Literary Scout

Category: US fiction

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon (2025)

This thriller begins with Dr. Maggie McCabe, a once-renowned reconstructive surgeon, staggering under the weight of loss and scandal. Her husband, Marc, a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon and her partner in humanitarian work, has been reported killed during a mission in North Africa. Not long afterward, Maggie herself loses her medical license in disgrace, accused of […]

Shadow Ticket

Thomas Pychon
1/5 stars

The story opens around the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and spans into the years after World War I. It introduces the Traverse family (Webb, the father, and his sons Kit, Frank, Reef) and a wide cast of anarchists, adventurers, outlaws, mathematicians, spies, and mystics. Key Storylines The novel is sprawling and interweaves multiple threads: Major […]

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2025)

Set during the beginning of the pandemic, we follow four women as they recount significant moments in their lives leading up to this point. The first woman is Chia, who is tracing through her past lovers and subsequent regrets. The second is Chia’s friend, Zikora, who was a successful lawyer until a relationship left her […]

Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte (2024)

This is a collection of short stories: REJECTION. A young man narrates his efforts to be a modern, sensitive man, aware of microaggressions, respectful of women, and supportive of feminist ideals. Despite his best intentions, he finds that women reject him, preferring more traditional “frat bro” types. Frustrated, he becomes obsessed with online porn and […]

What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez (2020)

The narrator, likely also the author in autofiction style, is a woman in her sixties visiting an old friend with cancer. They once worked together on a literary journal. The narrator stays at an Airbnb, reading a detective novel to distract herself from her swirling thoughts. She attends a lecture by a climate change activist […]

Friends of the Museum by Heather McGowan (2025)

On the morning of a high-profile gala at a museum in New York, DIANE SCHWEBE, the ever-busy Director of the museum, is fielding the normal 5:00 AM work-related issues that comprise her long workdays with her Head Counsel, HENRY JOLES, and her assistant, CHRIS. The newest crisis is that Henry has just received word that […]

Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (2024)

The novel portrays a family, the wealth of the ‘80s, and examines the repercussions of trauma. It is set in the past, specifically around March 12, 1983, and the near present, illustrating the events’ repercussions. It primarily takes place in Long Island, New York, within a wealthy Jewish community, with brief scenes in Los Angeles […]

All Fours by Miranda July (2024)

The story is narrated by an unnamed woman who has just turned 45. Though her exact profession is not disclosed, she hints at being somewhat of a public figure. As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that, like july, she is involved in mixed-media work such as filmmaking and writing, enjoying a dedicated, though niche, […]

Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang (2023)

Pitched in the vein of WHITE IVY and THE OTHER BLACK GIRL, it follows June Hayward, a white author whose rival, Athena Liu, has seen much more success. When Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals Athena’s manuscript about the unsung  contributions of Chinese laborers during WWI and presents it as her own under […]

Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips (2023)

The book is divided into four parts, spanning time periods from 1864 to 1874, concluding with an epilogue set in 1883. To simplify, events are recounted chronologically rather than in the book’s sequence. Centered around four characters, the narrative unfolds through their alternating perspectives. In 1874, ConaLee, a thirteen-year-old, accompanies her mother, Mama, on a […]