future prospects,” young Naomi—an Ameriguan from Michigania born with a hole in her heart and a reputed gift for prescience—is augmented and trained by the Chinese and Ameriguan Singing Directorate to take in and evaluate information from countless sources, in every language, plus “Aeolian vibes” and “both wisdom and warning from unidentified sources in Nature and the Divine.” Drawing from their “Logoharps,” RJs report “the truth of probable outcomes, scripting events to glorify and sustain the health of the Party and its constituents.”

Naively, Naomi seeks out this role out of what she describes as a desire to “be embraced in a Harmonious Society and warm bosom" to “help co-create what’s to come,” and to “create a positive outlook.” In idea-dense chapters that will thrill readers fascinated by the ethics of mass-media and journalism, Emmett charts Naomi’s youth, including her fractious marriage with a man who decamps for medical school in Beijing, and then her language training, her augmentations, and her early successes as an RJ, where she turns every problem her double-sized brain faces into a “a 22-sided origami resembling a crayfish.”

A plot eventually kicks in, involving a coverup, a Human Recycling program, orders to engineer the downfall of an “algorithmic imposter,” and a surprise from Naomi’s past. All of this is gratifyingly twisty, with conflicts extrapolated from our present with rare conceptual rigor, but the richness of imagination and moral inquiry take priority over narrative momentum. Still, readers of thoughtful SF will find revelations on every page. Emmett is a talent to watch.

Takeaway: Smart, startling SF debut exploring next century’s media and disinformation.

Comparable Titles: Malka Older; Seth Dickinson’s Exordia.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

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Harper’s debut delivers a compelling mix of mystery and dark comedy, as Paul, a depressed and self-involved 40 year-old actor just successful enough to have “met famous people,” finds his neighbor—the pompadoured dog-trainer he suspected his wife might be enjoying an affair with—dead in their upscale Brooklyn apartment building. Another discovery that jolts Paul from his lethargy: his wife, Laura, is missing. That makes him a suspect, of course, with a “deranged strangler” on the loose and no one to turn to for help but Alina, who works the building’s front desk when she’s not toiling away “on her chick-lit romance novel.” Fortunately, she’s savvy, eager for some excitement, and willing to help Paul, even if he hasn’t bothered to read her book yet and chides himself for not remembering whether she’s “Dominican or Puerto Rican or half of each or half of one”.

As Paul learns more and more about his apartment and its complex neighbors, he finds himself in a classic whodunnit. Harper’s writing is crisp, witty, and conversational, maintaining a brisk pace even as Paul can’t stop himself from musing about bagels or asking a detective for career advice. Amid the sharp dialogue and vivid descriptions, Paul often addresses readers directly—“Even if my grief was selfish, unfair, unearned, it didn’t matter”—in inner monologues and arguments that are a continual highlight. Despite his flaws, he proves easy to root for, as he pursues the case through lively twists and emotional gut-punches.

The crime is layered and engaging, but not overly complex, and despite the wit the suspense is consistent as Harper deftly blends mystery, satire, and Brooklyn character study, all with impeccable scenecraft. Harper stages surprises, revelations, gags, and bursts of self-discovery with equal aplomb. Even readers steeped in the genre will find the ending a dazzling surprise with real emotional resonance—and they’ll be heartened by the promise of a sequel.

Takeaway: Witty mystery expertly balancing suspense, emotion, and a Brooklyn murder.

Comparable Titles: Anthony Horowitz, Richard Osman

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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In his fiction debut, Miezejeski crafts an intriguing study of humanity's first contact with extraterrestrials. Inhabitants of the planet Cronin, searching for signs of life outside of their system for the last 3,000 years, first discovered radio waves emanating from Earth in 1945, launching them on an intergalactic mission to observe and record information about this newly discovered planet (a process emboldened by the internet, which allowed them easy access to “over 90 percent of the knowledge gained about Earth”). Now, on the cusp of a “major geological event,” the Cronin society—a species that bears resemblance to humans but is covered in bright feathers—have determined it’s time to make first contact with Earth’s people.

