Read our latest staff reviews and recommendations featured in the The Southern Bookseller Review.
The Female of the Species is a brutal and honest look at human nature, revenge, and rape culture. Through the perspectives of three different characters, McGinnis explores how there isn’t always a clear right or wrong in any given situation. Alex is a captivating and interesting character. She is full of depth and is well-balanced by the characters of Jack and Claire. All three characters were flawed, but that’s what made them feel real. The ending was heartbreaking, but it also felt like the only natural conclusion and the catalyst for everything that had been building up over the course of the novel. The Female of the Species is a quick read that will have you considering your own morality and just what you might be capable of.
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis, (List Price: $10.99, Katherine Tegen Books, 9780062320902, April 2022)
Reviewed by Emma Tara, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
Oh my god, this is just simply cute. If you know me in real life, you know that I am THE cat lady. So naturally, I love this book. The animations were SO cute; I loved the color palette, and, of course, the cats. It didn’t take me long after finishing this book to go hug all my cats because they are just so dang cute and I love them so much.
Cats Just Know by M.H. Clark, (List Price: $14.95, Compendium, 9781957891279, July 2024)
Reviewed by Stephanie St. John, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
It is hard to explain the exact mixture of nostalgia, joy, and melancholy this book wrung out of me in its short but powerful pages. It is hard to explain the feeling of being an athlete in memory, in learned movements and redirected passion, in stories and instincts and past-tense, but Georgia Cloepfil put into words what bangs around in my heart when I think of soccer. A lyrical and poignant tribute to the beautiful game and the people it turns into players, into teams, into champions, and eventually back into people. Like the game, the ticking clock of turning pages was leading me to an ending I wasn’t sure I wanted to reach yet. Give me one more minute, one more chapter in the environment of the game, in the feeling. But the clock winds down.
The Striker and the Clock by Georgia Cloepfil, (List Price: $27, Riverhead Books, 9780593714881, July 2024)
Reviewed by Morgan Holub, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
In Time perfectly describes the different ways the passage of time is experienced: From the young — slow and never moving; From the old — fast and never enough. The illustrations will have you looking over each page again and again before turning to the next. By the end, you’ll be reminded what it felt like to view time as a child, but ultimately, you’ll be left with the understanding of why time takes time.
In Time by Marina Ruiz, (List Price: $18.99, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 9780711285200, July 2024)
Reviewed by Jenny Gilroy, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
Absolutely adored this book!I could relate so much to the main character and how friends grow apart but since you don’t know what you want to do with life, they end up growing away from you. Thank god for the happy ending though. I loved the art style and am so excited to see it when it\’s published in full color.I really felt like I was a part of the group while reading the book, and honestly, was quite sad when it ended. To be honest, when I finished it I just had to sit there and adjust to being back in real life, I was glued the entire time. 10/10 must read
Ready or Not by Andi Porretta, (List Price: $14.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781665907026, July 2024)
Reviewed by Stephanie St. John, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
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