What makes a great review

I recently received a great review for my novel The Remainders. It’s not just great because it’s a five-star review. It’s because it is beautifully written. It gives a thorough evaluation of the book, and it shows the reviewer’s skill as a writer. The reviewer is Michael Hartnett, author of The Blue Rat. His latest novel, Death Canal, comes out on February 17, 2022 and is now available for preorder.

Here’s his full review of The Remainders:

About a quarter of the way through Matthew Arnold Stern’s penetrating and inspiring novel The Remainders, Dr. Oliver Glass explains how he is constantly confronted by past traumas, “I wished I didn’t remember so many things. Life would be easier if I didn’t.” The reconciliation with those memories for both Oliver and his son Dylan give this novel its gravity and provides the propulsive source of its intrigue.

Once Dylan is kicked out of the house of his mother and his stepdad (a Christian motivational speaker), he must find a way forward, sleeping in his car and working at the shrewdly named dollar store — the Buck & Awesome. Removed from his sheltered life of white privilege, Dylan encounters the kindness and support of immigrant community members Reza, Fatema, Magdalena, Quang, and Kishana. The novel is filled with earthy, gritty moments as Dylan must deal with physically and emotionally embarrassing…