ODD, ELEGAIC PARABLE is vintage Coetzee, and has a distant moral resonance, like a sermon heard in a dream. B PLUS

THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS
Viking Books
2013

JAMES BOND IN AFRICA, circa 1969. William Boyd’s reimagining may be the smartest post-Fleming Bond yet! B PLUS

SOLO: A JAMES BOND NOVEL
HarperCollins Publishers
2013

FANTASY, THRILLER, ROMANCE combine in this story of a high-stakes magic battle and the teens who fight it. SOLID B

REACHING RETRIBUTION
Kaitlyn Hoyt
2013

The “hero’s journey” story is an evergreen of children’s and Young Adult literature, since the process of triumphing over adversity through self-knowledge and personal growth is eternally relatable. Sure, most teens don’t have to assemble a magical army and defeat Death Eaters, or elude assassins in the Hunger Games, but the central mythology is a powerful one for people at the cusp of adulthood.

This kind of story only engages us when we find the central character compelling, and Kaitlyn Hoyt succeeds admirably in making us care about the magically gifted but self-doubting Ryanne Arden. In Reaching Retribution, the final book in a four-volume series, Ryanne and her allies must unite their supernatural powers to combat a would-be dictator who plans to seize absolute power through magic. Hoyt makes this familiar plot her own with her characters’ authentically adolescent points of view, complete with impatience, impulsivity, and ignoring their elder mentors’ wise advice until it’s almost too late.

Hoyt’s a fine storyteller, and the mechanics of her magic battles are consistent, while most of the action is well paced. More rigorous editing might have helped improve the clarity of the dialogue-heavy expository scenes; overall, though, the series is an impressive achievement for a young self-published writer.

FANTASY, THRILLER, ROMANCE combine in this story of a high-stakes magic battle and the teens who fight it.

SUBTLE, POETIC HISTORICAL novel explores interracial bonds and tensions in the early 20th century Midwest. SOLID B

MARCHING TO ZION
Open Road Media E-Riginal
2013

IMPASSIONED (IF TENDENTIOUS) indictment of the DSM-V and the process of its creation raises major questions. B PLUS

THE BOOK OF WOE: THE DSM AND THE UNMAKING OF PSYCHIATRY
Blue Rider Press
2013

A SON’S LOVING, UNFLINCHING memoir of his mother’s difficult life and its tragic end in murder. Powerful. SOLID B

SON OF A GUN
Random House
2013

A HIGH-SOCIETY MURDER and lots of family drama for the Blackbird sisters in their latest mystery adventure. SOLID B

LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF MURDER (BLACKBIRD SISTERS MYSTERIES)
NAL Hardcover
2013

CHARMINGLY DOWN-TO-EARTH OVERVIEW of neurophilosophy looks at the biology of the mind and self. Enlightening! B PLUS

TOUCHING A NERVE : THE SELF AS BRAIN
W. W. Norton & Company
2013