Miezejeski’s world is as factual as it is creative, as he draws parallels between Cronin’s search for intelligent life and Earth’s same quest, albeit with differing results. “It's highly unlikely that any two intelligent life forms have or will make contact with each other during their limited lifespan in terms of the age of the universe,” Neil, a scientist on Earth, declares to an audience of museum donors, during the span of time it takes Cronin commander Gus to contact him through email, offering his planet’s knowledge base to an Earth struggling with conflict, disease, and global warming.

Though he draws from real life initiatives and scientific programs, Miezejeski’s narrative gets bogged down at times with minor grammar errors and the somewhat flat interactions between the Cronin civilization and Earthlings. The bulk of the story revolves around how Cronin contacts Earth, and the concerns that arise on Earth in response, but Miezejeski’s truly alien extraterrestrial world—with days that are 33 hours long, limited seasonal weather variation, and an absence of social exploitation—is immersive. Miezejeski closes with a curveball ending that will delight sci-fi fans.

Takeaway: Thought-provoking story of extraterrestrial life’s first contact with Earth.

Comparable Titles: Arthur C. Clarke, Liu Cixin.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B

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This moving, challenging novel of a young gay man coming of age in the 1980s pulses with moments of connection and freedom, explored in prose that exults in its own liberation: “Thus time, tortoise and torturous, hale and hare. Rich in paradox, it travels. At a rate of 67,000 miles per hour. It catapults us with a flaming center.” The narrative explores the lives of gay men at the onset of the HIV pandemic in Ojo Caliente, a “neon mountain town” whose stretch of Colorado seems intent on “formaldehyding the past.” The narrator, meanwhile, is facing past and present in incandescent sentences, as he makes new friends, explores his sexuality with an array of men—from those not openly "out" to those with women at home—and contemplates relationships he’s left behind, all as he vows “to scramble, leave the state, go for good.”

The flaming center here is Mengay's blazing style, a stream-of-consciousness gush studded with killer details—“the two of us press flesh to flesh, causing me to frot the horn in rhythmic beats, the sound intensifying on this barren spit below I-70”—wells of deep feeling, and reams of sharp-elbowed, unpunctuated dialogue that, in the briskest passages, offers a reprieve from the prevailing density. Mengay (author of The Lede to our Undoing) demonstrates a mastery of rowdy voices, in chatter and letters, sometimes offering scenes in script form.

But Ojo’s power comes from Mengay’s attention to the senses in scenes of home building, road tripping, boisterous get-togethers, earthy trysts (“Lips and beard abrade my skin, peel me like a tangerine”), and taking the dancefloor at a gay bar that’s like a “studded–and-buckled Araby of the west.” Especially moving is Mengay’s stripping away at the cast’s protective layers, revealing men who are wild and carefree with the narrator yet not free to be so in their everyday lives. Readers who relish uncompromising fiction of substance and ambition will find this wild, wise, and nourishing.

Takeaway: Incandescently written novel of growing up queer in 1980s Colorado.

Comparable Titles: Ali Smith, Alan Hollinghurst.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

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Bolger’s debut immerses readers in the raw essence of urban life as seen through the lens of a vulnerable protagonist. The narrative skillfully navigates newly released convict Francis Doonan's journey from innocence to experience, capturing the complexities of adolescence with poignant clarity through the viewpoint of a man who has spent almost half of his life incarcerated. Doonan, now 32 after being imprisoned at age 18, spends his “first day of freedom” reminiscing about people from his past—and the shocking changes the world’s undergone since he was put away—while reflecting on his choices, in an unflinching portrayal of familial discord, substance abuse, and loneliness, all set against a vividly rendered New York City backdrop.

Bolger's prose is frank and evocative, pulling readers into Doonan's world with detail and dialogue that pulse with authenticity and richly drawn characters steeped in their place and era. Through Doonan's eyes, we witness his personal growth and the harsh realities that shape his worldview, in a world punctuated by brutal fights, drug running, and tender dreams amidst harrowing cruelty. Doonan, vigorously opposed to joining the gangs that run the streets of Hell’s Kitchen during his adolescence, turns down their offers while surrendering to his inner rage, reflecting during a drug-fueled bender, “Howie and I were sitting together in a far-off land where we could be or do anything we wanted. but were our pain and rage too much to allow us?”

