Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews

In Buffalo ’99, Chris Stucchio has created a moody, hard-boiled world in which punk rock, cocaine, and sleeping around are a way of life.

Miles Sterling, the narrator, opens the story nonchalantly with his infidelity, setting the tone for the rest of the book. There is Vanessa, the caring and a little too attached girlfriend. And then Taylor, the rambunctious babe who flirts and knows how to use it.

The narrator has a way of speaking reminiscent of Philip Marlowe, but with more sex and less crime. The voice is powerfully visceral, constructing a narrator that you love to […]

Looking at humanity’s most pressing issues head-on can be overwhelming, but in Blowout, author Xingu Fawcett stares down the barrel of global crises, and forces readers to watch.

Some of the most complex problems humans face as a globalized society, and a species, are addressed through the story of three star-crossed lovers in Brazil. The sexual appetites of Fabiola, the inner turmoil of Camilla and the rippling-muscled man mixed between them would make for a great novel alone, but this exploration of sex, greed, and survival has far more interesting overtones.

The decadence of the social elite is explored […]

In a world where it feels as though money rules all, it can be difficult not to lose your way in pursuit of the Almighty Dollar. In To Be Had by Sava Buncic, readers are introduced to Boris, a man with a fierce work ethic and the dream of delivering a better life for his daughter than he experienced. However, dominated by the weight of money – or the lack thereof – he manages to alienate himself from his family. With nothing left to hold dear, he pours his efforts into acquiring wealth in whatever way he can – legal […]