Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews

A tenderly penned reflection on the broad spectrums of boys and men, The Buzz Boys by Edward Izzi explores quiet and forbidden trauma, and the unexpected bonds so many people form to survive.

In this generation-spanning exploration of hurt and healing, readers are carried along on a coming-of-age narrative of five devoted young men that stretches across decades. Though the author clearly states this to be a work of fiction, there are a multitude of intimate moments between characters, and expressions of raw emotion, that will feel profoundly visceral. Delving into triggering subjects like abandonment, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and […]

Workplace drama, emotional tragedy, and the winding roads of reconciliation abound in Book Endings: A Call Numbers Novel by Syntell Smith.

Following on the heels of this series’ first installment, readers once again find Robin Walker in the surprisingly dramatic muddle of mid-90s life in New York City. Despite the traditionally quiet atmosphere of a library, Robin’s world is packed with opinionated and argumentative peers who add color, conflict, and energy to this character-driven workplace drama. Managing the emotional exhaustion of his declining grandfather, navigating the patchwork alliances and fleeting loyalties among his colleagues, and even testing the waters of […]