More than anything, this is a compelling exploration of youth, resilience, and the pursuit of identity. Bolger's ability to blend poignant moments with gritty realism ensures the book’s emotional impact, and Doonan’s journey from flashbacks to freedom will hook readers from the onset—and leave them contemplative as he muses that learning to live again is “just another stoop to conquer.”

Takeaway: Unflinchingly honest portrayal of adolescence in urban America.

Comparable Titles: Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B

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In Friday’s lively debut, four trailblazing middle schoolers—Mattie, twins Nova and Rora, and Parker—find themselves facing off with military and government astrophysicists in a battle to save planet Earth. When Mattie and friends stumble into a terrifying battle between unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), complete with a near-death experience thanks to a Tiamaxus—a chilling alien weapon nicknamed the T-Max—they also encounter a blue-blooded warrioress named Zakara and her floating robot, Cache. When Zakara is mortally injured protecting the children, they’re forced to reprogram Cache to try to save her life, launching them into a deadly race against time.

Friday introduces readers to a fun, intelligent middle grade adventure with a satisfyingly diverse team of kids, all of whom are well-versed in coding, drone technology, and scientific research. Despite the story’s setup, the characters acknowledge their situation is unusual, making them a very down-to-earth group stuck with an out-of-this-world problem. Mattie emerges as a leader of sorts, but each member of the foursome contributes in their own right, whether it’s Nova’s robotics expertise, Rora’s social media know-how, or Parker’s drone skills. Adult readers will relish Friday’s emphasis on ingenuity and teamwork, as the group must collaborate with the government—while deciphering who they can actually trust—in order to save thousands of lives.

Most encouraging here is the variety of interests this diverse group holds, all largely centered on the field of science. The kids are bright, capable of such ingenuity as building robotic arms and devising a communication code to throw off the officials tracking their every move, and their resourcefulness secures them several big wins along the way. Middle grade readers will appreciate the thrills, too, as Friday delivers an exciting medley of daunting weapons, military drones, and death-defying chases, culminating in an ending that will appeal to sci-fi fans of all ages.

Takeaway: Ingenious group of middle schoolers face down an intergalactic threat.

Comparable Titles: B. Random’s Alienship, Matt Guzman’s Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon.

Production grades
Cover: C
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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Psychologist Morgan (author of Training the Time Sense) presents an idiosyncratic exploration of time and experience, juxtaposing critical events from his past eight decades with speculative predictions for the decades to come. Working from the assertion that“ Each moment is a statue in time, always rooted in that time and that place,” Morgan's playful, proudly idiosyncratic work blends personal memoir, forward-thinking imagination, and surprising historical reflection—Morgan ponders the possibility that Richard Rodgers was a synesthete and recounts a bumptious encounter between his mentor and friend Robert Lee Green, then serving in Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian Leadership Council, and Robert Kennedy.

Morgan delves into significant moments of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, examining how these events have influenced societal and individual psychology. His narrative is rich with striking personal anecdotes and professional observations: relish his encounter with a wag in the early 1960s who claims not to “see race,” or his dinner-party-ready tale of teaching the concept of identification reciprocity only to be interrupted by a student who inadvertently proves it. This keeps the historical sections informative and engaging—Morgan has no time for received wisdom or familiar pieties, though as he charts his nation’s tilt toward conservatism in the 2010s he does indulge in a page-length chicken-egg joke and some prankish play with ChatGPT.

That insistence on fresh thinking also shines in the speculative portion of the book. He envisions future scenarios with a psychologist's eye for behavior and detail, exploring how emerging technologies, environmental changes, and evolving social norms might impact human society. These predictions are grounded in current trends and scientific advancements, lending a sense of plausibility to his visions of the future. While Morgan's transitions between past and future can sometimes feel abrupt, and the book’s design and many illustrations tend toward the haphazard, he weaves eras and ideas into a thought-provoking narrative whole that challenges readers to consider the long-term impacts of present-day actions.

Takeaway: A psychologist’s insightful, surprising historical insights and future speculations.

