“Bindi had cringed at the romantic expression—especially coming from her mother. She was no Bollywood movie heroine, but of course she wanted a say, and she couldn’t imagine marrying without at least the prospect of love.” The novel, Garnet, by Jennifer Severn, captures the tangled lives of a small town with a keen, sympathetic eye. What begins with a curious offer rattling an old roadside business soon widens into the quiet burdens a community carries. At times, the novel moves at an unhurried, lived-in pace, and the shifting storylines can feel a bit more sprawling than expected. Even still, there’s an honesty here that outweighs the occasional detour. Severn adeptly reveals how people weather disappointment while still plodding forward, providing an observant portrait of rural life.
“Here, being LGBTQ means living underground. You blend in, you laugh at the same homophobic jokes as everyone else, you nod along when people call queer people “sick” and “perverted,” and you keep your mouth shut so you can survive.” The short story collection, When Silence Shatters, by Mahitab Mahmoud, guides us through seven stories that remind us of the importance of autonomy, freedom of choice, and the need to advocate for the vulnerable in any society. While my strongest connection was to the LGBTQ+ narratives, Mahmoud’s use of expressive language and carefully crafted scenes captured each character’s ongoing struggle and frustration, conveying their sorrow while still leaving me hopeful that each would find satisfaction and well-earned triumph in pursuing their dreams.
“The demon is on him. His scream is cut short. His back arches in a spasm of pain and terror. The jester raises his hands to the sky, as if in a blasphemous prayer.” This quote sets the tone of the novel, He Lies on the Jester’s Cart, by M.D. Mare, as it pulls us into a world of unsettling truths. Following the mysterious death of Marzio Solimena, his grieving girlfriend refuses those who claim suicide and searches for her own truth, all while being chased by visions of a jester. In tandem, a police commissioner investigates the case from a different angle, and together their paths reveal something neither anticipated. He Lies on the Jester’s Cart provides readers with a blend of grief, mystery, and surreal dread.
“Dean’s sigh was longer, wearier. The exhalation of a man who’d seen too much and understood too little about what humans were capable of doing to each other.” The novel, Made in America: or The Tragedy of Bill Castle and Unexpected Absolution of Dean Willis, by Jack Chase, thrusts us into the darker recesses of New York City, as its protagonist, Billy Castle, struggles to climb out of his miserable circumstances, only to become lost in the muck of hasty acts that drastically better his financial livelihood while assailing his conscience. Chase brings us a fascinating antagonist in Archer Stone, whose astonishing conduct forces each character to confront his selfish machinations. Though Made in America occasionally becomes tangled within the metaphors of its environment, it offers a sharp exploration of resilience within a deteriorating world.
“He never thought one day, the things he sacrificed will be reduced to dust, and people will go on killing one another, filled with hatred and division. This is not the peace he had fought with blood and tears for. But nothing matters now.” The short story collection, Love, Anyways, by Thanh Dinh, takes readers through fourteen meaningful tales that remind us of the importance of care and connection that make us human, even when other parts of our lives may be falling apart. Especially moving are the LGBTQ+ stories that carry a disheartening sorrow yet still find meaning and purpose from heartbreak. Stories, such as “Is It True,” explore the unclear lines and often intermingling between love and cruelty, as Dinh confronts the darkness of fidelity, written with heartbreaking emotional precision.
“What they didn’t grasp—I finally did—was this: You can’t build a life by disowning the one you’ve already lived. No matter how flawed its beginning.” The novel, Lucky Me, by Greg Golebiewski, brings us his vulnerable narrative and its leading protagonist with the same moniker. Told through moments of displacement and longing for something greater, Lucky Me explores the obligations we tend to hold to those dear to us despite their progressively toxic, selfish, and self-destructive behaviors. Through the protagonist’s endeavors, we discover that life does not stagnate within a constant, straight line but jags, swirls, and never quite reveals its intent, no matter how long we attempt to build one solid foundation after another. Lucky Me reminds us that each of us has the power to change the course of our circumstances at any time and never needs to admit defeat.
“This is pure Cape Cod, he knows, the old Cape of incestuous relationships, the sweaty-close connections. Boy, he thinks suddenly, god I hope nothing’s happened to Boy?” The novel, The Winterpoor, by George Michelson Foy, draws us into the struggles of its protagonist, Murdo Peters, set in the backdrop of a more gritty and raw Cape Cod removed from those who know its tourist draw. In the midst of struggling in work and the ongoing burden in restoring his residence, he takes on the role of caretaker for a mentally challenged and neglected boy. As a literal and emotional intensive storm heads his way, Murdo must find the strength to protect the people he cares about and find his way forward. The Winterpoor offers an exploration of resilience amidst environmental decay and personal turmoil.
“The day I quit football, a week into my freshman year of high school, my dad’s disappointment took over any resemblance of a relationship we had and spread it as thin as a thread. I knew his fatherly love for me was unconditional, but I wasn’t the son he imagined having.” The novel, Go Easy on Me, by Bradley James, weaves within the emotional complexities of managing familial obligations and the need for personal independence. From the book’s first moments, the protagonist, Theo Branson’s, responsibilities to his father reveal the deeper, more tender relationship he has with his mother, a dutiful and inspirational parent. Suddenly finding himself the focal interest of two men’s affections, he attempts to balance obligations with his long-ignored need for romantic connection. Though a later revelation feels a bit uneven, Go Easy on Me is both touching and personal.
“So I will take the knife
To me—excise these doubts
These insecurities
And without you
But truly me—
Be well
And truly
Proud of me.”
The collection of poetry, Unmuted, by David Andrew Tittle, thrusts us through an array of feelings in finding our raw selves, as we experience the rise and fall of discovery in poems such as “Tribulation,” “Identity,” and “I.C.E.” Though not without its tender moments, action and inaction are reflected within the collection at a time in which both have their repercussions. Unmuted invites us to listen, feel, and come to terms with forthright truths.
“Yeah. That’s most of my day—at school, at home. Walking into rooms like I’m untouchable. As if I’m fearless and know exactly what I want. Like I’m choosing everything—when really, I’m just trying to stay one step ahead of feeling anything at all.” This quote captures the guarded, inner conflict at the heart of the novel, Boys Like Daniel: A Journey of Desire and Reckoning, by D.J. Ciccarello, as it explores the complications of its protagonist, Daniel, following a chance encounter with his first sexual awakening with another man four years prior. Suddenly, he yearns for what could have been, attempting to come to terms with the cascade of desires and regrets, as he confronts a flood of long-buried truths. Moving and intimate, Boys Like Daniel is ideal for readers who connect with introspective, character-focused narratives.