SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
The Orientation of Dylan Woodger by Chiuba Obele
An emotional work about experiencing amnesia and uncovering harsh personal truths, Chiuba Obele’s The Orientation of Dylan Woodger is a complicated debut novel that touches on difficult subjects.
The last memory Dylan Woodger has is from 2016, when he was heading to Hamilton College to begin his freshman year of undergrad. The next time Dylan wakes up, he’s being tortured – he’s been captured by the Utica mob, and he’s being accused of an enormous crime: taking $3 million from the head of the organization. A powerful drug has erased Dylan’s memory, and the year is now 2019.
The novel […]
A detailed recollection of the author’s formative journey in the Peace Corps, Awkward Stumbles and Fuzzy Memories: Memoir of a Peace Corps Volunteer by Kathy Ivchenko is a heartfelt and vividly told memoir of self-discovery.
An amateur sleuth uses her knowledge of crime novels to solve her friend’s murder in Michelle Corbier’s Murder Is Revealing, an engrossing mystery about shady business deals and dishonest scams.
Whimsical, relatable, and more than a little surreal, The Hotchkiss by Pierre Lawrence is an off-kilter but witty novella that examines the petty troubles of married life, and the dark fantasies that inevitably arise.
A short story about a young teenager befriending a girl with Down syndrome, Pierre Lawrence’s You’re Just Angie! captures the honest self-discovery and learning curves of childhood.
A twisting, near-future novel about freedom, destruction, and the existential struggle for survival, The Pystead Group by James Pryor is both a chilling and thought-provoking dystopian read.
A romantic sojourn of an eager-to-please lover finding his way in the world, Secondhand Emotions by Will Entrekin is a steamy but unusual tale of sex and psychology.