Comparable Titles: Yuval Noah Harari, Ray Kurzweil

Production grades
Cover: C-
Design and typography: C-
Illustrations: C-
Editing: B
Marketing copy: C

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Sandoval (author of Roll Over, Big Toben) returns to children’s writing with this young adult coming-of-age novel following young runner, Eddie Santos, born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth. “All my life I’ve noticed that people, people I know, people I don’t know, seem to always have some secret among themselves that they don’t share with me” he writes; even so, Eddie’s father, who Eddie says “protected me and wanted to reshape me” constantly fights for him to overcome his disability and fit into the world around him.

Readers will be moved by Eddie’s first-person narration transporting them into his life, thoughts, and emotions as he processes his experiences and how they relate to the people around him. He is movingly honest, describing his father’s determination that he’s able to keep up with his peers in every way, played out in such scenes as Eddie being forced into a boxing ring at a local gym to learn how to defend himself against an experienced fighter. Despite those moments, and the misunderstandings that often pop up during his interactions with others, Eddie harbors a deep sense of the love surrounding him, echoing throughout that his family and friends just want him to “try my best.” When he’s placed in public school—and exposed to racist, ableist peers—he quickly finds comfort in the cross-country team, his school friends Jimmy and Sandra, and a mysterious character called El Indio, who lives nearby Eddie and regales him with stories of his Raramuri ancestors.

Middle grade readers will find Eddie’s straightforward self-exploration rich with emotional detail and candid observations. His curiosity and desire to find a safe, positive place in the world is infectious, and his message—that there is nothing more special than being loved for who you are—inspires as much as it comforts.

Takeaway: Moving story of a boy with cerebral palsy finding his voice.

Comparable Titles: Jamie Sumner’s Roll with It, R.J. Palacio’s Wonder.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B

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Richardson (author of River’s Reach) balances the life and times of Americans at home during the Second World War, from the perspective of 15-year-old Scott Johannsen. Though the war rages far away from his home near Ravenna Park, Seattle, it makes its presence felt through the blackouts, supply shortages, and Scott’s persistent worry about his Uncle Ted fighting in the United States Navy. To complicate matters, Scott’s father, Harlan—an air raid warden—is faced with a string of fires that someone is lighting during blackouts, prompting him to wonder “are we living among the enemy?”

Richardson’s clean, fresh prose draws the characters and events in deft strokes, starting with Scott, of course, but also pulling in his friend Burr, with his quirky love for dismantling devices and crafting unique contraptions out of them—an engaging, lovable addition to an already appealing cast. Scott’s other friends—James, who wants nothing more than to be the “big cheese” everywhere he goes, and Marty, “a bit of a flat tire who was usually a day late and a dollar short”—pitch in with tracking down the firebug, as does Scott’s draft-age older brother Erik and sister Greta. Readers will find Richardson’s domestic scenes—with a stereotypical strict father and more approachable, lenient mother—and the family gatherings around the radio, listening to their favorite shows and the news, both nostalgic and relatable.

Through a tense atmosphere of mystery and suspense, Richardson’s needle of suspicion rises, eventually pointing, successively, at two people who are emotionally close to the protagonist. The denouement also richly pays off the created suspense, and Richardson ties up the loose ends neatly. Perhaps most remarkable are the novel’s nuanced responses to the war, from heroic to pacifist, delivered in a non-judgmental and empathetic way, providing its intended young audience with a means of forming their own opinions.

Takeaway: Suspenseful WWII mystery rich with empathy.

Comparable Titles: Sherri L. Smith’s Flygirl, Cynthia Kadohata’s Weedflower.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: NA
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

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Olson, the founder of Family Promise—a nationally-recognized organization fighting for people experiencing homelessness—offers readers an uplifting debut memoir that encourages compassion and service for others. Though she recounts the creation of Family Promise, and shares positive stories of its impact, much of Olson’s writing centers on affirming why volunteerism is so deeply satisfying. There is a “profound personal healing that happens when we act on our innate kindness” she writes, and that compassion forms the framework of this inspiring memoir, as she shares the experiences of others in the hopes of raising awareness and “build[ing] a more caring society.”

