Magical realism

Book SynopsisIn the early 1900s Easter lives with her Aunt Brenda, her cousins Evelyn and Basil, and their Great-Aunt Dicksie in an imposing country house, Puppetstown, which casts a spell over their childhood. Here they spend carefree days taunting the peacocks in Aunt Dicksie's garden, shooting snipe and woodcock, hunting, and playing with Patsy, the boot boy. But the house and its inhabitants are not immune to the 'little, bitter, forgotten war in Ireland' and when it finally touches their lives all flee to England. All except Aunt Dicksie who refuses to surrender Puppetstown's magic. She stays on with Patsy, living in a corner of the deserted house while in England the cousins are groomed for Society. But for two of them those wild, lost Puppetstown years cannot be forgotten.Trade ReviewShe was . . . marvellous * Guardian *I admired many authors. But Molly, I loved -- Diana AthillKeane's distinctive blend of elegant savagery and deep affection . . . its human relationships tortured like bonsai by good form, its open-hearted, sensual passion for horses, dogs and landscape * Evening Standard *A writer of genius * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisThe fourteen fantastical stories in Magic For Unlucky Girls take the familiar tropes of fairytales and twist them into new and surprising shapes. These unlucky girls, struggling against a society that all too often oppresses them, are forced to navigate strange worlds as they try to survive. From carnivorous husbands to a bath of lemons to whirling basements that drive people mad, these stories are about the demons that lurk in the corners and the women who refuse to submit to them, instead fighting back—sometimes with their wit, sometimes with their beauty, and sometimes with shotguns in the dead of night.Trade Review"[ Magic for Unlucky Girls ] is that rarest of things: A book that doesn't remind me of anything else I've read ... A wonderful, truly original work." -- Emily St. John Mandel, author, Station Eleven" Magic For Unlucky Girls is a bold debut from a bold author, and make no mistake -- these are stories that matter, and that will stick with you long after you've read them." -- William Jablonsky, author, The Indestructible Man: Stories and The Clockwork Man"You'll find familiar fairytale tropes here, but Balaskovits shatters these familiar mirrors and finds fresh, original stories in the sinister shards." -- Tara Laskowski, author, Bystanders and Modern Manners for Your Inner Demons"Readers looking for something askew from any fantasy they've read before will want to get to know the unlucky but determined girls of Balaskovits's stories." -- Publishers Weekly"The stories in Magic for Unlucky Girls combine the magical with contemporary realism, rendering an aesthetic I've not quite seen but couldn't get enough of. Balaskovits has an in-depth eye for detail, creates her own folklores, and possesses a dry wit that adds a welcome attitude to her fables." -- Michael Czyzniejewski, story366blog.wordpress.com"Balaskovits's anthology breathes fresh life into classic fairy tales. Readers who enjoy short fiction with a fantastical bent should pick up this award-winning book." -- Library Journal"Balaskovits' stories are spectacularly entertaining and artfully executed." -- Ashley Miller, Atticus Review"Balaskovits creates her own mythology that transcends time and upends traditional ideas about helpless damsels and men-as-beasts." -- Jen Michalski, washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com

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Book SynopsisIn a magical city seen only at twilight, resentful second son Matteo unlocks secrets which could cause his world’s star to set. For fans of Neil Gaiman and Paulo Coelho comes “a haunting lyrical fantasy dealing with love, loss, and political turmoil.” (Publisher’s Weekly) In Panduri, an enchanted city seen only at twilight, everyone's path is mapped, everyone's destiny decided, their lives charted at birth and steered by an unwavering star. Everyone has his place, and Matteo, second son of Panduri's duca, is eager to take up his as Legendary Protector—at the border and out from under his father's domineering thumb. Then Matteo's older brother pulls rank and heads to the border in his stead, leaving Panduri's orbit in a spiral and Matteo's course on a skid. Forced to follow an unexpected path, resentful and raw, Matteo is determined to rise, to pursue the one future Panduri's star can never chart: a life of his own.Trade Review"There’s a lot to like about Tarquini’s Italian-inflected fantasy story, starting with her often lyrical prose." —Kirkus Reviews “Tarquini spins a haunting, lyrical fantasy dealing with love, loss, and political turmoil . . . Patient readers will be rewarded by the mysteries at the heart of these brothers’ struggles, which slowly unfold until the last page.” —Publishers Weekly "Deepest Blue is a paean to the indelible journey of life, from expectation and station to our destinies and hopes. Braiding myth and fairy tale into melodic prose that borders on poetry, Tarquini gives us a story of yesterday, today, and, most importantly, tomorrow. The world of Panduri’s characters are deftly drawn, their discordant desires juxtaposed with a world seemingly in demand of harmonic balance. The author carefully conducts her brilliant third novel with her signature deft humor and wry insight. Through deep grief and even deeper love, Tarquini brings readers a new symphony of our stars: hope, light, life, and dreams." —Camille Griep, author of Letters to Zell and New Charity Blues "Mindy Tarquini, weaver of magical stories and poetic prose, has spun a riveting tale of royal brothers whose lives churn with conflict and rock with the consequences of word and deed. Deepest Blue sets an undaunted gaze upon the mysterious city of Panduri, and into the family dynamics that manage to keep love afloat even when all seems lost." —Jan Von Schleh, author of But Not Forever "This is an engaging story that moves at a blistering pace . . . a powerful tale that takes us to a mythical place where magic and the simple and purest joys in life are prized above all else . . . If you haven't read a book by Tarquini before then I can only encourage you to sit down and strap yourself in for the ride with faith." —Sandra Ruttan, author of The Spying Moon and What Burns Within

