Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews

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 […]

While there is typically nothing funny about murder, author Tom Kranz manages to draw out more than a few smiles in his new novel Budland. The protagonist and a professional smart aleck, Bud Remmick, finds himself in jail after killing his intolerable boss, and he doesn’t seem to regret the choice in the least. The novel skips back and forth between life behind bars and the life Bud left behind, giving readers a better picture of why a seemingly smart and driven man would throw his freedom away for a single act of reckoning.

Bud is a fascinating character […]