Olson starts with her own story, of a heartbreaking childhood that spurred her empathy and kindness for the world around her, and later takes on the stigma that comes with experiencing homelessness—one of the driving reasons she founded Family Promise, as she notes the redemptive value in reaching out: “When we take the time to honor and dignify the humanity in others, notably the most vulnerable among us, our own humanity begins to shine like never before.” That concept—that every person, regardless of their circumstances, is a valued human being—radiates through the many narratives she shares from clients, and her urge to lend a helping hand will inspire readers to do the same in their own lives.

The straightforward message and universal positivity of Olson’s writing makes it easy to internalize, though somewhat repetitive, but there are several eye-opening moments throughout that resonate—particularly Olson’s story about the accident that led to her current disability. Olson’s work has been ongoing for decades, but the basic concepts here still apply to contemporary times, including her ideas listed at the book’s end on simple ways to help others. Olson closes with a list of volunteer organizations to help readers to take action.

Takeaway: Call-to-action on volunteering to help people experiencing homelessness.

Comparable Titles: Kevin F. Adler et al.’s When We Walk By, Tracy Kidder’s Rough Sleepers.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: NA
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

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Goodwin’s fiction debut is a charming slice-of-life romantic drama that centers on Molly Parsons, an idealistic but naïve and insecure young woman embarking on her first teaching job, in small-town Ohio, where she’s shocked to discover that her students struggle with literacy. While living at Bertie’s Place, a boarding house run by the kindhearted widow Bertie Evans, Molly becomes attracted to commitment shy Joe Stuart. Heartbreak looms with the return of Molly’s former friend, the alluring but malicious Eva Blake, who sets her sights on Joe. As Goodwin charts Molly’s progress, Bertie's Place explores love, faith, families, betrayal, obsession, and more, with an emphasis on local community and hope and forgiveness in the face of tragedy.

The vivid descriptions of Winslow’s small-town life, particularly its annual fair, give the story a warm, inviting atmosphere, as does Molly’s devotion to her students, whether she’s helping them with their literacy struggles or becoming involved in their troubled families. Likewise, Molly’s friendships with Bertie and the other Winslow residents prove uplifting. Relatably, Molly yearns for a happy marriage like her loving parents had, and her occasional conversations with God show her inner turmoil as she seeks guidance.

Tension comes from Joe’s possessiveness of Molly and Eva, including his jealousy when Molly pays attention to other men, while Molly must also face her own jealousy, especially as Eva is up to what Molly thinks of as “her own tricks." The story loses some momentum as it emphasizes school procedures, lesson planning, board of education meetings, and the canning of food. Goodwin demonstrates, though, the nourishing aspects of such community-minded work. It’s through such labor that Molly, who wishes early on for “the wisdom to help her students,” begins to flower, making a surprise connection with a man in her bible study group, and discovers how to help herself, too. The sweet ending will satisfy lovers of cozy, slice-of-life romances with Christian themes.

Takeaway: Small-town romantic slice-of-life of love, faith, and education.

Comparable Titles: Katie Powner, T.I. Lowe.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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In this world of adventure and mystery, readers follow the “creative, yet solemn” Richard Drake, a young boy from Cleveland, Ohio, whose extraordinary psychic abilities thrust him into a whirlwind of suspense and intrigue. When Richard predicts a chilling abduction days before it unfolds into a murder, he embarks on a quest for justice that leads him through a maze of allies, enemies, and dangerous cults vying for his powers. As he navigates this treacherous landscape, Richard discovers unsettling truths that hint at a darker mystery at play, leaving him with a life-altering decision: will he risk everything to expose the truth, or walk away while he still can?

Potter (author of Maladjusted) skillfully shows the depth of loneliness that Richard experiences in his childhood before developing his character into the powerful psychic that he becomes as the book progresses. As the young Richard “long[s] for some kind of validation or approval,” his “oneness with all creatures, great and small” creates miles of distance between himself and others. Richard’s lack of friends and antagonizing older brother leave him searching for a place to belong while he quietly fulfills his duties at home—unnoticed and unappreciated by his family—and keeps his visions, a bone of contention with his “fundamentalist” family, under wraps as much as possible. But, as his powers grow, the tension in his family escalates, driving him, as a young adult, to seek refuge, alongside “adventure and a warmer climate,” in Tampa.