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Book SynopsisThy Father’s Glass explores the complexity of familial relationships and offers hope that, in the end, acceptance and forgiveness are possible.Dane Schottmer remembers his father, Branson, as hard, mean, and distant. He promised himself and his wife that he would never turn out like his old man. Still, for years, he held on to the hope for reconciliation, or at least an apology for all the abuse he suffered as a child. Those hopes are ruined when Alzheimer’s disease ravages his father’s memory and robs him of his personality, rapidly closing the window of opportunity for the two men to make peace. Even worse, when Dane’s beloved mother dies, Dane is forced to move into his childhood home and care for the father who never cared for him. As grief and stress consume Dane, his mental health and his marriage suffer—until the home his family has occupied for generations intervenes in a supernatural way. Persistently and provocatively, it invites Dane to see his father for who he really is and to show Dane that he’s more like the old man than he wants to admit.

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Book SynopsisVengeful and despairing, our protagonist discusses countermeasures with his secret crush, the reliably blunt Akashi, when Tamura, a strange young man with a bad haircut, appears.Tamura claims to be a time traveler from 25 years in the future, and shows off the time machine he uses to travel.Trade Review“While readers of the original Japanese endured 16 years of waiting, anglophone audiences got lucky with a mere year in between Morimi's novels; gratitude for both translations goes to Balistrieri, who deftly channels the frenetic fun.” — Booklist

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Book SynopsisThis "sweeping intergenerational saga" tells the story of a pampered and defiant South Korean matriarch thrust into the afterlife from which she seeks a second chance to make amends (Kirstin Chen)-and fights off a tragic curse that could devastate generations to come.

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Book SynopsisNAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORKERLONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE?If you read one debut novel in 2022, this should be it.? ?Los Angeles TimesIn the bustling streets and cloistered homes of Lagos, a cast of vivid characters?some haunted, some defiant?navigate danger, demons, and love in a quest to lead true lives. As in Nigeria, vagabonds are those whose existence is literally outlawed: the queer, the poor, the displaced, the footloose and rogue spirits. They are those who inhabit transientspaces, who make their paths and move invisibly, who embrace apparitions, old vengeances and alternative realities.Eloghosa Osunde''s brave, fiercely inventive novel traces a wild array of characters for whom life itself is a form of resistance: a driver for a debauched politician with the power to command life and death; a legendary fashion designer who gives birth to a grown daughter; a lesbian couple whose tender relationship sheds unexpected light on their experience with underground sex work; a wife and mother who attends a secret spiritual gathering that shifts her world. As their lives intertwine?in bustling markets and underground clubs, churches and hotel rooms?vagabonds are seized and challenged by spirits who command the city''s dark energy. Whether running from danger, meeting with secret lovers, finding their identities, or vanquishing theirshadowselves, Osunde''s characters confront and support one another, before converging for the once-in-a-lifetime gathering that gives the book its unexpectedly joyous conclusion. Blending unvarnished realism with myth and fantasy, Vagabonds! is a vital work of imagination that takes us deep inside the hearts, minds, and bodies of a people in duress?and in triumph.

