Jenny Maattala

“The End of Romance” is Cerebral, Messy and Made for Book Clubs

By: Jenny Maattala April 8, 2026April 7, 2026

ReviewsFiction, Lily Meyer, The End of RomanceLeave a Comment

Some books are meant to be book club books, and I sincerely believe The End of Romance by Lily Meyer should be on the list for your next book club pick. This is a polarizing book. Some are going to love the philosophical, anti-romance of it all. They will eat up the cerebrally prone main…

“Kin” Is a Study in Sisterhood, Motherhood, and Unconditional Love

By: Jenny Maattala February 20, 2026February 20, 2026

ReviewsFiction, Kin, Knopf, Tayari JonesLeave a Comment

“It is sad to not have a mother… But sadness is one thing. Grief is another.”

“Hot Wax”: A Road Trip Worth Taking

By: Jenny Maattala January 9, 2026January 4, 2026

ReviewsFiction, Hot Wax, M.L. Rio, Novel, Review, Simon & SchusterLeave a Comment

A review of M.L. Rio’s novel, “Hot Wax.”

“To the Moon and Back”: An Expansive Coming-of-Age Novel

By: Jenny Maattala October 31, 2025October 30, 2025

ReviewsEliana Ramage, Fiction, Novel, Review, To the Moon and BackLeave a Comment

Eliana Ramage has a knack for crafting complex characters and capturing the human experience.

Heavy Humidity and a Haunting Bayou in “Girls With Long Shadows”

By: Jenny Maattala July 21, 2025July 21, 2025

ReviewsFiction, Girls with Long Shadows, Tennessee HillLeave a Comment

A review of Tennessee Hill’s atmospheric debut novel, “Girls with Long Shadows.”

Family at the Most Basic Level in “Run for the Hills”

By: Jenny Maattala June 30, 2025June 29, 2025

ReviewsEcco, Fiction, Kevin Wilson, Run for the HillsLeave a Comment

Kevin Wilson’s latest novel, “Run for the Hills,” is a story full of hope and humor.

Beginnings Aren’t Blank Canvases and neither Are Families in “The Bright Years”

By: Jenny Maattala May 30, 2025May 28, 2025

ReviewsFiction, Sarah Damoff, Simon & Schuster, The Bright YearsLeave a Comment

A review of “The Bright Years” by Sarah Damoff.

Just Like The Best of The Blues, This Novel Is Frenetic, Yearning, and Pulsing With Hope

By: Jenny Maattala April 7, 2025April 5, 2025

ReviewsCallie Collins, Doubleday, Fiction, Walk Softly on This Heart of MineLeave a Comment

Callie Collins’ “Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine” is all about belonging, longing, and the shared intimacy of the blues.

“People of Means” Explores Family, Class, and the Pursuit of Equality

By: Jenny Maattala February 20, 2025February 19, 2025

ReviewsFiction, Nancy Johnson, People of Means1 Comment

Nancy Johnson’s novel, “People of Means,” is filled with nuanced, vividly portrayed characters.

Like Father, Like Son: “Isaac’s Song”

By: Jenny Maattala February 3, 2025February 2, 2025

ReviewsDaniel Black, Don't Cry for Me, Fiction, Isaac's SongLeave a Comment

While “Don’t Cry for Me” followed the trajectory of Jacob Swinton as he used his remaining living days to grow as a human, “Isaac’s Song” gives us the perspective of Jacob’s son, Isaac – a coming of age novel from Isaac’s point of view.