Richard’s gripping voyage turns on high emotions and ever-changing perceptions, as Potter successfully blurs the line between reality and the supernatural, while never losing sight of the mystery elements genre fans will expect. Illustrations by Crazy Sánchez anchor the story’s tension and setting, and Richard is a worthy protagonist, facing imminent danger, lurking evil, and heart-pounding suspense. Readers will be caught up in his journey until the final shocking revelation.

Takeaway: Heartfelt story about a boy coming to age as a clairvoyant.

Comparable Titles: Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief, George D. Shuman’s Second Sight.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B+
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

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Dedicated to “those who work to make peace in the Middle East,” this warm, searching novella charts the experience of a young man, Isaac, and other recent American high-school graduates on a six-month tour of Israel. Their journey will find them at Masada at dawn, floating in the Dead Sea, beholding the full splendor of the night sky for the first time in their lives, working on kibbutzim, reeling at news of bombings, and growing into mature selves nourished by these experiences. Schulman’s cast, a thoughtful bunch, prove diverse in outlook, expectations, and their understandings of Jewish identity. Their spirited discussions—and inevitable crushes—drive an episodic narrative that will find them making choices that surprise themselves and each other.

The storytelling here blends the universal—young people seeking connection with each other, the world, and their culture and ancestors—with the particular concerns and challenges facing American Jews in Israel. Living for three weeks with a family in Jerusalem, Isaac concludes that Uri, a young Israeli soon headed into the IDF, thinks of him as “a child, spoiled with too many toys, like a car and a terror-free future.”

With touchingly open minds, the young people discuss the roots of Middle Eastern conflict, whether one can be Jewish without being religious (Isaac, who has not had a bar mitzvah, notes that when a Hitler targets Jews “you best run, escape, fight back” regardless “what your self-perception is”), how best they can contribute to the security of the nation, and so much more. Schulman (author of The Writer's Story) never settles for easy answers, and his young people find their own paths, through these colloquies and through life itself, with persuasive realism. A romantic subplot dominates the first chapter, as Isaac vows, tackily, “I must have her” while marveling at how comely Ahava’s face “relinquish[es] all need for makeup.” Their connection proves bittersweet and touchingly complex, though the novella proves more of a coming-of-age travelogue than a love story.

Takeaway: Thoughtful novel of teens’ touching self-discovery on a tour of Israel.

Comparable Titles: Leonard Saxe and Barry Chazan’s Ten Days of Birthright Israel, Haley Neil’s Once More with Chutzpah.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

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Downing and Waugh deliver another rollicking entry in the Flash Gang series, deepening the already rich current of lore with several instantly memorable new characters and an entertaining, rip-roaring mystery. In this second episode, after Exploding Experiment, heroes Lewis, Pearl, and the newly assembled Flash Gang fully unravel the treasonous Nazi plot that now grips the Depression-era streets of Pittsburgh. Streeters, or child urchins, are disappearing, Pearl’s magnanimous father is back in town (and not what he seems), and, in order to take down the villainous industrialist John J. Pickering, the gang must expand—and navigate the growing pains that come with that.

Treasonous Tycoon is a pleasure to read at sentence level, boasting moments where riding around with villains is like “sharing a back seat with a crocodile” and mobster Al Capone is the penultimate outlaw. The icing on the cake is the authors’ intricate plotting, with the friendship between Lewis and Pearl—sure to pull at young readers’ heartstrings—shining at the center of all the political machinations and alliterative pyrotechnics. Pearl is the “most loyal, very best friend [Lewis] could ever have,” and the introduction of new streeters like the silly Willow Willy and mysterious Greta Vogel offer a diverse array of models for courage and compassion.

The authors manage again to unspool complex ethical dilemmas that will fully engage readers’ critical thinking skills. From a steel workers’ revolt that highlights the need for fair labor conditions to the role of complacency in fostering fascism to disparities in wealth between young friends sowing inarticulable divisions, Treasonous Tycoon offers a rewarding intellectual puzzle perfect for middle grade audiences—but it’s also an escapist thrill ride, culminating in the series’ most action-packed sequence yet, a hair-raising fictionalization of the great Allegheny flood of 1936. Parents, teachers, and middle grade readers will be spellbound.