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Book Synopsis''I am truly dazzled'' TRACY CHEVALIER''A rich tapestry of African mythology and magic'' CHERIE JONES''Bursting with magic, bright and visceral'' JENNIFER SAINT''One of the brightest stars in the literary world'' KIRSTY LOGAN''A feast of shimmering, beautiful prose'' CHIKA UNIGWESoon you will become the thing all other beasts fear.Treasure and her mother lost everything when Treasure''s daddy died. Haggling for scraps in the market, Treasure meets a spirit who promises to bring her father back - but she has to do something for him first. Ozoemena has an itch in the middle of her back that can''t be scratched. An itch that speaks to her patrilineal destiny, to defend her people by becoming a leopard. Her father impressed upon her what an honour this was before he vanished, but it''s one she couldn''t want less. But as the two girls reckon with their burgeoniTrade ReviewI am truly dazzled. Emelumadu has revealed surprising layers of our world and given me the eyes to see them. -- Tracy Chevalier, author of GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING and A SINGLE THREADAn otherworldly vision of Nigeria . . . lit up by wisecracks, folk wisdom, the idiosyncrasies of boarding-school life, and those quirky turns of phrase Nigerians have given to the rest of humanity. * Guardian *Rich in Nigerian mythology and treading into the sphere of magical realism, Dazzling is a deeply immersive, feminist read about heritage, girlhood, and justice. With a strong narrative and vivid prose, this new release is sure to keep you entranced from start to finish. * Bookstr *On starting Chikodili Emelumadu's Dazzling, I was immediately impressed by her virtuosic facility with language and fierce imagination. Enchanted by both Ozoemena and Treasure, I wondered how their parallel stories would come together. As the novel progressed, I became increasingly intrigued with its magical realism and folklore. The storylines converge in an unexpected, explosive, and deeply satisfying conclusion that had me turning right back to the beginning to appreciate all that I missed the first time round. Bravo! I envy other readers their first and subsequent reads. -- Melissa Fu, author of PEACH BLOSSOM SPRINGDazzling is a feast of shimmering , beautiful prose. Dark and humorous in places, it is an incessantly pleasurable read. Emelumadu has gifted us a thing of beauty. -- Chika Unigwe, author of ON BLACK SISTER STREET and NIGHT DANCERI struggled to come up with a line that captures the magic within. Emelumadu's singular debut is uncanny and affecting in equal measure. -- T. L. Huchu, author THE HAIRDRESSER OF HARARE and THE LIBRARY OF THE DEADA vibrant, immersive read that takes the reader on a dizzying journey through Nigerian mythology - Emelumadu does what I love best in this novel: she lays bare human weaknesses and celebrates female strength; she builds a world bursting with magic, bright and visceral; she has created two immensely memorable protagonists and woven a story that will linger in my mind for a long time. -- Jennifer Saint, author of ARIADNE, ELEKTRA and ATALANTAChikodili Emelumadu has written one hell of a book. Dazzling is bold, funny, louche, smart, shocking and very, very addictive. It seizes you by the scruff of the neck & plunges you into a world packed with juicy characters, macabre magic and plotting to die for. I loved it. -- Meg Clothier, author of THE BOOK OF EVEThis book is a masterful storm. The voices are so precise and clear they cut you. Reading through the pages took me deep into the dappled world of Ozoemena and her leopard, and I will never be able to leave. -- Doreen Cunningham, author of SOUNDINGSDazzling is an erudite, original and beautifully written first novel. Chikodili Emelumadu is a writer to watch. -- Christie Watson, author of THE COURAGE TO CARE: A Call for CompassionEmelumadu's novel is a magnificent coming of age story, empathetic in its exploration of character and culture within a rich tapestry of African mythology and magic. -- Cheries jones, author of HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSEI've just turned the final page of Dazzling and my heart is still thumping. This is an absolute tour de force: rich and tender, tinged with fire. The characters are alive, every page is pulsing with magic, and it has a python-like plot, so coiled and clever. Prepare to be moved and gripped and utterly invested in the story of Treasure and Ozoemena. I'm desperate to see what Chikodili Emelumadu writes next... -- Alex Hay, author of THE HOUSEKEEPERSThis book deserves its title; an extraordinary debut packed with supernatural wonders, human emotion and fiercely drawn, visceral characters. . . Gripping, otherworldly and unforgettable, this excellent novel means Emelumadu is definitely one to watch. * Cambridge Edition *An incredible debut novel about two girls on the cusp of womanhood in Nigeria. . . Vivid, compelling and original. * Big Issue *Chikodili Emelumadu is one of the brightest stars in the literary world right now. I loved Dazzling and can't wait to see her continue to ascend. -- Kirsty Logan, author of NOW SHE IS WITCHEvocative and a little mysterious, this literary fantasy is immersive and full of Nigerian mythology. Recommend this lustrous coming-of-age story to those who like to read across genres. * Library Journal *I was bewitched... I would not have guessed this was first novel; Emelumadu seems to have writing naturally in the blood -- Tracy Chevalier, author of THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING

