Trey's Reviews

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Pure Color stretches the boundaries of what a novel can be. Lyrical, strange, and fascinating, this is a mediation on life, death, love, nature, and art. Author Sheila Heti’s narration of the audiobook creates a special listening experience. Her voice and her words captivated me from beginning to end. This is experimental literature at its very best and well worth a listen. —Trey

An immersive tale of the power of wealth and privilege to bend both reality and history. This is exceptional historical fiction about a Wall Street tycoon in the Roaring Twenties, a triumph of multilayered narration and storytelling. Four different, distinct versions of the story produce a remarkable reading experience. Each telling peels away another layer of mystery. Insights from a hundred years ago resonate today. An exhilarating novel, a pleasure to read!  —Trey

This book is part of our Spring Reading Challenge. Read more here.

Magical realism that works! Steeped in Trinidadian myth, this is a rich and alluring love story. The tale of Yejide, who is reluctant to inherit her destined role of balancer of life and death. The tale of Darwin, working in a cemetery, living outside the teachings of his Rastafari faith. Written in rhythmic colloquial island language, with threads of romance, crime, and mythology. This debut novel created a magical world that delighted and wowed me. —Trey

Julie Otsuka writes like no other author. Her words are melodic and mesmerizing. This exquisite, tender novel begins as a love letter to a group of swimmers, bound together by ritual. A mysterious crack appears in the pool they share, and their sanctuary is undone. The story then pivots to one of the swimmers, Alice, and the heartbreaking path of her dementia. This is a powerful, intimate, portrait of loss that touches deep inside. —Trey

Noor is a thought-provoking tale set in near-future Nigeria. Breakthrough wind-harvesting technology has created a society both prosperous and dystopian. AO was born with a broken body but has persevered with biotech modifications. After she is attacked for being less than human, she flees into the desert and meets up with DNA, a herdsman also on the run. The detailed world-building is unique and the story is full of twists, turns, and surprises. African futurist Nnedi Okorafor has written another gem! —Trey

This is a remarkable debut collection of five short stories and the title novella. The stories are brilliant, with themes of race, home, and family. The novella features Da’Naisha, a direct descendent of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. In a time when violent white supremacists are in ascendance, society disintegrates. Da’Naisha leads a band of refugees to a final stand at fabled Monticello, home of her ancestors. A moving, cautionary tale that speaks to the dangers of our present time. —Trey

Three stories are woven together in this masterful, wise, and empathetic novel. Mina, an Arab American trans woman doing medical work with refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos. A Syrian migrant family led by their dying matriarch Sumaiya. And the writer of the story, struggling to convey the depth of so many unanswerable questions. Alameddine writes with care and precision about existence in the midst of impossibility. This is a special, moving book. Don’t miss our event with Rabih Alameddine on December 1st. —Trey

Enticing scents and exotic perfumes permeate this evocative book. Timothy Schaffert transports you to the cabarets and brothels of WWII Nazi-occupied Paris. Clementine is a 72-year-old queer American ex-pat, a reformed thief. Her perfumery caters to the city's marginalized LGBTQ+ community. She runs a dangerous con game to protect her dearest friends. Espionage, deception, love, and betrayal are all a part of the story. This is a well-written, unique tale of historical fiction. —Trey

A fascinating, unusual novel inspired by Pepe Mujica, the ex-president of Uruguay. Political, personal, and philosophical, the narrative alternates between past and present. As a reporter interviews the retired ex-president, distant memories surface. Memories of solitary confinement. Memories of the woman he loved. Memories of his conversations with the frog that shared his cell.  Beautiful writing and a story of love, hope, and survival come together to make this a very special read.—Trey 

This is an epic tale of family and community set in a small logging town in the Pacific Northwest. A midwife seeks explanations for why so many pregnancies are ending in grief. Her high climbing husband courts danger every day he works far above the ground. Their town is facing the end of logging as a generational way of life. Beautiful immersive writing brings you deep into the old-growth redwood forest. Damnation Spring is a remarkable debut novel. —Trey