Takeaway: Thrilling sequel matches original’s swashbuckling adventure and intrigue.

Comparable Titles: Amy Trueblood’s Across a Broken Shore, Clare Vanderpool’s Moon Over Manifest.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Adventures of the Flash Gang: Episode Two: Treasonous Tycoon

In the sun-drenched city of downtown Miami, Joshua Logan, an alcoholic lawyer known for championing the underdog, sues a manufacturer for negligence after his client, George Benash, suffered horrific third-degree burns when he fell into a vat of boiling sulfuric acid. As the Benash trial unfolds, Joshua's Aunt Helen—a World War II concentration camp survivor—and her three friends seek his legal expertise when they become embroiled in a bitter dispute with a German real estate developer bent on evicting them from their dilapidated South Beach home to make way for a flashy redevelopment. "The poor people always pay the price for change," Joshua muses, galvanized by his desire to defend his aunt.

Through insightful flashbacks, Shabel delves into the intricacies of the four women’s wartime experiences—and their friendship formed in dire circumstances—in this eighth installment of his Crime Mysteries series (after God Knows No Heroes). Helen lost her husband and two sons in a German concentration camp after choosing to remain in Krakow rather than become a poor immigrant in New York; Rachel risked her life to help Jewish children escape; and Mary and Lilly also faced unthinkable violence and loss. When Helen encounters their present-day adversary who threatens their lives, she senses something more sinister about his identity, a suspicion that Joshua is determined to investigate.

While the Benash trial and the women’s pasts dominate the narrative, Shabel injects the story with an insider's perspective on the tension of courtroom drama and achieving a fair trial, highlighting the typical struggle for justice amidst a prejudiced judge and an unsympathetic defense attorney. Shabel’s revelatory insights into the gravity of war and his profound empathy for the survivors— "she knew that death would be so much kinder than remaining alive under these conditions"—compensate for the occasionally dragging plot, making this an engaging read for fans of historical fiction, crime, and mystery.

Takeaway: Alcoholic lawyer takes on a family case closely tied to WWII.

Comparable Titles: William Landay's Defending Jacob, Kate Quinn's The Alice Network.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A-

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This inviting, clarifying guide from Marsh has been crafted to demystify the litigation process for the many self-represented (or pro se) litigants initiating or facing civil cases. Noting that some 75 percent of civil cases in the U.S. include at least one pro se litigant, Marsh, a lawyer with almost three decades of practice, offers a step-by-step tour through the complex, interlocking processes of pleadings, discovery, trials, and more, illuminating pitfalls, opportunities, and best practices. Not that Marsh promises that this will be easy. Marsh acknowledges that there’s no replacement for a competent attorney but is persuasive about what the book can offer readers who find themselves in this position: hard-won insight into how to navigate the legal system and put up “a good fight.”

Representing one’s self, of course, demands mastery of not just the facts of the case and the applicable laws. As Marsh demonstrates, this also demands understanding the finer points of briefs, subpoenas, the rules of evidence; a host of Latin terms; the processes of discovery and jury selection; examination of witnesses; and much more. The surprise is how thoroughly Marsh covers these basics in clear language and with a strong sense of what’s actually achievable. From the three questions that a complaint must answer to what it costs to hire a process server to what to do with one’s hands while addressing a jury, Try Your Own Case is pragmatic and to-the-point, offering the advice that only someone with ample experiences could—who knew that, even after hashing them out, one challenge of jury instructions is how to organize them?

Packed with savvy pro-tips (make your social media accounts private; don’t burn through all your interrogatories; don’t give the jury reason to hate you), the text demonstrates twin truths throughout: this can be done, though the DIY approach is not the most ideal option. The book also will fascinate readers eager to understand the practicalities of litigation.

Takeaway: Clear-eyed guide to all facets of self-representation in civil cases.

Comparable Titles: Paul Bergman and Sara J. Berman’s Represent Yourself in Court, Carolyn Elefant’s Solo by Choice.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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