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Book SynopsisAs featured on The Kelly Clarkson ShowThere's something magical about Yarrow, Kentucky. The three empathic witches of the Haywood family are known for their shadow garden-from strawberries that taste like chocolate to cherry tomatoes imbued with the flavors of basil and oregano. Their magic can cure any heartache, and the fruits of their garden bring a special quality to the local bourbon distillery. On one day every year, a shot of Bonner bourbon will make your worst memory disappear. But the Haywoods will never forget the Bonners' bitter betrayal.Twenty years ago, the town gave up more than one memory; they forgot an entire summer. One person died. One person disappeared. And no one has any recollection of either.As events from that fateful summer start to come to light, there must be a reckoning between the rival Haywood and Bonner families. But untangling the deep roots of this town's terrible secrets will expose more than they could ever imagine about love, treachery, and the true nature of their power.

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Book SynopsisINTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER! A Studio Ghibli-esque work of Japanese translation “that lays bare the anxieties and desperation—and the small triumphs—of adolescence” (Locus), for fans of Mieko Kawakami’s Heaven.Seven students find unusual common ground in this warm, puzzle-like Japanese bestseller laced with gentle fantasy and compassionate insight.Bullied to the point of dropping out of school, Kokoro’s days blur together as she hides in her bedroom, unable to face her family or friends. As she spirals into despair, her mirror begins to shine; with a touch, Kokoro is pulled from her lonely life into a resplendent, bizarre fairytale castle guarded by a strange girl in a wolf mask. Six other students have been brought to the castle, and soon this marvelous refuge becomes their playground. The castle has a hidden room that can grant a single wish, but there are rules to be followed, and breaking them will have dire consequences. As Kokoro and her new acquaintances spend more time in their new sanctuary, they begin to unlock the castle’s secrets and, tentatively, each other’s. Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a mesmerizing, heart-warming novel about the unexpected rewards of embracing human connection.Trade Review★ “This sweet, kindhearted, and deeply sympathetic magical realist novel about middle school dropouts pulling each other back from the brink will resonate with readers of all ages.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review“[A] moving psychological journey . . . blazingly honest . . . Tsujimura is a master at projecting these young anxieties onto the page, offering hints and shadows and silhouettes of what the world might be like once we finally grow up, and how difficult it is to take that first step.” —Tor.com“A gorgeous, wrenching fantasy that lays bare the anxieties and desperation – as well as small triumphs – of adolescence.” —Locus“In a world where there is so much untruth, so much altered reality, so many superficial existences forming even more superficial relationships, this book turns back the clock and reminds us of what is real, and what truly matters: compassion and kindness, the strength in our bonds, and how we can find those right beside us.” —The Yorkshire Times“A moving, reflective and surprising novel . . . Anyone who has ever struggled with feeling isolated, had difficulties at school, or had mental health struggles, will find this novel to be a cleansing balm.” —Culturefly“[A] respectful, moving novel about teenage bullying in the Tokyo suburbs . . . Tsujimura shows how easily misunderstandings and miscommunications can escalate, and treats everyone—even the bullies—with nuance.” —The Japan Times“An innovative and tender blend of social commentary and magical realism.” —The Japan Society Review “Genuinely affecting . . . a story about collaboration, empathy and sharing truths, a modern, all-ages fairy tale that should appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman and Studio Ghibli animations.” —The Financial Times“Hopeful and heartbreakingly sweet without ever being saccharine, this character-focused tale of finding unexpected community unfolds remarkably gently, eschewing a typical Western plot structure. Readers will leave with their faith in humanity restored.” —Publishers Weekly’s “Best Books of 2022”“Part Miyazaki fairytale, part teen romance, it’s strange and beautiful – imagine the offspring of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and The Virgin Suicides.” —The Guardian

