Review by New York Times Review
THE DEVILS OF CARDONA, by Matthew Carr. (Riverhead, $27.) Carr's enthralling and exciting fiction debut, set in late-16th-century Aragon, highlights the tensions between the region's Christians and its Muslim converts. GOOD AS GONE, by Amy Gentry. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $23.) In this first novel, the apparent reappearance of a kidnapped young woman after eight years raises questions about identity. ALL THE MISSING GIRLS, by Megan Miranda. (Simon & Schuster, $25.) A woman returns to her hometown in search of a friend who has disappeared in Miranda's intriguingly narrated thriller. UNDER THE HARROW, by Flynn Berry. (Penguin, paper, $16.) A woman seeks her sister's brutal murderer in Berry's compulsively readable novel of psychological suspense, narrated in a striking, original voice. YOU WILL KNOW ME, by Megan Abbott. (Little, Brown, $26.) Abbott's skillfully written murder mystery centers on an ambitious teenage gymnast and her family. THE DEATH OF REX NHONGO, by C.B. George. (Lee Boudreaux/Little, Brown, $26.) A gifted storyteller's first novel explores intricately intertwined lives in contemporary Zimbabwe. DANCING WITH THE TIGER, by Lili Wright. (Marian Wood/Putnam, $26.) A struggle to acquire Montezuma's death mask animates this energetic debut, a sprawling literary thriller. THE ANGEL: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel, by Uri Bar-Joseph. (Harper/HarperCollins, $29.99.) A trenchant account of the career of a master spy. MISSING, PRESUMED, by Susie Steiner. (Random House, $27.) Steiner's smart, stylish detective novel features a convincing ensemble cast. The full reviews of these and other recent books are on the web: nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [August 14, 2016]
Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Teen gymnastics prodigy Devon Knox has excelled despite a childhood lawn-mower accident that left her with a Frankenfoot, as her mom, Katie, our third-person narrator, regrets calling it. Devon thrives because of her intense drive and single-mindedness and because her parents have focused the family's entire existence around helping her succeed. Yet as Devon prepares for a second chance at Elite Qualifiers (she failed the first time when her ankle wobbled), her Olympic dream is in turmoil: a much-loved young man has been killed in a hit-and-run, beloved Coach T. loses focus when his niece is suspected, and, worst of all, Katie suspects her husband, Eric, is involved. Abbott has a knack for dissecting the dark, beating heart of the most all-American activity. Her Dare Me (2012) brought a Fight Club intensity to cheerleading, and here she captures ripped palms and the muscle-bound physiques that attract the cruel taunts of classmates. But this equally dazzling tale is set not in the teens' world but rather in the adult boosters' strange tribe, exploring the agony and urgency of their desire, the unknowability of others, and the burden of expectations laid on the gymnasts. It's vivid, troubling, and powerful and Abbott totally sticks the landing.--Graff, Keir Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ever since their teen daughter, Devon, hinted at a special talent for gymnastics, Katie and Eric Knox have spared nothing to get her whatever she needs to qualify for the Olympics. When the novel opens, Katie is beginning to wonder if they have given up too much. Her doubts increase when a family friend is killed by a hit-and-run driver in a car that seems similar to Eric's. Reader Fortgang catches every subtle mood shift of Katie's, from her delight at Devon's ability to her fear that events, real or imagined, will derail her daughter's progress. Eric usually sounds uptight and anxious, and when he and Katie are alone, a little furtive. Devon is brimming with entitlement, impatience, and intolerance. Her fellow gymnasts are humorless, snarky, soft-spoken or arrogant. All are almost as driven as their parents, for whom Olympic excellence is all that matters in their lives. A Little, Brown hardcover. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
This latest novel from Abbott (after The -Fever) centers on a young man's -hit-and-run death shortly before a major gymnastics competition, ripping apart that sport's close-knit community. Immersed in her life as an Olympic hopeful, 15-year-old Devon Knox is in a tailspin. Her mother, Katie, goes into protective mode and attempts to salvage her family from ugly rumors involving her husband and questions about the boy's tragic end. Trying to keep her daughter's dream alive at any cost, Katie is as much a focus of this story as Devon. In true Abbott style, nothing is predictable here; the plot consistently confounds expectations with its clever twists and turns. -VERDICT Admirers of -Patricia Highsmith, Laura Lippman, and Kimberly Pauley (Ask Me) are in for a treat. New readers have a backlist to explore! [See Prepub Alert, 1/26/16; see also profile of Abbott, p. 65.-Ed.]--Frances Thorsen, -Chronicles of Crime Bookshop, Victoria, BC © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Devon Knox, 15, is a brilliant gymnast and far more talented than the other girls training at BelStars gym. Her path to success could lead to the Olympics. Everyone knows it-all the other gymnasts, all the coaches, all the booster parents, and, most especially, Devon's parents. Her mother, Katie, dedicates her afternoons to sitting in the stands at BelStars, soaking up the envy of the other mothers as Devon flies over the vault. It's Katie who shows how secrets, betrayal, and murder can shatter the tight-knit group of girls and parents. At first, Katie seems like a well-balanced narrator, fair-minded in her attitude toward those with less amazing daughters, tenderly caring for Devon's little brother when he becomes ill. But readers notice that Katie seems to be missing some obvious signs of trouble. Katie discovers Devon, remote and self-contained by nature, in a cat fight with another girl in the locker room. Katie's husband, Eric, spends way too much time with Gwen, a wealthy booster mom. Even as the narrator increasingly suspects disturbing secrets, readers increasingly wonder how much to trust her. Abbott, who put a menacing spin on the world of cheerleading in Dare Me, amplifies the sense of danger implicit in high-stakes gymnastics, as well as the competition among the highly invested parents. Think Dance Moms, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. VERDICT Teens will get a hard-hitting look at competitive gymnastics, framed in a tale of gripping psychological suspense.-Diane Colson, Gainesville City College, FL © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