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Book SynopsisNamed a Best Book of 2023 by The New York Times ("incandescent...hilarious...a triumph"), Oprah Daily ("surreal, absurd, lucid, and wise"), Vanity Fair ("Broder [is] a genius and a sorceress"), and more! From the visionary author of Milk Fed and The Pisces, a darkly funny novel about grief and a “magical tale of survival” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).In Melissa Broder’s astonishingly profound new novel, a woman arrives alone at a Best Western seeking respite from an emptiness that plagues her. She has fled to the California high desert to escape a cloud of sorrow—for both her father in the ICU and a husband whose illness is worsening. What the motel provides, however, is not peace but a path discovered on a nearby hike. Out along the sun-scorched trail, the narrator encounters a towering cactus whose size and shape mean it should not exist in California. Yet the cactus is there, with a gash through its side that beckons like a familiar door. So she enters it. What awaits her inside this mystical succulent sets her on a journey at once desolate and rich, hilarious, and poignant. Death Valley is Melissa Broder at her most imaginative, most universal, and finest, and is “a journey unlike any you’ve read before” (Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of Friday Black).

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Book SynopsisPamela Colman Smith, newly arrived from New York to her birthplace of London, is received as an oddball in Victorian society. Her second sight helps her in her new job: illustrating tarot cards for the Golden Dawn, a newly formed occult group. But when Pamela refuses to share her creations with Aleister Crowley, a controversial magician, he issues a threat: give up the cards’ power, or he’ll harm her muses.In the midst of this battle, two of Pamela’s idols, the actors Henry Irving and William Terriss, take her under their wing. Henry, who tutors her as the leader of the Lyceum Theatre, becomes the muse for her Magician card. William Terriss, teaching her by examples of instinct and courage, becomes the muse for her Fool card. As Pamela begins to create the tarot deck, she is almost overwhelmed by the race to possess the magical power of her cards. In order to defeat Aleister, Henry and William will have to transform into living incarnations of the Magician and the Fool—and Pamela will have to learn how to conjure her own magic.Trade Review“Rich and atmospheric; Wands dazzles with the wealth of research she’s woven into the fabric of the novel, using her own creative magic to bring some of our most bewitching historical figures back to life.”—Kira Jane Buxton, author of Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures“Magician and Fool is an enchanting read that whisks you to a time in London when life is steeped in a cutting-edge exploration of magic and the otherworldly. It is a world I loved spending time in from the beginning to the end.”—Naomi McDougall Jones, author of The Wrong Kind of Woman: Inside Our Revolution to Dismantle the Gods of Hollywood“A heady historical brew brimming with mysterious manuscripts, secret societies, and the story of a young girl whose creation of a powerful deck of tarot cards might change magic forever. Atmospheric and original.”—Thea Sutton, author of The Women of Blackmouth Street“Richly detailed and fluidly written, Magician and Fool brings to life the little-known story of artist and occultist Pamela Colman Smith. With a starry supporting cast from the theater, literature, and the dark arts, Wands has conjured a captivating tale with an intriguing woman at its spell-bending center.”—Patricia Morrisroe, author of The Woman in the Moonlight“Wands weaves a thrilling and sometimes chilling tale that explores the predictive powers of the imagery found on tarot cards, connecting symbolism and legend through unique characters and extraordinary events.”—Lisa J. Yarde, author of the Order of the Dragon and Sultana series“Susan Wands’ Magician and Fool tells the intriguing and little-known story of Pamela Colman Smith, creator of one of the most famous Tarot decks in history. With meticulously researched period detail, Wands brings nineteenth-century London to life. From the secret chambers of the Golden Dawn society to private screenings of ancient Egyptian texts and artifacts, Wands takes the reader on a journey through not only history, but also the compelling beauty and danger of the dark arts.”—Melodie Winawer, author of Anticipation and The Scribe of Siena“Magician and Fool is a spell-binding story that combines history and fiction—author Susan Wands presents an enchanting picture of intriguing historical figures. This book will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in a glimpse into the Victorian theater and the mysterious occult group known as the Golden Dawn. I can't wait for the second book in the series.”—Sharonah Rapseik, host of the podcast Magic Universe with Sharonah“The life of British artist and empath Pamela Coleman Smith is a revelation in Susan Wands’s engrossing novel. Readers will plunge into a richly atmospheric London filled with magic and delicious secrets and populated by real-life figures such as Aleister Crowley, Henry Irving, and Ellen Terry. A fascinating journey.”—Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Blue

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Book SynopsisWelcome to Cross River, Maryland. Established by the leaders of the country's only successful slave revolt, history casts a long shadow over its residents. Among them are David Sherman, a struggling musician who just happens to be the last son of God; Jim, a Robot Personal Helper desperate to escape the master who enslaves him; and James-my-man, who travels the path of the Underground Railroad year after year.Not to forget the water women who lure men to their watery graves and the screecher birds who cry out for sacrificial flesh... PRAISE FOR THE WORLD DOESN'T REQUIRE YOU: 'I wandered into Cross River, not knowing a damn thing. Now I'm shuddering, gasping in wonder, reading stories over and over, and doing just about anything so that I never leave' MARLON JAMES 'A musical and visceral explosion. The book makes you laugh even as it stabs. The truth told in a completely new way' NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH 'Flat-out unputdownable' LAURA VAN DEN BERG 'Rion Amilcar Scott doesn't hold back or tiptoe around issues about race. He's the most courageous writer I know; and this collection is an excellent example and significant achievement. He's now made his mark as a force to reckon with' NICOLE DENNIS-BENN 'Surreal, intertextual, and darkly comical... With breathtaking cruelty and devastating humor, Scott adduces the whole world in one community' NAFISSA THOMPSON-SPIRESTrade ReviewRion Amilcar Scott proves himself an impressive myth-slayer and fable-maker... The World Doesn't Require You reminds us that having to fight racism has a strange way of distorting everything one touches' * New York Times Book Review *A rich, genre-splicing mix of alternate history, magical realism and satire that interrogates issues of race, sexism and where both meet here in the real world * Los Angeles Times *Bizarre, tender and brilliantly imagined, The World Doesn't Require You isn't just one of the most inventive books of the year, it's also one of the best * NPR *A bleak and beautiful collection of short stories... Scott demonstrates the skill and long-range vision of a writer we need right now. The World Doesn't Require You requires a commitment from readers, one that will be greatly repaid in literary satisfaction' * USA TODAY *Surreal, intertextual, and darkly comical stories... Rion Amilcar Scott writes in the tradition of George Schuyler and Ishmael Reed but with a distinctive wry, playful voice that is wholly his own. With breathtaking cruelty and devastating humor, Scott adduces the whole world in one community' -- Nafissa Thompson-Spires, author of Heads of the Colored PeopleI wandered into Cross River, not knowing a damn thing. Now I'm shuddering, gasping in wonder, reading stories over and over, and doing just about anything so that I never leave -- Marlon James, Booker Prize-winning author of A History of Seven KillingsA musical and visceral explosion. The book makes you laugh even as it stabs. The truth told in a completely new way -- Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of Friday BlackA bold new talent emerges with this boundary-shattering collection * Esquire *Scott joins a growing tradition of African-American authors fusing the folksy dystopian humor of George Saunders with the charged satire of Ishmael Reed and expands on it brilliantly * New York magazine. *God may have forsaken [these characters], Scott does not. The World Doesn't Require You is full of horrible, ridiculous people, but it's full of grace, too * A.V. Club. *A major unique literary talent * Entertainment Weekly *Flat-out unputdownable -- Laura van den Berg, author of The Third HotelRion Amilcar Scott doesn't hold back or tiptoe around issues about race. He's the most courageous writer I know; and this collection is an excellent example and significant achievement. He's now made his mark as a force to reckon with -- Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of PatsyPowerful and revelatory * Salon *Weaves incisive criticism, dark humor, and magical realism in profound explorations of belief, love, justice, and violence * BuzzFeed *We have so far to go and so little time to get there, Scott seems to say. Maybe spending a few hours in Cross River will help build a bridge. Or blow one up, if need be * Washington Post *An 'impressive myth-slayer'... [Scott] shows that 'sidelining' white racist characters doesn't erase the effects of slavery' * New York Times Sunday *Thought-provoking tales that will flow from page to page, steeped in abstract mysticism * Bad Form Review *Threading together tales of adrenaline, violence and rhythm, American writer Rion Amilcar Scott presents a stunning narrative that bestows its shine from its sharp edges... The World Doesn't Require You reminds us of the fruitful space between the surreal, the horrific and the run-of-the-mill. Rion Amilcar Scott is a writer that we will continue to expect great things from' * Glass *

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